More Birthday Celebrations

I have always loved having my birthday at Christmas time and now that Sean and I share its even more special.  Last Sunday my mom invited us over for a special birthday dinner, she made roast beef, rolls, vegetables, my favorite BBQ chopped salad, mashed potatoes, and gravy.  It was an amazingly delicious dinner and it was so fun to eat with my parents and my grandma.  While we were eating I was telling my grandma about our skiing adventures and she was telling me how she used to go all the time and that her brother in law (my uncle Danny) was a ski instructor and how they used to ski with Stein Erikson (I think there is a lodge named for him now=)  The food was so delicious and I didn't have to cook any of it or even do any dishes, although I felt bad leaving behind such a mess.

Sean opened a card from my grandma and there was $20 inside.  Before Brett could say anything Brett told Sean that he really needed to give Great Grandma a big thank you!  Sean opened gifts from my parents next.  They gave him a new red shirt and tie and some i-tunes money.  Sean and I had exchanged gifts on Friday and I had given him a new Wisconsin jacket, a new fitbit Charge 2, and a cool wrist band to go with it.

The kids were very excited to help us open our gifts!


My mom picked out a beautiful skirt and blouse for me, but unfortunately they didn't fit quite right so I exchanged them for a different skirt and blouse and some earrings=)  My parents also gave me the new Lindsey Stirling CD and my grandma gave me some money.  Sean gave me two new sweaters and some awesome new cookie sheets!

After we had more yummy cookie cake, we headed home to get to sleep.  On Monday (our actual day of birth) Sean had the day off and we just hung out at home.  It was actually really fun just working on laundry and playing with my kids.  Being 30 is pretty spectacular!  Sean opened his gift from his parents on Monday and got 2 new really cool ties and piano music from the Little Mermaid and Alladin.  I opened my card from them as well and they gave me a dinner to the Roof restaurant in SLC.  I am so excited!  I think we should try to go in February.

We made hamburgers for dinner and had a family home evening where we delivered loaves of cinnamon bread to our neighbors.
On Tuesday the Primary and Youth groups in our ward were invited to a rest home across the street from our church to sing.  Brett and Alana had so much fun!  Sean also got to play piano for awhile.



We made jam thumbprint cookies and butter cookies on Wednesday and I had made oreo truffles on Tuesday so we put together some gift boxes for Sean's coworkers.





We have been recieving all kinds of packages from Mom and Dad P for our family and Brain and Jills.  Also Eric and Natzz are giving to Brian and Jill so we got their gifts as well.  I've ordered several things online.  We got packages everyday last week and it was so fun!  One day a huge box arrived with a bunch of wrapped gifts from Mom and Dad P.  Alana had fun putting them under the tree.

In the box were these cool glasses that make the Christmas lights look like gingerbread men or santas.

I went VT on Thursday night and came home just in time for Sean to head over to Rogue One with Neil.  When I checked on the kids, Lizzie was just so cute with her little bear!


Alana let me do 2 braids in her hair on Friday.

Sean took over the hospital service on Friday.  This is his first experience with being the Senior on service so its a little different and we both aren't completely sure what to expect.  The service is his responsibility till 7 wed-fri.  Monday he does a 24 hour shift starting at noon on Monday and ending at noon on Tuesday.  Saturday he is supposed to have off and Sunday's he has to go in and round on the patients then he turns them over to the weekend call doctor.  It's pretty confusing but I think I understand.  Anyway, this last Saturday he switched with the intern so he rounded on Saturday morning and had Sunday off.  This next weekend he has Saturday off like normal and then his coworker offered to round for him on Christmas.  Her father is a doctor and she remembers his being gone one Christmas so she doesn't want our kids to remember that.  Hopefully there won't even be anyone at the hospital so she won't have to round, either way we are incredibly grateful for her kindness.  Sean and I went to see Rogue 1 after Sean rounded while my parents watched the kiddos for us.  We both really liked it a lot!  So well done!  We then went to Chuck A Rama (they really really need to change that name!) for a late lunch with my Grandma, Aunt and Uncle, our family friend Margo, and my parents.  The food was good and Lizzie especially enjoyed eating table food.  Brett's favorite thing was the blue slushie and Alana loved the pink lemonade and ice cream.  After the restaurant we went out to Kearns to see a Christmas in Color drive through show.  You pay like $25 then drive through all these beautiful lights that are synchronized to music on a radio station.  It was so fun and so warm in our car.  The kids just loved the tunnels as did Sean and I.  When I would peek at Lizzie she was just enthralled with the lights!
 
On Sunday we had our Choir Christmas program at church.  Sean is the choir pianist and the whole program was so beautiful and so well done.  My parents came and helped with the kids.  The Spirit was so strong!  The kids had fun in nursery and primary and Alana gave me this Gingerbread man she made which just fits her perfectly!  I just love her expression!  It was her last day in nursery, next year she will be a Sunbeam and I can't believe it!  She's really excited about it!

I got to take some pictures of my friends new baby on Sunday afternoon and it was really cool to be around such a precious little baby!  I've been experimenting more with the manual mode on my camera which is more difficult but I really like the results!