Christmas 2013

This Christmas season was eventful and full of traditions.  It's the Christmas season that are hearts are turned to our family and friends.  We seem to find more time to stay and visit with our loved ones and remember the fun times in the past.  We have been blessed this Christmas season and it's all because of the Savior and what he did for us.  He is the reason that we celebrate Christmas and He is the reason that we can spend eternity with our families.  It's so great that we have a season to remember the birth of the Savior and what he has done for us.

• Christmas with the Barneys - The Barney family came up to visit the family for Christmas.  Matthew was home and came up too with his wife Wendy.  This was the first time that most of us met Wendy, so we spent a lot of time getting to know her.  We had a great time and everyone seems so happy.  I love it when my family gets together .  We don't see the Barney as often as we would like since they live in Benson.   It was fun to spend the time with Ashley too, since she is leaving on her mission next year.  It's weird to think that next Christmas, she will be serving the people in Idaho instead of with us.  
  

• Christmas Sunday - It's so great to be together on Christmas Sunday.  Christmas is just 3 days away and I love singing the Christmas songs in church and hearing the Christmas message.  I'm so grateful to have an amazing family to spend the holidays with.  I truly love my husband and each one of my kids.  They are amazing!!!

My Amazing Family

• Christmas Temple Lights - Danni performed with the Christian Dance group, so we went to the temple to watch her and then walk around the temple to see the lights.  It seems like that they add or switch around the scenes every year.  They moved the manger scene again and it helped keep our interest.  I love going to the temple to see the Christmas lights and feel the spirit.  It's important to remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Jim and the kids at the lights

Danni and Britt after their performance

• Christmas Eve party at the Paces - I love the tradition of having a Pace Family Christmas Party on Chistmas Eve and it was Kathryn's turn to plan.  We had a Costa Vida style dinner, which everyone loved.  The Pace family doesn't see each other often enough, so there is a lot to catch up on.  After dinner, we played some games, and made gingerbread houses.  This year, Devon played Santa since he is leaving on his mission next month.  It was so fun to see Devon play that role.

Catching Up

Making Gingerbread Houses

Devon as Santa

Kids with their Bears

• Christmas Eve at home- After the Christmas Eve party, our kids came home and opened presents from Grandma and Grandpa Pace and then opened their Christmas jammies.  They look ready for Santa to come.  Now we just need to lay out the cookies and carrots for the reindeer.  Got to keep Santa and his reindeer energized.  My kids got books to read to help them fall asleep.

Ready to open Christmas Eve presents

Christmas Jammies

• Christmas Morning - Santa was really good to us.  We love Christmas morning as we sit around the tree to see what Santa brought for us.  We take turns and ooh and aah when we see what Santa brought us.  Our family likes to sleep in til 7 or 8, so as soon as we open our gifts. Grandma and Grandpa stop by to see what we got from Santa.  After the presents are open, it's family time and Santa brought us some really fun games to play.   We don't have to be anywhere until lunch time, so we will play with our new toys.

Christmas Fun

We had a yummy lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Wall's house and then we opened presents.  My mom loves Christmas and I think she enjoys this moment more than the kids to.  She loves to show her love through gifts and she really loves her grandkids.

Christmas Gifts

We had a great Christmas and hope that you did too!!