Four.Ten Years

 4.10 Years

• We got to see your dance concert at the beginning of the month. You had on this bluff, fluffy blue tutu. You did great in your dance. Since you are the oldest girl in your class, you were really focused and did a great job staying on the beat and doing each of the moves. We celebrated by going to get hamburgers for lunch afterwards.
• We have had a lot of fun with all the different Christmas tradition. Dad and Sam came home from the store with a gingerbread house kit. We each got to decorate one of the walls. We have four different advent day calendars going, so we have you all rotate which ones you pick. We have a Harry Potter Lego one, the tree with a piece of chocolate in each slot, the hanging of the nativity piece and then the activity board. Some of the activities that we have done are write a letter to Ben on his mission, have a Christmas dance party, open a present with a new Christmas book, and of course leave your shoes out for the elves. Connor, our elf that comes each year, even left a letter for you all. For red ribbon dinner, instead of individually gifts, we opened just one for the whole family. It was exploding kittens, a game that you all feel in loved with over Thanksgiving at Dusty and Janecce's. 
• We went to Utah before Christmas this year. We made it just in time to watch the Nut Cracker ballet with the girl cousins. When we lived in Ogden Maggie and I would go each year with Jane and Laura. Well, you were old enough to come this year. We all met at Lucky Slice for lunch and then walked over to the Theater to watch it. I am amazed at how much you liked it. I think you spent most of the show on my lao, which I didn't mind. On Sunday, we got to meet up with all the family for the big party. This year, you had Tally for the gift exchange. You picked out some pink earrings and candy for her. Bonnie had you and gave you these scrubby animals. Grandma and Papa of course gave you and Bonnie the biggest in size gift. This year, it was a huge package of ponies. It was a great trip overall.
• We had almost a week before actually Christmas and we spent a lot of that time sledding with friends. We had the Strasser, Stones, and the neighbor kids over. It was fun just to play all week.
• Christmas came! Dad was on call, so we had to work around his schedule. For Christmas Eve, I let you kids pick out the dinner. We had a shrimp platter, homemade ciabatta bread, cheese plate, and artichokes. It was awesome. We acted out the Nativity (silly style) and found new slippers under the star for We Three Kings. Dad went back to work while we watched a movie. We set up ground rules so no one was going to wake up at 5am. I blocked the stairs and had you call me at 7am at the earliest. Joke on us because Dad couldn't get back from work until 9:00am. I snuck downstairs and played games, read books, watched some shows. I brought a box of cereal down to keep our tummies at bay (which lead to lots of cereal all over the floor). We finally got to go up. Santa brought you Encanto barbies, a little lego set, and funny trinkets in your stocking. Dad and I got you a light brite, two dresses (one matches JoJo's), and a set of Princess in Black books. Maggie gave you an unicorn pj set for your doll Allie, Sam gave you a bath bomb with hair bows and JoJo gave you an electric toothbrush. We also you you kids a subscription to Kiwi Crates and a laser tag set. It was a good day. 
• Since there was so much snow over the break, Snow Haven was opened up. Dad took you and me up. It was so fun to learn how to ski with you. And then on New Years Day, we got a sitter for JoJo and all five of us went skiing. Dad spent the morning with you and then I got to go down with you and watch you do your snakes. On our last run, the lift stopped. We were almost to the top, so we decided just to hop off and go down the blue hill. I was so nervous about going but you just did the widest pizza (snow plow) that I had even seen and just went straight down the hill. I was so impressed. 
• Other fun activities that we did during the break-swimming at the hotel, finishing up my puzzle that has been set up for a few weeks in my room, watch lots of movies, read lots of Princess in Black, tons of legos, and enjoyed the snow a lot. It was a good break.
• Super duper exciting news-you finished all 100 reading lessons in your book! You worked so hard on it. It took you 15 months and came out such a confident reader. I am really proud of you with sticking with it.