How We Spent Our Christmas Money

December 2012

My parents gave us some money for Christmas this year.  We asked the kids if they wanted their cut or if the wanted to go on a little outing with it.  They chose outings and we decided to take each kid out one at a time, so they could have some individual attention.

We took Camryn to see The Hobbit.  She loves all things Fantasy and loved every minute of this pretty long film.  

Alexis needed cash for a girls night with her friends.  I gave her some money, but also took her to the Crepe Shack.  She loves pancakes and ice cream, so I thought this would be perfect for her.  She loved it and I enjoyed just chatting and looking through the magazines that were there with her.

Dave took Seth to play Lazer Tag at King Putt.  The game only lasts about 15 minutes, so they played a round of mini-golf too.  Seth loved the Lazer Tag, but Dave said he needs to work on watching his teammates back!

The kids all had a good time and Dave and I enjoyed spending time with them.  Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

Fun at Fong

January 2013

January 14-18 was Peace Week at school.  We had Crazy Hair Day, Mix matched Shoes Day, and Wear Your Shirt Backwards Day. We missed PJ Day, staying home sick.  The kids love dressing up.  

Cam and Yulaina had the best hair  - with a cup inside their ponytails!

Later in the month, Ms. Janeksela's class did biography projects, that included these posters and a little presentation.  Seth did his project on William Shakespeare and his buddy, Cayson, did his on Neil Armstrong.  They did a great job and were so excited to learn about their person.

YW Snow Retreat

Friday, January 4-5, 2013

The YW went on a Snow Retreat the first weekend of the year. We drove up to a cabin at Mt. Charleston.  I helped get everything inside then stayed there.  The girls went sledding while the leaders had a meeting about the camp fundraiser and made hot cocoa for when the girls got back.  We had lasagna for dinner, and played games while waiting for it to cook.  We played Super Frog, which is a more PC version of the Indian game, and a game where everyone wrote down the name of a famous person and you had to guess who wrote what.  After dinner we just visited and hung out, and had Waffle Ice Cream Sandwiches for a late night treat. 

The next morning, the Priesthood made us breakfast.  The fuses went out and Jung ended up making eggs in the entryway!  The girls went sledding again while the leaders cleaned.  When the girls got back we packed up and headed home.  It was a fun overnighter and I loved getting to know the girls better.

Party Like It's 2013

Monday, December 31, 2012

The Sokols were going to hit the buffet at Green Valley Ranch.  We are not big buffet fans, but the kids had good memories of eating their weight in Jello last year, so we tagged along.  Jo, Bo, and Grandma and Grandpa went too. This year they didn't go crazy on Jello, but Camryn discovered Chicken Fried Steak.  She had several helpings and tried to talk everyone into eating it. We got so full, which was a BIG mistake since we were all bringing snacks to share at Ryan's that night.

Later at Ryan's we played games and the teenagers got ready for the Church dance.  They all looked beautiful.

We ate, played games, ate, watched the countdown, and ate.  All the kids stayed up to welcome in the New Year.  We celebrated with cider and midnight kisses.

Saturday with the Sokols

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Jacquelynn and Jeff also brought their family to Vegas over the holiday.  Jeff loves to do all the touristy stuff around town.  After working on the shipwreck puzzle Camryn got for Christmas, we went to the Bellagio to see the conservatory and to City Center to look at the fancy cakes in the bakery and see the fountains there.

Christmas 2012

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Christmas came early for Dave & I this year.  We finally paid off our school debt and can now spend our money on fixing up the house.  We splurged on Black Friday and each got a big item we have been waiting for. They both arrived the next Saturday.

I got a new table.  We got our old one when we got married and I used it throughout my teaching preschool years, so it was ready to be replaced.  The only problem is that it doesn't go with our dated kitchen cabinets, so now I am working on staining all the cabinets in our house! 

Dave wanted a BIG A TV.  We got a smart TV that connects to the internet.  He loves it.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Donna came over and we started our Christmas festivities with a delicious dinner - Chicken Kiev, mashed potatoes, rolls, and orange salad. After dinner we cleaned up and tried to settle the kids down enough to read the Christmas story from the scriptures.  All the presents awaiting to be opened was pretty distracting.

Alexis got clothes, some movies, and more clothes.

The Littles got bean bag chairs, games, and movies.

After playing with their new things a bit, they set up milk and cookies for Santa, then headed for bed.  They had made a bed in the loft, so they couldn't peek at what Santa had brought in the morning.  Donna and BJ spent the night too.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Santa brought Alexis boots, shoes and a purse.

Camryn got an iPod Touch.

And Seth got a bike.

We headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Jenkins house for breakfast and a gift exchange.  All the grandkids got a blanket from Grandma and each family got money to have some adventures with.

The cousins did a gift exchange.  Camryn got the best gift - voice lessons that included recording 2 songs!  During the brother/sister exchange, I gave Bo a truly ugly watch from the Dollar Store, repackaged to look like it came from Khols (where I got his real watch).  He tried to look grateful, but was very relieved to get the real one.

After a failed attempt to go watch Les Mis (it was sold out and Dave and I went later in the week), the siblings went out to eat at Shucks then tried out our new ping pong table with a tournament.  Abigail was a welcome addition-I finally beat someone!