My Favorite Things

My favorite things about Christmas Break

*TIME with family. It's so nice to have down time. No worries about homework, running here and running there.

*GAMES* Playing games like Chutes and Ladders, Scum, and our new favorite Guitar Hero World Tour for the Wii.

*FOOD* Chocolate, Pie, Cake, Chocolate, Cookies, Did I say Chocolate? Hopefully exercise will be a favorite in January.

*MOVIES* These movies have become a Christmas Break tradition. Anne of Green Gables Series, White Christmas, Polar Express.

FUN with Christmas Decorations

Our house in Cumming, Georgia

Picture frames with a message. Peace, Joy, Hope and Love. What this season is all about! "Perserved" ornaments as our dining room centerpeice & what is left of our gingerbread houses.

The tree that fits perfectly to the right of our mantel and can be seen from our front door.

Christmas picture books that we have collected through the years and through our travels. We try to read one each night.

Nutcracker Collection

When I, Steph, was a little girl my Grandma Miller took me to see the Nutcracker ballet on Christmas Eve. I LOVED it!! That same Grandma had a Nutcracker she sat on her coffee table each Christmas. I was fascinated by being able to pull up on the wooden coattails in the back and the mouth would open in the front. Many times I'd stick my finger in the Nutcracker's mouth and shut it to see how much it would hurt to be smashed. I even tried smashing some of my brothers and sisters fingers too.

From these dear childhood memories I have developed a foundness for nutcrackers and began a collection 5 years ago. Fred has bought me one each year for my birthday. He gives it to me early, when I bring out the Christmas decor, so we can enjoy them that season rather than waiting to use it next year.

Here are this year's additions.

A cute little sushi chef. Both Fred and I were missionaries in Japan. We enjoy ALL Japanese food.

An oldfashioned Santa with a bag full of blocks in his left hand and a Christmas Tree in his right. The Nutcracker on the rocking horse in the foreground is one that Ammon and I bought when we attended the Nutcracker Ballet with his kindergarten class in 2006.

Anniversary #15!

It's difficult to believe it has been 15 years since the day Fred and I were married. It seems like just yesterday he picked me up early in the morning. It had snowed during the night and we carefully made our way to the Salt Lake Temple. I can honestly say that was the best day of my life.

I love you Fredrick, My Love! This is the BEAUTIFUL arrangement he sent me for our special day.

Lake Lanier Holiday Nights of Lights!

It's an hour ride filled with lights, a live nativity and people shouting from their open car windows "Merry Christmas"! This is our 3rd year to experience this FUN event. As we drive we open up the moon roof of the van and Haleigh, Caleb and Ammon poke their heads out.

We listen to the Polar Express soundtrack. We time it just right so that track #14, the finale, plays as we drive through the snowflake flashing arches.

The live nativity was beautiful. Not only live people but live animals as well!

A donkey, a cow, two goats and three sheep.

Gingerbread House Building

This has been a Lewis Family tradition for 12 years now! On a Monday night, for family night, we invite at least 2 other families to join us for Gingerbread House Building FUN! Each family brings something of their choice to help decorate the houses. We get more creativity that way. This year we had the Taylor and Jenkins families join us. It was GREAT fun!!!