Christmas Stuff 2009

So this year is different for us as we have had our first Holiday by ourselves. We've definitely missed everyone and did our best to fill the time with fun things. We tried to mix new traditions with the usual favorites.

This was our Christmas Candy Making Night. We invited our bishop's family and the missionaries. Everyone was sugared out and covered in chocolate. Such a fun night!

Elder Hitchcock dipping homemade caramels. And here's Ella dipping into the chocolate.

We made caramels, turtles, coconut haystacks, mint cookie balls, peanut butter and mint truffles, and last but not least, buttermints. Here's the story of the butter mints.

It started with a very pregnant Cyndi spreading the syrup on cool baking trays.

It went outside to have the cool on the pans as we tried to start balling the mints. I think first degree burns were had by all, even though we were all laughing.

We eventually worked it into balls and started to pull and here is the amazing result...

a complete catastrophe! So the butter mints didn't turn out but I think it will be the biggest memory maker of the evening. We couldn't stop laughing.

Here we are with the Nelsons. Love them! Our family away from family.

The Ward Christmas Party:
Stress of the Season, for Cyndi, that is. She was in charge of getting the entertainment for the evening. Some of the numbers were:

Austin and Riley playing Jingle Bells Fantasy Duet. They were awesome.
Cyndi and Jed sang "Baby it's Cold Outside" while a couple did a ballroom routine on the stage. We weren't planning on singing, but at last minute the couple who was going to got strep. Oh the joys of planning! (Not my favorite thing.) And no, Ella isn't playing the piano, but we're thinking about starting that soon.

Another number was our bishop, JJ, and the elders singing the chipmunk song with helium balloons for the full effect. I think this was the favorite of the evening, especially when the singers had to stop mid phrase to suck more helium. Everyone was laughing. These gentlemen were such good sports to do it. A definite memory maker of the night.

And of course...Mr. and Mrs Claus came to wish the ward a merry Christmas.

Here's Ella and Jed with Santa and Mrs. Claus. She's still scared of him, so this was as close as she got.

Christmas Eve:
We did something we've never done before and went out to eat for dinner. We went to Texas Roadhouse with the Browns and then acted out the Nativity with puppets while dad read Luke 2.

We also made homemade ToffyPop cookies for Santa and wrote a note for him and left out carrots for the reindeer. Ella was so cute about leaving a treat and signing her name with thank yous for Santa.
After that, we all cuddled up and watched a Christmas movie by the tree and think we'll add that as a family tradition for years to come.

Dad and Ella watching "A Muppet Christmas Carol."

Christmas morning was a relaxed, fun, time. Ella got "baby toys," and mom and dad got new Nike running shoes. We swear by the Nike Zoom Air. That morning we had crepes (Nordfelt tradition) and then had a big traditional Christmas dinner with some other families. Part of that dinner was a white elephant exchange where Jed gave an autographed picture of himself and this was the picture...

Signed "Go-Go Nordfelt."
It was the funniest gift of the night for sure.

It really was a fantastic day.