Holiday Highlights part 1.

Woo Hoo, I won!!! Our ward has a "festival of trees" as part of the ward party. 30 families/people/auxillaries volunteer to decorate an 18 inch tree. The trees are used as centerpieces for the party and then donated to nursing homes or other long term care facilities on the island. There are several categories of winners, mine won the most original. This is a picture of the sign that accompanied the tree and the tree is pictured below. You can't see it very well, but there is a sign on the mirror that is on top of the tree that says "You're a star." You also can't see that there are a bunch of small, clear lightbulbs strung on the tree with fishing wire.

Parties for the season were as follows: Christmas kickoff party with the Petersons (as posted previously), Rusty's work party (we came home with an air soft gun and the game chutes and ladders), Ward Christmas party, Graves/Christenson gift party (on the off year when Holly and I don't see our families we try to have a turkey dinner and open our gifts from them), Kid Christmas party (we had all of Kyky's friends over for a great party, and cookie exchange (ladies only, we all brought 7 dozen of one kind of cookie and went home with a fabulous variety).

Kyky with Santa. Katelyn wouldn't even get close.

At our kid party we celebrated Merry Christmas (made snowman pins and cards), Feliz Navidad (made Mexican yarn ornaments), and Joyeux Noel (pictured above, candy stuffed in T.P. rolls, wrapped up. One kid gets on each side and pulls, like a two person pinata). We also decorated star cupcakes and sang Christmas carols. All the kids had so much fun and Kyky loved helping plan and execute the party.

Hanging out after presents during Graves/Christenson party.

This was all before we even left for our Christmas Vacation. Stay tuned for "the rest of the story."