Brown and Kitten Christmas

It has come and gone, but a Merry Christmas to all!

I love decorating for Christmas.

I love the warmth the tree and the lights bring.

The focus on family, friends, and my Savior is welcome in the bleak mid-winter.

Watch out for Demon Mops!

Prior to Halloween, we prepared by carving jack-o-lanterns.

In bell pepper form.

Seriously, it's so much easier. 

Although Calista enjoys using the knives in either just fine.

Spooooooooky!

O, Canada! O, Raymond!

As per tradition, we heading down to Raymond for Canada Day after the kids got out of school. Of course, this year was particularly important: it is 20 years from the time Kyler graduated high school!

On our leisurely way, we stopped at a park in Red Deer

We've stopped here before, and the kids always love it. 

Especially the musical part. 

We also stopped at the Okotoks Glacier Erratic. 

This huge rock actually came all the way from Mount Edith Cavell in Jasper!

The littles rocks came from there, too. 

While in Raymond, we took a jaunt into Cardston. 

Kyler and Calista went to the temple, 

While I took the boys to the playground and spraypark. 

Everyone enjoyed their afternoon!

Is it Canada Day without fireworks?

We watched the (Smith Family) fireworks from the little lake just outside Raymond. It made for some beautiful reflections, and much easier traffic. 100% recommend. 

For Canada Day itself, we obviously went to the parade.

Kyler was actually on a float throwing candy, which means I was "alone" with these yahoos. And the entire rest of Kyler's family and all of Raymond.

Kyler was unaware, but I had a plan for him.

Involving this water gun.

As he approached and threw us candy, I prepared and shot him! No pics, because he was hiding and I was shooting. Sorry.

The afternoon was spent with friends and family and at the Raymond Canada Day Fair.

Bouncy houses! Was it worth being in the heat? Probably.

This year, we had our Rasmussen family gettogether on July 2nd.

Blasphemy! Just kidding. 

Spending time with family means being silly in all sorts of ways.

I love starting the summer with Canada Day and a trip to see family.

It's nice to have some time to just relax. 

Happy Canada Day, everyone!

Christmas bells are ringing!

As always, one of our big starts of the Christmas season was the kiddos' Christmas concert. 

This year was in person (yay!), making it the first - and last - year that Kyler and I have no children sitting with us in the audience. How freeing!

Craig did the introduction for one of his class' songs.

And Calista has been looking forward to this year for a while now: probably 6 years! 

She finally got to play the handbells! She was so cute, telling me her hair had to be back so that she didn't get any oils on the bells, and nodding to her friend Christian whenever it was his turn to play a note.

They all did great, even if they won't smile and pose for me. Sigh.

And with the concert out of the way, it's time to prepare for the big day itself!

Christmas eve brought pajamas, obviously.

And, also obviously, Christmas morning brought cinnamon ring roll.

I got up pretty early to make sure we have breakfast before church. Definitely worth it, though, to make my great-grandma's recipe. 

We all got dressed in our Sunday best.

Not a bad looking crew, I think!

After church, it was back into pajamas

to open presents

and start using them!

They're learning the rules and also how to lose with grace.

With Christmas over, we were then able to enjoy the rest of the break from school/work.

We went on a couple of different snowy walks and sledding, too.

And when weather was decent, 

we also just had time to relax and play outside.

When weather wasn't as decent, we went to the library

And used our Christmas gift from Ken and Maria:

Year-long passes to the Science Center!

My favorite part of Christmas break, though, was in the calmer, quieter moments. 

Kyler decided to read aloud The Hobbit to the children. They were into it.

Except when Caleb fell asleep in my arms. Still, even he liked it. "I hope the dragon eats Bilbo!" Caleb said. "Or he gets burnt to a crisp."

The kiddos (with help from Kyler and I) even re-wrote the lyrics to "Whistling In The Dark." Presenting, for the first time in public,

"Riddling In The Dark"

A Hobbit came up to me and said I'd like to exit your cave

Before the goblins catch me and send me to an early grave.

What has it got in his pocketses, not hands or knife or string,

I lost the game and that Thief, Baggins, he stole my precious ring.

(Chorus)

There's only one thing that I know how to do well

And I've often been told that you only can do

What you know how to do well

And that's be you,

Be what you're like,

Be like yourself,

And so let's have a wonderful time

And get on with riddling in the dark.

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

Riddling in the dark

There's only one thing that I like

And that is riddling in the dark.

A spider came up to me and said I'd like eat you whole

And chew you with a side of dwarf within my webby bowl. 

We were trapped like flies but it was time to save the day.

I take my sword and chop them up: few of them live today.

(Chorus)

A Hobbit came up to me and said I'd like to take burgle your hoard 

And give it to some hungry dwarves, sitting outside, bored. 

But I'd rather go out and burn the town sitting on the lake.

To not inspect my armored chest would certainly be a mistake. 

(Chorus)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling  (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Riddling (riddling), riddling (riddling)

Dark (dark), Dark (dark)

Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you felt the love of your Savior and that no one stole your precious!