We had a lovely Christmas this year.
We made a list as a family at the beginning of December of things we wanted to accomplish, what we valued at Christmas. Overall, we did some fun things, and I think next year we can do even better at service during the season.
This image of Benjy in his reindeer nose from school just was too funny.
I was released as the Primary music leader after nearly 4.5 years (sniff sniff!) and called as the Relief Society activity committee leader. This Christmas wreath activity took a lot of time and stress for me, but overall it went well.
It feels really good to feel that our family is complete.
Clayton's smiles just light us all up.
Basically this photo captures what any family activity is like now--not picture perfect but right in our own way.
Don't you just love this adorable outfit that my friend, Karisa, brought home from London?
This ten dollar purchase from Michael's brought a lot of fun busyness for the boys as they colored all the sides (correcting Benjy's additions that he tried to make).
Benjy was an adorable angel in the preschool play.
This year our graham cracker houses used up Halloween candy that the Switch Witch had exchanged for a gift back in early November. And thanks to hot glue, these houses were a lot less stressful than they could have been for me.
Plus Robbie really liked using the glue gun and designing it how he wanted it to be.
Henry told me how he wanted to make his base, and then he added all his sweet decorations.
Rock on.
Benjy was mostly excited about the prospect of eating the candy on his house, which he proceeded to do within a day or two.
A highlight of the Christmas season was having Grandma and Grandpa here from Arizona!
And they babysat the kids so that we could go up to Philadelphia to stay with Nana and Bapa who have started their mission there and go to the temple (for the first time for me since before Covid) while they watched Clayton. It was awesome having 10+ hours talking in the car about all the family things--chores, routines, family vacations, values, etc.
It was also so great to see my parents in their new habitat as they prepare for this new adventure, serving the Lord by serving as seminary and institute missionaries for eighteen months.
We went to this really yummy restaurant, the Urban Farmer, while we were up there and just enjoyed being together.
And the temple was wonderful.
I can't remember why Daddy was showing Robbie how to saw something, but it was such a sweet image that I had to capture it.
Christmas morning, the kids were so excited to come down that Robbie got his binoculars out to try to make out the name tags.
Lining up on the stairs (with Benjy holding Clayton for one quick second!).
Merry Christmas, Grandma!
Hard to believe this is our twentieth Christmas together. !!
Thanking Grandma and Grandpa for their fun cereal/oatmeal gifts for each of the kids.
We enjoyed our Joseph and Mary dinner on the floor on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas evening we had the missionaries over as well as the Mabunda family and the Loos family, following a more traditional Dunford Christmas buffet, complete with Christmas crackers.
The kids table, plus Grandpa who was keeping watch.
Connie Mabunda is a new treasured friend.
The family enjoyed lots of games of Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, a fun and easy to learn card game, as well as Hiss (which the kids enjoyed, except when they were losing or when I was taking a picture ;-)).
Enjoying the new foosball table that Grandpa took hours assembling for us.
Thanks again for coming, Grandma and Grandpa!
