December Birthday Celebration

This year we decided to combine Curtis and Alice's birthday parties and celebrate them together. Curtis was on the 5th and Alice is on the 22nd so we basically met halfway in between by celebrating them yesterday on the 13th. We started out the day with half of our family going to church. We have the option to attend church in person or view from home. Curtis went because he's in the bishopric. He said Garrett should go to help pass the sacrament. Since I needed to drop off Garrett I decided I would attend as well. The other kids watched the meeting from home using my computer which was attached to the TV monitor. Nobody was feeling sick or anything. We just decided it would be easier and better for them to stay home if they chose to do so. Garrett decided he wanted to bake the birthday cake so right after church he got to work. He and Nikki frosted the cake after it cooled but Alice got to help put the sprinkles on. 

It decided to snow during the day and so by the afternoon I let the kids go out and play in it for a little while and had the boys shovel the driveway and walkway. I normally wouldn't let the kids play in the snow on Sunday but decided since it was a birthday celebration day and the first real snow fall of the season I would let them this time.

Meanwhile, Nikki was hard at work melting birthday candles together for the cake. Alice picked out a package of colorful regular sized candles at the store but we weren't quite sure what we were going to do for Curtis's candles so Nikki got the idea to melt some together to form a "4" and a "1". Then Alice decided she wanted the same for hers. So she made another "4". They turned out pretty cool.

A week ago we decided we would cook up the free turkey we had in our freezer (free because we bought $100 worth of groceries at Winco before Thanksgiving). I let Curtis be in charge of the turkey because I would rather not. He cooked up a brine Saturday night and had the turkey soaking in it all night. Then baked it in the oven. We basically ate another Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday with turkey, mashed potatoes (using golden potatoes), stuffing, and green bean casserole. Our dessert would be cake and ice cream sandwiches instead of pie though. Curtis even made gravy from the turkey juices again. It was all very good! It was a rush to clean up the kitchen and wash dishes before grandparents started coming over. We were able to get most of the dishes done by the time they came around 5:30. Then it was party time! Since we had the Christmas tree up we decided to do the birthday party in the family room this time.

Lots of goodies from G & G Butterfield. Stickers, a pony, a fun little box that had some crayons inside, chocolates, and lip balm.

Curtis's mom and dad gave him some of their homemade caramels. They have nuts in them too and they're SO good! And my parents gave him an awesome birthday card. Laverne is so good at making cards!

A veterinarian toy and cute card from G Vernie and G Tony.

I gave him these slippers but the funny part is he actually picked them out while we were Christmas shopping for the kids. He saw them and liked them and said maybe for his birthday so I said go ahead and grab them and we'll wrap them up.

Sit and spin toy from us.

Alice's first bike!

                                       

The only time she can ride her bike in the house.

My brother sent me a text right before Thanksgiving saying that Curtis really wants a shotgun for his birthday/Christmas. Then he showed me an ad for Sportsman's Warehouse for Black Friday deals and suggested this one. I bought this gun on Black Friday and some bullet shells for Curtis with the intention of giving them as a Christmas gift but changed my mind and did birthday instead. Now I can buy him accessories to go with it for Christmas! 

Laverne, Dad, and Grandma with the birthday girl. Dad just had his surgery on Dec 3rd for prostate cancer and is doing really well with recovery.