December in Utah

There are so many fun things to do in Utah during Christmas, so during the month of December we wanted to plan as many fun things as we could do before we went to Michigan to celebrate Christmas with my family. 

Christmas Tree

When we got back from St. George for Thanksgiving, the first thing that I made sure we did was get a Christmas Tree!  In Michigan, we used to go to a Christmas tree farm and cut down a tree.  Daddy wasn't the biggest fan (probably because the saws were always old and rusty and we usually ended up trying to kick the tree down - and he'd end up covered in pine needles and sap), but I loved it (they took you out in a tractor to get a tree, there were reindeer, fire pit, hot chocolate and donuts)!  Unfortunately, for Mommy, I couldn't find a Christmas Tree Farm nearby, but I did find a cute place that had all of the great things that our tree farm had - plus Santa!  

Maddy was fascinated by the reindeer and wanted to get in with them!

There were so many pretty colored Christmas trees - Maddy and I picked

one our for her room, but Daddy said no.

Festival of Trees

Every year the South Town Expo Center puts on a charity event where all of the proceeds go to Primary Children's Hospital.  The Center is filled with amazing Christmas trees that are decorated in different themes and then individuals or companies buy them - but we're able to see the trees before they are sent home to their new owners.  What is really amazing about the trees, is that they each have a different story - so many are decorated in remembrance of loved ones that had passed.  It was so beautiful to see all of the trees and Maddy enjoyed looking at all the decorations.  Of course  now that she is a full time walker, she she wants to get up close and personal to all the trees!

 

It was hard for her to keep her eyes off the trees, always 

pointing to something new to look at!

And she couldn't get over how big all of the decorations were - 

life sized elves!

Elmo - Madeline's favorite!

Fun family date night.

Decorating the House and 

Sub for Santa

I have to admit, I absolutely love Christmas decorations, and was excited

to put of this new advent calendar that Grammer had made us.  Along with decorating the house,

we have started an annual event of doing Sub for Santa, where we have a bunch of our

friends and their kids come over, and we wrap presents that we bought for children whose

parents can't afford to buy them girts.  It is a really great opportunity for us all to get together, and

it is a wonderful reminder of how blessed we are and how much we have been given - so it 

feels great to take some time to give back to others.

Visiting Santa

 

The typical first Santa photo.  I brought Madeline to the mall, and since there was no line
to see Santa, we decided to go see him.  Let's just say they're not friends...yet.

Temple Square

There is absolutely no place like Temple Square during Christmas.  Absolutely every tree on Temple Square is decorated in colors, every single branch covered.  It is truly breathtaking.  And there is a huge nativity set which plays the story of Christ's birth that is so beautiful.  I could have walked around there forever, but Madeline had other plans!  Since she has found her independence with walking, she wanted nothing to do with sitting in the stroller or having us hold her.  Normally I wouldn't mind her wanting to walk around, but it was so incredibly crowded down there that eventually we had to pick her up and take her crying back to the car.  But before that, we went to City Creek and had dinner at Cheesecake Factory, which was delicious, and then spent the rest of the time walking around the Temple.  I love being able to be by the Temple during Christmas and feel the true Spirit of Christmas, celebrating our Savior's birth.  It

We also had the annual Olsen family dinner at The Roof (fun date night!).  It was so

fun for us all to go out for dinner - and of course the food and view was amazing!

Christmas at Our House

Before Maddy and I went to Michigan (we were going for two weeks and Mitch was going just for one), Daddy and I wanted to celebrate Christmas as a family.  So the day before Maddy and I left, we all work up and had our Christmas! I made grits casserole and monkey bread, and Mitch's parents came over with their gifts for us. it was a great little Christmas celebration.

Maddy loved her new slippers from Grammy and Grandpa!

And she was in heaven playing with her new kitchen from Grammy and Grandpa too!