What's On My Happy List?

December at our house...

was FULL!

Not sure if I've had a December quite 

like it before. lol 

Literally something every day! 

An event or some Christmas activity.

Usually, I don't prefer to be that scheduled, 

but for some reason 

I found it to be quite enjoyable

this Christmas season.

Carrying on the advent tradition with 

the little one. 

**************

A trip to Jolley's to get pics with Santa...

I helped my neighbor 

with our 2nd annual 

Neighborhood Charity Event.

We raise money for the

Murray Education Foundation. 

Festival of Trees outing..

.

***********

A visit to the German Market!

*************

Nate Bargatze Date!

along with my favorite dish from Oh Mai!

*************
Live Nativity!

***************

The girls had their annual Pearl Harbor

watching on Dec 7th, along with 

Hawaiian Haystacks.

************

Dinner group 

for kicks and giggles....

Some of the best sushi I've had!

***********

The family celebrated St. Lucia Day...

a Scandinavian holiday celebrating 

light and comfort 

during the winter.

Lilly Belle didn't want anything to do 

with getting on her white dress

and head piece to pass out

the pastries like she did last year.

She's 2 ya know.  😂

We had comfort food...

chicken noodle soup over mashed potatoes 

& crockpot hot chocolate...

then we saw the Christmas in Color 

lights. 

************

Had my own little Christmas Miracle 

getting tix to the Tabernacle Choir 

Christmas Concert

not once, but twice....

It was glorious!

************

Visited Utah's largest Gingerbread Village

and Christmas tree at Traverse Mtn...

*************

2nd night of the Christmas Concert 

with work friends....

***********

Christmas staff party...

************

work gifts....

**************

Ward Christmas breakfast!

**********

The girls and I had a free night's stay 

at the

Hyatt downtown...

We ate at the Blue Iguana

and saw the lights at the Gallivan Center

The boys had a fun hangout at 

R&R BBQ and then watching a show together...

😂

The hotel was just down the street from the 

Conference Center so Sunday morning

us girls attended the 

Music and the Spoken Word 

Christmas Broadcast...

which you don't need a ticket for.

🙌

Being in the Conference Center three times

in less than 72 hours...

MADE MY CHRISTMAS! 

************

We had a our traditional 

North Pole Sugar Party!

Everyone opens their favorite

sugar cereal...

and we have breakfast for dinner...

We played this game!

Had some good laughs...

***************
Hannah gave sister gifts 

before she left for Florida 

for Christmas. Such fun surprises!!

**************

Us girls celebrated Jane Austen's 

250th anniversary of her birthday

with a Cooper girl tea party

and then there was a special showing

of Sense 'n Sensibility at the theatre!!!!

When we got home from the movie 

I was given this box

with a big pink bow inside.....

announcing another GRANDDAUGHTER 

(Cooper girl)

 is on its way!!!!

Thrilled!

🙌

************

Checked out the Elves 

and Christmas-y stuff at Gardner Village....

.....in the rain!

Our favorite stop is the 

Chocolate Covered Wagon...

***********

Dinner out with some childhood friends...

***********

Our traditional jaunt downtown

at Christmas time to our favorite bakery

and to Light the World...

So happy the Joseph Smith Memorial Bldg

has finally reopened. 

Loved being able to see the 

Christmas trees in the

foyer again.

Absolutely gorgeous!

We hit the lights on Temple Square

and always stop to get a J Dawg

that is right there on West Temple.

***************

Zuppas lunch with my sisters 

and visiting my parent's graves.

It's our first Christmas without 

our sweet Mama!

😔

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One of Kate's friends can DRIVE now...

Can't even believe they are old enough!!!!

👀

I HAD to get a picture. haha 

**************

Date night with my guy 

to JCW's 

and to see the Cougars play!

*************

Emmsie, Kate, B and I 

drove around to see some 

Christmas lights...

On Michigan Ave and Christmas Street

with a frozen hot chocolate in tow... 

*************

My "after church Sunday before Christmas"

 pics with the babies!

*************

Abravanel Hall to see 

Nathan Pacheco's 

Christmas Concert.

SO SO beautiful!

Another highlight of the season for me.

***************

Temple Outing with these two

on Dec 23rd! 

One of my favorite days 

of the year to be

in the temple.

That evening we celebrated our traditional 

"Bethlehem Night"....

one of my favorite Christmas traditions...

a happy birthday Jesus cake included...

*************

Christmas Eve....

Cooking the tempura shrimp

in the deep fryer....

protective eye wear included!

😜

We carried on Grandma Cooper's

traditional Christmas Eve seafood feast...

just in mini form....with shrimp scampi,

tempura shrimp and cold shrimp!

and we used Grandma Bell's Christmas tablecloths.

😌

In place of the 7-11 dice gift game

that we played every Christmas Eve

at Grandma Cooper's 

{for as long as I can remember....}

I came up 

with another game 

still involving 

small gifts, candy bars and gift cards...

just on a much smaller scale than gma's.

😂

It was our 

1st annual Popp'in Penguin Playoff!

We also played the Bells...

a new Disney game...

read Christmas books to the girls...

watched some of this...

and stuffed the stockings...

**************

Blessed Christmas Morn!

Poor Kyleigh not feeling good.

Bless her heart. 

We need to get this baby here!

In place of a lotta gifts we are doing 

a family trip instead....to Disneyland.

👏👏👏

I put a themed basket together where

everyone opened up something Disney-ish!

including surprise gift certificates to a 

Disney play at the Hale.

For the married daughters I do a basket 

for them instead of individual stockings...

Hannah and Brady spent Thanksgiving with us

so they spent Christmas 

with Brady's family in Florida.

Although we missed 

having them here

Brady had two siblings come home 

from missions this year so we were

happy that his family could all be together for 

Christmas.

{post Christmas after they had returned}

For the dogs...

Little Lilly Belle's Corner...

Emmsie gave me the most beautiful vintage Bell.

Holds such meaning to me.

Christmas Brunch!

GF eggnog french toast casserole

yogurt parfaits

bacon, biscuits & gravy 

(Kate even made a batch of GF

biscuits for me...Bless her!)

**********

The girls gave us a free night's stay at

the Hyatt for our Christmas gift.

So away we went. 

walked here for a lovely dinner...

I'm still thinking about this gf pizza...

Pear and jalapeno. 

SO SO delicious!

and these bacon-wrapped figs...

my goodness!.... 

YUM!

**************

Watched the BYU Bowl Game on the 27th!

What a great way to end a 

FABULOUS football season.

So happy about the WIN!

*************

Our last Christmas celebration...

a Nutcracker Tea Party with my girls!

************

The girls and I had the opportunity

to see the Titanic Exhibition during

winter break. 

It was fascinating!

************
We spent New Year's Eve at my brothers.

Rang in the New Year with Taco BELL 

and other goodies...

and fun game playing...

************

In Christmas entertainment...

These were some of my favorite watches 

of the season...

That's a WRAP!

Hope you all had a

Happy Christmas season!

😘