Christmas is Coming

I have loved watching Kennedy get ready for Christmas this year. This is the first time that she starting to get excited about everything surrounding the holidays. At the beginning of December a couple of the neighbors kids brought Kennedy an advent calendar, you know the kind where you open a door each day and get a special chocolate treat. What kid can resist having a different chocolate everyday for a month. Still, it's been fun to watch her count down each day instead of eating the whole thing on December 1st.

This morning I helped out in the annual 4th Ward tradition of preparing the luminaries for Christmas Eve. This is a very cool project which brings together a lot of people from the neighborhood. All in all, I think there are about 500 candles that are placed around the area on December 24th. I love the idea that we're lighting the arrival of the Christ child, instead of simply getting ready for a special visitor from the North Pole.

Speaking of visitors, we were treated to a little holiday cheer today when the Snow King and Bizmo came to visit. For years, Dick and Julie Engar have gone around the neighborhood regaling the kids with their own brand of unique holiday humor. Rather than jolly old St. Nick, we learn about the Snow King who hails from the South Pole. It's a lot of fun and this was the first time we were actually home to enjoy the show. Kennedy didn't know what to make of the whole thing, neither did Tara for that matter, but when it was over Kennedy leaned out the door and exclaimed, "Thanks for coming Santa!"