Christmas Lights in the Desert

For Family Home Evening this week, Brianna and I decided to fill up our thermos mugs with Stephen's Hot Chocolate (mint flavored) and go cruising around Tempe in search of houses impressively decorated with Christmas lights and also for unique decorations.

What I have to present to you is the best of the best separated into three categories:

1) Inflatables (3-way tie)

SpongeBob SquarePants

A hippopotamus

Penguins

2) Santa's Different Modes of Transportation (Also a 3-way tie)

Polar Bear

Motorcycle

Helicopter

3) Best House (in Tempe, Arizona)

Even though I couldn't put this next one into a category, it deserved to make the post:

Mr. Christmas Duck

p.s. Santa was not harmed in the making of this blog:

The Fergusons

Skyler and Kaitlin Ferguson are in our new Family Ward. They came over for dinner on Sunday and afterwards we saw a performance of Handel's Messiah at a nearby Stake Center. We had a fun night with them! And they live sooo close to us! We love our new ward!

Matching PJ's for the Holidays!

We wanted to be cute and match for Christmas in California. We found these awesome Pj's -a sweet deal! (Tyson laughed after he took this picture- we match our sofa!)

His Goal

Tyson had a goal to learn how to cook/bake something this week. So I showed him how to cut tomatoes......
Peel and slice avocados (his new found favorite food)
cook ground beef, season it ,and how not to pour the fat down the kitchen sink.....
and BAM! He made perfect Taco Stars (a Scott Family favorite)
Tyson's wonderfully decorated Taco Star

Brianna's edible creation. Pure Yumness

I am proud of Tyson. He now knows how to make this awesome dinner. And it tasted sooo good!

My Goal

It's a Smith Family tradition. Every Christmas lots of flour....

powdered sugar....pecans......yeast......sugar....
eggs.....green sprinkles and cherries...

all mixed together makes this yummy Christmas Tree Bread.

After eating the "tester", Tyson said, "NOW you're a Smith girl. Not because you had your name legally changed at the Social Security office today, but because you can make Christmas Tree bread." I also was told that I scored about a galzzillbillion wife points by making this Christmas tradition for our home. SCORE! I loved learning from Janette how to make it this past week. Thanks Janette!

As part of the tradition, each bread made is given away to close friends and neighbors. We gave our first Christmas tree bread to Sandy Skouson and his wife Cortney. Sandy is celebrating his birthday today. And we thought Christmas Tree bread would be a perfect way to help celebrate!

A fresh start for Winter

The old do. It's lasted so long
so very very loooonnnnggg
So it had to go. The new do.

Christmas Time on South Beck Ave

Our first Christmas tree and our first Christmas Ornament purchased as a married couple. We have added a couple of ornaments that we received from our wedding and that I bought while in Germany.
Tyson had a great idea to put lights up on our Kitchen arch way. When we were looking for lights we saw this awesome garland and lights combo. Tyson and I worked together to put it up and we are so proud of how it turned out. Tyson said, "It feels like Christmas now!" A little tree, some decorations, and cold weather. Loving this beautiful Christmas Season.

I love the quote from President Monson: "To catch the real meaning of the spirit of Christmas, we need only drop the last syllable, and it becomes the Spirit of Christ."