Stout Family News

Monday, December 29, 2014

Christmas Week 2014...

Monday we went to the McIntyre reception and we met President and Sister Evans there (Rick's mission president) and saw many of our dear friends from Tokyo.

Tuesday I took Amy and Brielle to do some last minute shopping and took Luke swimming.

Wednesday was extra fun because we had Eric & Mindy's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, we did the traditional program (scriptures, hymns, nativity reenactment), reading the story of Christ's birth and singing carols (Mindy is really good on the piano!), reading Christmas story books and drinking hot chocolate with marshmallows, and decorating sugar cookies. We watched the Muppets Christmas Carol. (Good times!) "We're Marley and Marley, Oooooo!" Todd told us that was the part that gave him nightmares. Never knew!

Christmas Eve Dinner

Ham, mashed potatoes, spinach salad, cucumbers, red jello, and homemade rolls

Tim and Lexi Beth

Wisemen-Eric, Jaxon, and Josh

Hot chocolate

Making cookies-the boys made several pirate cookies too!

We made several of Grandma Choate's wreath cookies with gum drops

Christmas Eve new pajamas

We got a beautiful white Christmas this year-lots of snow!

This year Luke stayed up all night with Amy and Todd. Thursday was Christmas and we got to Skype Brian, plus we started painting Amy's room.

Highlight of Christmas Day-Skyping with Brian! He did the dragon impersonation for Luke and bore his testimony in Ukranian! Only 9 more months until he returns!

Amy's room went from a blue wall, a pink wall, a yellow wall, and a green wall, to just a light gray (Benjamin Moore-Shady) with Whisper White trim. She's growing up!

It snowed a beautiful white Christmas and it was nice to be able to stay in doors. Friday we painted, and Tim and I went on a fun date to dinner and a movie. Saturday we painted too. Now we are going to paint some of the furniture.

Todd got a beautiful patriarchal blessing and I gave a talk in church on being faithful, and we had our Stout Christmas party. We told the family a little bit about our call with Brian, Wendy told about Preston's call, and Cindy told about Carson's call. It was a neat evening!