Happy Christmas Eve!

Getting Ready for Christmas!

We are excited for Christmas! Ainsley especially. Now that she is three years old, she understands Christmas much better than in the past. She asks how long it is until Christmas everyday. After watching, "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" she was concerned because we didn't have a fireplace in this apartment. She asked, "How is Santa going to get inside our house?" We told her he could come through the door. Since then, she informs us that on Christmas Eve when Santa knocks on the door, she will get out of her bed and open it and say, "Hi Santa." She is also concerned about the reindeer and has reminded me several times that we need to leave carrots out for them as well as cookies for Santa. Everyday, Ainsley changes what she wants to ask Santa for. When we go to the store, she will see a toy she wants and tell me, Santa will get it for me for Christmas. I had to remind her that when she sat on Santa's lap this year, she told him that she wanted a "Mermaid dress" which had already been changed from a "Married Girl dress." She couldn't change her mind now, because she had already told Santa and he wouldn't have time to get her the new present because he was still having to get other presents for other kids. She always seemed ok with that....so hopefully she won't be disappointed on Christmas morning:) Sam is oblivious to Christmas. He does seem fascinated by the tree though and has rolled over to it several times and tried to play with the ornaments. I have a feeling he will like the paper more than any toy he gets...I know Ainsley did for her first Christmas.

Since we aren't going home to Utah for Christmas, we are having our own little Christmas with just our family. For Christmas Eve, we will make some of our traditional Christmas foods such as toffee, Magic Cookie Bars, and cheeseball. But this year we decided to break away from either family's traditional breakfast of Apples and Sausage or Strata and try something new. We decided to make Panera's Spinach Bacon Souffles. Hopefully they will turn out and we won't be disapointed. We are also going to make cinnamon rolls, and have a turkey dinner. We are excited. On Christmas Eve we are going to make Chinese food and then go to our downtown area to see the Christmas lights. Then we are going to come home and watch "Its a Wonderful Life" and have a Christmas devotional. We are excited!

This Christmas, Sam is going to look a bit wounded...he has three major scratches on his face. Two from his long nails and one from the wall. Poor guy, right for all those Christmas pictures!

Sam's First Christmas!

December, we celebrate Tom and my birthdays. This year we went out to dinner for our bdays at Frontera Grill in the city. It is Rick Bayless' sit down Mexican restaurant next door to Xoco (0ur favorite restaurant in the city.) It took us almost two hours to drive downtown due to the traffic, but it was worth it. The food was amazing and delicious!We took Ainsley to Toys R Us to pick out a present for Sam. She had seen a cell phone at another store and wanted to get him one too. We searched the store to find one. She was pretty excited to come home and wrap it herself.

For preschool this week, we studied the letters M and N, so we did M is for Manger and N is for Nativity. We made gingerbread nativities as our activities. The girls had fun! Ainsley spent the whole time asking me if she could eat the treats, more than actually decorating them though. She loves candy!

Last Saturday we went downtown to the Chicago Christkindl Market. It is a German Christmas market patterned after one in Nuremburg, Germany. Since we are moving to Germany next month, we thought it would be fun to check it out and try some German food. It was really cold so we bundled up and headed downtown. Sam got to open up a Christmas present early. He got a new backpack baby carrier so that when we go sight seeing in Germany, we don't have to always take a stroller. He was pretty snug in the backpack and was happy most of the day until he accidentally got wet. When we got to the market, it was packed! We could barely walk through the crowd and we were immediately grateful we didn't bring a stroller. We walked around the market once looking at all the stalls with ornaments and German souvenirs. Then we headed to get some food. We got some German potato pancakes with a side of applesauce and sour cream to dip in it. We got aKilometer which is footlong Hungarian sausage and roasted pork loin sandwich with sauerkraut as well as some German potato salad on the side. We got Ainsley a traditional German pretzel. As we were leaving we bought a apple strudel for dessert. We loved most of the things we tried....except for maybe the potato salad. Hopefully this is a light sampling of what we will enjoy in Germany! After checking out the Christmas market, we walked around the financial district and the base of the Willis (Sears) tower. Then we caught the train home so we could go to the ward Christmas party that night.



We had our ward Christmas party last week. These two had fun running around chasing balloons. They are both excited for Christmas!
Tyler and Sam

To Grandma's House We Go....

Since we will be moving to Germany in January, I wanted to take the kids to Utah to see their grandparents and family before we left. We will be there at least six months, then when we get back, it might be awhile before we can make it to Utah again, so we felt it was important to visit our family when we could. Sadly, Tom had to stay home by his lonesome for a few days, while the kids and I headed out. We were there about 8 days, and it went too quickly. We tried to pack in as many activities as we could. We bounced back and forth from the Butler to the Reese side about every other day. The kids did great, even with so much change. We had a blast and wish we could see family more often.

I flew in Wednesday, Nov. 30 and spent the night at my parents new home in Bountiful. It was so fun to explore their new house that we've heard so much about on the phone. Our first night there, happened to be the night of the huge windstorm in Davis County that caused so much damage. I barely slept that night because of the howling wind... and wondered why my parents had bought a house where there was such bad wind. When I woke up in the morning, I realized that the hundred mph winds were not typical....theyeven lost power for several hours. But luckily they didn't have it as bad as some people in town who had no power for days. Anyways, their new house is gorgeous. Ainsley loved the girly yellow room and declared it her own. She also loved tap dancing on grandma's floors and playing on the grand piano.
On Thursday morning, Aunt Annie came and picked us up. We drove to Salt Lake to visit Grandpa Reese at work at the Matheson Courthouse. Grandpa found some toys and gifts in his office and showered the kids with presents such as a teddy bear, candy, and stockings. Ainsley carried the teddy bear around for the rest of the trip. Then we to lunch at Cafe Rio and delivered lunch to Aunt Susie at her new job. Then we headed to Aunt Annie's house to hang out until the rest of the family got off work. That night we had a "Pizza Party" and watched the Sound of Music at Grandma Reese's house. Upon entering their house, she immediately had to go find all her toys such as her train, doll bed, stroller, and bed with "Hello Kitty"sheets.

Ainsley learned two new skills while in Utah...how to ride Daddy's old tricycle, and "Planking" with Aunt Suey
Sam loved the attention and spoiling he got all week!

On Friday morning, we went to Fashionplace Mall to do the Reese girl tradition of taking pictures with Santa. This year, Sam joined in on the fun...the first boy to do so! Ainsley was nervous to see Santa but actually talked to him. She told him she was three years old and that she wanted a "Mermaid Dress" (Ariel dressup) for Christmas. Sam did great, he was more curious about Santa's beard than scared. After getting pictures, we shopped at the mall. Then we went to lunch at Olive Garden. Then back to Grandma's house to play for awhile before Aunt Cami picked us up to take us to Midway.
My whole family, including my grandparents got together in Midway for the evening. We had a delicious meal and opened our traditional Christmas pjs. Unfortunately we did not get a group photo this year, but did get some of just the kids. After exchanging cousin gifts, we headed to bed. The next morning we went into Midway to their annual Creche display at the Homestead Resort. We took a Live Nativity picture as a family. Ainsley starred as an angel, I was a wiseman, and Sam was a lamb. We walked around and saw Nativities from around the world. The grandkids also decorated gingerbread houses. Then we drove to the Town Hall where Father Christmas, the Swiss version of Santa came to visit. Our kids were the first to sit on Father Christmas' lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Afterwards we headed to the Homestead to swim in the Crater. We started this tradition two years ago on Christmas Eve. The crater's water is warm and it was really nice. Ainsley swam all by herself (in her lifejacket). She had a blast following her cousin Will around the crater. After swimming, we had dinner then everyone had to part ways to attend other Christmas parties. Cami and I headed to the outlets for a little shopping.

The kids loved getting teased by Great Grandpa G. That night we heard the sweet story of how my grandparents met, dated, and were married. Tom and I share the same wedding anniversary date as them. This year they celebrated being married 60 years!

Cousins: Caden, Sam, Ainsley, Will and Landon

The Swiss Father and Mother Christmas

On Sunday, we attended church with the Reese's where Tom's dad is the Bishop. We have visited this ward so often, that the people know us. As Ainsley walked down the hall towards Nursery, people were saying hello to her as if she was a regular member of that ward. It was pretty funny. After church, we had a delicious dinner and had fun hanging out together.

On Monday, the kids and I headed up to Aunt Annie's classroom for a quick visit. Annie teaches second grade. We stayed and read them Ainsley's favorite Christmas story, The Nutcracker. Then we headed back to Grandma Reese's house because my friend Marin came over to visit. Marin and I met while our husbands attended MBA school together. It was so fun to see her and her cute boys and catch up. We've missed them so much! After visiting with Marin, my mom and I met my sister and her boys at the Living Planet Aquarium. Ainsley had fun running around with her cousins looking at all the fish. She looks up to Will and is always one step behind him. That night I had dinner with my parents and brother in Bountiful.

Sam R., Sam C., James, and Ainsley

On Tuesday, I went to lunch with my oldest girlfriends Shae and Steffani. We all grew up in the same ward and have known each other since we were four years old! We met at McDonalds so the kids could play in the PlayPlace and we could talk. It was so fun to catch up with them and their cute kids! I wish I lived closer so I could see them more often!
On Tuesday evening, we got together for a Birthday dinner at Hires with the whole Reese family...minus Tom and Taylor (who is on a mission in Pittsburg). About four times a year, the whole Reese family gets together to celebrate birthdays. This time we were celebrating Grandma Reese, Annie, Tom, and my birthday. We haven't been able to attend a Reese family Birthday dinner in years, it was a lot of fun. I was just sad that Tom missed his own birthday dinner!On Wednesday, my mom and I drove down to Utah county to visit both of my sisters. First we drove all the way out to Eagle Mountain to visit my sister Cami who works as a Special Education teacher. We met all of her students and saw her classroom. She is a wonderful teacher, I am so impressed by her! Then we headed to Saratoga Springs to see my sister Andrea and her boys. Ainsley loves to play at their house because they have such fun toys including a huge playhouse, a racetrack in their basement for riding bikes, and a sandbox. She had a blast playing with Caden while Will was at kindergarten. When Will came home, the three couldn't seem to get a long for some reason though. So she and Will ended up coming inside and coloring in her new Strawberry Shortcake coloring book they gave her. Afterwards, we headed back up to the Reese's for our final night together. First we drove out to see Grandpa and Grandma Winder, then we went out to dinner at Cafe Rio again, then said our goodbyes.

Ainsley hanging out with Aunt Annie decorating an A together. Aunt Annie also bought Ainsley a brand new pair of tap shoes while we were there. She loved them!

Thursday was my last day. Cami had taken the day off to be with us. She ran me around town to do a few errands then we headed up to Park City to shop at the outlets with my mom. We found some great deals and spent all day there! Then we drove back to Bountiful to have dinner with the entire family again. We also celebrated Cami and my birthday together. Our birthdays are only three days apart and so growing up we often celebrated them together. It was so fun to be able to do that again! I'd missed it! Ainsley and Sam had a blast playing with their cousins one last night. The kids loved running around Grandma's big house being chased by Uncle Jon. They also got to decorate a giant gingerbread house with Grandma.

The Butler grandkids, Ainsley, Sam, Caden, Will, and Landon

At the end of the evening we said our last goodbyes. The next morning, we headed to the airport to come home. It was a great trip, but we were anxious to get home to see our Daddy. Ainsley informed me that she was ready to go home, because she missed her daddy too much. It was pretty cute. We had a wonderful time and miss our family so much! Hopefully they will all come to visit us in Germany next year!