We decided to do Thanksgiving by ourselves this year.  We had a brand new set of china that used to belong to Ben's grandmother, and we were excited to get to use it for the first time.  It was such a wonderful quiet holiday enjoy our little family.

The day after Thanksgiving we left for Nauvoo.  The kids had a great time learning about was it was like to live as a member of the church in the 1840s.  It was so quiet, we were usually the only ones at each demonstration.  We learned how to make rope, bricks, horseshoes, and prairie diamonds and got to take each one home with us.

We went on a carriage ride, which was very cold, but we heard some interesting stories about early members of the church.  Well, most of us did.  This was how the boys spent the ride.

This is the wheel maker's shop.

This is in Carthage Jail, in the room where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed.

On December 4th, Zack had his preschool Christmas program.  The pictures aren't great because we are sitting at the very back of the church.

December 20 was the first day of Christmas break for the girls, and also the first snow of the season.  They were so excited to get out there.

They had a "campout" in the family room the night before so they all still had their sleeping bags out.  After playing until they were too cold to go on, the came in and cuddled up in their sleeping bags and watched a movie.

Ben has this week off of work, and we are really looking forward to spending a wonderful Christmas holiday.  I am so grateful for the birth of my Savior, and especially for His death and resurrection.  I pray that we will all remember Him and try to live more like Him every day.