I go back to December (just this once...)

(I know what you're thinking, after 13 December-y posts, how can Jana have anything more to say about the month? Well, get comfortable!)

We started off the month by rallying the troops for a quick family picture in anticipation of me eventually sending out holiday cards.

BSU attire + our driveway + camera on tripod + self-timer + the best-looking family I know. How could we go wrong?

Not surprisingly, the photo shoot quickly turned into a football scrimmage.

He's JUST. SO. CUTE.

I got to attend a couple of baby showers because apparently I made having a baby boy in January look super fun so now everyone's doing it!

Kara's shower, where we all had pretty much the best time ever proposing awesome potential names. Paulina and I had some epic suggestions that we're not sure were given the appropriate consideration...

And Jayna's shower, which was probably the cutest thing I've ever been to with its 'Newsie' theme and photo booth, which Jack reluctantly took part in (when I wasn't passing him off to one of the party hosts, Kallie, so that I could eat!). I had fun getting to know Jayna's friend Allison (pictured with the expectant guest of honor in the top right).

Random darling shots of Jack.

More front yard football.

In early-ish December we got a light dusting of snow and Clyde was quite eager to check it out. I have no idea where he got the 'shorts and boots' combination. Oh, wait . . .

December's Cub Scout Pack Meeting was a BIG deal; we had an Arrow of Light presentation and three boys 'crossing the bridge' to eleven-year-old Scouts. A lot of the Cub Scout awards and terminology and traditions are inspired by (slash possibly completely misrepresent) American Indian subcultures, so Brother Murphy brought me a headdress to wear as I presented the awards.

I got nice and emotional (there were tears shed, not even joking) while presenting Jacob with his Arrow of Light. I was called into Cub Scouts right after Jacob turned 8, so I was his Wolf leader and then I was moved to Bear leader with him and then I've been the Cubmaster this year, so I feel like he and I have been on this journey together and he's so genuinely sweet and darling and now he's leaving me! (Except that I see him every week at church and he and his older brother babysit for us sometimes and over Christmas break he came over just to hang out, haha).

We had some holiday crafts and card-making and cupcake decorating and eating. My favorite part was covering the tables in Christmas wrapping paper :).

Clyde's school had a cute little holiday sing-a-long while Sam and Terri were in town, so we all attended. Will was mesmerized; I've never seen him sit so quietly for so long!

I found cute little tins of hot chocolate for the boys to give to their teachers; Will was pretty excited to hand them off to his bus drivers and attendants :).

Random shot of our Monopoly Deal tournament from when my brothers were here. Spoiler alert: Chuck definitely won that round.

 Random cousin/aunt/uncle/grandma fun that didn't make it into the other seven posts I did about our early Christmas celebrations ...

 The  morning after Christmas I delightfully slept in while Chuck got the boys all decked out to play in the snow and then dutifully photographed the fun. Clyde and Will have a new game called 'Hand Fight' (quite a ring to it, eh?) where they push on each other's hands to demonstrate their raw strength. Ohhh, boys!

 

 We got to have three cute little Swenson boys over for an evening, so here is an eye-opening glimpse into what it would be like to have SIX sons. Whew!

 And finally, early in the day on New Year's Eve, we attended an awesome tea party at my aunt's house!

 Will insisted the boys wear hats too, so my Aunt Iris sweetly found them baseball caps to don for the festivities :).

I loved having some time to catch up with my cousins Amanda and Andrea, who both live out of town now, and the boys had so much fun playing with second cousin Cecily - the trio even formed "The Christmas Band" and favored us with an original song number.

And that night I tucked all of my boys into bed ("someone" had to leave for "work" at "5am") and grabbed some sparkling cider to keep my company as I blogged and counted down to midnight:

And thus concluded December!