This was our first year to have a birthday cake for Jesus. I really thought it would be a great visual for the kids to understand what the day is about. They are SOOO into birthdays. It was a big hit.

The Cake:
The Singing:

Everyone sang – well, Little actually giggled and said, “What are you singing?” a couple times. When we finished she sang her own round and reminded us that her birthday is in February and she’ll be five. Nice focus on the Savior, eh? Bubba sang so loud to Jesus. It was dear.

For the past couple of Christmases I have put together a collage of all the faces on the Cheely side of our family – with so many little ones and living on opposite sides of the earth, it is hard to get a family photo much less a good one.  I got ready to do this year’s and wrote the family to send me head shots.  When I wrote my parents, I said something along the lines of, “Please take a picture of each other and smile.  Or at least try to look pleasant.”  My daddy has a deceptively stern appearance sometimes and my mom has this thing about her teeth (don’t ask me).  In response, my parents sent these photos:

That’ll teach ya!
Merry Christmas!

Oh, and my sister has the real one for her, never fear: