Christmas Day at last!

Christmas Highlights:
Brandon--the Ninja Turtle shirt--this thing made an appearance in every Skype call and with every visitor we had. :) I also gave him the 12 dates of Christmas (12 gifts with gift cards or date ideas). And he got a remote control helicopter that he loved!
Rachel--I told Brandon I didn't want to give a checklist of things I could go get. I just wanted him to be thoughtful. And that he was! He got me an apron with a picture of me and the kids on it, a new stockpot that I have wanted, and the cherry on top was the journal he bought me titled "Our Love Story" that he partially filled out with memories from dating and early married years. I cried. I laughed. It was the BEST....and I do mean BEST gift ever...



Jenna: her big thing this year was her American Girl doll. We have wanted to get her one, but they were too costly. When they had a random flash sale and sold the dolls for over half off, we jumped on it and ordered right away. She was SO excited. Other highlights for her included Scripture Stickers and some doll accessories.

Kaden: he was SO excited to open the "BIG" gift (that happened to be an Imaginex Pirate ship) but the reality is that for him the best things come in small packages--the Ninjago Lego set kept him busy for hours and he is almost always found wearing his new Spiderman slippers!

Spencer: finally got to join the other kids with getting his own umbrella. :) He got a Star Wars Lego set and a Cat in the Hat game that is really fun--and a new coat he has worn less than 10 times ad probably won't wear again till next Christmas. Gotta love Texas winters. :)

Carter: He was just happy to be there! He hugged his stocking SO cute and was thrilled with everything inside--which was really not much of anything! :) All the kids loved their Lightsabers (that "Santa" got on clearance after Halloween), and Carter especially loved being part of what the big kids had! His highlights were getting some new train track pieces for his wooden railroad set, and a flashlight Thomas the Train.


It was a great Christmas--and we felt immensely blessed...

One little side note:

Jenna had been cat-sitting for our neighbors, and somewhere between our house and theirs, lost her earring. So she wrote Santa a note:

Dear Santa,
Can you find my missing earring? It looks like it at the bottom (check out her earring placed at the bottom). If you can't please can I have a new pair from you? I'm in third grade. I love music, gym, writing, reading, science, and math. I like ballet and the Nutcracker. (Barbie and the Nutcracker, the movie) I believe in You. But McKenna said you're just a Spirit and I said, "He's magical. He lives forever". But for one, I know it's not true.
One good girl,
Jenna
p.s. I made a card for you. Please keep it. Merry Christmas. One more thing, write soon (next year).


Don't you love how she had a placement for the milk and carrots and such? lol SOO funny.




Well, believe it or not, Santa never did find the other earring, but he brought a new pair. And later that same day, she found her other hoop at the neighbor's house! lol.

(and she wanted to show off her "new sister". :) She truly loves this doll so deeply. Almost 2 months later, she still sleeps with her, leaves babysitting instructions for me while she is at school, changes her clothes, and even set up a makeshift hospital for her when she "broke" her leg.
I have no regrets...and while I know this doll is just a thing, it's really become so much more for her--a real friend. :)

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve this year was a little different than usual. It was kind of fun to deviate from our regular traditions. :)

Our friends, The Wrights, came over for Christmas Eve dinner. Brandon made it home from the hospital just in time to join us, and after eating we gathered around the living room to do one of their traditions--The Night Before Christmas gift exchange. Jill read the story and every time she said the word "Christmas" the kids would pass their gift to the next person. At the end of the book, everyone got to open the gifts they were holding. It was a lot of fun, and quite possibly something we will add to our future Christmas Eve celebrations!
















We acted out the Nativity (or attempted to) and read the story "A Brother Like That", and then did our gifts to Christ. And at the end of the evening, the kids got to open their sibling gifts (which they were all SOOO excited about).

And then everyone was OFF to bed. The older the get, the more excited they are, and the louder the non-existent sleigh bells sound to them as they lay nestled in their beds trying to sleep...

I love the magic...and I love the beautiful spirit of Christmas,

Getting in the Christmas spirit!

After the wedding it was time for me to come home! I was so blessed to be able to take a stop by Temple Square and spend a bit of time walking around and taking in all the lights. The downside was being there alone, surrounded by groups of happy people. :) But it was fun to people watch and feel the spirit of Temple Square so strongly. I am pretty sure I had a tear or two rolling down my cheek almost the whole time I was there.

It was beautiful and magical and spiritual, all rolled into one. :)


And as simple as this Nativity was, I felt like I could stare at it all night. The awe. The grandeur of the birth of our Savior. I just was overwhelmed with the gratitude of this knowledge, and humbled to think of the circumstances that surrounded His birth.


I am truly so grateful for my Savior and Redeemer...for His birth, His perfect life, and His eternal sacrifice.


My sweet mission companion, Michelle picked me up from there and I stayed at her house for the night. I just love spending time with her and seeing her adorable kids. One of these visits, I am finally going to get a picture WITH her! :)



I got home and back to my family, the week before Christmas. Immediately, Carter got sick and spent the week curled up like this...



And as soon as the kids got out of school for Christmas break, they spent their time like this...


It was a roaring good time--you know, cleaning up vomit and blown out diapers, and basically hooking up IV's of Tylenol and such. :)

They got better just in time for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and maybe one or two other days, but aside from that they spent the Christmas break sick. It stunk!

So on the few days of good we DID have, we packed in some Christmas break activities. :)
I brought the kids some canned snow, from Idaho. They had so much fun playing in it--and while it wasn't quite the real deal, it looked pretty darn close!












And right before Christmas we finally had time to make our gingerbread house--















Carter got caught stealing candy..and I was met with THIS look. :)



Piece of art! :)



(complete with a garage in the back)


We also took some time to decorate gingerbread cookies we bought on clearance at Target after Christmas.



This was a very intense activity. lol




{don't you love this "I've been sick for 4 days" bed head??






Definitely looking forward to next Christmas break and pulling out some of our standby traditions that got pushed aside thanks to illness (and crossing fingers that nobody is sick next year!)

Day 4...A new chapter...The wedding!

Saturday morning came too quickly! :) At least when you've been up half the night...

We bundled up for the frozen tundra (which my Texas-acclimated body did NOT remember as being so unbearably frigid---seriously, IT HURT!) 

The ceremony was beautiful and I was honestly so thrilled to have that opportunity to be there. A lot of things had to fall in place just right for this trip to happen, and I know it was a little tender mercy of the Lord to have the chance to be there with all my family while my youngest sister married off! ;)

Being kid free left me with a teeny bit time to do a little shopping and friend-visiting in between the ceremony and reception...so I scoured the secondhand store and found some great deals, because that's our tradition when we go back to Idaho, and then headed home.

My sweet friend Katy stopped by to see me--WHAT A BLESSING! I wasn't able to see her on our last trip through, and it seriously made my DAY to see her face show up at the door with her adorable daughter. Seriously, her family comes right out of a Gap ad. :) We chatted for a few and then had to part ways. THANK YOU KATY...for taking the time for me...

I then popped over to see my friend Hannah--who I also haven't seen for a few years! Fortunately, she recently moved and lives much closer to home than before, and I have a feeling there will be many more visits in the coming years! I got to tour her new house and see all the incredible things they are doing to it...she is MEGA talented in the HOME department. :) We had a good, but quick visit...darn these short trips! I could have talked all day!

I hurried back home to change and go help set up for the reception that evening...being as it was so close to Christmas, the church gym was decorated with beautiful trees and lights and all things Christmas...

(I was not the wedding photographer--I was simply taking pictures for the sake of taking pictures)

All the ornaments on the tree were pictures of them in beautiful frames...

(Jared's little boy, Cole)

My cousin Michelle made the cupcakes--which were delish! 

And there was a little hot cocoa bar--with plain sticks and candy cane stocks to stir with. :)

And all sorts of flavors to add in-- :) 

(My Aunt Kathy, mom., Grandma, Aunt Karen, Aunt LaNita)

I get that this picture appears super blurry at first glance...but look down to the bottom rightish corner...isn't that SO precious??

Cupcake tower provided by Michelle @ Cakes By Michelle (Like her on Facebook...for yummy goodness!) 

And many people spent hours hand dipping these cookies--if you're ever looking for Girl Scout cookie alternative, Ritz crackers, mint, and chocolate, make a CRAZY GOOD cookie!

(Sarah and Ellie)

{Matthew}

(Leah and Hannah)

Dancing! :) 

And here's a little peak at the happy couple-- :) Just taking a few minutes to sit and chat and drink their hot cocoa... :) Abby's dress was very HER...She looked beautiful (and I am in LOVE with her red shoes)

It was an EXHAUSTING day--but a good one. 

I seriously went home and crashed--and didn't wake up till after 10:00 the next morning. And seeing as how I am usually up, without an alarm, by 6:15 a.m. on a regular basis, this was a big deal. lol

So grateful for these opportunities...that I could see my family, support my sister, have those moments to enjoy my nieces and nephews, and to remember all the wonderful things about coming home.