Here we go....Christmas 2012

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. We had such a great Christmas season because we spent it with so many friends and family. The week before Christmas my parents flew out here from Idaho to attend Andrea's graduation (more on that later). So we took full advantage of having them here. We all met one night at a place in between all of us (since we all live on different ends of the metroplex) for pizza and to play on the best indoor jungle gym I have ever seen. Then the next day we went to Andrea's graduation and celebrated with her afterwards. On Sunday, everyone came to our house for a big Christmas dinner, Christmas minute-to-win-it games, a Grandma's team vs Grandpa's team gingerbread house decorating contest, and the kids acted out the nativity while Grandpa read the scriptures. It was so wonderful to all be together. Unfortunately, I didn't get very many pictures except for the following I took on my phone. Here are a few of my favorite memories from our pre-Christmas celebrations with my family....1. going down the slides at the indoor jungle gym with Hailey. 2. watching my kids having the time of their life playing with their cousins (even if they were all smelly and sweaty afterwards) 3. watching Dad laughing and talking with his son-in-laws 4. the moment that Andrea crossed the stage to receive her diploma. (I'm pretty sure that I have never felt prouder of anyone finishing their schooling as I was of her). 5. experiencing "guacamole live" for my first time. 6. listening to Abby and Ryan perform (Abby sings while Ryan plays on his guitar) 7. spending time alone with my Daddy (aka "Ron") on a Walmart run and then giving away a pass along card to the cashier as she poured her 17 or 18 yr old soul to me about just finding out the "worst news ever"...she was pregnant. 8. all of us laughing hysterically as all three little girls (Hailey, Makayla, and Callie) fought and cried over who got to hold the baby Jesus during the nativity. 9. watching Dad so excited to eat his canned boiled BBQ peanuts (YUCKY!!) 10. knowing that there was no where else I'd rather be than right there, surrounded by my favorite people in the whole world.