Christmas makes you feel Emotional

I loved Christmas this year.  I was actually prepared for once!  And we were in our own home for the first time...  made it special to know we're creating traditions we'll be able to do year after year. Felt like we were building on something concrete.

And the Christmas message meant more to me this year... I felt more wonder at the humble circumstances of Jesus' birth. And more reverence for the life of service he lived.  He didn't just live a good life, he was the perfect embodiment of love, selflessness, and purity.  He taught truth and lived humbly.   He created the world and then came here to suffer & die for us. So that we can be free.  What a sobering, peaceful message. 

With feeling the spirit of Christmas, I was in the giving mood, but still poor as church mice, we made candies for family, sugar cookies for friends, and got our kids' presents at garage sales and DI (might be the last year we get away with it!).  

December started off with the ward Christmas party - the highlight being a visit from Santa. Waiting happily in line...

She's 4 and already too big for Santa's lap

Visiting Papa at work

 Ruthie & I went on a date to the candy cane hunt

they wrote letters to santa, ate cotton candy and dove for plastic candy canes. 
  we heart henderson parks & rec!   

then Henderson Parade - we parked illegally & watched for 5 mins (just right!)

Riley, Sara and Nonie came for a weekend visit. The babies Love Tyler.

Ruthie had another dance recital, which went fine, but the huge yawns match her feelings about it all...  

thanks Papa for coming to watch

Sloan volunteered us to dog-sit Izzy for the 2 week break. She was the gassiest dog  (worse than dozer!) but kept Hudson and the kids entertained. I was pretty amused by her too- the bearded lady

Sloan spent the first 2 days of break digging up our backyard in preparation for turf...

no fun

thankfully my dad & tyler stopped by to throw the pic

and the reg :)

we also beat the rugs

and painted the trim

we vegged...

conducting the motab

Christmas Eve dinner at my dad's house...

 On the way home we drove by the Quiver Point Christmas lights

 Dad - sort of interested

 Mom - fakin it

Ruthie - pretty into it

Reg - over it! put me to bed guys

Christmas Morning

we had "Christmas Tacos" for dinner and relaxed. We meant to leave for Utah that afternoon but decided to stay home and enjoy our new toys and take it easy.  The next morning we hit the road...

stopped in Cedar for our one and only play in the snow

it was so warm in Provo, Sloan helped his dad prune his fruit trees

with his cousin Michael

and we spent an afternoon playing mini-golf at Trafalga 

like a pro...

with the Wrights and Uncle Boog

niece Lucy and our friend Toft (sloan mentored her a couple years ago)

Sloan's dad got us annual passes to Tafalga & Seven Peaks, so we had to go back a couple days later to the one in Lehi...

atta girl!

tired reg

We also celebrated our 6th anniversary!  We went shopping at DI & the mall and ate at PF Changs. We got to sit at our old table from dating days -aww. 

We had fun going to the BYU Smithfieldhouse in the mornings to run and play Bball with the family and made it to the temple ... it was a delightful trip.  Thanks Mom & Dad Robison.

drivin home...

gotcha!  hahaha :)