Madeline, Natalie, Benny

I got to see "my girls" and Ben while we were in Boston (these are the girls that I nannied in Boston for a year and a half in 06 and 07).  It is so weird to spend so much time every day for so long being a quasi-mom and then not see them for months. I know it's not the real thing but for a year and a half I was the one to make most meals, to give hugs when they fall, to be the bad guy and not give treats if meals aren't eaten, to have throw up and snot all over you most days, to clean or need to clean every few minutes, to be the one they want when they get scared or want to tell you the song they learned at preschool.  I love them so much.  Here's some pictures while I was there.

Here they are while I was there helping at nights (Oct 07-June 08) 

And now, they're so big!  Especially Ben, he's walking and talking now (he doesn't always have fun things in his hair but the girls had their fun girly Christmas hair things out). So fun!

Christmas with Dennis

Dennis is this amazing guy who lives in Boston and is practically our adopted dad.  He's this crazy, fun, story-filled man and we were so glad we got to spend Christmas laughing and eating and laughing some more with him.  Thank you Dennis!

Christmas Eve pjs

Christmas Morning

The missionaries came over for dinner.  We were the "real" cooks for a pretty important meal and although we both cook alright, we usually overcook something, or something goes a bit wrong, for the big meals anyway.  Well, not that I want to brag but this doesn't happen very often so I figure it's ok... we made the most delicious meal EVER!  :)  Really.  The turkey was miraculously moist, sweet potatoes (which I usually don't even like) were fantastic with the inspiration from our Thanksgiving chef and a little help from America's Test Kitchen, yum everything was really good.  Bragging done.

Making gingerbread houses with my honey, he made Mr. French snowman, but he was a little heavy uptop hence the supportive hand for the picture.

AND... we got to see Linds and Fredo and the cutest little Cleveland.  

What a fun fun trip.  Long drive, especially on the way there- we hit traffic in New York, Stamford, Providence and got into Boston right during rush hour- but even with the traffic it was a fun fun trip! 

Christmas in Boston

When you can't get home for the holidays then your second home is the next best thing.... Hello again Beantown!

Hair cut!

Well, I saw my sister-in-law Jade during this fun trip and she'd gotten her hair cut and it was so cute. Then I saw Jana's sister Trisha's hair which was dang cute too and with a little encouragement and after toying with the idea for YEARS to chop off my hair... I finally did it. Now, I realize it's not super short but my hair has always been between 3 and 10ish inches past my shoulders. If my hair didn't fit into a ponytail for ballet then I was in trouble and now yes I can still make a ponytail but there are things flying out everywhere and it's more of a ponybob than tail. I love long hair, love the fancy things you can do and the curly things... but my hair doesn't like to hold curl and I don't do much with it so vuala! 

Before

(lovely pictures I know)

After

The first few days I thought I looked like I was 12, I'm working on taming it so I don't feel like I look like my little sister (she's beautiful by the way, I just want to look a bit older than her).  I do love how fast I can do it... long hair takes FORever to dry.  

My quick, packed, fun Utah trip

So, apparently I'm a picture-poster but hopefully a thousand pictures are better than a thousand of my garbled poorly worded sentences (but they'll be enough of those, no worries).  I loved being home for a bit, I needed it, loved every second of it.... the only down side was that Brandon couldn't come too and I missed him bunches.

Here are some of the highlights:

snow snow SNOW SNOW ...SNOW 

(That's supposed to be from the movie White Christmas, get it?)

It snowed just for me a few days after I arrived and I loved it!

I love Temple Square in the winter time. I love Temple Square! I love the reflection pond and I loved that they put Mary and Joseph there this year.  
Decorations... already mentioned that I love them but it's so fun to see my parent's decorations... we don't decorate much for other holidays but we have a whole storage room full of Christmas decorations at home.  It's a little Christmas land inside.  Love it.
I have realized this before but I am so blessed... for many many reasons but one of them is the amazing friends I have.  I love them.  So lucky!  I wish I lived closer so I could have girls nights and Zucchini bread making parties and Applebees Oriental Chicken Salad lunches and just talk more and be closer to their cute kids so I could be a quasi-aunt.  

Lights Lights Lights.  I love them.  Layton Park.

Family Parties... I was lucky enough to be there for the Ripplinger and Schiess family Christmas parties, it's been years since I've been to them. So fun!

My family.  I needed some family time, some sister time.  I feel rejuvenated.

Temple Square.  Lights.  I can't get enough!!

I loved every second of this little trip.  Thanks little family angles for making it possible.  Thanks honey for letting me leave you- I missed you tons.  Thanks family for spoiling me.

I needed this, loved it.  I feel...full.

CrAzY CrAzY CrAzY days of December and a little Christmas Miracle

Wow, I know that December is a crazy time for most people and this year has been no different for us.  There have been lots of surprises for us and lots of fun.  I think I'll post a few times to catch up little by little.  First off originally our plan was to head to Arizona with Brandon's family but with the economy being so fantastic right now we decided to wait... but I being, well me... still was trying to find a way home for a quick visit.  We found a plane ticket we thought we could get and were going to buy it the next day after talking to my family to make sure things worked.  Well, the next morning our car wouldn't start...for the second time since we got it this summer. Sad times.  Finally it was decided no one would get to go home and we'd get  to see friends and family one day and just be grateful for cell phones this holiday.  

Well, our little Christmas miracle was that a little elf called my mom one day thinking about me and had extra frequent flyer miles as was wondering if I wanted to come home.  I'm not a cry baby (usually) but if I say much more I'll start crying.  Let's just say that I really needed a trip home, just needed a little love from my family, a little rejuvenation and we'd tried a lot of ways of getting me home and after lots of trying it didn't look possible.  So thank you Bart and Jo for a much needed little trip!!!  and thank you Brandon for letting me leave you even though that meant you were all by yourself!  So glad we're back together.  MWAA.

In a few days I had a way home and then was home, so it was a quick and crazy trip.

Tis the season to be jolly

These are a few of my favorite things about this time of year.... (in no particular order)

I LOVE this holiday season and start the celebrating and decorating early because I just don't think that there is enough time to do all the fun Christmasy things... 

I LOVE....

The music- Christmas music is the best!! 

on the radio, the carolers, playing piano music, singing the hymns at church

Josh Groban's The First Noel, Amy Grant's Winter Wonderland, Barbara Mandrell's It Must Have Been the Mistletoe, Michael Buble's Let It Snow, Barbara Streisand's Jingle Bells, Bing Crosby's White Christmas, Alison Kruas's The Angles Cried and more and more and more

making gingerbread houses

being near family and friends

cozy fireplaces

catching snowflakes in my mouth

sledding and tubing

I love when it starts getting cold and I get to break out the sweaters, gloves and scarves.

Making snowmen

The Nutcracker always starts the holiday season for me.  

I danced in it for years and just love it and miss it.

I love the scenery

I love decorations and the decorating

Celebrating the real meaning of Christmas and being more focused on others

hot chocolate with marshmellows

ice skating

pine trees covered in snow

traditons

car drives to see the lights

just the lights, everywhere

snowmobiling

Temple Square

and of course all the goodies.

Love this time of year. Love it. Love it!