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.