Things I love about Christmas

I love Christmas! It is a wonderful time of year and the only holiday that is celebrated for more than one day! I love the music, the giving of gifts, the movies, the parties, the happiness, the snow (except now- and I only really like it on Christmas day!), family and loved ones, and most of all, to remember the birth of our Savior.

Here is the newest of the Church's videos about the birth of the Savior. I thought it was extremely touching and very fitting for this time of year! Enjoy and Merry Christmas!

http://lds.org/bible-videos/videos/a-gift-to-the-world?lang=eng

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

We started the Christmas season off with Gingerbread houses! It was so fun. We went over to Tate and Amber's and spent a few hours making our gingerbread house!
Tyler concentrating very hard on making a snowman and me....watching!

The process! I did these a little out of order but oh well, you can still see our awesome house!

An incredible house in Orem. These lights are amazing and we saw them from miles away and had to go and see them. They were beautiful!

Tate, Amber, Tyler and I went and enjoyed the Provo River Cruise. They had a tiny section of the Provo River that had Christmas lights on it. It was cute but they needed a lot more lights. We all decided we want to go at Halloween because I heard that pirates attack the boat and hand out candy. This time, Santa showed up in a canoe. It was only about 20 minutes long but it was still fun. Then we went and explored some lights around town!

I am not a good picture taker of lights....I would be an awful doctor because I can't keep my hand steady. But the pink part is the boat and the lights are the blur in the background!
Tyler and I on the boat!
Tate and Amber on the boat

And our very favorite thing to do during Christmas....the lights on temple square. I thought they were beautiful this year. Tyler was able to get us tickets for the Christmas devotional last Sunday ( I love that he has hookups and can get us these great things!). We were supposed to be sitting on the floor about ten rows back but by the time we got there it was fun. So, we thought we were out of luck. Then an usher told us to put our tickets away and follow him. We did and we got to sit in front of the rope! We were able to sit in the general authorities section. It was awesome to be that close! And I felt very important.

After an amazing devotional, we joined the crowd of thousands of people and headed across the street to see the lights. We were not dressed super warm (but how can you be super warm in your church clothes) but it was still great. We loved the blue trees and had a nice man take our picture. You can tell we are freezing but we still had a great time!

Thanksgiving 2011

Boy I am a slacker. Here is Thanksgiving. Headed to Salmon where we made many new memories, ate some great food and just had fun. Sara and I left on Wednesday and got home about 8. We ended up driving the last half hour behind Em and Seth had a few deer encounters. One deer was just sitting in the road. It had been hit but was just sitting there. It was sad but I am glad we didn't hit it. It was so great to be home for a few days. Tyler had to work the day after Thanskgivng so he spent it with his family in Utah. So I missed him like crazy but still had a good time!

We always have to make our turkeys out of Oreo cookies. We made them for the first time last year and we loved them. So we made them again.

We haven't had a sisters picutre in such a long time. And we knew we were having pictures after dinner so we actually got ready for Thanksgiving. Which made for MUCH better pictures than the no make up ones!!! Oh how I love my sisters!!! So glad we are all together again. And soon, all the familiy will be home again. (Nathan comes home from his mission to the Philippines in April!!!)

Josh eating his turkey leg. He reminded us many times to save him the leg! I tasted it...not too bad. But, I think I'll stick to turkey off the bone!

Brooky loved dinner, especially the olives. Gramps kept putting them on her fingers and she would just stare at them and then eat them! She is getting so funny. We had so much fun with her!

My awesome family!!!! We're missing Nate and Tyler but next time! I am so blessed with an incredible family. With wonderful parents who taught me right, sisters who inspire and encourage me to do better, brothers who are always there and who is such an inspiration. I am truly grateful to be so close to my family and to always have so much fun together. Not all families can go and build a fence together in the freezing cold weather the day after Thanksgiving and laugh through the whole thing! I love you all!

Christmas tree hunting on Thansksgiving day. Em and i proudly showing off our muscles after we carried these trees up the to the truck! They're cute trees this year!

They ways dad was keeping Brooky entertained while we did our Thanksgiving craft!!! Brooky loves her Gramps and Gramps loves Brooky so, it was perfect. They had lots of fun playing!

Decorating our tree! I love Chrismtas

Brooky putting everything in her little shopping cart! She is a mover for sure! Talking really good though Carrie is hard for her to say. So, she usually says "Rie Rie". Sara is "Ra Ra" Mary is "Mo" and Grandma is "Mi Mi" She is super good at saying Josh and says that all the time. She loves Josh so much and will just run up to him and give him a huge hug!!

Mary and the tree!

So, Thanksgiving is now over and we are less than two weeks to Christmas. I absolutely love this time of year! What a wonderful time of year to remember the birth of our Savior and to celebrate his life.