Christmas in Colorado, A Merry Christmas 2010

Christmas morning 2010.

It was Fabulous!

After our great evening with our friends, we held our own Christmas eve traditions..

more Christmas toasts, read Luke 2 and to say what we are grateful for.

We open a small gift from each other as well.

Then we end with family prayer.

Then kids went off to the basement and finally went to bed after 2 a.m.

and awoke us via cell phone at 6:01 a.m.

Santa was tired!

( I had the kids come to top of stairs and then come down! more fun that way!)

On Christmas Eve the kids have the tradition to sleep

all together and play

Monopoly all. night. long.

they are NOT allowed upstairs but can stay up all they want :)

With it being our first Christmas away,

I had mixed feelings.

Knowing I had no family around, I was a little homesick,

(we have always gone to both grandparents all day! with cousins, sisters..etc)

but also knew that Utah was a day away!

yay!

Ry was thrilled to spend the whole day with the kids.

and that's that we did!

But back up...

All the kids ran to their spots where Santa left a stocking full of wrapped treats

and small gifts.

Then Santa leaves their "largest gift unwrapped."

Then one by one, we open the remaining gifts.

Mace got his "cop Jeep" he can ride in with his buddy Shamus and

with real walkie talkies. He also scored Bigfoot and Batman galore.

Jake got a portable DVD player w Toy Story 3, Mario Galaxy and of course NBA 2, He also got a big remote control car and a DAN MARINO jersey he

has wanted for a long time!

Austin got a camera with a video recorder on it, the big remote control car (goes up to 60 mph!), and a coveted Dan Marino Jersey as well. He also got Lego's and Nerf stuff along with clothes, hat and other gear.

Ashlyn got a flip camera. She loves to take pics and the new thing is taking videos. She also got plenty of cute new clothes, earrings, accessories

and a beautiful jewelry box.

Ry got a signed Dan Marino helmet (it cost more than Mason's big jeep...ugh!),

movie tix, and new clothes for work and play.

I got plenty, I always pick out my Christmas,

but Ry usually throws in a couple of surprises.

This year he got me a KINDLE. and I absolutely LOVE it!

It came in so handy when we went to Utah! love it.

I also got my bedroom furniture, new clothes, and a treadmill on the horizon.

We had a great year.

We have the tradition of Christmas breakfast.

I cooked up my mom's 9x 13 EGG omelette's ham recipe

(she fed her missionaries! yum),

cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit and o.j.

It was lovely to all sit together.

IT was a memorable Colorado Christmas.

The very next day,(wtih the luck of good weather!)

we packed up and headed to Utah!

(7 hour drive! easy)

WE couldn't wait to be with our family and friends.

I had a big task of getting Christmas perfect,

then cleaning and packing for the next day.

Stressful but pulled it off. We were ready to go!

We had a great week in Utah. Just what we all needed.

I don't even know where to begin...

grandparetns, cousins, friends, parties, FUN...

I think going to the cousin Christmas party the very first morning

and seeing all the cousins (we were ALL there!)

was so amazing. I felt the love..it was great to be back.

I have a great family and so does Ry. WE are so lucky!

I am working on my post now...

(mountain house snow! and it kept snowing and snowing!

(A winter wonderland in Utah, we were so happy!)

I am also working on a short 12 days of Christmas post.

My kids learned a valuable lesson this year from the person we picked.

This tradition is priceless, it is my kids MOST favorite thing to do every year.

I watch them get so excited to serve and to leave a gift on the doorstep.

It teaches them the value of service.

I feel lucky that they are (hopefully!) able to understand the concept!
more to come.

Back to real life in Co.

WE are ready! schedules resume, life goes on!

I took Jake to school today (at the crack of dawn)

and there was NOT a soul there!...

who told me it's teacher work day...no one!

But the twins had school so that's good.

I think I did 9 loads of laundry,

(Ry thankfully unpacked the car and cleaned it inside and out),

I then unloaded suitcases, mopped the main level,

did dishes, wiped down kitchen, put Christmas toys and boxes away (ugh!),

vacuumed the entire house, organized the kids toys and

ran for 2 hours on the treadmill. (yes felt SO good!)

That doesn't include a trip to Target and

a full course dinner tonight. (thank u very much :)

Love it.

Glad to be back.

Love you all and so grateful for this time of year

to reflect on what is truly important!

loves!