Oh boy were we busy this year. We are busy every year around the holidays but who isn't? It's the best time of year to spend time with family and we did just that. The week of Christmas was packed full of fun & it did NOT disappoint. It was perfect....I was slightly stressed at times but it was still perfect. The week started when my Mom and her husband came to visit. They stayed at our house and I enjoy having company. I planned a small get together with my Step Dad's kids and grandkids and we had the best time. I really enjoyed myself and I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.
My Mom & I got coffee, pedicures and manicures and chatted the day away. We did some Christmas shopping too. I love spending that time with her. There is nothing better than a day out with my Mom. I sure miss her now that she lives in St. George. Not far but I still miss her everyday......
My Step Family!
They are fun, crazy and loud and I love every second of it. Watching the kiddos open gifts was awesome. They were so excited.
Next up was my family Christmas party. This is a tradition we do every year and it's one of my favorites. We didn't have a party last year and I was pretty bummed. I don't get to see my cousins as often as I would like so I look forward to this one time of year and we have carried on this tradition since as far back as I can remember. My uncles get crazy and sing on their guitars, my Grandma laughs and gives hugs and the kids get soooo excited when Santa arrives. My cousins Kim & Lori were kind enough to offer their home for our annual party this year and I can't thank them enough. There were a lot of peeps in their house but I'm so grateful they did that for everyone.
Doesn't my Grandma look beautiful? My Mom dolled her up for the party and she looked amazing. I'm so happy she came to the party. She's not a fan of big crowds & loud people but for this party she seemed ok. She was excited to have her family in one room all together. It brought much joy to her face and I'm so glad her and my Grandpa are still around to celebrate with us. My cousin Dylan was also there {bottom left photo}. He's in the military and he's just awesome. I was excited to see his handsome face!
Love this crazy family of mine.
Christmas Eve at the Frehners.
This is our yearly tradition in Jake's family and I get so excited. We rotate families every year for gifts and I get so excited to pick out the perfect gift for the family we have. We had Jake's brothers fam this year so the boys got a cool sled, an awesome search and rescue helicopter and a remote control jeep. They were so fun to watch open their gifts. I say this every time but this house is complete chaos when we all get together and it's so much fun. Do I sound crazy? I might be....but I LOVE it! I made North Pole cupcakes for dessert and they were time consuming but worth it. Jake even helped me. I love baking everything around the holidays but this year I didn't have as much time as I usually have so they weren't perfect but they were still delicious.
My mother in law got a Kindle Fire {I'm super jealous by the way} & my brother in law Jared took that beautiful pic of the temple and sent it to me to have it framed for her and my father in law. It was gorgeous and she loved her Kindle. The kiddos crack me up. They run around like crazy people, play with iPhones, climb on things they shouldn't be climbing on and are all sugared up before Santa comes....It's awesome!
Like my new reloading kit?
Christmas morning is still my favorite.
Jake & I wake up early and exchange gifts and stockings. I love stockings. They are the best things ever. The first year we were in our home & I told Jake I was doing a stocking for him he was kind of dumb founded but I think he likes the tradition just as much as I do and he always fills my stocking with awesome stuff.
Like his new kicks?
He needed some nice new shoes so I bought him this pair & an awesome pair of white Puma's that I doubt he will ever wear because he's worried about ruining them. He was stoked so that made me happy. He also got a gift card to Sportsman's & sadly a BYU hat. It was rough buying a BYU hat but I did it & he was happy so that's all that matters.
Last but NOT least-Dad's house Christmas morning!
Like his tree? He loves the Dallas Cowboys so it's decorated in blue, silver and white. After we open our gifts to each other we head to my Dad's for more Christmas morning fun. We open gifts and eat the best cinnamon rolls EVER. I would give you all the recipe but they are fat free so you would probably hate them.
{lots of sugar and butter and cinnamon.that's all.nothing else for the topping.amazing}.
My Grandparents celebrate with us this year and my Aunt and her son also came to visit. It was nice having everyone in the same room on a holiday. It doesn't happen often because they live in Cali so this was a nice surprise for us. We opened presents, ate, and relaxed. Then we came back for a Taco dinner. A tradition we do every year. A Mexican fiesta for Christmas dinner. It's so delicious.
Christmas this year was eventful & exciting. I'm lucky to have the family that I have & the friends in our lives. We are so blessed. I'm lucky to have a husband who spoils me & surprises me. Jake & I took my other set of grandparents In N Out burger for Christmas Eve dinner. My Grandma was so excited. She eats that hamburger like it's going out of style. I wish I would have taken a picture. I have lots of goals for 2012 & I have lots of ideas. I hope this next year brings us happiness and lots of luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment