Phillip had two weeks off for Christmas and no time was wasted. The first week we stayed home and enjoyed our Christmas with just our little family. It was so much fun. We celebrated Abby's birthday the Sunday before Christmas so that she could open her presents before we went to Utah. Then Tuesday was my birthday, so Phillip and I got to go to dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. It was his first time so it was a lot of fun. Then Wednesday we went to a friends house for dinner and games, Thursday we went to our cousins house for a Christmas Eve party. Santa surprised us all and came for a quick visit! Abby loooved it! Then Christmas morning woke up bright and early and opened ALL our presents. We were spoiled this year, especially Abby. It was so much fun watching her get so excited about all her presents. By the end she was starting to get a little overwhelmed with all the presents that when I would ask her if she wanted to open another present she would say no :) We lounged around all day playing with all our new gadgets and things and then we packed to leave for Utah the next morning. We left first thing in the morning and made the 6-7 hour drive to Orem Ut. Abby did so good and did not any accidents the whole ride there. We had decided to go to Utah because my whole side of the family was going to be there. We went to Orem the first night and stayed with my brother Ammon and his family. Everyone came over that night to Ammon and Katie's to exchange family gifts, sing Happy Birthday to Abby since it was her actual birthday that day, and play games. All of us were there except my brother Vaughn and his family because they came up Monday. Then Sunday we went to visit some friends of ours for a little bit after we went to church with my brother. It was really nice to see them and let their daughter Scout and Abby play for a little bit. Then we headed to temple square to look at the lights. It was freeeezing but beautiful. We stayed that night at my sister Veronica's house. The next day Veronica and I went to the Air Force base to go shopping at the Commissary and that night we met my parents and Kaitlin and Becca for dinner in Salt Lake. The next day, Tuesday, we went down to Draper to meet up with the whole family to take family pictures. It was snowing pretty bad and I was driving following Veronica because Phillip had stayed the night with my brother since he had stayed late to go to the movies the night before. It was a pretty scary drive because it had been awhile since I had driven in the snow. We met in Draper at my brother's in laws house for family pictures , all 29 of us! It was nuts! Then we went to lunch and a few of us took the kids sledding after. Abby loved it surprisingly! That night Veronica and I went to go see New Moon. It was my second time seeing it, but I didn't mind at all :) Then Wednesday we met Phillip's brother Jared in Salt Lake and picked him up from work and stayed the night with Jared and Kathryn. It was a lot of fun getting to see them again. Then Thursday we packed up again, went shopping at Ikea of course and got some fun stuff there, then went to the BYU bookstore and got Abby a sweatshirt, and went back to my brother Ammon's house to stay our last night. It was New Year's Eve and we played games and then went to bed. We hit the road first thing in the morning again and came home. We were busy all day Saturday unpacking, cleaning up more from Christmas and setting up the stuff from Ikea. That night my brother Vaughn and his family stopped and stayed the night at our house on their way back down to California. It was fun to visit some more with them. It was a crazy trip. We stayed at 4 different places and were constantly on the go. For it being such a busy trip the kids did great. It was so much fun seeing all the family. It was hard because everyone was all spread out. But we are getting so big in numbers that it is getting harder to all get together. It was fun playing in the snow but we are glad to be back in Vegas where its not nearly so cold. It was a blast but it is good to start getting back to our routine here at home.
Our gingerbread house was supposed to look like this...
But instead looked like this...haha
We went to our cousins house for a Christmas party and Santa showed up!!
Our Christmas here in Vegas, can you say spoiled??
Chase loved his presents :)
Daddy and his favorite present
Abby found her Santa gift in the garage, a kitchen!
We had cake at Uncle Ammon and Aunt Katie's house for Abby's 2nd birthday!!
Us at temple square...freezing! I'm holding Chase in the baby B'jorn wrapped in blankets to keep him warm
Mom and Dad Chase and ALL 15 grandkids!
Daddy and Abby with Aunt Margi's mom's GIANT horse
Abby and Daddy sledding. I forgot the camera so I only got a couple pictures with my phone. Abby loooved it and kept wanting to go again despite her being freezing cold.
Abby and Aunt Becca. She just adores Becca and always cries when she leaves
Baby Chase getting so big and cuter every day! (if that's even possible :)
Little brother, big sister
Wagon ride around the block
