Christmas 2009

Week 1

We have been able to spend Christmas with my family in Fresno, CA. Here are some pictures of our festivities:

Us at our annual Christmas Eve Eve party with the Ashby family (my mom's family) at my aunt and uncle's dance studio.

(Do you like how my brother Scotty snuck in?)

It's a tradition to light candles and sing carols around a Christmas tree. It's usually a live tree but since we were inside we made due with this awesome fake tree!

We have a cousin gift exchange. Anyone who wants to participate brings a gift and then we bowl for one!

Santa came to visit, (my dad) and this is how Lily reacted!

My grandparents gave all the great-grand kids new jammies.

Lily playing at Grandma Dawna's (my dad's mom) She would make Grandpa Dave proud!

It's our family tradition to "Light the Sacks" on Christmas Eve with the McLelland family. There were several of us there and it was so much fun to see everyone!

Lily Christmas morning

(Caroline, Cousin Kate's daughter)

The day after Christmas, my Aunt and her kids and grand kids came to my parents' house to let the guys shoot guns and the little cousins play.

(James, Cousin Kate's son.)

He kept giving me that look all day. He obviously didn't want his picture taken!

(Lauren, Cousin Kate's daughter)

She was so cute sitting on the fence posts, drawing.

I got in on the shooting action!

My cousin Brad, visiting from Romania, helping his niece, Lauren, shoot. She did pretty good!

Cousin Brad releasing the skeets, while Cousin Joel and Scotty shoot!

My dad and Cousin Brad

"For the Light of the World was Born"

I made these candles for my Young Women, I made several, in fact 20. All of them were different and unique. I meant to take a picture of them all but I wrapped them in cellophane and forgot. I at least got a couple of them.

Attached to each candle it said:

"For the Light of the World was Born"

Merry Christmas

"Those are known to kill people"

Here are the awesome icicles on our neighbor's house! Aren't they cool?!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

We went to bed with about 2 inches and woke up to this!

More than a foot has accumulated!

Opened up the side door and this is what we got!

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas...

We went and cut our own, fresh Christmas tree this year. We enjoyed driving up the mountains, right behind our house and pick which ever one we wanted! We chose a short, fat, bushy one! (kinda like me!) Brian was having fun with the settings on the camera,

so the tree looks like it's on fire.

Lily kept walking over to it and sitting to look at the lights.

It's always been a tradition to have the Christmas lights up before my birthday, the 7th. This is what our house looks like this year.

Lily walking around in her new winter coat!

Thanksgiving Week

Our 2 week trip continued.....

Playtime at Grandma Gail's. Here she's playing with my sister Anna.

It was fun playing with her hair in the tub. It made everyone laugh.

This is the apple pie I made for our Thanksgiving Feast!

My Aunt Mere does a fabulous job with decorating! Isn't our table setting just beautiful?!

There were I believe 21 total, if you include the little babes, were at our feast!

They were so cute in this big chair. Above, Lily and my dad.

Below, Lily and my little brother Scott.

Walking around, with her bib on, during dinner.

My grandparents Jack and Beth

I just love the new property my parents have recently moved to. They have 10 aces and it's absolutely gorgeous. I LOVE this big oak tree!

We had fun shooting guns, again. Here's Scotty. Doesn't he look good?!

This is what happened to a watermelon after I shot it with a shotgun.

Awww...

What We've Been Up to Lately

We've been away, playing with family. Lily and I came to visit my family for a week and Brian met up with us. We've been busy, busy, busy.

It all began with a great night out with my sister to the So You Think You Can Dance tour performance at the SaveMart Center in Fresno, CA. We ate Chinese for dinner, a very rare occasion for me because Brian doesn't care for it. We had fabulous seats and ever since that night we keep trying out dance skills.

Lily, my mom, and I went up to my Aunt and Uncle's place, called Camp Bullfrog. We spent time with my cousin and her 3 little boys. While up there, we made some fresh wreaths from the natural greens that grow up there. It was a blast!

This is little Archer. He's such a cutie. A real sweetheart!

Then, we celebrated Brian's brother's birthday, as well as our nephew's. I was asked by my mother-in-law to make a cake. This is how it turned out.

The big blank blue spot is where the candles were.

Here's Caden, our nephew, enjoying some cake!

Lily looking through family scrapbooks with Aunt Megan, Brian's little sister.

More to come with the Thanksgiving feast!