Christmas Day!

Hello again friends.  Can I just say that I'm loving this snow?  I just think it's so beautiful and I'm so happy we had a white Christmas this year, unlike last.  Steve and I had a really fun Christmas day.  We woke and opened presents.  His main present this year was a picture of the Salt Lake Temple.  We've been looking for one since we got married but they're all so darn expensive that we held off on buying one.  Well lucky for me  one of my friends showed me a website where you can download temple pictures for free!  I found one I thought he would like and blew it up for 7 bucks!  Then I went to Hobby Lobby and found a beautiful frame which just happened 50% off.  The total package came out to be about $80.  Take that $400 Deseret Book pictures!

However Steve didn't get the picture right off the bat.  I toyed with him a bit.  Back story, last year I bought Steve a personalized bobble head and he guessed what his present was.  Seriously!  Who guesses a personalized bobble head?!  I was so mad.

But that's okay.  A new year, a new surprise right?  Well that would have been right, until I ruined it.  I was teasing him (as he does to me with my presents) and I accidentally let it slip that I was getting him a picture!  *facepalm* Christmas is ruined.
I let it slip that he was getting a picture... but I didn't tell him what he was getting a picture OF... So one of my cute friends gave me the idea of giving him a picture of me.  We went and did a little photo shoot and this is the picture we went with.

I felt really awkward buying an 8x10 picture of me... and Steve felt equally as awkward receiving it.  After a few moments of awkwards, "oh thank you!" "I really love it" I said, "okay, that's not really  your present" and I ran upstairs to my craft room brought down his picture.

After presents we went to Momma Howe's house for some delicious Christmas breakfast.  After breakfast we went to Les Miserables!   Ah such a wonderful movie! I've been reading the book over the last month (yes it takes that long. It's a really long book) and I have to say the book is so much better!  I think everyone should read it at least once in their life!

After Les Mis we went to Scott and Claire's house (Steve's brother and his wife) for dinner and presents.  It was a really fun night.  Claire is expecting a boy in March and this will be the first grandchild on Steve's side. I'm so excited!  They only live about 5 minutes away from us!

It was a really nice Christmas!

The night before Christmas

Hi friends, how did Christmas already come and go?  I don't feel like I had adequate time to celebrate.  I blame school.  School got out for me on December 11th and a few days later for Steve.  Once school was out I realized that I really hadn't given presents much thought.  I usually like to have my shopping done before December. *sigh* Oh well.

I'd also like to make it known that this blog won't be my best work.  I've been hit with a nasty little virus and any witty comments or playful wording are M.I.A. at the moment.  That being said, lets proceed.

This year for Christmas my oldest brother Todd and his family, who live in Texas, came into town.  This is the first time in 11 years that we've all been together for Christmas!  I was pretty excited.  We had Christmas Eve at my brother Jeff's house.  It was packed. Packed full of love! (too cheesy?  sorry.) But seriously, it was crowded.  There's almost 30 of us all together.

I wouldn't have it any other way.  It was seriously the best.  My nephew took a fancy to my ugly Christmas sweater and my nieces took a fancy to Steve.  {they have little crushes on him, it's kind of adorable.}

I really wish we all lived closer to each other.  One day I'll buy a mountain side or a city where all my loved ones can live.  That way we'll all be within a 5 mile radius.  

Here's another random picture of little miss Avery and myself.

Like I said, not my best work but whaddya gunna do. *shrug*