Christmas Time

Our Christmas this year was fabulous! It is every year, but every year comes with so many fun adventures and family!

This year we decided we needed to hold on to one of the best traditions of Nick's family. I had a girls night with some of my best friends, Jen and Noelle. Steph was going to come, but couldn't, instead Matt, Noelle's fiance came which was really fun. Nick just wanted to eat them so he did such a great job at that.

Here is a picture of Jen and I just getting started at the TONS AND TONS of cookies I made (You cannot see all of them, but trust me there were tons).

Here is the tradition: Nick's mom has a tree she puts up around Christmas time and she makes these cookies ornaments and hangs them up in the tree after making them, decorating them, wrapping them and hanging them. Each person who comes to her house during this time of year gets to take a cookie off the tree. It is super sweet, so I decided to do the same thing..... sort of. I made all of these cookies, and only a few people came over after we made them (We made them after Finals were over) so I made sure the girls took plenty home, and that I had plenty for us to give to others and of course, some for US TOO!

Nick and I decided to go an see the lights at Temple square! It was absolutely gorgeous! I have never seen anything like it before. It was freezing, but definitely worth it.

Here we are at Temple Square. (We have more pictures I will have to post)

After finals we finally got tons and tons of snow. Of course this is after "The biggest blizzard of the century!" Nick and I decided to enjoy the snow while we are here in Utah and play in it as much as possible. So we did!

First off, here is our cute home! Covered in snow! We have been introduced to shoveling snow now. Our backs are getting pretty strong!

We decided to build an awesome snowman!

Nick wanted to make sure it was pretty round so we, patted, patted and patted some more snow and.....

Here he is! Isn't he round!

I have tons of other pictures I want to share with you, but here is a start!

"That's How You Know" from Disney's ENCHANTED (Full Clip)

This makes me smile!

We Have So Much To Be Thankful For!

Nick and I went to Colorado this year for Thanksgiving and spent it with my immediate as well as extended family. We were able to catch the same flight as my sister and brother-in-law which made it that much more fun!

We got a lot of snow before left Utah and a lot of flights got cancelled so I was glad ours did not (We also flew out the day after we got the storm which made it easier).

As soon as we got into Colorado we dropped our stuff off at one of our favorite Aunts house (Aunt Becky) and started playing lots. It was pretty late, but our Aunt Effie made her famous Gyros so we of course couldn't resist! My family has so much fun laughing and reminiscing and teasing each other, so we did it for a couple of hours even though it was 11:30PM or so.

The next day was super busy getting Thanksgiving ready. The boys of course headed off to play football (It was super cold and all of my cousins we in shorts and a sweatshirt if that... they were crazy). Nick decided to come with me considering my cousins are big guys! (My cousin Joe is about 350 lbs., and the others are just big guys, and Nick didn't want to get crushed) Andy braved it especially because Joe was on his team! Nick and I were freezing our bums off so we decided to go and help the ladies at Grandma's house.

I was so proud because Nick was the only man there helping out. I have the greatest husband, let me tell you.

My whole family was there except Landon whom we missed so very much (I cannot believe we get to talk to him soon!!!). Thanksgiving dinner was of course delicious! Our family has gotten so big we barely fit inside grandma's house. We could barely move because their are so many people in our family now, and it just keeps growing (Which is good!!!).

That night we went to the movies because it is a tradition in my family to go to a movie. Well, Lou Lou, Andy Rice, Rooga and Mattie went to see Harry Potter (Nick and I had already seen it), Dad and Nick went to see Fair Game, and I really really wanted to see Tangled and my mom didn't want me to go alone so she and my Aunt Lori, Uncle Duane and cousin Steven went to see Tangled. I am pretty sure WE PICKED THE BEST MOVIE! It was so good. I LOVED IT! WOW! If you haven't seen it! You have got to!!!! WOW!

The next day, we were busy preparing for B's surprise baby shower that my Aunt Effie has been planning for 3 months. She worked so hard. Here are some pictures of the tables of food she did.

B was surprised and couldn't believe she was already having a baby shower considering they don't know what they are having yet (They find out next week! I am so excited). Lou Lou and I were in charge of the games and we had so much fun planning them. Our family is so competitive as well so, you can imagine how much fun and how loud it was!!!! It was the best, nothing like a shower where no one wants to play games.... SO BORING! Lou planned one where you melt a bunch of different candy bars in different diapers and you have to guess what the baby ate to make its poop like that. It was awesome, everyone loved it and some even tried the "poop" (aka chocolate) to guess what it was. B and Ralph got a lot of stuff, but I think the best gift was from Lou Lou and I. We got her some books, a blankie (lots of history if you know our B), a bumbo, and of course some awesome bath toys!!!!! All of the gifts had to do with fun memories we had growing up.

The next day, Andy, Lou Lou, Rooga, Nick and I went to the Denver zoo. We had so much fun!!!

Andy, Me and Lou Lou ready to play!

I think this was a hyenas skull eating my head. Not good!

Posing with the black bears. They were so lazy and so cute.

The monkeys loved Rooga. Everywhere she went they would follow her. We were laughing so hard. She was freaked out while she was laughing.

There was this cool sign saying how far can you jump and compared you to an animal. Of course we all wanted to compete, so we did! Here I go!

Nicholas practicing his jumping stance.

Rooga got pretty far I have to say! Her thighs are so muscular! Crazy muscular woman!

BUT, not as good as Nick!

Or Andy Rice!

Us girls wanted to pose with the cute hippos!

We imagine they would be pretty comfortable!

Lovely way to get off huh?!? Not to girly, I don't care though it was a blast.

The boys showing the hippos who is boss!

They are really wrestling those fatties!

WATCH OUT NICK!

Even though this was fake, I was still pretty freaked out, I kept thinking it was going to be like Harry Potter and come alive and actually eat me!