Christmas 2012

This year, Christmas was great, for a few reasons.

1. Jace's Mom and Dad had the chance to come for a whole week from their mission. We haven''t seen them (other than a few Skypes) in over a year---it was good seeing them. It almost felt like they had never left!

2. Jace's Hunt grandparents and sister Jen and her husband Ken came for Christmas. Talk about a full house! Mindy and Jeff played host to almost everyone for a week and then all of us for the festivities.

3. This is the first Christmas in 4 years where I have not been sick! Normally at this time I have a sore throat, lose my voice, horrible cough, and as a result of the horrible cough I re-tear the lining of muscle around my ribs. Its painful, and I'm ecstatic to not have gone through that again...yet. 

i worked alot and was tired and grumpy more than i wished i was. i also was worried about spending time with jace's family and mine. that's always hard for me--i would like to please everyone, but i cant. so i'm working on how to please myself and jace first and everyone else second. 

we were blessed to be around family. and to remember our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

and we were also blessed with the wonderful gifts our families gave us!

Jeff and Mindy gave us a Blu-ray player and movie (Jace has been dancing for joy about that Blu-ray player)

Mom and Pop gave us a dream catcher (they are missionaries on the reservation after all! ) home-made beaded earrings for me (from one of the Lakota women), and then a season of a TV show. We aren't fans of that show so we were able to get a longer HDMI cable for the Blu-ray player to work. So big thank you!!!

Jeff and Melanie gave us a new board game to try and also a DISNEYLAND savings fund jar!!! I'm in love.

Joe gave us a BEAUTIFUL framed picture--one of my favorites that I've been pinning for (for over 4 years!)

Randy gave us a new board game and a book for me!--Jace is excited to try out the game and i'm already done with the book! It was that good.

Mom and Dad gave us a much needed ladder, a dolly, emergency candles and lanterns (for our 72 hour kits), a new electric razor for Jace that hes been dying for!, new curling irons for me--so i can do more bridal hair/up-dos for dances, a new book (so cute!), Mom made me subway art "family rules", one for Christmas and one for Halloween! they are adorable! 

and of course our shoe money--which is always greatly appreciated!!

(jaces shoe money + grandparent money purchase)

WOW! So blessed. I tell you what.

My brother Jeff also organized a surprise for my parents! About 

 months ago their outside fridge died. and their inside fridge isn't too big. So he found a fridge for sale and bought it and had all of us pitch in and make the surprise work.
And it did. And they are grateful!

also, Jamie had a scare with the twins and on Christmas Eve was in the ER...turns out shes just SUPER pregnant with twins and has been over doing it---so thankful that everything is okay with all 3 of them and that in less than a month we'll have 2 super beautiful babies to snuggle!

Blessed. Blessed. Blessed.