Our true story of Christmas

In no particular order: Post Christmas- the weather here has been bipolar. Snow one day, 60 degrees the next. But, we took full advantage of all the fluctuations and constant change.  Snow angels and snow play to zoo visits, park days and walks.

The highlight of January, Lucy learned how to ride a 2 wheeler!! 

We are SO proud of her. It came perhaps by accident, as we had to take one of the training wheels off, 

but she has taken to it like a fish in water, and is getting really good! 

cheatos As I said, picnics in the park, feeding what ducks remained on the ice, and Charlie pullin a little Napoleon dynamite action, with the cheetos in his pocket.

The rest of the pictures will be compiled into a few brief bullets
- We did go to Utah for the Holidays. I had not been home in 3 years. My expectations were both exceeded and destroyed, and what a trip it was.
-Several highlights filled our trip, the first being barfing, diarrhea- flu struck kids, including the ENITRE time we were in Utah, and the ENTIRE 8 hour drive there!!
-We spent time @ the children's museum, jump houses, cousin sleep overs, gingerbread house making, dinners @ Crown Burger, sledding, traditional Christmas Eve bingo games, winding the clocks with grandpa, getting locked out (in the freezing cold) for HOURS, strolling city creek, wrecked our car, visiting Santa, girls dates, cousin play dates, game nights....just among the fun we had.
-I don't want to sugar coat our trip. Sure wish we could have a do-over, but thank heavens we are able to laugh about some of if now.


- The most significant event, which has effected all our lives forever is the death of Jeffs sister, Meggie, the saturday before Christmas. We left town early, to be with her, as we sensed her earthly departure would come soon. Thank heavens we did.
It was truly a Joy to spend time in the Sanders home, as we celebrated the beautiful life of Meggie, and rejoice in her unique life and the constant, Christlike, Unconditional love the Sanders constantly gave her.
Christmas came in such a different form this year, for our entire family, and has been the most memorable.
I received the most beautiful gift this year. That being I was able to appreciate, respect, adore, admire, honor the Sanders and their lives. I truly love my in-laws, and this trip, was a gift to me, to realize their greatness, and what a blessing it is to have married into that family.
It was very difficult to have such a tragedy at Christmas time, but a marvelous comfort to have the belief in the eternal life, resurrection, and Christs love for us all.

-We were able to spend a few nights with our favorite great grandpa. Grandpa Floyd. He is an amazing man, and truly such a joy to spend time with.
My children loved him immediately, as everyone does, and we miss him already.

The cousin party, that was a bust. Lucy spent the time in the hall, barfing, and I soon left, with the boys, to put my sickies to bed.

-We celebrated our darling Charlie's birthday! He got the royal treatment with the birthday box @ Sanders. He loved the attention on him, and its such a treat to see his creative, imaginative, kind, loving, silly personality shine. We love love love this darling boy, and are so luck to have him!!