Happy New Year!

 Our plane landed this morning, and we were pretty tired and made the kids take a nap.  When they woke up they found presents Santa had left them.  The boys finally got their PS4 and the girls got their American Girl Doll, Isabelle.

 We rang in the new year with our friends at the Coburns' house. Lots of food, fun and games and some Studio C of course.

Making noise in the neighborhood.  Happy New Year!  Hope you have a blessed 2015.

Happy Retirement, Mammy!

 

Tonight we surprised Mammy with a retirement party at the Greenery.  She technically hasn't retired yet, but this is the only time all of us kids would be together to throw her a retirement party.  She has worked 27 years for an attorney, and her retirement is well-deserved. Danny and Heather got this yummy cake for the party.

 

 The kids made the sign.  I know you probably didn't need me to tell you that :)

 So fun to have the Reads and Woods with us to celebrate.

 Me, Danny, Mom, Michell and Jeff

 Opening her gifts.

 And this is the whole clan.  It is not everyday we are together.

Just when we were having so much fun, it was time to fly home to Virginia.  Our flight left Salt Lake at midnight and we were on the red-eye to Orlando then Virginia.  People thought we were crazy. We have flown these kids around the world for 24 hours straight.  This was nothing ;)  We loved our time in Utah and were so sad to leave.

Baby Grey's Blessing

 Today I flew to Long Beach for the day to be with Cortney on this special day when Jeff blessed their baby Grey.  Her name is Grey Natalie.  I had to be there, and wouldn't have missed it for the world.  They blessed her at the Cal State Institute building.

 Her blessing dress is Cortney's wedding dress.  Beautiful.

It was a beautiful day.  I got to catch up with the Holloways and be with some of my favorite people in the world.  It was hard to leave the gorgeous weather to go back to the cold of Utah. Why did we move from Long Beach? 

Friends worth Gold

 I was so grateful we could meet up with some of our oldest and dearest friends while we were in Utah.  Kristen and I have known each other since sixth grade.  How fun to be with her and her family.

 We have known the Jones family since we moved to Long Beach in 2004.  Our families have grown up so much since we first met.

White Christmas

 We woke up to a very magical white Christmas morning. After presents and breakfast the kids went outside to play and go sledding at the Blind School next door.

James never made it out of the house to play in the snow. Maybe we ran out of snow clothes? 

We went out to the Rich home for dinner and played games.  A truly great Christmas.

Christmas Morning

 This was our Christmas morning.  Santa left the big stuff at our house, unless you want to count the pink unicorn, then I guess he left some big stuff at Mammy's :). So the boys woke up to PS4 games, but no PS4 because that was left in Virginia.  There were plenty of presents to open nonetheless.

 Yummy breakfast with the cousins.

 And more presents!

The best gift is being home on Christmas. What a blessing. Merry Christmas!!