Prepare for a long post:
Not as long as it could be, for one reason or another, I have been super unmotivated to take pictures, so these are basically ALL of my pictures from Christmas time this year.
So, pre Christmas preparations.
Our decorations are up, but the Whitmores got this sweet Christmas tree, a little later in the month, and we helped them get it set up:
We love Christmas. Have you ever noticed the you are more in love during the Holiday's?
Poor Karl. I just love him too much.
Here is the Whitmore Family, Christmas 2011.
The tree Christmas tree the dumpster dove for... and their decorations, of bike parts. Very Green.
And very Chisrmasy, and I loved it. Isn't is so rad? It came together very well.
Later that night, we went out to the Riverwoods, and checked out the Christmas lights.
Krysta and Me. I love Krysta!
Have you ever noticed you remember how much you love the people in your life?
Those blue trees were seriously cool.
Flash forward a week:
We made it to the Valley, and it was a few days before I thought to take a picture:
This is who it was that inspired me. Asher.
Things that you missed.
Leah and Brandon were there. Krytsin and Chelsea were also there. They let us stay in the big room.
We stayed up late talking. It was wonderful.
We went to the Price Center in Calexico, Forever 21 too, and generally enjoyed one another.
Then Mom and I went to San Diego to visit Maryn and go shopping, while the girls and Brandon and Leah went to Salvation Mountain. Betsy and Nick came into town then too, with the boys, of course. Which brings up to this point, Christmas eve:
Did I mention Judah?
I got to do this:
And Grandma Hite got to so this:
Oh my gosh, I am in love with these kids!
So we sat down and had the Traditional Hite family Christmas Eve program. The group was small this year, only Just mom and dad...
The Reddoch's...
The food...
And us!
Good times were had by all of course!
There were presents, and jokes "that's why you always bring your own stockings" and good times had by all.
Here is Asher with my present for him...
I can tell he loves it and is being enriched... developmentally.
Oh yeah, Baby's first Christmas!!! They loved it!
Karl's favorite gift this year, that is proudly being displayed in our living room:
A trebuchet:
My favorite gift...all the time Judah did this to me:
Now. The Pipkin's also know how to party:
As to our tradition, dad, read us the littlest angel...which we love.
Then of course we had breakfast...little smoky crescents.
Which Chelsea and Karl loved.
Leah, Maryn, and Krystin...All looking so beautiful.
The group minus Me, Dad, and Branny.
Mom and Dad
The girls, waiting to open presents...
Christmas day was great.
We all went to church together, saw everyone from days of yore, and I wore a maternity dress Betsy lent me...
Other Highlights of our trip:
Grandma Neal came to visit.
Maryn gave everyone a hair cut
Um...
Mexican food, laughing and talking and games...
I don't remember where we were going when we took this picture...but I love it because we were together.
I spent a bunch of time recording our families, it was was pretty fun too. I learned a bunch about everyone.
The trip home was uneventful, outside of the flat tire we got going to Needles.
Then home again home again...to see California again some time far away.
