Christmas this year for us was spent in Moab with my family! It was a very fun and eventful week full of laugher and tears. This was the first Christmas without my Dad. It was at times tough on us all, but if you know my family, you know that those tears were usually always followed up by laughter. My family is great and I love them all so very much. It was so good to be with them this Christmas.
Here is my mom with her two grandbabies, Mckenna and Addison! They both had a great time seeing their grandma!
Mckenna and Addison absolutely look like cousins. Look at their eyes...they are too similar!! They are so darn cute together! They had so much fun playing with one another. They are alomst a year apart exactly and they just get along so well. It is so fun to watch them together!
One of the days we were in Moab, we went up to Dead Horse Point State Park. My uncle is the head park ranger up there. He is getting ready to retire, so we all went up there for one last complimentary entrance into the beautiful park! The scenery is absolutely amazing! We loved it!!
Another one of the days we all geared up and went to the mountains to go sledding! It was fun. Mckenna was a trooper and toughed out the cold for a little while. It was really fun, but really cold too!
Here are my two sisters, Geneava and Sarah, with Mckenna in the car heading out to go sledding....all bundled up! =D
For Christmas this year, my mom got Mckenna a new baby with a stroller. She had gotten one similar for her birthday back in September but managed to climb in it (kind of like she is doing below) and broke it. We had to take it back to Costco and they didn't have anymore to exchange it for. So, she got this new one for Christmas. It is a little bigger and a little more stable for her play with...especially since her favorite thing to do right now with it is climb in it herself and sit in it! She is a funny little girl!!
Here she is with her baby doll and her stroller. She figured out how to put her baby doll in it but it didn't last long. Sitting in it herself was much more comfortable!!
Mckenna learned very quickly this year about how fun opening presents could be! She had fun opening all of her presents. Here she is with one of her new cute outfits she got for Christmas. Like her facial expressions?? =D She seems excited!!
Here is Sarah with Mckenna and Addison in their pajamas Christmas morning! Notice behind them at the long row of stockings....there are 15 of them!! Got to love those big families!!!
Christmas eve, the two girls were very much entertained by a cardboard box! Their nice uncles played with them in this box for like an hour pushing them and pulling them! It was so funny! Why did we spend money on toys again??? Kids are funny!!
Thanks everyone for the great Christmas gifts this year. We have been so blessed, not only with temperal things but spiritually as well. I know that family is the greatest gift we can have and I am ever grateful for mine. We have all become so much closer this year. I know that in our greatest weakness, the Lord provides us all with opportunities to grow and become stronger. My family is a testament to that. We have all pulled together and have united as one. We all share the common goal to become a stronger, more united family this new year, 2009. It is something that is a priority for us all and I know that it is one of the most important things we can do in this life here on Earth. Family is key to Heavenly Father's plan. I am so thankful for my family and for the opportunity for us to all be together forever. I know that the goal of a eternal family is the ultimate goal for my family. My dad taught us of the importance of this and now that he is waiting for us on the other side, I know that as a family we will do nothing less of being worthy to be with him again!
