December started out for us with a "Primary Program" that was actually the Nursery Program, since there are no kids old enough for Primary (until Bruin and another girl start a Sunbeam class this new year!).
Us parents were sweating bullets up there trying to maintain peace and quiet up on the stand, and we basically did all the speaking parts. But it was cute and Bruin shone in the spotlight. He literally cried when he had to get off the stand and give up the microphone. He's got some Casper genes in him that boy. Crew just got up and down off the chair and wandered around up there but somewhat mumbled through a few songs :)
We also had a ward Christmas party with a gingerbread house making contest. Phil got second place cuz he is amazing :)
Then it was off on a trip to Utah for Phil's sister Jessica's wedding. It was a beautiful happy day, although it was absolutely freezing trying to take pictures!
At the Lion House lucheon
Then Phil and I decided to stick around in Utah for awhile before heading up to Washington, so we stayed 3 days at a Swiss themed resort in Midway. It was so fun and so nice to have Phil all to ourselves for a change!
Every night we took the boys to the big heated pool and swam and hot-tubbed with them and then came back to the hotel for hot chocolate and buttery toast! Mmm, so wonderful!
Bruin loved his pull-out couch bed and he and Crew jumped around from bed to chairs to table to bed, like crazy monkeys for hours.
We also took them bowling for Crew's first time. They couldn't get enough of it and could even carry their own balls up to the ramp.
Crew loved bowling so much that he threw a bit of a fit when we started to leave and of course fell and bonked his face on the ball feeder thing.
This picture doesn't capture the Avatar-ness his face soon resembled.
From the resort we drove the 11 hours to Washington to spend Christmas with Phil's entire family. The boys did pretty good and just watched movies and played with my new love...
iPad2....Best Christmas present. Ever. Thanks Mom and Dad!!
We did split the trip up and stayed in Boise with Phil's Aunt Linda and Uncle Nate. My boys had a blast there cuz all Phil's cousins played endlessly with them. And being that three of Phil's cousins have forms of dwarfism they were perfect sized play friends for Bruin. Bruin and Nick were seriously getting down wrestling it was funny. After being fed like kings and challenging all of them to leg and arm wrestling we took off and finally made it to Washington.
There we had an awesome week with the Casper family! There was always some kind of game going on, whether it be Mexican Train, Chicken Foot, Ticket to Ride, N64 MarioKart or Blitz, and a movie in the background and plenty of yummy food. Oh and late-night hot tub dips. And a big volleyball game that brought only a few tears. Christmas success.
Matching jammies from Grandma and Grandpa Casper
I think I can count on one hand how many baths my kids got this vacation but hey, hot-tubs count right?...
Phil had a birthday somewhere in there. Yeah. It was like that. Poor Phil. He watched the BYU bowl game and then we took off and drove 11 hours in the car, arriving at midnight and falling into our beds exhausted. I did have the foresight though to make him his cake the day before his birthday so we could enjoy it Birthday Eve and day :) I made an oreo, cookies and cream ice cream cake cuz its his favorite. It was delicious I must say.
Now we are back after a brief stop in Farmington to hang with my sis for the weekend.
Back to real life.
School started today and I have yet to hear how it went from Phil til he comes home.
Back to laundry and dinner-making and house cleaning. But oh it feels good to be home!
Already made a trip to the library this morning and got me a book to keep me company these lonely nights ahead! Crossing our fingers that this semester won't be too rough for Phil.
Yay for 2012 and all the things to come this year!
