Farmers Market

We finally made it to the farmers market with the help of some dear friends.  I really like it there.  I was especially a fan of the really large avocados.  I'd go back just for them, oh and the local honey....yum!  There's a bakery across the street that we love to go to.  The smell wafting across the street reminds me of being a kid.  There was a bakery we used to drive by in Orlando and as we'd pass by Dad would tell us all roll down our windows to smell the fresh bread. 

The bakery across the street from the farmers market is a Mexican bakery and they have delicious creme filled pastries.  I can't go back without getting a few more of those and the coconut macaroons.   Very soon!  Thank you Mike and Merian for inviting us!  It was a well spent Saturday.   

An Ending and a Beginning

 I'm glad I got to end the new year with more family than usual.  Usually I'm really to go home by the end of my trips.  Audrey's usually tired from less sleep and I'm usually ready to come home to Paul.  This time I had Paul with me and I truly didn't want to leave.  Maybe a few more days.  Sadly I live far away, but every time I get to go back I become even more grateful that I can make trips out there to be with them.  It would be so much harder if I couldn't.  

Happy New Year!  I can't believe that yet another year has gone by.  My Dad told me a few years ago that the older you get the faster it goes.  I think his theory has proven to be correct.   

Christmas Firsts

My sisters and nieces and nephews made this hill in the backyard that turned out to be a really awesome sledding hill.  I had my first experience snowboarding.  I consider it lucky that I didn't fall.  Maybe someday I'll get to do the real thing. 

 Audrey got to go sledding for the first time.  She was so happy.  She wanted to go over and over and over again until her little fingers couldn't take the cold anymore.  She also really enjoyed tromping around in the snow with her boots.  It's really the first time she's been able to run around in it.  Last year we didn't get to see very much.  She loved the sound it would make and the feeling of it under her boots.  Her older cousins were a little more adventurous taking the snow shovel as a sled down the hill.  

Earlier that day we got to go ice skating.  I love ice skating, but it's been years since I set foot onto a rink.  I got out there and thought I would never get the hang of it again.  Finally after a few times around I got used to it.  Audrey was struggling.  In no way was this what she had practiced at home on the tile in her socks.  I could tell that this was not what she imagined when she thought about dancing like a princess on the ice like she'd told me a thousand times before.  After a couple times around holding hands with me a Aunt Tamara she was ready to try using the kids skating aid.  She got pretty good at that after a couple more times around and before I knew it she was going around by herself without me behind her.  She kept yelling to me, "This is so much fun!".  It was only after her feet started to hurt that she wanted to get off and I got to go around a few times on my own.  I loved it!  I think it will become a yearly tradition for us.

A few more "first time" things happened this year.  We had a ladies night for the women on Paul's side of the family.  I thoroughly enjoyed painting nails and watching Leap Year with my sisters-in-law.  Again, another tradition worth adopting.  

Audrey also got to make her first snow man this year.  She was so excited about it and kept asking me if he was going to come to life.   She was a little disappointed when he disappeared when she was gone and became a sledding hill, but we told her he melted.  Somehow it was a little easier to take than someone burying him with snow.   

Grandpa Rod and Anna Christmas

We had second Christmas with Grandpa Rod and Anna this year.  It was pretty awesome.  The kids exchanged gifts this year, which was Audrey's favorite part.  She was so excited about giving her gifts to her cousins.  

Paul was excited about Grant and Nicole's gift to him.  Nicole has an Uncle who lives in Spain so she was able to get some Spanish meat and cheeses for Paul to relive a little bit of his Spanish days.  He was in heaven.  He couldn't stop talking about how awesome it was.  I'd have to say, I wouldn't mind living in Spain.

I cried when Grant and Nicole gave me my gift.  Grant had drawn a beautiful picture of a cathedral for me.  He's so busy with work right now and it meant so much to me that he would take time out to work on something like that for me.  

Another one of my favorite Christmas moments was Dean opening his gift from Grant and Nicole.  They bought him what I would call an expansion ball.  The look of pure joy on his face when he opened it was priceless.  

Later we had a Jerusalem dinner, we all sat on the floor and ate really good food together. Shannon, Paul's cousin showed up and I got to spend time with her talking about her very soon to be husband.  The kids enjoyed time out in the snow together and some of us adults watched, "When I was a beehive".  It was a really good day.      

I love this family of mine.   

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's House

It was a beautiful wintry morning.  It was even snowing.  There was magic in the eyes of a child that only gets to see snow once a year.  By the time she sees it again she's forgotten about the last year. Almost everyone was there. 17 people, all of their children, and my parents. We were there for quite a while.  My favorite parts were: 

Watching my Dad hand out gifts like he always does. 

Watching Audrey open Captain Hooks boat saying, "Mom, I can pretend that this boat is Bucky!"  Little did she know that we bought Bucky too which was total Christmas miracle. 

Watching Chase open a quilt my sister had made for him. He got all teary and it was so sweet.

Watching the latest Mormon Christmas video.  

The Ti pee from Mom and Dad, Audrey spends two hours in hers everyday.  

Watching Emma play with her selfie stick.

All the little girls playing with their Legos. 

A Handmade gift from my sister that has become my motto for life. 

Watching Mom and Dad get teary when they opened their gift from all of us.

Watching Ashton play among all the gifts.

Being with people I love.  

Merry Christmas everyone!