Christmas 2012

This Christmas totally tops the charts! Everything about my family's Christmas this year was truly wonderful. Now, here I sit, probably my last post of 2012, reflecting on the fun things we did this Christmas. Here's a not-so-quick recap...

We started out the season with our traditional trip to see the holiday Pickville Playhouse play, complete with Peppermint Chocolate Chip Shake from Chick-Fil-A. This year, we went with a large group with friends, and it was awesome!

Each year, they do a new spin on the previous years play, which focuses on believing in Santa and the birth of our Savior. It also includes fantastic original songs! When you ask Brielle her favorite part, she always seems to remember the fart jokes and the Twilight jokes. Even such, we look forward to this every year! And they must be growing in popularity, because they are doing fewer shows in Logan, and several shows in Salt Lake.

Donut Day took place just a few days before Christmas. You can read more about that in this earlier post, but I'm posting the picture again, because seriously... don't those look yummy!?!?

Christmas Eve took us to Chris's sisters house for some yummy food, a chance to talk with Grandma & Grandpa Merkley who are far away in Africa and get a fat lip.  Wait, what?

Brielle found out the hard way that Ab Roller's are not meant to be used on vinyl floors.

Christmas Day brought us a lot of surprises!

But that dog was not one of them. Ha! Had you shocked, didn't I? Chris and Brielle can only wish for the day I will give in to an English Bulldog, let alone an indoor dog.

Brielle loved, loved, loved all the goods she got for her American Girl Doll. She's had a make-shift bed for sometime now, using pillows and blankets, and the clothes were stuffed in a box. Not anymore!

I'm not sure we were finished un-wrapping gifts before Lily Ann was snug in her new bed, and all her clothes hung in her armoir.  Wouldn't it be nice if Brielle was that dillegant at putting her own clothes away. And that neatly, too!

Funny story... I told Brielle all week that she was getting hangers for Christmas. She looked at me like the lamest mother ever when she actually opened the hangers (before we gave her the doll furniture), until it clicked in her cute little head that the hangers were way too small to fit any of her clothes. Clever, I am.

The Lego Friends she also received from Mom & Dad were completely set up before we left for Alpine for our annual Christmas Day Lasagna dinner (yum!).

It's about time Lego came out with legos for girls. What took them so long to tap into that market?

I had Brielle's stocking this year. And if I knew how to get videos from my iPhone to my computer, I would show you yourself the excitement that Brielle could not contain when she looked inside to find 2 tickets to...

Taylor Swift's RED Tour in Salt Lake on June 1st. I've gotta be honest... this is just as much a gift for me as it is for her. I. Am. SO. Excited. Oh, and so is she.

While discussing stockings, Chris surprised me for the first time in years. When I say years, I mean, like 10. It's tough for him to get something past me. I'm not a snooper, per say, I just know him too well. And I check our online banking frequently around birthdays and Christmas.

But this time, he paid cash.

I received a "JamBox" that connects (wirelessly) to my iPhone to play all my T Swift albums. Because it's so small, I can take it anywhere. Into every room of my house and even in my car. It really is awesome. And I didn't know they even existed until I had one.

Brielle had Chris's stocking, and while wrapping it's contents, declared that Chris is an official Redneck. Apparently, in her mind, a Duck Commander hat and a new concealed handgun qualifies you as a Redneck. 

She is the coolest girl ever.

We spoiled each other, and were equally spoiled by my parents! And I'm not just talking about the Lasagna, which, by the way, was amazing. But would you expect anything less from an Italian Grandma and a mom who is an amazing cook? No, I think not.

I absolutely love a white Christmas. I don't know how people can celebrate Christmas without snow. It seems... not Christmas-y.  I love a good snow storm, and boy did we get one. Between Chris and I, we shoveled the driveway 3 times a day, multiple days. Our snow blower's broken and so are our backs.

But with snow, comes fun! There is this fantastic park in Logan that we refer to as "The Bowl." It is literally a 360 degree sledding park with short hills and long, super fast hills as well.

Of course, Chris gets in on the action, finding the smallest sled to ride on.

Where, oh where have I seen Chris riding toys that are too small for him??? Oh yes, here...

And here.

Must be a thing of his.

Tonight, we took down the Christmas. It's nice to have my house back, but sad that it's all come to an end. We really enjoyed ourselves his holiday season and I have cherished every moment! We had so many wonderful experiences this year, and 2012 was really good to our family. Tomorrow, we say goodbye to 2012 with a ski trip to the Beav (with my new skis -- yea!).

I failed to send out Christmas cards, or publish something special here on my blog, but know that our family hopes all our friends and family had as wonderful a Christmas as we did! And we wish everyone the very best in the New Year!