Christmas Break 2010

Christmas beak was wonderful!

Ben had TWO long weeks off of school and I loved every minute of it.  It was so great to spend some time with him and Reese, especially two whole weeks.

We spent Christmas this year with the Calls and we had a GREAT time.  I am even happy to say that I did not get homesick this year (that first Christmas away from home was rough).

Jan made us all matching pajamas.  Jan is kind of wonder woman because she is going to school and taking 20 credits and somehow found time to make 14, yes that is right, 14 pairs of pajamas.  I love these pajamas too because they are baggy and oh so cozy.  

Thank you Brad and Danny for making this picture priceless!

Christmas Eve we had the most wonderful meal.  My sister-in-law Malia is in culinary school right now and has always been and AMAZING chef.  She made our Christmas Eve dinner and it was oh so tasty.  We had stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and they were delicious!  I got to be the server...lucky me! :o)

For the main course we had salmon, steak, these delicious baked veggies (carrots and squash), salad, bread and a delicious slush drink.  Malia was so kind to let us girls help out and try to pick up on a few of her culinary secrets!

Christmas morning came and we had another wonderful meal of eblskievers (sp?).  They are so yummy.  After breakfast we opened presents.  This year was especially fun with Reese.  Not that she really understood or cared what was going on, but all the same it was fun to watch her tear wrapping paper!

Reese got some very much needed clothes and a few new toys.  One toy that we were especially excited to give her was this little piano/xylophone.  She has had so much fun playing with them whenever we are over at someones house who has one, so we had to get one for her for Christmas.  

Reese also gave us a great gift/surprise this Christmas...she started walking!  That is right...10 months old and she started walking.  We were quite surprised.  It has been a lot of fun chasing her around and trying to clean up her messes as she walks from room to room.  

I still cannot believe she is walking and it is kind of weird to see her walking around.  I still think she is too small to be walking but she begs to differ.

On the 26th of December Syracuse Utah became a winter wonderland.  Reese got all bundled up and went outside and had fun playing in the snow with cousin Trey, Grandma Jan, and Uncles Kyle and Brad.  

 Brad was so good to pull Reese and Trey around on the sleigh.  But my favorite moment was when Brad was whipping Trey around on the sleigh and he tripped and fell over in the snow.  

Playing with Grandma Jan

One night after all of the kiddos were in bed Grandpa and Grandma watched the little ones while we went out and played for a little bit.  Kyle had been talking about going go-kart racing all week long.  The downfall was it was 20 dollars per person, but thank goodness for family night discounts!  

Danny, Kyle, Crystal, Ben, and Kallie

They had you put these goofy looking little black caps under your helmets...don't ask me what they were for other than to make you look like a dork!  But we had a lot of fun looking like dorks!  Just ask Kyle and Crystal! :o)

To be completely honest I was a little nervous about go-cart racing and thought I would drive like an old woman, but it was SO much fun!  I especially had fun spinning out on the turns.  Thanks Kyle for FINALLY talking us into going!

Ben and me before the BIG race

Reese had a lot of fun at the Calls house.  She made all kinds of new friends.  One of these friends was the dog Penny.  Brad and Malia were dog sitting Penny and she is such a good dog...other than she lets out "man farts" and can clear a room of people with those "man farts".  She is so good with kids and Reese loved her after the first day.

Another good friend Reese made at Grandma and Grandpa's house was cousin Trey.  She would get excited every morning when she would see him coming up the stairs.  Trey is quite a bit older than Reese but he was pretty good to play with her. 

 

I loved watching him put his arm around her when they were spinning in the chair together to protect her. 

After spending a week with the Calls, we headed to Bear Lake to spend some time with my family.  They had a couple of condos rented and we had a blast with them.

We went tubing one day...man that was a hike...but a good way to work off all of the yummy food we had been eating!

Reese got to wear this VERY pink snow suit.  It was my little sisters when she was a baby.  We squeezed  her into it...it was 0-6 months.  She couldn't really straighten her arms, but it kept her warm!

Reese was so lucky, she got to ride around in this little sled.  She was so funny.  The whole time we were tubing she was expressionless.  I think maybe her facial muscles were frozen or something!

Tubing pictures

Ben keeping Reese warm

Kaylee, Reese, Jamie, and Crystal

Ben Jared debating whether they really want to ride down just to have to climb back up that darn hill

Later that night we decided to go swimming.  It was in an outdoor pool, yes that is right, outdoor!  It was SO warm and it was so nice to sit and relax.  We were in heaven

The only horrible part was getting out of the water

...Brrrr...

it was FREEZING!

The rest of the time we spent at Bear Lake we played games most of the time because there was a huge snow storm while we were there.  We played so many different games and had fun just hanging out with our families.
We are now back in Rexburg, Ben is back in school taking both Physics and Chemistry together...yuck!
I am so thankful for the time we got to spend with our families.  We had so much fun with all of them.
I am so grateful for this time of year and the meaning behind it.  I am SO thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ and His atonement.  I am thankful for His perfect example and hope that day by day I can become more like Him.  We hope you had a wonderful Christmas season and wish you all the best in 2011

Ben, Kristen, & Reese