Christmas Eve 2017

Christmas Eve is the best day of the whole year.  My parents put on an amazing party.  Pictures!

My dad has a very elaborate nativity.  He insists everyone contribute.  Which is why I am the prophetess, Anna.

Baby Dean!

Avery and Atticus played Mary and Joseph this year.

Jonathan's family (who had just welcomed baby Esther) joined us for a while from California.

Me and Angel #3

Morissa gave an unforgettable performance as the star.

He is a cruel leader.

Maybe one day my dad will let the adults just watch.

Jonny loves hanging out with Tate.

Talent time!  

Avery did a most delightful dance.

Atticus did impressions and it was just perfect.

Kyndi's face when Atticus impersonated her

Jonny's talent performance.

Santa came!  I know him!  
Jonny LOVES Santa Claus and could not contain her excitement.  He always sings Jingle Bells with us when he first gets there.  Jonny danced all about the entire time.  

My Pa.

I'm not sure why, but Atticus had a bit of anxiety with his excitement.  He nervously fiddled with his tie the entire time he was waiting for his turn and even while he chatted with the big guy.

He asked for a bike with no training wheels.  (Though he quickly changed his mind on the training wheels when he realized what that meant.  Good thing Santa had left them on.)

Jonny loves everyone and everything, and Santa was no exception.  She treated him like they were best friends, including having him kiss her owie better.

She asked for Moana (just Moana, no other specifics) and dresses.

Santa always brings a little gift for everyone and this year he brought the boys these nerf-like guns.  Jonny used all her strength to try and shoot them off.

Twinner jammies for Jonny and Avery!

Because obviously when you get matching mini spatulas with your sisters, you take a picture.  (Way to hold still, Sam.)

More twinning!  Grammy got them toy mixers and these adorable baking outfits.

Another perfect Christmas Eve party in the books.  
We were sleeping there that night, so after everyone left we set out our cookies for Santa, the kids received strict instruction not to go looking for presents in the morning until after they came and woke everyone else up, and that was that!

Utah Christmassing! 2017

We were able to spend a week in Utah for Christmas.  Getting there was a real treat.  I won't go into all the details, but our flight was delayed and then, even though we ran to our connecting flight and people were still boarding when we got there, they had already given away our seats because they "figured our flight wasn't going to make it".  It was the same airline and our luggage was moved to our connecting flight, and they could obviously see that our flight was in fact coming, and going to be there in time, so... real solid excuse.  The salt in the wound was that as they were re-booking our flights for the next morning, there was a couple there who had willingly given up their seats and been paid to do so.  We got nothing.  Boo American Airlines.  Okay, enough of that.

We spent the first three days at my parent's house and then on Christmas morning we went to the Bronson's house for the last three days.  I wish we could've stayed longer.  I don't like being so far away from family.  And I don't like it for my kids.  Especially during holidays.

Dancing about in the airport in the middle of the night as we were waiting for a new flight to be booked.

My parent's were at work when we got there.  They sat and waited for them when they knew they were on their way home.

Jonny was a mess the whole time at Temple Square from the time difference and the non sleep from our cancelled flight the night before.  I miss Utah though, especially when at Temple Square at Christmas.

Avery came to play every chance she could while we were there.

And we made Christmas cookies!

My sass-pants daughter.

Grammy's tub is awesome!

A delightful version of The Night Before Christmas.  "The children were warm in the children's beds."

Sparkly nails.  Grammy always gives the best little girl manicures.

Our Christmas best.

Jonny's pose.

The only one we got with Dan in it.

Jonny wanted to take one, too.

The day after Christmas we went with our Bronson cousins to see Coco.  It was adorable.  This picture isn't great.  I took it because of Eli holding Jonny's hand.  He's always so cute with her.

Don't be fooled.  She was being a real stinker.

Discussing important things with Papa Jon.

The Bronson cousins.  They have four (soon five) Bronson cousins.  It's a bit different than the 14 they have on my side.

Jonny loves Eli.  She asked me to take a picture of them and then posed like this.

We went to a Sherlock Holmes escape room.  I am worthless in escape rooms.  Everyone else got me out of there.

But I looked cool, I guess?

Renee has been wanting to get family pictures done for ages but it never works out.  At least we got this one.  (And Renee was so, so sick the whole time we were there.  This was the most we saw of her.)

Our flight home had us running to our connecting flight again because of delays, and then having that one delayed forever, too.  (Seriously, never fly American Airlines.)  By the time we got back to the frigid air of Boston we were wiped out.  This is Atticus asleep with his eyes open on our drive home.