a (very late) happy white christmas to all

(FYI I do recognize that it is February...aka I am super late...but I wrote this when it was still fresh and had some technical issues so at least I can pass the blame to my computer!)

Christmas...oh Christmas...how will we ever find the words to truly sing our love for thee! The fact that most of the world considers the snowiest, coldest, most bleak part of the year to be the "Most Wonderful Time of the Year" is proof enough of the power that Christmas holds over our hearts. Each year the feelings of joy, love, and anticipation are the same, and yet with each year and each new Christmas we find a new story for us to remember throughout our lives.

This year Kirby and I got our first Christmas tree. I am kind of a Christmas tree snob and refuse to use anything but a real tree. Not because fake trees aren't any better, in fact I know they would be much easier to set up, take care of, and take down...but I was raised with a real Christmas tree every year and so to me that is the only tree I can picture in my own house. Plus vacuuming is so much more fun when each time you turn it on the aroma of pine fills the house!

Anyway...being new to the whole tree owner thing (the last two years we only had room for a mini little guy) we might have gone a little overboard. I told Kirby that I could care less what we put on the tree as long as it was COVERED in lights that wrap around each inch of the tree. So...long story short, we definitely achieved that. 4 days later, and 20, yes, TWENTY strands of Christmas lights in, we had wrapped all the way up the trunk and wrapped out each branch and then back in...all in all we were done and amazed with the product.

Christmas Eve - I was welcomed to the day with a hot tray of breakfast in bed (the second morning in a row...because I will never deserve my caring husband). We spent the day singing carols and wrapping the last of our gifts.

Now picture this, in Rexburg it is very rare to not have snow in December, but for some odd reason there was not an ounce of white stuff to be seen when we woke up. But as we headed to Kirby's parents' house for the Christmas Eve party, it started to fall. Fluffy, full, falling flakes were everywhere you looked. And by the end of the party we had over a foot and it was still falling!

But we can get into that more later, let's talk about the party.

Wonderful food? Check.

Wonderful family? Check.

Wonderful friends? Check.

The coolest Santa any of us had ever met? Check.

Comfy new Christmas PJs? Check.

I think it is safe to say that I am one lucky girl to have married into such a great family.

That night we got in bed and watched my favorite Christmas movie - We're No Angels...and then dreamed of sugar plumbs allllll night.

Christmas Morning - We jumped out of bed to find at least a foot and a half of snow on the ground, where less than 24 hours later we had seen nothing but grass.

It might be just the two of us, but within minutes of waking up we had our stockings emptied and several presents torn open, among constant exclamations of joy and dozens of thank-you kisses.

Still in our new pajamas, we filled our arms with the presents for his family and headed out the door to trudge down the snowy street for more Christmas excitement.

At his parents' house we snuggled our nephews, ate a breakfast fit for kings, and received way too many wonderful gifts. Can I just say that having two families is rad? Cause it is.

Later that evening most of us finally changed out of our pajamas and went to see the Hobbit in the theater (Remember two Christmas days ago when Kirby and I went to the Hobbit twice that day? Yeah, it is kind of our thing).

The Day After Christmas - Kirby and I piled into his brother, Tyler's, car to drive down to Spokane for more celebrating with my family (Tyler's wife Kim is also from Spokane).

That night, my parents gave me something I have been wanting for a very long time, something that I was sure I wouldn't have for years to come, something I am oh so grateful for...a camera, a very nice camera, a camera I hope to be using soon! I don't think I will be able to express my gratitude enough for this generous gift, I love my parents so much!

Two Days After Christmas - More driving, early in the morning. This time piled into my parents' suburban with my three little sisters. We sped down to the Tri-Cities to first have a Christmas Breakfast party with my dad's family where we participated in the family gift exchange and got the cutest gift from my cousin Shaylee and her husband Joseph.

After the party we just HAD to take Kirby to the Spudnut Shop...for those of you who don't know what spudnuts are they are simply dough-nuts but the dough is made with potatoes. And for those of you who don't know this fact about my husband...he is pretty famous around here for his home-made spudnuts, but he had never set foot in a spudnut shop (not surprising because the only existing shop still stands in Richland, WA).

This place played a huge role in my childhood. I can't tell you how many mornings Papa (my mom's dad) would wake us up early to walk down the street and order a box a Spudnuts to bring home for the rest of the sleeping family. Now, I am not a morning person, and even as a child mornings were hard for me. But if Papa said he was walking to the Spudnut Shop in the morning with whoever was up in time, I made sure I was one of those who was ready to head out the door with him. Those morning walks with Papa, bringing home arm-fulls of Spudnuts, were special to me and I am so glad I was able to share this spot with my husband years later.

But back to Christmas. Luckily my dad's family, and my mom's family live in neighboring cities. So we were able to spend the morning celebrating with the Wibergs, and the evening celebrating with the Petersens. Which means more yummy food, more wonderful presents and more love and laughter. My mom's family has this tradition where we each bring a Christmas ornament for an exchange, but this is not an ordinary exchange...how many exchanges have you been a part of that contains a peppermint pig? For me, there are too many to count! We place a pink, hard peppermint candy, shaped like a pig (about 5 inches long) in a red velvet bag. When it is your turn to pick/steal an ornament you share your favorite memory from the past year, and then hit the pig with a little hammer. By the end the pink peppermint pig is just crushed up pieces of candy that we each take a piece of. Kirby LOVES this tradition.

New Years Eve - My dad had to have surgery on New Years Eve, so we all stayed home with him and had a glorious night. Again, way too much food, 8 bottles of sparkling cider, friends, family, lots of games, and a whole lot of cheering when the clock struck midnight.

Leaving my house is always sad...and this time a little too eventful. We drove my high-school car (a little Isuzu Rodeo) back to Rexburg. It started smoking and overheating only a few hours into the drive. So after pulling over a few times and freezing on the side of the road to let it cool down, my dad decided that it would be smartest if we (Kirby, Mandy, Jessica, and I) stayed the night so Kirby could work on it in the morning. So he got us a hotel in Butte, Montana where we partied until morning, when Kirby replaced the thermostat and everything worked perfectly afterward. We finally made it home Saturday the 3rd, ready for another semester of school.

Now, that was a break to remember!

And I sure hope yours was too

XOXO