It was our year to stay home for Christmas with my family and we really made the most of the month. I wanted to feel really in the Christmas spirit this year, so I really went all out. I watched Christmas movies every day during work (mostly Christmas with the Kranks over and over), listened to Christmas music, planned lots of fun things, did Elf on the Shelf, and really just enjoyed each moment. It was definitely a special Christmas. We sure did miss our brother Davis this year though.
Other memories from the month that I want to remember that we didn't get pictures of:
>> Making blankets with the fam at Ash and Kai's. The boys hung out and tried different beers. Haha. I made the yummiest banana cake that night.
>> A double date with Tay and Kyle up to Park City. We walked around, ate at a yummy Mexican restaurant, and hung out at a bar listening to music. It was so fun!
>> We went over to have dinner at Natalie and Dallas'. It was so fun playing games and getting to give Z a gift. We played Throw Throw Burrito, which was quite a hit! Natalie and Dallas ended up surprising us with the game in the mail a couple days after because they knew we liked it so much. So sweet of them.
>> Dan starting to go to Rebel with me and loving it!
>> I had Madi, Tay, Nat, and Jennie over for a little party. We had the yummiest appetizers and soup, had lots of good chats, and watched Z sip juice from a shot glass. It was so much fun! We ended the night with all of them in my bed trying out our new purple sheets.
>> We had a fun night with the Gunns. We gave them their gifts. The boys were so excited about the air hockey table! We had some yummy food and lots of good chats with them until 2 in the morning.
Dan really got in the Christmas spirit this year and finally helped me with the tree! It was a pleasant surprise.
This was my life every day while grading. It was lovely.
I baked the yummiest cake pops. We couldn't stop eating them!
Tilly even joined in on the fun of Elf on the Shelf! My class named him Buddy Flint Jolly Hopper.
We got to meet our nephew Benny for the first time and we fell in love. Ash and Kai are officially dog parents!
Dan really outdid himself with the "Wrecking Ball" elf. He left a note for me one morning to go upstairs, turn on the fan, and push play. It immediately starting swinging from the ceiling fan and he had "Wrecking Ball" by Miley Cyrus playing in the background. Turns out, he woke up at 6:00 am and spent 45 minutes doing this.
I thought I had covid, so I got tested. Turns out when you have to do the spit test, your mouth dries up like a cotton ball.
I forced my class to sing on Zoom for the school sing along. It was hilarious.
We had so much fun walking around Luminaria. It was beautiful! We ate the yummiest little donuts and ended the night finding out Payt and Jord are having a BOY.
Dan and I had the fam over for an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. We had yummy appetizers, lounged, and played some games. Gramps didn't have a sweater, so I made him something to go on his.
I got a new paint by sticker book and did a whole lot of this.
We went ice skating at the Herriman ice ribbon with the whole fam and had In-n-Out after at Payt and Jord's.
Baking night was a SUCCESS because mom and I made divinity for the first time ever and it turned out! It tasted just like Grandma Linda's. So yummy! Thanks to my Kitchenaid for making it a whole lot easier. We also made nut rolls, sugar cookies, and Ash made Christmas Crack. Yum!
I didn't get a picture, but on the 23rd, I went over to mom and dad's for a yummy brunch. Grandpa and Ash came too. We wanted to be with grandpa for the day that marks grandma passing away. It was a nice relaxing morning.
We had a little Zoom Christmas with Dan's parents and Ashley. It was fun getting to chat with them and open all of our gifts together! Dan really set the mood with the fire.
Look how cute these two are! We took some fun pics on Christmas Eve since Payt finally looks pregnant!
Christmas Eve was of course filled with hanging out and the famous snack plate. Dan made spinach dip to go along with my homemade sourdough. I made a brie from Costco. Mom made some meat and cheese skewers. Dad made his famous clam dip! Everything was so yummy.
We had so much fun on Christmas Eve playing Family Feud and Battle of the Sexes. We always have a good laugh and the boys ALWAYS beat the girls, unfortunately. Here's a picture of dad really getting into it. We all loved opening up pajamas and just being cozy together. I gave Dan a tank top that said "Namasleigh" with a santa on it. He said the only Christmas PJ's he'd wear was a tank top. Dan and I slept over, which was really nice. We stayed up late with mom and dad and got to see all the magic happen of the stockings and Patty's Christmas gifts (since he's the last baby).
The best view ever on Christmas morning. We had so much fun giving each other gifts and really just enjoying each other's company. We were having too much fun to take more pics. Dan, mom, dad, and I got to relax while everyone else went off to visit the in-laws. Then, we made a yummy dinner and everyone came back to enjoy it together. Dan made his best turkey ever! Mom and I made her homemade rolls. Mom made funeral potatoes and I made baked glazed carrots. Everything was so tasty! Payt made a yummy peppermint ice cream thing for dessert. It was a lovely dinner and we all couldn't stop talking about how good everything was.
We came home Christmas night to Sarah and Nic at our house. We had a fun couple of days with them. We took them tubing up in Midway, hiked in the snow, and drank lots of coffee and chatted. One night, we went and hung out with the Gunns. We played giant Uno and had a yummy dinner.
It was such a fun month! Dan had to get his tooth fixed at the dentist the day before New Year's Eve. On New Year's Eve, the dentist called and said he was positive for Covid and that we needed to quarantine. So, instead of going over to mom and dad's with the rest of the fam, we had our only little celebration. We had lots of yummy snacks and treats and played Skull King all night (I beat Dan mostly every time) and rang in the new year.
Happy New Year!!
