December 2012

We began this month by heading downtown for date night. We ended up going to Tuchanos for dinner and then walked from the Gateway to Temple Square to look at the lights! We were also able to check out the candy windows that Macy's has brought back. That was a lot of fun. I miss seeing those from when I was a younger.

The First Presidency Christmas Devotional was on the 2nd and we headed over to our friends house to have dinner and watch the devotional. I love listening to the first presidency. They are amazing men. The same week as the devotional we had our ward Christmas party and Shaun's work party. Both events had great food and good entertainment. 

An event I have been waiting awhile for finally happened. I became completely self employed as of the 19th of December! Since Shaun got a job back in September and now has benefits we decided that I no longer need to be working at the hospital and that I need to focus on building my massage practice. This will definitely be a big change for me. I am not used to being home so often, but hopefully things with my practice will pick up and I will be able to stay busy with that.

This year Tom, Chelsea and Jake came in town for Christmas and stayed with us. It was a lot of fun to have them here with us. Our Christmas celebrations were spread over a week this year. The Sunday before Christmas we had a dinner party at our house with Shaun's parents, Tom and Chelsea and our friends Kenric and Sona. It was a lot of fun. On Christmas Eve, Shaun and I went to my Grandpa's house for the annual Christmas Eve party and then head over to Shaun's parents house to hang out. On Christmas Day we got up and opened presents with Tom and Chelsea and then got ready and headed up to Shaun's Grandpa's House for a little get together. After that we headed to Shaun parents to do Christmas with them. While there we were able to Skype with the Indiana Krugers, which was fun. They kids were definitely excited about Christmas. After spending time with them we headed back to our house were we had Christmas with my parents, my aunt Brenda and my Grandpa. It was a busy day, but it was definitely fun.

The following Saturday we had a Christmas party with my Mom's side of the family. It was fun getting to see family members I don't see very often.

To end our year we had our annual New Years Eve fondue party. It was fun. There were ten of us the spent the evening eating yummy food, watching TV and playing a huge game of Ligretto. It was a great way to ring in the new year!

The year 2012 definitely had its ups and downs, but I wouldn't take back any of the things we have gone through. I am grateful for all the lessons I have learned during 2012 and look forward to the many things I will learn during 2013.

Candy Windows are back!

So pretty!

Christmas Morning

I love this picture!

Cousin's playing

Shaun & I with his Grandpa Christmas Day

Ligretto! It was funny with some many people!

Happy New Years! (We are a little tired in this picture)

December

December was another busy month, but then again when isn't December busy? Here is what happened:

- I had 2 off-sites for school. They were both pretty fun and very educational.

- Shaun and I were also able to go out to dinner and then to Forgotten Carols with Shaun's parents. I LOVE Forgotten Carols. It is a great show with an awesome message.

-I finished my third term of school (2 to go!!). I got one A- and the rest were A's! I will take it. It fills very good to be able to get good grades and actually LOVE what I am doing!

The big events this month were of course Christmas and New Years Eve! We went to the Annual Wayman Christmas Eve party at my Grandpa's house and then we headed to Shaun's parents house (well Shaun and I did. Zoey got to have a sleep over and my parents house) for the night. We next morning we got up, had breakfast, opened presents and then headed to church. After we were done with church we headed to my parents to spend some time with them. Then I had to go to work... I should have been cancelled before I got there, but it didn't happen. I did get to go home after 2 hours which was nice!

For New Years Eve we had our annual fondue party! I love it! So yummy! It was also fun to be able to hang out with friends and family!

Here are December's pictures:

Sporting some of my Christmas presents (the headphones and shirt)

Zoey enjoying some of her Christmas presents

YUMMY!

December

Our December started out on a spiritual note. I was able to get tickets to the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional and so we spent the evening with my parents. This was definitely a great way to start the holiday season.
 

I thought it was pretty that night!

The following Saturday was our ward Christmas party. Much like our old ward this ward did a Breakfast with Santa. It was fun. They has yummy food and a lot fun activities planned... well at least they did for the kids :) It was, however, a lot of fun to visit with our new ward members and getting to know some of them.

We officially started holding cub scouts and having boys actually show up. We had several weeks where no one showed up, but after making some reminder calls, the boys started showing up. We have/had 5 boys (had because 2 of them recently moved away) that show up on a regular basis.

For our Relief Society we had a nice couples dinner and had a performance by Ryan Innes. He was pretty good. We bought an album from him and have enjoyed listening to it. It will be fun to see what future release he has.

Christmas Eve we went to the annual Christmas Eve party at my grandpa's house. Then on Christmas Day we spent the morning with Shaun's parents and then we went to our friends, Aaron and Betsy, house to visit for a little bit. In the afternoon we headed to my parents house and spent the rest of our day there. We celebrated Christmas with my mom's side of the family the Sunday after Christmas.

Zoey can fit in her stocking

My first pumpkin roll

Our "Christmas Tree"

Our cute little family Christmas Eve

Sporting our Christmas PJ's

In between Christmas and New Years Zoey got to go to the vet to get fixed and to get a microchip placed. She did really well with it. The only big problem we had was that her microchip fell out. Shaun went to pet her after we picked her up and ended up with a white pill looking thing in he had. So we called the vet and they were really surprised that it had come out. We just had to go back in to get it replaced.. Zoey wasn't very happy about it...

New Years Eve we had our annual Fondue Party! It was SO good! I think this is one of my favorite parties that we host. We had cheese, hot oil and chocolate and lots of different dippers. Shaun has issues getting the cheese to melt this year, but once he got it to work we had fun eating it, mostly because it was REALLY stringy :)  It was a fun evening filled with great friends and family!

The dippers

Making the good stuff

My Mom (my Dad was also there... I didn't seem to get a picture of him though...)

Brook, Matt and Christie

The first family picture of the New Year

All in all 2010 was a great year! I look forward to seeing what happens during 2011

Christmas and New Years

Christmas this year was great! We were able to spend lot of time friends and family in the last couple of weeks! We were also able to spread our Christmas celebration over a long period of time!

The week of Christmas we went to a Christmas FHE at one of the families in our ward house. It was an opportunity for all of us (I am almost positive that they invited the whole ward) to get together and talk and enjoy yummy treats. The next night our friends Megan and Kyle invited us over for a wonderful dinner. It was a lot of fun and the food was great!Wednesday I was able to spend some time with Betsy. We did a little shopping and wrapped her Christmas presents.

This year was my Christmas to work at work (we either work Thanksgiving or Christmas...). I ended up working Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I worked the morning of Christmas Eve so we were still able to go to my Grandpa's house for the yearly party that we have there. It was fun. I wasn't feeling the best though, because I had received an early Christmas present.... An ear infection... Anyhow. The night was full of food and family. Shaun had been busy while I was at work and made homemade eclairs for the party. Everyone loved them.

Christmas morning Shaun and I opened present. We then got ready and headed to my parents house and were able to spend some time with them before I had to head off to work. Shaun spent the afternoon with friends and then headed to his Grandpa's house to spend some time with him.

On Saturday we did Christmas at my Grandma's house. We had different kinds of soups, finger foods and desserts. Santa Claus even made a surprise visit.

Shaun's parents were in Indiana for Christmas this year spending time with Byron and Kari's family, so we celebrated Christmas with them the following Wednesday. We were also able to celebrate it with Tom and Chelsea, who has come down from Seattle for a week to spend time with family. Also in town was Sarah, a family friend/distant relation (we say she is related by research). It was a lot of fun to be able to see them and spend time with all of them.

Now on to the New Years Celebration! This year we had another fondue party, but this years was A LOT better! We has way more people come this year and it made it better! This years guest included Kenrick, my cousin Jen (at least she stopped by for a few), Betsy and Aaron, Shaun's former co-worker/friend Jen and her kids, Christie and Matt, Tom, Chelsea and Jake (Tom and Chelsea's Dog) and then after midnight Doug and Tua stopped by. We spent the evening talking, eating and playing Rockband! It really was an enjoyable time! I am already looking forward to next years party!

New Years day we had another party at Shaun's parents house. It was fun to be able to see Michelle's side of the family and get to spend some time with them.

Picture Time!!

Tom and Jake

 

Aaron and Betsy

 Matt and Christie

Chelsea, Kenrick and Tom

Us

 

I hope this is a great year for everyone!!!

New Years Eve

For New Years Eve Shaun and I decided to have a fondue party at our place. Not a lot of people came, but the few that did we had fun with. My friend Christie and her husband Matt came and stayed the whole time and Shaun's friend Bob showed up and stayed for a little bit, but then headed to his cousins house for another party. We did have one of Shaun's coworkers, Doug, and his kids show up around 11:30 as well.

After eating the yummy fondue that Shaun made we played started to watch a movie that I wasn't so into and instead decided that we should play Rockband. It was a MUCH better idea. It was a lot of fun!!!

To ring in the new year we lite off some fireworks and just made a lot of noise. It was a good time!

Shaun playing the drums in Rockband

Our last picture of 2008 (and I'm sad because it is a little blurry)

Us celebrating the New Year!!