Our Holiday Vacation

After being away for 4 months, we were able to come home for Christmas Break.

2 years ago we were in Germany for Christmas and last year we stayed in

 Moscow because I was about to have Mylee.

So this year was definitely different compared to our last couple of years.

I have WAY too many pictures, yet not enough I feel like.

We had such a great 3 weeks and were able to spend so much time with family,

 friends and our own little family.

We arrived in Idaho Falls almost exactly 3 weeks ago.

My brother Tyson and his wife Carli drove up the same time as us 

and we literally went straight to my little brother, Tanner's basketball game.

The next few pictures are from Tanner's games :

I have always lived away since my brothers competed in anything in High School so I missed out on most everything. It was fun to be able to watch Tanner play.

We decided to do a little photo shoot because we never take pictures when we are together!

Carli and I.  We miss them so much.

After we visited with my family for a few days, and went to 3 of Tanner's basketball games, we went down to Matt's parents house.

I am sad to say I took no pictures.

We went to a good old ISU basketball game, we got family pictures taken (we don't have them yet) we got to see everyone, Matt's little brother and his wife flew in from Kentucky and we got to meet their sweet new little boy, and Matt's younger sister Annie got engaged to a guy named, Matt!

On Christmas Eve we had a big breakfast and opened up presents.  We got spoiled.  I got a new camera from Matt's parents and I Love it!  My camera screen has been cracked since this summer so taking pictures has been difficult.  Anyway, the kids had fun exchanging presents with cousins and it was such a fun day.  That night we went to Blackfoot for his family Christmas party and had a great time there.

After the Christmas party we drove back to Idaho Falls for more Christmas Eve.

My mom got the cutest PJ'S for the kids...O and us :)

We put the kids to bed and set up Christmas.  Honestly, I spent maybe $20 a kid.  

We are in school with no money and they got spoiled by their grandparents!

We are lucky to have such great parents.

Christmas morning, my 18 year old brother Tanner sprints in at 8....

We made him wait until the kids woke up haha.

The next few pictures are the kids on Christmas morning having a blast with their new toys!!

My dad built this marble tower for Colton.  It is awesome.

When they came to visit us back in October, Colton saw one of these at a craft fair 

and played with it for hours, so a few months later, my dad whipped one up.

Pretty impressive if you ask me!

Since Christmas fell on Sunday, we got to go to church afterwards!

Here are the kids in their cute church outfits my mom got them.

I got them keyboards for Christmas.

I had originally gotten a pink one for Mylee, but started thinking about how not happy Colton would be, and I found the black one for $3 so I had to get one for him too!

My mom also found this doll that is next to Mylee because she looks just like her!

Tyson and Carli also came up again for Christmas Day!!!

The highlight of our Christmas Day was to be able to Skype with Travis.

He has been out for a year and a half and will get home in June!

This is the first time we have been with my parents when he called, so we really got to talk to him instead of just listening through the phone.

It was awesome and perfect for us to listen to him on Christmas Day.

He kind of reminded us what the true meaning of Christmas is and bore his testimony of the gospel.

He had us all crying by the end, it was a great way to end Christmas Day.

We headed back down to Pocatello for the week

 (once again, I really struggle to take pictures when we are in Pocatello)

We played games, lots of games, planned for Annie's wedding, went out to eat, went on a couple of dates (Matt and I) and enjoyed spending time with family.

Half way through the week we went to Blackfoot for a party with Matt's family

 followed by a party with  my dad's family.

I got this picture of Mylee with my dad.

Love him...

The kids LOVE their grandparents basement.  Matt's mom has a daycare, so she has LOTS of toys.

We spent a lot of time down there just playing...

A really exciting part of our trip was when our old Moscow friends came to visit.

Chris, Alyssa, Kardynn, and Madix!
We haven't seen them since this summer, so it was so fun!

Colton and Kardynn picked right up like they had never been apart.

I absolutely LOVE this picture of them!

Here are ALL of the kids...Kardynn is 4 months older than Colton

and Mylee is 4 months older than Madix.

I hope someday we can live by them!!!
As they were looking, Colton had the saddest face saying,
"No, Bye Bye!"

Here is the whole gang.

We miss you!!!

So throughout the Weeks, we all got the Flu bug.

Colton got it, then Mylee threw up all night one night, and then it hit me.

New Years Eve.

We had a big family Christmas party with amazing food.

And I couldn't eat anything.  

(Maybe it was for the best ;))

Anyway, I did take a few pictures of Miss Mylee in her cute outfit Grandma Sari got for her.

She has gotten 6 teeth in the last 3 weeks.

And you wouldn't even know it.

We had the opportunity to listen to my grandparents speak in church before they left on their mission.

They did an incredible job.

I think it is fascinating the way each of them grew up and 

then raised 7 very strong children.

They are great examples to all of us.

We also got to see Andy and Sarah's baby Cooper be blessed. 

 (I can't believe I have no pictures of him!!)

He is so dang cute and it was so fun to have a little baby around!

2 days before we left Colton was jumping off the stairs and came down on his foot.

He limped for a whole day and finally I decided I should probably take him to the doctor just in case.

He wanted me to take a picture of his "Bad Owee"

It was fine!  Just a deep tissue bruise.  By the end of the day he was running like normal.

We also got to go to ONE more of Tanner's games.

I'm glad I didn't miss this one.

His team is 8-0 and are dang good.

They won by a 3-point shot at the buzzer.

Tanner played so good and I'm so glad we got to see so many of his games!

He is #3

My grandparents the night before they left.

My cousins who are twins, Love little Mylee. They love Colton too, but they are so sweet with her.

I think she likes them too.

Matt and Tanner, 2 peas in a pod.

And my very favorite pictures of all...

Mylee!!

Matt's mom did a little photo shoot for me of her.

I love them, and her.

We had SUCH a great break.

I could write 10 more pages of everything that we did.

Seriously, I am so glad we live close enough to drive home and are able to

 spend 3 whole weeks with family!

We seriously are blessed with the greatest family.
They let us come bombard their home for weeks on end with our 2 kids, and
our stuff piled everywhere, and still feed us and invite us back :)
We love you!!!

I always do okay living away, but I hate saying goodbye!

I guess we'll have to wait another 4 months :(