We are lucky enough this year to be able to go to Preston to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with our families. Family is so important to us and the Holidays just aren't the same without spending it with them! We had Thanksgiving dinner with Tyson's family and Thanksgiving dessert with mine. We will switch next year if we are able to go down. The next day Tyson and I went Black Friday shopping in Logan while Juneane so graciously offered to watch our kiddos. We didn't have a ton of shopping to do since we had a lot of our Christmas shopping done already but we finished up what we didn't have done. Later that day we were able to attend a special baptism for Katia (a third cousin that lives up in Mountain Home by us) because they had her baptism in Preston while they were down there for Thanksgiving like us. After the baptism Tyson was able to go play basketball with his brothers which is his favorite past time. On Saturday we went Christmas tree hunting with my family up Strawberry Canyon, this was the first year we were able to go with them even though this is probably the tenth year they've done it all together and it was so fun! Not too cold, the snow not too deep and the hot chocolate and donuts afterward was a special bonus. That evening we went to the Festival of Lights in Preston which included a Christmas parade and fireworks which the kids loved!! We drove back to Mountain Home Sunday but all in all it was a successful and fun Holiday (even without much sleep because of sick kids)!!
Aurora turned five the following week and since we had a birthday party planned with her friends for the following Saturday we didn't do too much to celebrate on her birthday. We did have pancakes for breakfast and spaghetti for dinner (her favorites), we also went to the base and had "cheese rollups" with daddy for lunch. She also got to open her present from us which was a Polaroid camera or a camera that prints out pictures as she calls it and she loved it. We went to the creche at the church that evening and enjoyed all the beautiful nativities as well. On Saturday we had her Strawberry Shortcake party which was a big success! Seven of her friends were able to come and they played lots of fun games including pin the strawberry on strawberry shortcake, a strawberry relay race and a strawberry shortcake bean bag toss. They also got to play with some special strawberry shortcake play-dough that I made! As if that wasn't fun enough she got lots of gifts and the kids ate lots of cake and candy as well! It has been a Amazing five years with Aurora who has taught us so much about life and being parents.
Last but not least AceLynn turned 1 Saturday the 7th as well! She loved digging into her cookie monster cake and ripping the wrapping paper off of her new Ybike. We had gotten her ears pierced the day before in anticipation of her first birthday! And she has only ripped them out once since she got them pierced...silly girl! It has been a Wonderful year with this precious little girl who makes us smile everyday and who we couldn't imagine life without!
We are so Blessed!
