Monday, January 9, 2012

Christmas and New Years

Andersen/Westbrook Home: Dec. 23 - 24, Pizza, snacks, lots of card games and laughter. We have such a good time together. The boys did their traditional visit to Burger King in the middle of the night. Alan got food poisoning and was really sick the whole next day. That night was eventful. Ben and I got just a few hours of sleep because Troy didn't want to sleep. He will never sleep in the same room as us again. Nope, never.

In the morning we opened presents and had a big, yummy breakfast. We didn't go to the church and play ball like we usually do, but we through around a frisbee outside. A pretty warm Christmas Day in Utah.

Mom Allsop Home: Dec. 24 Night - Dec. 26, We ate at Grandma and Grandpa Allsop's, as is tradition, on Christmas Eve. We eat finger foods with great conversation going on. After dinner we have a Christmas program with singing and reading the story of Christ's birth. We also open presents from Grandma and Grandpa. I love the spirit in their home and the traditions they have created. I don't remember much about the rest of the night, but I know that Troy slept better.

Christmas morning was crazy fun at moms. Troy LOVED all of his presents, and the rest of us did too. Ben and I got tickets to go see Brian Reagan! We are SO excited. Troy got this lion tent. Brayden and Ben played with him in it. They asked me to join them and see how many people we could fit. Pass...

Our morning was cut short because I had to get to the church to practice with the choir before our meeting. I played in 9 songs, including the organ, harp, and piano. It was a miracle that I got through it. The Lord helped me be calm and enjoy the narrations between the songs. I LOVED having Christmas on Sunday.

We went back to the house and opened even more presents, if you can believe it. Mom is so selfless and so much fun. We had fun exchanging presents too. That night we played a bunch of board games that mom had bought for the family. We are a game family, that's for sure. Ben and I are working on our competitive natures. I am working on being a better loser. Ben is already a good sport.

Wednesday, Dec. 28: We headed to Vegas, with a stop in St. George to visit the Kitchens! We always have such a good time. Troy could not wait to see Cohen. Below is Cohen, Troy, and Cohen's cousin, Kai.


Cute Melissa and I.
Liam, Troy, Kai, and Cohen. I just want to add that Kai is crazy smart. He is 3 and he can READ. Full on read. It was amazing to watch.

Liam always books it towards me if we make eye contact. I love him so much!

That night we got to Dad's and began the moving process. Dad and Bev moved into a beautiful home with a gorgeous view. They even have a security guard in their community 24/7. It's a big home, and so we spent three days moving. I tried to help as much as possible with two kids, and Ben worked his heart out with heavy lifting the whole time. By the end of it he said his grip had increased so that he could palm a basketball. Everybody helped out. Nicole, who is Beverly's daughter, was there with her boyfriend, Michael. He was a HUGE help. And not to mention, a way nice and fun guy. I was a fan.

Here is Liam at the new house. This little guy is always smiling. Such a JOY!
Liam was good for everyone, and so he got passed around. First with Aunt Brittany ;) Brittany watched Liam a lot so that I could help. I was SO grateful!

Here is Ryan (11) with Liam.

Here is one of the heaviest pieces of furniture. Brayden and Dad are at the top, with Michael and Ben at the bottom. We all held our breath while they got this up the stairs. They made with no scratches or dents! It was a very successful move.

Dad and Bev spoiled us with lots of yummy food. Including Cafe Rio twice, Chipotle and Pizza.

Here is Dad and Liam at Cafe Rio.

Brayden, Brittany, and Troy had fun with the camera.

We relaxed in the evenings, ate lots of junkfood, watched the strip from their backyard at midnight on new years, relaxed in the jacuzzi at their huge clubhouse, played basketball, cards, and watched a movie. We had a blast and can't wait for our next trip!

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