Christmas time in UTAH

Just 2 months after moving to Wisconsin, we were flying back to Utah to spend Christmas and New Years with family and friends! In fact, we had the tickets booked before we even left Utah in the first place! I knew that this Christmas, especially, was going to be important to spend back at our HOME of so many years. Our flight was on Christmas Eve and it was a smooth trip with our two little ones in tow. With lots of toys and snacks and a pizza in the airport, we managed to keep them both pretty happy. We landed at 8pm that evening and from then till our 2 week trip was over, it felt as if we were going at full speed!

We had celebrated our own little christmas in Wisconsin on the 22nd and it was a blast! The boys especially loved the train table that Zak and I hand made from one sheet of plywood. They also really loved the cardboard box that my boots came in.. hmm.. We only kept the train table though.

Moses and Heber play with it EVERYDAY! 

So here was the Itinerary for our trip- I could never sum up in a great way all that happened while we were out there.. so I won't. But I'll do one line for each day.

Christmas Eve: Landed in Utah- Sleep over at the Welchs
Christmas Day: Lots of Presents at the Welch Home- Matthew and Megan are having a baby girl!
26th: Daniel's Birthday!! Went to see Les Mis!
27th:Christmas with Stapps!! Trampoline House!
28th: Started Evicting our renters-what a mess! Got to see the tubbs! Went to Hobbit with Stapps!
29th: Went to see the City Creek Mall and Temple Square Lights. Our men went camping.
30th: didn't go to church, Moses has awful cough, Heber is teething. Played Loaded Questions with Stapps-super fun!
31st: Get ready to go to Cabin with Welchs. Zak flew back to WI. Made it to cabin and got it all warmed up! So excited!
Jan 1st: Lots of Snow for sledding!!
2nd: Clean up and come home.

Moses and Grandpa Great were SO darling playing together. Giving High 5's, pinching noses and making miniature towers with mini blocks. Moses gave GG hugs and kisses every night before bed!

3rd: Hang out with stapps. Went Swimming!!!
4th: Welch boys went Snowboarding, Welch girls went Shopping! Park City!!
5th: Haley's Wedding (smith side) So fun to see relatives! So So fun!
6th: Church with Welchs, great to see home ward!
7th: My Christmas Gift to Sue: 3 hours of Cleaning her house-It was awesome!
8th: Relaxed and played games with Sue and Greg. Moses and Grandpa Great are cute friends! Ice cream with Jennica-fantastic.

In the airport with his own little suitcase! We prefer to travel in style! Although he does push it more like a stroller!

Heber's just glad to be out of the Eddie-who cares that it's 10 degrees, right? One Matthew and 2 toys is all he needs.

Moses is always a trooper in the cold

Cute Olivia praying that the pilot light isn't the only flame we get out of this fireplace. 

Fire is always the best way to heat up the cabin!

Grandma is REALLY good at Peek-a-boo!

The fabulous Four (including me) getting using every heating element in the kitchen to cook and to heat up the place!

Getting in a large bucket is lots of fun only when Daniel is around!

I had no idea why he was screaming for 15min!! I didn't look back only because I was alone driving at night in the winter and was scared to crash. Cute that he fell asleep like that!

it was so great to get hugs from my favorite uncle terry! I love you!

9th: Pack and fly back to Wisconsin! What a stellar trip! We love you all!!

Our Blizzard Brianna!

One cold December evening, we watched on the news as a gigantic snow storm headed our way. Being new to Wisconsin I wondered exactly what a blizzard really was in the eyes of a Wisconsinite. I admit, I feared that it would be terrible and power would go out and we might freeze to death.  Then I also let the thought cross my mind that in Utah, just last year, the news was screaming to every living creature to get into any kind of shelter for the BIG ONE was about to plaster us to the ground. AND we got 2-3 inches. 

So on Dec 20th when our blizzard Brianna hit, I was pleasantly surprised that it looked very much like a raging winter hurricane had landed in our backyard! Snow was blowing, the roads were deep in slush, people we digging their cars out of knee deep drifts-it was awesome! 

At about mid-morning, though, Moses, Heber and I were done just watching the action! Moses told me that it was time for him to step into the snow (exciting right?). Moses gladly accepted the responsibility of wearing certain new and strange clothing and even giggled! He doesn't have boots but was super excited to wear his normal shoes.  Heber was not so willing to comply! I slid him into his snow pants and coat alright, but anything past that was met with all out war! We had back-bending, kicking, screaming and I put his gloves on 4 times! He also kicked off his boots within 12 seconds of them being on-so we opted for his normal shoes too!

His gloves are awesome cuz they DON'T have thumbs!

Mosey first STEPPED on the snow and then he "Bounced" into it!

It may just look like falling snow, but this snow is blowing so hard we moved to the front of the house for cover! 

Heber's first moment with snow! Notice his shoes instead of boots!

Heber is very easy to distract (gratefully) and just plopping some snow into his lap calmed him down. 

Once calm, Heber could see that there was an adventure to be had. He crawled through the snow as if he was crawling through our front room! 

My little snow men! 

Moses is very good at saying 'cheese'-just not as good at smiling as he says it!

We made three snow men. One big by the garage, and these 2 little ones. Moses was very excited to sit next to them. Heber was very excited to knock them down. But he only got to one! 

So after we enjoyed our time in the snow, which was probably about 40min, we gathered our wet mittens and headed for the front door. With a shock I realized that it was locked and there for we were totally locked out of the house!! This is only the 3rd time that i have locked us out of the house-but the first time that we were locked out in the middle of a blizzard! My babies were tough little troupers as I carried Heber and held Mosey's little hand as we trudged through the neighborhood to find help. About 4 doors down was a family we had met briefly when we caroled at their door just a week earlier. They were out shoveling and playing in the snow and the wife noticed right away that I needed help. We hung out in their garage for about 30min while we waited for Zak to come to our rescue! So grateful that my white Honda is awesome in the snow!

We were colder than we look. No-I correct myself, Heber looks as cold as he felt!

When we got inside was the first time that my boys cried. They were SOAKED and FROZEN. Our blizzard Brianna really pulled through for us!