A Little Late, But Still Great!

You are going back in time now.  How about to December, when I took some photos at Christmastime?  I never did post any from the holidays and would like to put a few up to share.  This was our first Christmas in Utah since 1993; also, our first Christmas with all of my siblings and parents, since 1999, at my parents' house in Missouri.  I am grateful we can be with my family for special occasions and holidays on a regular basis, after being away from everyone for 18 years.  The closest we have lived to my parents, in all of this time, was a 10 hour drive between Texas and Missouri!  So, being with everyone this year was quite a happy time and almost surreal, come to think of it.  I still have days where I think I will have to say goodbye to parents and siblings soon, so that we can catch our flight back "home".  Staying put and having the chance to be with family often is a blessing.

Aunt Melissa (Matt's sister) sent this Barbie Jeep!  We were just as surprised as Sarah was!  The Barbie Jeep was quite the bonus, considering that all that Sarah asked for was a Lady Bug Pillow Pet and a plush Lightning McQueen toy.  That's it.  That is literally all she asked for!  Phew!  No computers or i-Phones asked for!  Give it a few years, I know.  She is a stuffed animal/plush toy kind of girl right now, at her innocent age of 4.

This was our Christmas morning on Christmas Eve.  IM-Flash, in Lehi, UT, never shuts down.  They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with holidays included.  So, Matt was one of the lucky ones that had his regular work day on Christmas Day (12 hour shifts, 4 days a week, then 12 hour shifts and 3 days a week the next.  Repeat.)  So, we accommodated Daddy and asked Santa to arrive early at our house the night before!  I conveniently had Sarah and I located at Grandma's house when Matt got home from work at 6:30pm, so that he could quickly "help" Santa out before coming over to get us.  It worked well.  Sarah was very surprised when we opened that front door to the living room!  Santa even put a few of Sarah's presents in the Jeep. Thanks, Santa!  You are amazing, putting that Barbie Jeep together before Sarah and I walked back to the house with Matt!  ;-)

Grandma Turnbaugh made an adorable doll for Sarah.  She made a few outfits for the doll, too.  Grandma really does love Sarah!  Making gifts like this is definitely a labor of love.  She also made ornaments for all 3 of us for the tree.  She has been making ornaments for us each year for about 7 years now. 

Sarah loves her Aunt Lisa.  They surely can be silly at times! 

Everyone together Christmas Night at Grandpa and Grandma Wright's house.  A lot of chaos, fun, eating, playing, laughing, going on! 

Cousins Rachel and Emily are so much fun to play with!

Sarah leaped into Grandpa's arms just seconds before this photo was taken!

Having fun rough housing!  Daddy even arrived a bit later to join in on the fun after a long Christmas Day at work.  (He does love his job, by the way!)

  Best one of Grandma, Lisa, and Lindsay together!

Sledding in Utah!  Haven't done this since I was a kid!

About a week after Christmas, we all got together to go sledding at a nearby park.  Sarah refused and pouted that she WOULD NOT go down.  After "forcing" her to go down, guess who had so much fun that she cried when we had to leave?! 

During this same Christmas break, My mom and Lindsay's sister-in-law put on a baby shower for Lindsay, as she would be having her first girl after 2 boys!  The baby shower was held at our residents' clubhouse.  Oh, and Lindsay did have her baby Olivia Grace Griffiths on February 15, 2011.  She has a full head of red hair!  She is adorable!  (I can't find the photos I took, but I will and I will post a couple with Sarah and I with the sweet baby.)