We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the Ricks family! I loved being there with WE’s family. Highlights included Thai food with the A siblings/adults, racquetball, cafe rio, turkey dinner, thankful video, tricks and popcorn, pie, cheese platter, volleyball, and the warm St George sunshine!

WEjr got to meet his cousin R – who is only 2 months older than him and it was funny to watch R’s drive-by binkie swiping. He’d snatch WEjr’s pacifier right out of WEjr’s mouth and off he went with it. They seemed to enjoy each other though and I’m really happy that WEjr will have a boy cousin just older and just younger than him so that those boys will be able to team up against the rest of the older, crazy girls in the family:

Boy Cousin younger than WEjr will be born in Feb 2012

Here’s WEjr with Grape (Great Gpa and patriarch of the family):

Chillin' with Grape

And with Grandpa A:

Bald Eagles - Soaring Above the Rest

Big Blue Eyes

I’m so thankful for my beautiful blue eyed, white eyebrow-ed  boys! I am so blessed to have such a sweet and loving husband. His family is pretty dang awesome too. I’ve got a roof over my head, food to eat, a job that I love, and a life that anyone could only ever hope for! Life is so incredible and I am grateful for it!

Over the 4th of July weekend, we went to Colorado to my cousin’s wedding. While we were at the family dinner the night before, my aunt told me that they had pulled out Grammy’s wedding dress to see if they could take some of the lace and use it as the ‘something old.’ When I found out that Grammy’s wedding dress was really HER MOTHER’S wedding dress (making it probably over 100 years old) I insisted that my aunt bring it up from the basement so that I could see it! It wasn’t in great shape and was quite yellow – but I have to admit that I was IN LOVE with that dress the moment I saw it!

Now, if only I can discover the date that Lulu Bryan was married to William Lee Anderson and wore this gorgeous dress…

Here’s a couple of my favorite baldies!

Happy Father’s Day, Papa!

Anyone got any good costume ideas this year????

WE and I are thinking about being ninja turtles…maybe

(Does this video work??)

WE – if not, can you fix it

Sorry my love… I got nothing

how about this: The White House Goes Green Again

After a week of surprises and snow days, I just want to say here’s to My Valentine!

I love you way past the moon, WE!

The  best part of Christmas day is giving gifts and watching the recipient’s face light up when they open the gift. This year, I confess,  I had some hits and misses.

I especially enjoyed watching my nephew open a small blue box containing a homemade memory card game and then seeing his huge grin when he found the pictures of himself and his momma.

I also enjoyed seeing the confusion on my brother’s face when he opened a hand-carved secret hollow book – hardcover The Divinci Code. It was definitely the unexpected I was going for.

I didn’t do so hot on a not-so-practical electronic for my hubby (figures since he’s already scoped out and knows all the electronics he could ever want and not want) - but I did win big with the 7-year CD I bought (which I somehow managed to secretly hide in our oh-so-transparent online finances) as funding for a trip for two to the olympic summer games in Rio.

WE and I failed miserably in our attempt to light up my FIL’s face with an overnighted box of Braum’s Black Walnut ice cream…but we did manage to pull off a much more useful gift he might not have expected.

I didn’t actually watch my visiting teachees open their 2-in-1 brooch/pendant, but I do hope it was a little bit of feminine bling to light up their wardrobes.

Lastly, WE and I hosted dinner for twelve on Monday with all the trimmings, fixings, and full treatment. It was also a very fun way to say “I love you” to my family who traveled all the way to Wylie to visit us.

So that’s my Christmas recap – what was the best gift you gave this year for Christmas???

Working with the youth has been one of my favorite things at church this year! It’s really incredible just to watch them – how they interact, how they carry themselves, and how they grow. And they have such enthusiasm for life!  I’m excited for what next year will bring.

Everything is falling into place for Christmas this year – shopping is mostly done, the house is getting cleaned as we speak, WE and I are watching EVERY Christmas Special known to man, and then after Christmas we’ll have a house full of family to entertain! I splurged and bought some table linens to match our wedding china that we haven’t used yet – so we’re excited to give everyone the full treatment too. I’ve been stealing Christmas recipes/ideas off my old roommate’s blog and my friend in the YW presidency that makes a killer gingerbread cookie. (I haven’t told WE this yet but I decided that I’m going to be in charge of all the desserts and he can do all the meals!) We’ve already done all of our special musical numbers and concerts. Everyone is gone at work so I can finally get some quiet time to finish all the little this’ and thats. I posted my e-Christmas card this week. I’ve lost a pound a week for the last three weeks (hey, gotta prepare for those gluttonous holidays you know!) We are going to a Dallas Stars game this after noon (vs Detroit) with some friends.

AND

now all I really want for Christmas is SNOW!

I decided to send an e-letter for Christmas this year. I love the holidays because it means giving, spending time with family, and good food. This is our first Christmas together and we’ll be spending it at home – loving every minute of it! You all already know what we did this year so I’m not going to give an annual state of the union or anything. But I did want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and greetings from Texas!

If I had sent cards in the mail, they would have had this picture on the front (thanks to the talented Miss Weadon!)

And on the inside there would have been a cheesy but cute pic of my hubby and me:

And then I’d say bring on the new year!

and

God bless,

A2 and WE