Christmas Break

So you'll have to forgive me, but I have started taking fewer and fewer pictures lately.  Part of this is due to the fact that I am trying not to interrupt moments and enjoy them at times.  Part of this is also due to the fact that it's almost impossible to take pictures of a 1 and 3 year old when you are busy keeping them out of trouble, especially at big events or in public.  This means that although we took pictures of a few events, I am once again indebted to grandparents who are better about taking pictures than I am.

I did document our Christmas tree at home, as well as the easel we gave the girls as their big present from Mom and Dad this year, which we weren't willing to haul across two states to give them.

Christmas break was not as busy as normal for us in Preston this year as we all got the virus Mckayla got croup from.  It totally tanked us and zapped our energy, so we didn't do much adventuring.  Instead we stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa at home much more and had a relaxing break.  The girls enjoyed time playing with the local farm cat that loves abuse from Grandpa.

Then we hit every family house for the holidays.  We spent Christmas Eve with Steve's sister Sheri and her kids for a great soup dinner and the traditional Bennett pinata.

 We then headed to Steve's sister Kathy and her family's house for Christmas Eve night and opened presents there with the girls Christmas morning.  The girls' loot from Santa and us (minus their easel).

The girls did well.  For once they actually loved and play daily with all of their gifts!

We then headed to Steve's last sister Lori and her family's house for family gifts and dinner Christmas afternoon and evening.  (Mckayla sporting her new hat her cousin Erin made her, and Steve and I opening our fabulous picnic kit from Lori and Curtis.)

 These are the girls' Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls Grandma made them for Christmas this year.  So cute!

It was busy, but it was fun!  Especially as it may be a last hoorah for us as the girls get older and we think about spending more holidays at home.

Later in the week our niece watched the kids so all the adults could go watch the second installment of The Hobbit in theaters.  Then on the 30th everyone was at least fairly healthy, so we took the girls to a place called Hardware Ranch in Hyrum, Utah.  These were just a few of the MANY turkeys we saw on the road.

The ranch is an open area where they feed the elk and they come and go as they please.  They take small groups on sleighs out to see the elk up close though.  This was us keeping the girls busy in line for our turn.

The girls really enjoyed seeing the elk, and we enjoyed seeing them up close as the dorky biology teacher and his increasingly dorky wife.

 It was fun seeing a few fawns that still had spots, were nursing, and crying to their moms.

 Mckayla really liked the great big work horses that pulled the sleighs.  Ellie talked about them for days after by name, but now I can't remember what their names were, only that they were a mother daughter team.

 It was BEAUTIFUL out there!

Yeah, and this was a slow visit for us!  We had a lot of fun, as always, and we always miss Preston and being so near to family whenever we leave.

But, New Years Eve we headed out and arrived in Spokane the day after Mckayla conked her noggin.  On New Years Day we got together and Grandma Sun and Papa Rose's house to open gifts.  This was Ellie waiting for stockings, and I love/hate this picture because Ellie is so cute, but looks so big to me here!

 All four cousins lined up and opening stockings.  I love that Mckayla saw a clip-clop princess in the top of her stocking and decided she was good and that Aubrey made a good spot to pile her stocking.

 Yeah, she may eventually give Ellie a run for her money when it comes to who likes princesses more.

 This was Ellie's favorite part of her stocking.  Anything owl gets called her "O the owl ______" thanks to Daniel Tiger, and she loves this hat.

Wyatt and Ellie were both excited about the girls' new train set.

 Our girls are just cute.

 Mckayla opened these soft new jammies and fell in love.  As she opened gifts, played with toys, walked around.... she never dropped these the rest of the morning.

 Juls and Jen.

 Steve and I.

The next day we also met up with Grandma Moon and went to Red Robin for lunch.  It was great to see so much family over the holidays, even if we ended up spending the last few days of break with Mckayla sick or in the ER in Spokane.  We always look forward to the holidays and how much time we get to spend with family that we just don't see often enough!