Our Good News: Christmas 2010

Just warning you... this is a LONG post with LOTS of pictures!

A few days before Christmas some great friends of ours from Ohio were in town visiting their family. So we were able to meet up for lunch. How wonderful it was to see the Teeples fam! We love & miss them!

On Christmas Eve my brother & his family came down here to spend some time with us. Its amazing what we were able to jam into a short 28 hours with eachother!

We went down to the Bellagio to see the gardens all decorated for Christmas, and of coarse, it was way awesome!

It was very crowded, so this is the best pic we got with our limited space!

These two boys on the Las Vegas strip (or anywhere for that matter) scare me!

These two girls on the other hand are as sweet as pie!

We made & cut out some Christmas sugar cookies!

They left plenty of time for dress ups,

maybe a little too much time. Zack & Jake are real pieces of work, they sure got a kick out of themselves and I gotta be honest, we were all laughing our heads off at them!

This little get up they threw together isn't much better, but at least its not a dress!

And a spotless bedroom can turn into this in no time at all!

After the traditional opening of Christmas Eve PJ's...

you could feel the excitment in the air as the sun went down!

To remember the birth of our Savior, we read Luke 2 with the kids as they acted out the Nativity. It was so cute!

When Bret & Ash left, our kids got all settled in, left some cookies & milk for the big guy & headed to bed!

Only to awaken to giant smiles and silly laughter bright and early...

VERY early! Zack woke up at 3:30 all pumped up because he saw that Santa came. Dustin had to redirect him & Courtney back to their beds to make them sleep for at least 3 more hours, which they did!

Mary LOVED Christmas morning & couldn't wait to try out her new stuff,

which really put a cramp in Dustin's morning. After trying to put this doll house together for 45 minutes, I took over and had the thing put together quick (and without any swear words!)

We spent the day with just us 5, which was a first for us. Christmas night we went to dinner at Red Rock Casino, a little weird eating out on Christmas, but fun none the less!

Outside Red Rock...

The day after Christmas and after MANY dramatic hours of play by play tooth movement, Zack finally lost his first tooth! We had to pin him on the bed and pull quick, he hated that, but loved that it was out!

Then it was up to Utah we went. The kids & I drove up to see everyone, including out newest little nephew Cole. Here Zack is at Lindy's playing Star Wars with Nick & Ellie. Nick is a Star Wars expert!

Zack can never get enough of the snow when we're in Utah. He loves it, even when its 8 degrees outside!

I was able to see my darling friends from high school whom I keep in touch with, but rarely see. It was fun to catch up & chat!

And then, two days into our trip, I got sick... way sick! It was awful and strep throat hit me with a vengence! I laid on my mom's couch for 2 days straight, but by my birthday I was feeling much better! My mom even made me my favorite red velvet cake... mmmmmmmm!

Dustin flew up to Salt Lake just about in time to drive us all home to Las Vegas. I was getting all excited to come home to warm weather and then I woke up to this the next morning...