Waiting for Christmas

We drove to East Idaho the Saturday before Christmas.  At a rest stop on the way I saw this sign someone had written in the snow: 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney.  That's how we knew we were on the right track.

We stayed at Steven's house in Idaho Falls--the whole family doesn't fit at my parents' house anymore!  It was so fun staying with Steven.  We played several late-night games of computer Risk.  Steven paid for all of us to go see Frozen, which had just come out.  It had been a long time since we'd been to a movie theater!  Then, he let Nathan and I leave the kids at his house while we went out to see Star Trek: Into Darkness, just us.  Priceless!

One of the nights (Monday?) we went to Texas Roadhouse with Steven and ended up having to jump our car battery because the kids had left some interior lights on.  Can someone please explain to me WHY in the world they would put personal fold-down, lighted mirrors in the back seat of a sedan?  It's not like adults ride in the back of cars these days.  They were just begging to be played with by little hands on a long trip!

I think those two pictures were the only ones I took the whole trip.  Luckily, Dad was very busy with his camera and sent me about a hundred pictures of all the fun we had.

Boys against girls!  Psst, Sarah, can I call Clubs?  We love our Pinochle!

Sarah was a hero and organized cookie decorating one day.  She used leftover gingerbread men she had from making one of her impressive gingerbread mansions for a contest in Logan.

The redheads! 

Ginny really like playing with Bellana.  I loved these adorable pictures of her!  Look at that smile!

It was so fun having the whole family together.  We hadn't been together for Christmas in a few years.

Please note Bob, in his native habitat.  Wait--where's the coke?

Mom had recently gone Towanda! and punched a hole in the wall between the kitchen and the family room.  It wasn't quite finished with the trim yet, but it was so nice and open for people preparing food in the kitchen to stay involved in what was happening with everyone else.

Dad's yummy taco soup for Sunday dinner.

Bellana loves to be held!

All four of the little girls had red beaded socks for Christmas, that I crocheted.  They wore them to church that Sunday.

I love how Steven is such a good uncle, so patient and sweet with kids.  Take note, ladies!