"Green Christmas"

by BNL

Bundled up against the cold

Lines wherever gifts are sold

Each shop window
displays a Christmas scene

For everybody young and old

Icicles on eavestroughs
and tinsel on the tree,

But it's a green Christmas for me

Couples skating on the pond

Making angels on the lawn

Now, it's not New York City for the holidays, but here in Salt Lake we've got our fair share of neat Christmas-time festivities. We've got the lights at Temple Square which I'd say is a sight that people need to see. I think it is such a beautiful sight. Another one of my favorite SLC Christmas festivities is the Gallivan Center's ice skating rink. The lights are beautiful and it truly is magical. So it might not be ice skating at Rockefeller Center, but it's pretty neat.

My dad advertises for Western Nut Companty with Bonneville radio stations and so he gets invited to their yearly Christmas party for families at the Gallivan Center in Salt Lake. We get to go ice skating, see Santa, and eat a delicious catered dinner. All of my sisters and I get to come along and bring our families.

The photo on the left is Rockefeller Center (of course) under the giant tree, and the one on the right is the Gallivan Center. I think it's pretty beautiful!

My favorite part of the night was when we arrived at the Gallivan Center. As we were walking to the rink, Spencer said, "Last year after we came here, and then you took me home to my Mom's house and then that night when I went to bed, I just dreamt about this!" I said, "Yeah, it's like magical, huh?" And he just sighed and said, "YEAH!"

Here we are skating the night away! :) Spencer fell a good amount of times but he had his awesome Dad and lots of cousins there to help him up. (Although most of the time he insisted on doing it himeself!) I love the photo on the left because right as I went to take the picture he completely biffed it and then turned and posed for the camera while lying flat out on the ice! The picture on the right is the only one I have where you can see our whole bodies (including the skates--so you know what we're doing) but I hate how I look ready for a shopping trip or something with my purse. At this point my Mom (who'd been designated as the packhorse for the rest of the family because she wasn't skating) had already left and so I couldn't just leave my purse sitting around. At any rate, it was a FANTASTIC and MAGICAL night!

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the night.

This is my adorably cute nephew Bronson adorning his awesome U of U beanie! Isn't he so dang cute?!

This is my cute nephew James and my his beautiful twin sister (aka my niece) Rachael. I think they're so cute together--they look so different but so similar at the same time. I am glad they're still so close. This is their 1st year of high school. Rachael is a cheerleader and James does drama. I am really proud of the kids they've grown up to be.
This is my nephew Matt (brother of Bron above and also Mike and Calia not pictured) adorning his awesome U of U beanie. They actually had someone ask where they could buy one while at the party. Unfortunately for that person, my way cool and creative mom made them. She is SO creative! And I don't mean she took a ready-made beanie, and attached the decor on the top. She actually sewed the whole thing, beanie and all.

This is my brother Jett...okay, so he's not my brother, he's my nephew, but he's pretty much my brother...with his way-cute-and-cool-I-totally-approve-of-her friend Haylie. Jett is holding his little sister (my niece) Hannah. I love this picture, I think it's adorable.

Jett is getting ready to leave on his mission in January. I am going to miss him SO BAD! He's been my closest confidant, ally, and friend (except Mike of course) since his dad married my sister when I was 15. He's closer in age to me than any of my siblings, and significantly closer in age to me than Mike. :) I really cherish our close relationship. I really will miss him tons when he leaves but I am so amazingly proud of him for going and doing the Lord's work.

This picture is my sister Kim and her son Brayden. She is also Jett and James and Rachael's mom (all 3 pictured above) and Ryan, and McKay (not pictured), and Becca and Hannah's mom (both pictured below). I love this picture and I think they both look so cute in their snow gear.
This (on the left) is my niece Hannah-banana and (on the right) this is her sister (also my niece) Becca. I love these girls! They're biologically half sisters and I think it's so interesting to see how similar but so different they are.
Me and my 2 main men!
And Speaking of my handsome hottie of a husband, here's a good one of me and my #1 man.

Like I said, the night was Magical! :)

Me and my #1 boy! I love this picture of me and Spencer. Isn't he just the cutest kid in the world?! He's got his daddy's smile! I hope all of our kids get that.

Lastly, here are our Santa pictures! Spencer told Santa he wants a Webkinz for Christmas. Santa is gonig to be visiting Spencer at his Mom's house this year so he won't be coming to our house, but I was thinking I'd get Spencer a Webkinz. He really wants a dragon or a koala (RANDOM!) but I haven't been able to see any of either of those. Actually, the only place I've found any is at Shopko. If anyone has suggestions on where to look let me know! Apparently Walmart discontinued selling them.

It was a wonderful night! These are the memories we'll look back on! It was great to spend time with my family and we were all bummed that Dad was working hard and couldn't make it to the party. Unfortunately the holidays are so busy for him that we hardly ever get to see him around Christmas-time. We love him though and are grateful that he gave us the opportunity to get together at this great party! We also missed my sister Kristy and her family! (Jeff and his family have never been to this skating party. We miss them all the time though!)