Christmas 2012

Snow Shoeing

Christmas 2012 was a wonderful season. This was the most nonstressful Christmas ever. Shopping was a week long event (instead of the usual several months), we saw the Forgotten Carols, The Nutcracker, and the Donny and Marie Christmas Show. Christmas Eve found us at the Cathedral of the Madeleine for their annual Christmas Mass. It is a beautiful way to start Christmas Eve. I love worshiping with people from all denominations and walks of life. The music defies description. After Mass we came home, got dinner ready, and talked to our Cameron for two hours. He is doing so well, we even got to see his face on Skype, what a miracle.  He looks great he sounds great! We are so proud of him and can't wait to see him in July : )

Mitch got new skis

The Nutcracker

Sledding

Sledding

Later in the evening, we enjoyed our annual testimony meeting as a family. It is so beautiful to share personal witness of the Savior with the glow of the Christmas tree. I love this time of year. I love Temple Square with the beautiful lights and nativities, i love our house festooned with our nativities from around the world, i love family, celebrations, dinners, good food, gatherings, family, carols, ward dinners, Festival of Trees, parties, more good food, shopping, family, and more good food. I think everyone should be home for Christmas every year.

The Newlyweds

Christmas night we went to Grandpa and Grandma Meiners' house for the ritual of feasting and Pounce (a favorite family card game). It was a great day. Toby took the week off so we could just relax, sled, snow shoe, eat, and enjoy. We took the family to Les Miserable, what a powerful story of redemption and forgiveness. I loved having Cristy here for the holidays, she almost didn't make it and that would have been a tragedy. Home for Christmas, that is where everyone belongs.

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving at the Hawkins

I'm trying to get caught up to 2013 but i just want to add a paragraph or two about Thanksgiving and Christmas. Thanksgiving was fabulous, one of my favorites to date. The whole family was together (except Cam in the Philippines) even my brother Jeff and Bridget came from Colorado. Our new house is double the size of our old house yet our kitchen space is smaller, so the question of where to have thanksgiving loomed large. The garage was decided upon and with the help of Ashley, Mariah, Cristy, Toby, and Taylor we transformed the garage in to a respectable dining hall. Everything was beautiful and tasty!

The day started with the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade and the roasting of the turkey. It was an unusually warm Thanksgiving day in Utah, somewhere in the upper 40's. A regular heat wave. We took advantage of visiting cousins and spend a couple of hours at the local trampoline gym jumping our way to happiness. There were about 20 of us. I haven't flipped, flopped, or jumped so much in years, it was a perfect pregorging activity.

I loved having Jered, Mariah, and Luke, Tay and Ash spend the week with us. It was fast and furious, but wonderful. It was a sort of a combo Thanksgiving/Christmas for us. We saw the lights at Temple Square, ate food, went shopping, crafted a little, went to the movie, ate a little more and enjoyed playing games with Cristy and Jeff one night.

I love thanksgiving. It is everything a special occasion should be; good food, good people, good times! Thank you dear people for joining us.