Holiday Vacation: Part #11 (SNOWFLAKE again)

We spent Christmas Eve, Christmas & the next few days in Snowflake. We had a lot of fun, even though I still wasn't feeling great. We ended up being the only kids at Linc's parents' house for Christmas morning. Kylee loved her gifts. Santa was smart & shopped at Goodwill this year for part of Kylee's Christmas, & boy was it worth the hours spent there! 

Opening her gifts...

Princess books!

Kylee also got a Leap Frog Tag Junior reading system, a doggy doorbell, crayons, colored pencils, coloring books, a stuffed monkey & some clothes. Santa left one of Kylee's gifts in Mesa, so Kylee got that one later in the week. :)

We ate breakfast, which included the traditional oranges & bananas with powdered sugar on top. I think that this tradition came from Lincoln's great-grandma. They've carried it on through the years & I love it. It's simple & just always really memorable to me for some reason. This will definitely be a tradition that I carry on when we spend Christmas morning at our own home.

While we were in Snowflake, Kylee played the piano with Grandma...

And dumped BOXES of stuff on the ground when she was supposed to be sleeping!

She went with Daddy to milk the cow, but got pretty scared...

So she pretty much just sat in the corner & cried...

We visited the cemetery, where someone left a rose in front of Jackson's headstone...

And Lincoln's aunts left some more flowers in back...

(Lincoln's aunts do this every year for the family graves. It makes me so happy to see that someone left something at Jackson's grave when I couldn't!)

Jarod & Claire came with us to the cemetery & played in the snow...

While we planted tulips on Jackson's grave...

Kylee helped too...

The kids performed tricks in the snow for us before we left...

And yes, bending over is one of Kylee's tricks...

We received the BEST news while we were visiting. Lincoln's brother Matt & his wife Danielle are EXPECTING A BABY!!! This was truly our Christmas miracle. They have 3 other kids (Jayten, Jarod & Claire) but had given up on having another one. Without going into more detail, the news that they would have one more was truly exciting (& shocking!) and we are SO, SO excited for this little girl/boy to join our family later this year!

It was so sad saying goodbye to our family, knowing that we wouldn't see them again for quite awhile. Kylee sure will miss her cousins...

I've said it before & I'll say it again: I am INCREDIBLY lucky to have married into such a wonderful family! Thank you to Linc's family for making so much time for us & for being so supportive & loving. We love each one of you so much!!!
(We missed you Holly, Jordan & kids and Kenny, Cleona & kids! Can't wait until we are ALL together again.)

Willis Family Christmas Party 2011

We attended our Willis Family Christmas Party with Linc's mom's side of the family on Christmas Eve. This party is always so much fun! This was my first year attending it at the church instead of Jacki's house. Although it didn't feel quite as intimate as usual, the family is getting big & this seemed to work out better. 

I enjoyed hanging out with my little sidekick Claire...

(She had her tonsils out & still wasn't feeling well that night. She's such a trooper!)

We ate YUMMY food & then had the kids act out the nativity. I guess Kylee just makes a really cute angel, because that is the only part she has ever played in a nativity...

I absolutely love this girl's chubby, rosy cheeks!

And once again, Kylee didn't last very long. Pretty soon she had left the nativity scene & was hanging out with Grandma & Papa in the audience...

Next it was time for Santa to visit & bring everyone their stockings! Kylee was nervous again, but managed to hold back the tears...

(Kylee sure was lucky this year, getting to sit on 4 different Santa's laps!)

Kylee got the Curious George movie, fairy bracelets, Ring Pops & PEZ in her stocking!!!

Linc's parents on Santa's lap...

And us! We've been good kids this year, that's for sure! :)

Allen Family Christmas Party 2011

Every year on Christmas morning, my grandparents make a big breakfast for all of their children & grandchildren. This year with Nana being gone & it being easier for families to stay home on Christmas morning, Grandad held his breakfast for all of us the morning of Christmas Eve. We combined his breakfast with our usual family Christmas party with my dad's side of the family. Linc & I headed over early to set up while Kylee threw a fit outside. 

Breakfast was delicious as usual! Then we had a visit from Santa!

Kylee riding around in the "train" with Koralyn...

Holding Cooper's hand on the way home...

We headed to Snowflake & said goodbye to Shawn, Ashley & Cooper. It sure was fun being able to spend a few days with them!

Cooper Family Christmas Party 2011

I was so excited to find out that the Christmas party for my mom's side of the family would take place while we were still in Mesa! We had dinner & treats at Aunt Carol & Uncle Don's house. It was so nice to see everyone & enjoy their company!

Kylee wanted to sit in a carrier & act like a baby once again...

My cousin Kristin & I...

(We are only 12 days apart in age!)

Us with our girls...

Grandpa & Kylee had fun hanging out in the back seat together on the way home...

Holiday Vacation: Part #10 (MESA again)

We arrived back in Mesa on Wednesday night to see my brother Shawn, his wife Ashley & their little boy Cooper. Their flight didn't get in until late, so we put Kylee to bed & then woke her up when they got to my parents' house. This was Linc's first time meeting Cooper.

Kylee was pretty jealous that Cooper was stealing Linc's attention...

But she is honestly obsessed with Cooper, so it didn't take Kylee long to get over it...

I knew Shawn & Ashley would make cute kids! Coop is seriously ADORABLE!!!

Cuddling with Uncle Shawn & Cooper...

Showing Coop the show Caillou on the iPad...

My mom finished her baskets that night. She worked SO hard this year. Seriously, she hardly sat down for over a month! Her baskets turned out beautiful, as usual. I especially loved these ones in the little sleighs...

(Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Rods, Brownie Balls, Loaf Cakes, Chocolate Caramel Apples & White Chocolate Chex Mix...my mouth waters just thinking about all of the yummy stuff that she makes!)

Poor Linc got sick that night & had a fever most of the next day. Thursday (Dec. 22nd) was the only day that the whole family (besides Aaron who is on his mission) would be together, since Melissa & I were spending Christmas with our families at our in-laws this year. We had a big breakfast of French toast with buttermilk syrup. This is a family favorite!

My mom even bought a whole gallon of eggnog in my honor!

After breakfast, we all hung out...

And opened our Christmas presents from each other...

Kylee got lots of fun things including another Barbie, books, candy, puzzles & Play-Do! Cooper got this adorable Santa outfit...

After we opened gifts, we got ready for family pictures. We haven't had a family picture with my family since Lincoln & I were dating. That was 8 years ago, so this was our first time getting a family picture taken since marriages & kids. Luckily, Linc was feeling somewhat better by the time we had our family photo shoot. I can't wait to see how the pictures turned out!

I bribed Kylee during pictures with a donut from QT if she would smile for the photographer. It worked! We headed to QT right after & let her choose whatever donut she wanted. She picked chocolate, of course...

(I forgot how good QT donuts are! I ate way too many on this trip.)

My parents took all of us to dinner at White Chocolate Grill. That place is SO good. I got their chicken crepes & Linc ordered ribs...

Kylee enjoyed rubbing Ranch dressing all over her hands...

And showing Uncle Shawn how much her coloring skills have improved since she last saw him...

And of course she had to stick a crayon in her ear to see what it felt like...

(She has developed an interest in her ears & nostrils lately. Only one thing has gotten stuck so far. Let's hope this little stage doesn't last long!)

Lincoln went golfing with my dad, Shawn, & our cousin Stetson the next morning. I didn't feel well at all the next day. I stayed in bed while my mom & Ashley hung out. :( I did feel better in time to go the Cooper Christmas Party that night though!

Holiday Vacation: Part #9 (SNOWFLAKE again)

I ended up feeling lousy for the next 3 days, while we were in Snowflake. I had canker sores covering the inside of my mouth, as well as a few sores on my tonsils. Lincoln & his family entertained Kylee a lot of the time. I'm so lucky to have such nice helpers when I don't feel well!

Linc & his dad grilling steak for dinner...

When I tried to take Kylee's picture, she yelled, "No Mom! Don't take my picture!" and ran away...

We got all of Kylee's old clothes out of storage to sort through for Baby Annie (our-soon-to-be niece/cousin). Kylee enjoyed looking through the clothes with me & acting like she was a baby again...

She also had fun playing dress-up, eating chocolate, & playing with her cousins...

There was snow outside, so Linc & Kylee tried tubing down the hill a few times. Kylee wasn't thrilled...

This was one of the very few times I ventured out of the house, modeling my pajamas & mud boots...

Not pictured: Attending a Snowflake choir concert with Linc's family & catching up with the Christensen family there. It had been way too long since I'd visited with them!