Best Ending, New Beginnings...

Well, it happened.  

I finally ended up finding the Christmas spirit after all, right in the nick of time!  

I also found more than a few extra pounds when I stepped on the scale, some delicious goodies from friends, a new puppy and member of our family (along with new puppy accidents on the carpets), too many new toys laying around the house at all times, but all in all, we had a wonderful holiday season!  Well, it was mostly wonderful.  We did have frozen pipes, a few sickies caught the flu, and Liv had a super bad ear and sinus infection.  But, there was definitely more good than bad.

The decorations are down and put away, the kids are all back in school, and we are back on our busy schedule.  It seems like it takes months of work to prepare for Christmas and then, BAM, it's all gone in a flash!  I was very anxious to start the new year.  Not that last year wasn't very good to me and my family, but I am ready for a new fresh start!  

New office, new town, new adventures in the works...it'll be fantastic!  I can just feel it.  

And as always, here's a plethora of pictures of our blessed Holiday for your viewing pleasure! 

The kids with their teachers at their class Christmas parties

We surprised the kids with Doug, our new dog.  He is sure a sweetheart and gets plenty of love and attention from all of us.  So far, he's been great.  He's had a few accidents here and there and there has been some adjusting to typical puppy stuff, but we sure love him!  He's a Goldendoodle and is growing like a weed, at his visit to the vet last week he weighed in at 17 lbs!  

This is the day that finally put me in the spirit!  Christmas Sunday is the best.  There's just something about the music that always does it for me.  This is my view on Sundays while I'm playing piano in Primary.  It is my favorite place to be.  I get to hide out in my own corner while I hear the sweetest little kids sing their hearts out. It was a great Sunday, the kids sang great for their part in the program, we decorated our gingerbread men, drove around to see some lights and some Christmas light shows, and just enjoyed being together as a family.

Liv was not going to let Christmas Eve go by without baking Santa some delicious cookies.

Christmas Eve we went to my parents house for my mom's traditional Christmas Eve party and program!  I almost enjoy this more than anything else.  The food is always perfection.  Santa came to visit, all 3 kids did a musical talent and then we came home for Christmas pj's, a Christmas story, and hot cocoa.

Christmas was magical! Everyone was very spoiled and everyone loved to give just as much as receive.  After our house, we went to my parents house to open some gifts, and then we headed over to Nana's house to do the same.  Such fun traditions!  We even ended up getting the white Christmas that I so desperately wanted!  We drove home in the snow, with our bellies full and fun new gifts to enjoy, and we were all as happy as clams. 

 New Year's Eve was much more 'low-key'.  Since we had one sick kid and not wanting to spread any germs to anyone else, we decided that we would just stay home.  We played the game of Life, ate some more (this was a common theme over those few weeks), watched the ball drop and we banged on our pots and pans.  Sometimes after the craziness of the holiday season, it's nice to just kick-back, relax, and not do much of anything. 

And just in case I forgot any of you when I sent my cards out this year, here are some pictures I took of the kids this year for Christmas cards.  It is pure torture taking their pictures, because I'm their mom, but at least we got a couple of decent shots out of the many we took.  :) 

Dan wanted me to end with this picture and say that he "hopes ya'll cracked a smile this Christmas!"  

Hoping you all have a blessed New Year!