Failed to mention...

...I failed to mention in my last post how we wished that the other Holt women were with us in Ohio during Annie's visit!  It would have made it pure bliss!  I am so lucky to have such amazing ladies in my life :)

December!

Happy 2013 everyone!!  Excited and a little nervous for the new year, but mostly excited :)  We had so much fun in December.  It was my first Christmas away from family.  Truthfully, I was dreading it for months.  I am surprised and very pleased to say that it turned out to be wonderful.  Stress free, travel free, and lots of times with my boys, friends, and ward members.  A huge bonus was that my little sister Annie came for 10 days right after Christmas, so that helped curb the homesickness a ton!!  Tim had 2 weeks off of school.  Of course if it were me, I would tuck my school books into a far corner and dust them off after the break.  Tim had a different idea and still worked hard.  He played hard too, so that's good. Good thing he is the one in medical school and not me, eh?!?!  Max was brainwashed by me the Christmas season and loves everything from baby Jesus to singing "We wissshhh U a Missmis Missmiss... and a pappy oooohh yar..." Here are some pics from our fun times!!

Seeing Santa Claus at our ward party!  I guess compared to last year,
no emotion is better than too much, right?

Last years picture with Santa Claus!

Making Christmas sugar cookies with our friends Beau and Mallory...very interesting...but fun!

The first pee on the potty!  Unfortunately, he is still very much in diapers. 

You have to start somewhere though!  

We went to an awesome "12 Days of Christmas" life-size board

game that is right by Kirtland. Max was a little too young to play,

but he loved all of the Christmas Trees, music, and hot chocolate :)

Went to see the AMAZING nativity exhibit at the Kirtland visitor center.  It was so neat :)
Our ward hosted the night we went and it was complete with Luke 2, Mr. Kruger's Christmas,
singing Christmas Hymns, and cookies.  Classic.

Our humble Christmas decor :)  Next year our tree will have a skirt!

More of the decorations.  I attempted to make one stocking and ruined it.  Thanks
to my extremely talented Mom, the other two were made and the one I attempted was fixed.
Thanks Mom!!!

Watching Charlie Brown's Christmas (thank you Grandma Ashworth!) complete with Tim's to-die-for  (literally) homemade popcorn :)
These two boys are addicted!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Tim and Max playing in the single digit snow storm.  I'm so glad Tim likes to go out and
freeze his buns off, because I sure don't.  Max is lucky to have such a good Daddy :)

 Some Christmas loot complete with fireman boots, football sweater  (both
purchased at an AWESOME consignment sale in Kirtland), and fruit snacks. He's a
happy boy!   

Annie came!!  That girl completes me, I tell you what.  We are so much alike,
it might be a little unhealthy.  We partied it up with good food, shopping/lunch (thanks to Tim's babysitting
services), psych, chick-flicks, games galore, and  a lot of laughing.  Max adores Annie, and she is so sweet to him.
She put up with our weird ways and was such a treat to have!  I cried the whole way home after
dropping her off at the airport.  Max is still wondering why she isn't here, but is starting to
accept it because she is back at school with Cosmo.  We love you Annie!!!
We went to Kirtland and had a tour in the freezing cold :)   

After a night out on the town!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ICE CREAM!  Grim was a champ to sit in the back
with piece-of-work-2-year-old and an ice cream cone :)

"Boo boo on eye...hit head chair!"  There is beauty all around, when there's love at home...
I promise this is our motto, despite what you all may be thinking... 

Snow-ba-bear.  Max's right hand man.  Let's hope he lasts this next year...