*~* 2013 Holiday Season *~*

It all came and went so fast. 

Thanksgiving was quiet and we did some afternoon Black Friday shopping. 

We took it easy other than ALMOST starting the house on fire trying to install a new doorbell.

Probably should've gotten us a fire extinguisher for Christmas.

Thanksgiving weekend we did our Lawrence Family Sub-4-Santa.

We took on 4 kids this year from the Adoption Exchange and it's really a great feeling to give Christmas to kids who otherwise wouldn't have gotten much of anything. 

Brynlee and Mckinley even got involved and picked out the Monster High dolls for one of the little girls.

Helps keep perspective.

Another exciting tid bit of news.....

Auntie Kim is getting married!

Uncle James is already a big part of our family and we're so excited to make it official this June!

Another annual Christmas tradition, we went to see Father Christmas at the Dicken's Festival. 

Brynlee told him she wanted a glowing puppy and a Dr. bag with 'real' tools in it. 

Brynlee got to spend a night over at Maga's house. With Auntie Meagan coming home for a couple weeks from Snow College, I think it was obvious she was missing Aspen and Brynlee something fierce so she planned a sleepover with Aspen and Brynlee. A fun filled night of painting nativity sets, matching jammies, a movie, mini pizzas, painting nails and seeing Santa. There was a major countdown to this sleepover. Brynlee had been looking forward to it for weeks. 

More Holiday Festivities

This was minutes before our Christmas adventure of being sick started (or rather continued).

Snowmen stories, holding baby Jesus, opening jammies and playing the chimes  made up some of our Christmas Eve activities at Mimi and Papa's house. Brynlee got to see Santa again too.

Brynlee's new bed, ice skating, the New Year's Eve drawing spread
and Brynlee's dog bite wounds.

Love us some grown up dates.
VIP Lounge... is there any other way to see a movie?

Look closely and you'll see a carefully drawn snowman, the 201 was shutdown which made for an hour and a half commute to work for Mama and Brynlee one day this month, and again the VIP Lounge was pretty awesome, and Father Christmas at the Dickens Festival. 

The holidays were not really a happy time at our house this year. The past two weeks have been full of sickness. With each of us getting the stomach flu. Brynlee woke up Christmas morning and didn't even want to open her gifts. We were all looking forward to Christmas this year, she had been sooo excited, counting down the days and it just wasn't so. I got sick the day after Christmas and ended up not getting to go on a nice date Ty had planned for us. I also got a horrible rash on my arms, Brynlee was bit in the face by a dog on New Year's Eve, Ty was also sick a few of those days and our furnace is currently nonoperational for the 3rd time in the last few months. Seriously, sometimes it feels like it never ends.

I want a do over but unfortunately we don't get those. 

This year proved to be more exciting and interesting than I had originally thought. 

This little munchkin keeps us busy and living a full life. 

She's a sassy, loving, beautiful little package of energy. 

There were still a lot of firsts for our little family and for Brynlee. 

Brynlee said her first prayer and talk in Primary. Ty tried wake boarding and got a band 30 job at American Express, I got LASIK and dyed my hair, just to name a handful.

*~* Family Pics 2013 *~*

courtesy of Megan Valantine

www.meganvalantine.com

She is definitely one of the best!

We love this man.

Here's to another year of ... us!