Happy Birthday Bella

the last bit of Christmasing

 Squeezing in one more holiday gathering ... nothin' like wrapping up the season with a good old White Elephant Yankee  (regifting) Swap ... asked our guests to bring one wrapped thing from their home, a treasure that they were willing to part with for each person who wanted to play.  We had more wrapped gifts under the tree than at Christmas!

 Linda got 'crap' and traded for stuff that she traded to Rob

 Kevin got stuff (sweet treats) that he hid from us all

so we wouldn't take his stuff away from him

 Jeff got stuff,

it made us laugh

 Larry got stuff and

Bella wanted to play!

 and it was Miriam's Birthday ~

Happy Birthday Miriam!

 and Rob got stuff

and Rog got stuff,

and lost his stuff,

but got more stuff!

and Wendy got Linda's 'crap' that wasn't really 'crap' at all

and I got good vintage  stuff!

it was a lot of fun! 

Time to take down the Christmas stuff till next year!

The CHRISTmas Collection

So the CHRISTmas festivities really begin when Bry gets home. Kevin and I picked him up at BDL from SLC on December 20th ... one day before Kevin's 29th birthday! Bry just completed his final internship with Real Salt Lake (his mother is pretty excited about that ... CONGRATS Bry and Happy Birthday Kevin!)

Welcome to our home!

Bella is very excited to see Bry!

so Christmas is about Santa and giving ...

and being good and doing good

it's about PEACE, AND HOPE,
AND GRATITUDE, AND HEALING

and did I say PEACE?!?!

and we all know that JESUS

is the real reason for the season!

gifts sent from afar!

(thank you brother and family)

Christmas is about FAMILY ...

(here is where I could put pics of Carol and Kathy and Ellen and Michele and Bruce and Chris and Tim and Luke ... but they would never forgive me. Let me just say it was awesome to share Christmas with my family)

and BROTHERS

and lots of dogs

and dogs with socks

did I say ... lots of dogs?

and PEACE ... and thank YOU

for our many BLESSINGS!

and Christmas Brownies

and kids and dogs

and kids!

Out with the OLD

(not going to tell you where this fur ball was lurking)

and in with the NEW

in 2012, and found a lucky penny too!

xoxo,