* Winter Memories *

Adam and I are so blessed.

Since our wonderful Thanksgiving in Spokane we have had one amazing experience after the other...we didn't travel or do anything too spectacular, but we've been able to celebrate family and make some sweet memories together...all while our little baby is growing in my belly (which has been cooking in there for 33 weeks now...woohoo! almost there :)

At the first of December our sweet Grandma Stum (my Dad's mother) passed away...peacefully, with all but one of her kids at her bedside (my Aunt Susan is serving a mission in China with her husband:) While we miss her, we are more happy for her because now she is with her forever sweetheart :) Forever families are real!...we're so grateful for that.

And just a month before that, Adam and I were so lucky to be able to spend a day with my Mom (visiting:) and Grandma Stum...she had recently moved into an assisted living complex, and we could tell she was not doing too well. Yet she was still able to make us laugh and inspire us want to be better.

* on our way to lunch *

* Grandma loves going on the daily bus rides the facility provides :) It turned into a blizzard just before, so it was fun driving through the snow-covered town while singing Christmas carols with all of the sweet elderly people (my Mom started the singing...oh i love her) ...G-ma is the cute one on the right *

* We ended the day with some intense rounds of BINGO :) Grandma has always been quite the gamer *

The memories we made that day were sweet and needed :)

* Here's a gorgeous picture of Grandma, a few years back ;) *

At the funeral, we celebrated her life of service, her dedication to God and her family, her passion for health, and her inspiring spirit of faith.

* Grandma's children and their spouses next to Grandma's casket...Dad and Mom second from the left :) *

* Our family at Grandma's burial...which is right next to Mom Diane's (my Father's first wife) gravestone so advantage of everyone being together (very rare), and took a picture...again, so grateful for eternal families *

Before my parents and younger sister Celeste headed back to Vancouver, my Mom did what she always does...manages something phenomenal. She used to work in the Church office building and was a secretary, back in the day, for numerous general authorities. So, she set up an appointment for us to meet with Elder Robert D. Hales. It was amazing...we thought we were going to visit with him for just 15 minutes or so (he is a very busy man)...but we ended up staying for almost a whole hour! Elder Hales was so thoughtful, asking all about us, giving us encouraging gem thoughts (as my Dad would call them) of encouragement, he told us about how he met his wife and why he loved her so much, he bore his testimony of the gospel and the joy it will bring us if we follow the Savior and put Him first in our lives. Elder Hales also told my sister and I how blessed we are to have such a strong, sweet, faithful mother...we are.

* In front of Temple Square after our visit with Elder Hales *

My Dad stayed an extra day with Adam and I before he left on a business trip to California...lucky us! So he helped us put up our Christmas tree!

* Christmas love *

* There's nothing like the Christmas tree glow...which is why our tree may or may not still be up. haha *

For an FHE in December, we headed to the Kjar's and decorated gingerbread houses :)

* mmmmm....Pumpkin Spice hot cocoa...delish! *

* Mandy and her sweet daughter Emma creating their masterpiece :) *

* Cute Kalia hard at work... *

* Becca's gingerbread beach house...my favorite!!! she is SO creative :) ...click on it to see the details...love it! *

* Me and Becc...the preggo sistas!!! Her and Luke's little man is due just 3 weeks after our babe...close cousins! *

Oh, Ugly Sweater parties...nothing quite like 'em :)

Some of Adam's cousins got together for a fun night of sporting hideous sweaters, egg-nog chugging, and a white elephant exchange...

* Landon and Adam...Landon's sweater isn't even bad...but Adam's makes us for it ;) *

* The beautiful Coco, with her dazzling sweater, pouring the egg-nog shots... *

* We had a contest, competitive bracket included, for chugging egg-nog shots...it was entertaining to say the least!! *

* This was the sink afterward...yowza...that's a lot of egg-nog. *

Adam and I went on a little date night to see Eclipse in concert...an accapella group that has some great arrangements of our favorite Christmas songs =)

* On stage...doing their thing! *

Corrie (sister) came to stay with us just before Christmas! (nothing like winter break in college...she loved no homework!)

* pizza at Brickoven...SO good :) *

Movie night...Avatar 3-D...one of our favorites :) This was actually the 2nd time we had seen it. It was so well done...and I'm such a nerd, but I think it'd be pretty sweet to be an Avatar :)

* Corrie had to wear her glasses under the 3-D glasses...heehee *

Christmas Eve came!!!!...and so did my parents and Celeste from Vancouver! woohoo! It was so great to have them at our house :) Like last year, we had our hot-chocolate floats...hot cocoa with peppermint candy ice-cream. *grumble* (that was my stomach just thinking about it)

* stockings and presents Christmas morning... *

For Christmas dinner, Adam's family was SO thoughtful to invite my parents and sister...it meant so much to me :) And being Christmas day, we were able to talk with Sharla!!!!! I should say Hermana Kjar ;) she's Adam's younger sister, serving her mission in Argentina! It was so great to hear her voice and talk with her about how she's loving the people their and how her testimony growing...she's one amazing woman!

* beautiful table...ready for plates of divine food and great conversation *

The day after Christmas we headed over to our my Aunt Chandra's house for a fun night of games and breakfast the next morning :)

* We made ebelskievers!!! A Danish breakfast...the Kjar's also call them canon-ball pancakes. They are delicious! *

* some were filling with jam, others covered in cinnamon sugar, and some were ready for syrup *

Movie night #2: Mom, Celeste, Adam, and I went to see Sherlock Holmes...another great movie!!!! Brilliant acting, hilarious, clever, romantic, adventurous, action-packed...if you haven't seen it, do ;)

Then New Years!! We went to the Kjar cabin with Adam's company to ring in 2010!

Adam and I taught everyone a need game of Charades...with a twist :)

Everyone had a blast!!

* Becca thinking of how to act it out... *

* Eli is...a bear?! a monster?! *

* "You guessed it!" *

Then we lit up the sky with some fireworks...

* it was chilly! *

* New Year's KISS *

* The view from the cabin's back deck...gorgeous *

* A drive home...through a winter wonderland :) *

A couple weeks ago, Adam and I house-sat and watched 4 adorable boys while their parents took a trip to Hawaii!!

* Shantz, Kye, Luke, and Chase *

We had a blast and we learned a lot ;) The boys are 11, 8, and 4 (twins)...they're hilarious, creative, helpful, crazy, sweet, rambunctious, and curious. These are four brothers who love each other...they have so much fun together...and I have to say, it got me so excited to have our own family!

* We made posters for Shantz's basketball game :) Go Jazz! *

* DQ trip for icecream :) *

* A crazy night with armless-pajama boys and goggle-super heros. LOL *

* i just love this picture...makes me giggle every time i look at it :) *

We went to Discovery Gateway with my sweet sister-in-law and niece (Katie and Kalia)...that place is amazing!

* Chase playing the sweet xylophone! *

* This is a real helicopter the kids can play in! The boys loved it!!...and so did Kalia, as you can tell! *

* We made Ghost Rolls...the boys loved them! "Where'd the ghosts go???" heehee *

Ghost Rolls!

1 pkg. of 8 Crescent rolls

8 large marshmallows

1/4 - 1/2 C. melted butter

1/2 - 1 C. cinnamon sugar

-- Wrap a triangle of crescent roll dough around a large marshmallow (the ghost)...making sure to seal it completely, you don't want to see the "ghost".

-- Roll the wrapped up ghost in the melted butter...then cinnamon sugar.

-- Put butter/sugar coated ghosts in a greased cupcake pan and cook as directed on the crescent roll packaging [375 degrees for 8-11 minutes]...and enjoy!

-- The ghost disappears...leaving a delicious marshmallow coating of the inside of these delectable treats!

And just last night we went out for dinner and a hockey game!! (my first hockey game, and it was awesome!) Luke and Becca (bro & sis-in-law) put it on for everyone (a few other couples) as their Christmas present...thank you guys!! We had a great time :)

* Go GRIZZLIES! *

* We made it on the big screen!!! And i gave Adam a smooch, yes i did :) The actual "kiss cam" came on later during the game...and they thought they'd be funny to put a couple hockey players in their...haha! *

And the next few months are bound to hold some more fun memories...both our birthdays, and then the birthday of our little one!

Life. is. good.