Hark, How the LIghts!

...SO we kept the tradition alive and went to see the lights in Talaquipaqui-- a resort in Sedona-- The Day after New Years!It is always a treat to walk around and see the different themes and light displays people have set up around the resort! They are always original and creative.

This one above had a whole camp set up with blue lighted skies and white lighted clouds, along with this cute saying!
Horton hears a Who?

A complete Gingerbread village

Wall-E

Santa and Clan taking hot air balloon rides (a local past-time around these parts)

Santa's Workshop

A Charlie Brown Christmas --

Mind you these are all set up around the time shares & rooms

Lego Land

Even lighted sprinkler systems in the trees!

...and they even represented the real reason we "light up" this holiday season

They had so many more....

The best part was one of Dan's old patients hooked us up with these tickets...so it was free (along with the free hot apple cider)!

It was a good closure (even though I accidentally let Dacie fall into a fountain while we were dancing) to our FUN week+ we spent as a family with daddy!

The Rest of Phoenix! (X-mas Vacation)

***So maybe my New Years goal should be to FINISH my posts about Christmas!

Not only did we get Quality Cousin/Family Time while in Phoenix,

and Fabulous Family Photos

BUT..

We got to open some MORE presents! Wahoo!!!!

A birthday Present Pedicure with Kerri (for me)

A date night to the movies with no babysitting fees

Some teeth work done for Dan and I.
I got my mouth prepped for my new Crown!

The LONGEST temple session we have ever done (through some miscommunication).

We went during the day and came back home at night--(after sneaking in some dinner at my FAVORITE place--Claim Jumper too)!

..and yet another free babysitting day!

Some shopping at the Mall

A FHE lesson on Joseph Smith's birthday...and the kids creations of what were suppose to be candy centipedes. They did not quite look like the book pictures, but I am sure tasted as good- he he he

AND some fun with Grandma and Grandpa!

Colton got to go shooting clay discs with Gpa & Clint,

The boys went to the park and library w/ -Gma and the Blairs

...and a final farewell w/ falling leaves solicited by Grandpa!

It was a great couple of days. Because we had nothing we HAD to be back for--it was nice to just take our time and do our thing--when usually we are rushed and have quite the agenda of things to get done while we are down there!

GIRLY CoUsIn TImE!!

The Day After Christmas we headed down to "THE VALLEY" to spend a few days with Dan's family who had all gathered for the holidays.

(I wish my family was only an hour away--so we could reunite like this more often!)Dacie has been LuCkY in the fact the the closest cousin on both sides (Hutchings and Sorensen's) of the family-- were GIRLS, amidst a VERY BOY WORLD (even since then)!

Dacie will be grateful for this because it may be her only form of sisters!

Lola is our children's ONLY cousin on Dan's side of the family--

and by chance (family vacations that coincide, and Lola visiting her grandparents often) we have been able to see her since the day she was born!

And since the first reunion we CANNOT help ourselves from DRESSING THEM IN MATCHING CLOTHES!

We can mostly thank a spoiling aunt and grandma for these matches!

(These pictures were in July when Dacie was 6 months and Lola was like 2-3 days old)

(Once again matching in the fall at Uncle Russ's homecoming)

Last Christmas 2007!

Little did we know the next day these two cousin sista's would be slammed with sickness!

OF course they had to match at Uncle Russ's wedding in June '08


*****THIS CHRISTMAS WAS NO EXCEPTION!!!******

to the MATCHING PHENOMENON

Lola and Dacie's quality cousin time works out perfect. They are exactly 6 months apart. So they are starting to be interested in, and play with the same kind of toys. Because of the age difference Dacie can boss Lola around and not share, and Lola does not care. Lola is just grateful for a playmate and follows sassy Dacie around!

To Dacie's benefit she isn't always mean. She did miss having her "baby" (what she calls Lola sometimes) around after we left.!!!

It is so fun to see them start to interact and play together.

Dan's family all has some sort of talents-either wood-work, taking pictures (we will hear more about that talent later)...or SEWING!!!

I really don't have a hands-on talent like those, unless making babies counts! ha ha

So Aunt Amy (Lola's mommy) made some matching skirts for the girls to wear to church!

This Christmas was a fun couple of days of re-kindling cousin friendships

AND the boys getting their "dog fix"-as Lola comes with 2 dogs (Lucy and Bentley).

CHRISTMAS is about FAMILY!!!!

The gals saying good-bye to each other the morning we left-

UH OH! They are NOT matching!

ChrisTmas Day!

Every time we get the gifts all laid out (w/ 4 kids & 4 adults). I always feel like we get MUCH more than we deserve.
It was a GREAT day of opening gifts...
Ryland and Sterling got some scooters and helmets/pads

Dacie had and ALL GIRL Christmas. It was soooo fun to get GIRL TOYS! This was the first year that gifts were ever feasible with her. We got crowns, and barbies, and cell phones, and strollers, and dolls, and brooms and vacuums, and a hoodie. IF you think getting these gifts was fun-- I LOVED shopping for a GIRL!

This is how Dacie looked for most of Christmas morn! What a GIRL!

Ryland has been begging Santa and his parents for a dog for the last 2 years. I found this dog that barks and wags his tail at a friends garage sale, and she just gave it to me. He was in reverent awe with it for most the morning.

Ironically Sterling's favorite gift was a McDonald's cash register I got at the same garage sale. The kids favorite toys were garage sale items. I know where to start shopping for next year. One man's trash is another man's treasure!

Meals were delicious today as well.

Cara and John made us a huge BRUNCH with eggs, and snowman biscuits, and orange juice, and applesauce, and sausage....

then the evening meal it was our turn and we had ham, and stuffing, and shrimp, and veggies, and sparkling cider....

not to mention the goodie plate that was constantly re-filled sitting on the counter all day!

Yummy!

The rest of the day consisted of me trying to "clean-up" after a SMASHING PARTY, some video game playing in our room, and the boys insistent on playing through their entire entourage of gifts at a fury of a pace (just in case they disappeared tommorow-you know!).

Dacie just took on and off her shoes, adding accessories and taking them off for most of the day.

Our living room had a permanent fixture added to it after Grandma Hutchings presents were unwrapped (An immediate FORT!) Sweet!

I got in some book reading and we played some board games LATE into the early morn!

What a wonderful Happy kind of DAY!

MeRRy ChRisTmas to ALL!