Christmas buzz

Happy after-birthday Brinton
(his birthday is 12/24)
Our buffet dinner is over

Everybody watches as cousin presents start opening

The room is full of excited cousins
Audrey and Katelyn
anticipating
waiting to hear their names called

We missed our Clawson family
We did stop in the middle of the hubbub
to listen to the phone call recording
of them singing We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Thanks, Clawsons!
We hope you had a wonderful Christmas Day

Alisha organized our name-drawing gift giving

Bring something from your home to give.... that reminds you of your person

Tell them why the item reminds you of them

Karen's girls made and brought drawing books for cousins, Abree and Lizzie

Abree and Lizzie were delighted

They loved their matching books....and went right to work

Treyson got a flip-the-football-through-the-goalposts game

Oh wow

Tyrel invited his roommate to share the family gathering

Ammon's family is all in California

Welcome, Ammon

I did ask him if he brought ear plugs

Levi got into the dig-into-the-paper-and-find-the-treasure mode of the day

A car from a cousin  . . .  and a ball . . . .perfect

Snuggled up Amber and Daisylyn

Hurrah!   A "new" book from a cousin

Busy parents, Karen and Tim

Pretty good for the long haul......it's the end of the day and they are still smiling

Jason and Alisha

Their busy family enjoyed some community service projects during the month

connecting each family member with the Savior's spirit of helping others

 Micaela and Taylee

in the middle of it all

My only shot of Sterling is in the background of this picture.....buried under a gift, drinking a bottle of milk

And where is sweet Sydney in all of this?.....somehow I never got her in my camera's eye

Rylee roo

tender heart. . . . through and through

 

This is such a cute shot of Dean's face

Kind of symbolic of a daddy's laid back calm.....in the midst of life's action

We are all coming to the close of a long wonderful Sabbath day

Can you tell that Levi has about had it?

Pack up

clean up

Kisses, hugs, I love you's

See you New Year's Eve

You saw the "before" pictures

Here is the "after"

The word "contrast" comes to mind

My sweet home

quiet . . . 

noisy . . . .

then quiet again

But always a safe haven

Welcome home, kids