Happy New Year!

Welcome 2010!

It is so nice to turn the page over to a brand new year!! 2009 was a year full of difficult experiences that I wouldn't wish on anyone, yet strangely, I am glad that they were had. 2010 is full of promise!

It is always bittersweet to see the Christmas season pass. September through December is undoubtedly my favorite time of year. It kicks off with Ian's birthday, then moves onto my birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas, wedding anniversary, and then New Year's. Super busy but always a great time.

During our "most wonderful time of the year" this year, we had the chance to visit Disneyland a couple times (gettin' our money's worth from our Annual Passes.) Jackson was FINALLY tall enough to go on the Indiana Jones ride and it did not disappoint. Much like most things at the Happiest Place on Earth, WELL WORTH THE WAIT!! We were there during Halloweentime so we got to see all the fun Halloween decorations and the "Nightmare Before Christmas" overlay on the Haunted Mansion. That place is so much fun! The attention to detail is stunning and it truly takes you to another place and time. Ian and I will be making our first trek to Disney World this year to celebrate our 10 year anniversary (which was last week)...we are pretty stoked.

Thanksgiving was special this year too. We were missing a special little girl who would be 7 today. Sadie's presence was sorely felt, but I know she was spending that day of gratitude with our Savior which made me so grateful for the few short years we had with her as well as all the incredible things that little princess taught us. One of the lessons she taught me was the importance of living in the day, so we will soldier on without that cute laugh and know that we will again hear it. We spend Thanksgiving with my family and our new tradition is to get together the Sunday before Thanksgiving. AWESOME! It is so nice to not have to worry about cutting things short so you can get to someone else's house. As Ian's family did not do Thanksgiving this year, we spent Thanksgiving Day with my grandparents and my mom and Brad. It was such a special time to get to spend the day with them. I know that our days with them are numbered. That makes each moment spent with them all the more tender.

Christmas was so unique this year. We had a first. All of my dad's side of the family got together for a little family reunion of sorts. A few cousins were missing, sadly, but it was grand to see cousins that I haven't seen in years. Christmas Eve Eve (is that even a real term?) we hosted a little family dinner at our house. What a blessing to get to spend some time with people we normally don't get to see face to face. It was precious. The day after Christmas, we all got together at an aunt's ward house and spent time there playing games, chatting it up, and downing Diet Coke (my personal Christmas miracle ;))

Christmas Eve was spent with my mom's side of the family. We were able to set up some tables at the ward house, have some good food, and a little Christmas program. In our 5 minute version of the Nativity (which included stuffed alligators and elephants as residents of the stall where the young Babe was laid) Jackson got to play a "Wise Guy." He was so excited! Little Wise Guy got a little stage fright and forgot to give Mary (Olivia) the gift he brought for the baby Jesus. He had a firm grip on that little gift and was so bummed when they finished. "I forgot to give Jesus the present!!" he kept saying. Sweet little guy.

Once we got home on Christmas Eve, we spent a little time with my dad and Arlene, opened our jammies, put out a snack for Santa, watched a little "A Christmas Story" and read the real Christmas story. One of my favorite traditions.

Christmas day, we all got a little spoiled. It was pretty fun to just spend the morning together. Later we headed over to my mom's a spent some quiet time with her and Brad. It was so nice and relaxing! Later that afternoon (after a little nap in the quilts my mom made for us) we headed out to Ian's parents for some time with them. It has been quite a long time since we have seen them, so it was nice to be together with them all.