My Holiday Season

Time flies around the holidays, and before you know it, it's time to make new goals for a brand new year.  Since I am behind, I've decided to tackle that over the next week, and take this time to catch up on the past two.  Below are the highlights of my holiday season.  

CHRISTMAS EVE:

Christmas Eve I swear is better than Christmas itself.  I've always loved the anticipation and the excitement.  You can't help but be happy.  After a short work day, I met up with Ami and Brandon to visit my Grandma and Dad at my Grandma's house.  Even though we are all grown up, nothing spells comfort like being at Grandma's.  Back in the day, the whole family gathered for Christmas Eve, Santa would come, my dad and uncles, and eventually Tony would play Bugler's Holiday on their trumpets, and my aunts would play Sleigh Ride on the piano.  What great memories...

Later on Christmas Eve, my good friend Diane invited me out to her parents' house to spend some time with her family on Christmas Eve.  It was so cute watching her kids and nieces and nephews open gifts and put on a nativity program.  It's crazy how fast our lives change, and I'm so grateful for friends like her.  Love ya Di... 

CHRISTMAS DAY:

Christmas was pretty low key for me.  I slept in until 10:30 or so, made myself some rice noodles and headed to my grandma's house.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is surprising my two cousins/little brothers/nephews/sometimes even sons, Riley and Jaycson with a fun gift.  I have a hunch they are pretty excited to receive my gift as well, because when I got to Grandma's they had them on their laps, ready to rip open (I had left them in her garage, and they were found).  This year I got them both a long sleeved soccer jersey.  I can't believe how they tower over me now...

Jaycson, Me, Riley

Kimmie, Bryce, Quincy, and Mia spent their Christmas in California with Teresa, Mitch, Fallon, and Easton.  Hopefully next year we can all spend it together.  Since Ami and Brandon got snowed in Christmas night at Brandon's parents' house, we all met the next evening for a "pot-sticker" night at Tony & Melissa's.  The food was delicious and we all ate way too much, but the best part of the night was Teresa and I setting up ichat on our macs.  It was very exciting to us computer nerds, and the kids got a kick out of seeing and talking to each other,  and sharing about all their Christmas treasures.  It's nice to feel so connected to family during the holidays.  I love technology!

SNOW DAYS:

The day after Christmas, Tony brought Emily Ty, AJ, and Kimball over to go sledding on the hill just up the street from my house.  We have since dubbed the hill "Riley's Ridge", since he separated his shoulder snowboarding down it earlier in the week.  We had a great time sledding.  Kimball at one point laid down in the sled and went down the hill like it was the luge.  He said he wanted to go "fast like a bullet", and that he wanted to "lay down in the sled like a bed".  That kid is hilarious.  Who knows... maybe he'll be in the Winter Olympics a few years down the road.

The following Monday after Christmas, Brenna, a player I used to coach, came back to Utah for a visit , and we went snowshoeing up Logan Canyon.  I brought my 7 year old nephew, AJ along for the adventure, and he did AWESOME.  We hiked up a steep mountain, and he kept right up.  At the top of the mountain, we came across a small cliff we could jump off of, and AJ, the little daredevil was attempting to do 360's off it.  It was such a blast!  On the way down, we went straight down, as opposed to the switchbacks we had to do going up, and AJ just flew down the mountain.  At one point, I did get a little nervous and afraid that someone would try and kidnap him while he was waiting for us at the bottom, so I hurried down quick.  Of course, he said going down was his favorite part of the whole day.

Brenna, Me, AJ

BABY NO NAME:

December 3oth, Teresa went into labor and sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 pm, a 6 lb 11 oz, 19 inch baby boy was extracted from her big bell-ay.  It then took 5 days to finally come up with a name for him.  Our family welcomes the 10th grandkid... Hudson Joseph Chaisson.

NEW YEAR'S EVE:

Poor Riley went in for surgery on his left shoulder.  Not a good start for the new year.  At least he got a pair of "paper shorts" out of the whole deal.  The surgery went well, and we hope his recovery will be speedy.  High School soccer season is right around the corner.

I spent the evening with Scuba Steve and the Scuba Squad.  Scuba Steve made delicious shrimp (breaded & coconut), I made a London Broil, and Cindy made my favorite... augratin potatoes for a great New Year's Eve dinner.  Mmm mmm good!

Surgery definitely didn't slow Riley down as he lit off a bunch of fireworks at midnight.  It was amazing how the neighborhood erupted in fireworks.  Apparently we weren't the only one with the "frowned upon" contraband.

GAMES:

New Year's Eve, and throughout the rest of the weekend, we watched plenty of "House", while getting our game playing in.  Nertz was definitely the fave.

Happy New Year everyone!!!  Even though I hate getting back to reality, I DO look forward to re-organizing, and getting back on a schedule.  It's definitely time to make some new goals and plan for the upcoming year.  Wish me luck!!!