Christmas 2016

How is it already 2017? I feel like Christmas comes and goes so quickly and then it's on to New Years resolutions and detoxing your body after sugar loads. Sadly we're still on a sugar craze from all the candy we got right before we left. 

Here's a quick recap of our Christmas vacation in Utah with the Doutre family.

Austin and I rented a car because of our own car troubles from our previous road trip in Spokane so we pulled in late Wednesday night in Herriman. We caught the last of the exciting BYU vs Wyoming bowl game. BYU won so it was a happy night.

Thursday night we went to the BYU men's basketball game and then everyone started getting in for the weekend festivities. 

Friday morning we played some basketball, changed real quick so we could head out the door for Provo to do the Escape House. This felt like the book Mr. Lemoncello's Library where we had to figure out the clues and get ourselves out of the room. We were in the Sherlock Holmes' room and we had to decode things for the locks and find markings on maps and more to piece it all together. We only had an hour to complete it but we did it (okay with some help). But it was a lot of fun. 

That afternoon we had a Doutube competition where the theme was "failed tutorial videos." Our job is to find a funny video under the category and the judges would determine who won. Our entry was kind of last minute but Austin and I won! We chose this one from "The Girls With Glasses." 

Then that evening, because pretty much everyone in Austin's family hasn't seen Lord of the Rings (I know, crazy right?) we had to introduce them to the first one. 

Saturday, Christmas Eve, we got our family pictures taken, went caroling at the nursing home, exchanged gifts with cousins and siblings, and played games that night. We played Bean Boozled which a jelly bean like a white one could either be coconut or spilled milk but you don't know until you try it. There's really no point in the game except for pure entertainment. Austin got it bad with spoiled milk twice in a row and moldy cheese. I got canned dog food twice in a row and moldy cheese. It was nasty but hilarious. Some people got dead fish, barf, lawn clippings, rotten egg and the worse thing about it is these jelly beans are pretty accurate. 

Sunday, Christmas Day, we enjoyed a quiet Sabbath where we didn't focus on the gifts (we would do that Monday) but just on the Savior. It was pretty neat. We had a morning devotional, Church, came back and sung Christmas carols around the piano, and had a wonderful Christmas dinner. After singing around the piano, Austin and I went to the Johns in West Jordan to see Emily as it was going to be our only time to see her and Bronson. 

We ended the evening with the nativity before Dani and Nathan and their families went back home so they could have Christmas morning as their own family. We really relaxed on Monday, opened gifts, watched more Lord of the Rings, went sledding at a nearby hill, saw the Draper Tree of Life Lights, and went to Dani and Nic's house for more games. 

Tuesday morning we packed up our car and headed to the Johns so we could see them one last time before we trekked on home. Alice-Anne took me out to lunch and it was so fun to chat for a few hours. Of course, we loved meeting Claire for the first time and Austin loved playing games with the kids. 

We made it home safely on Wednesday and we are just so glad to be home and not traveling anywhere else during this crazy snowy season. Hoping to get back into the swing of things here soon. 

Pictures from the week:

 After the escape house

 Austin calming himself down after having another spoiled milk jelly bean.

 Spencer is holding up a Saturn ornament that I made for him and Elliot. So glad it turned out ok!

You can't really tell but I made the girls a star ornament out of clothespins. 

 Favorite part of the nativity was watching Brigham with no help from anyone else, tell the shepherds to "fear not."

 Real life picture. You can tell Austin was not in the mood to take a picture, I'm laughing because I think this is an awkward pose, and Austin insisted on having the baby chick in the background so not only is this a Merry Christmas but a happy Easter too? ;)

 A little bit better but notice the chick still. 

Dropped off our rental and realize we probably won't ever own a car this nice, ever!