Christmas festivities

This Christmas season was a fun one.  A lot of things were different for us this year.  We're in a new house, a new ward, have new friends, new jobs, and new experiences.  I'm so grateful for all the time we had to spend together, and for everything we got to experience together.

We've always heard about the ice sculpture exhibit at the Gaylord Texan Hotel, but had never been.  Gerret and Sarah usually go, and this year they got a group together to go and see all the neat ice sculptures.  From what I understand, each year they have a new theme and this year was "Madagascar". 

It was pretty cool, everything was carved out of ice!

Connor was acting really funny, it had been a long day!

It's funny because it was 65 degrees outside, but in the ice exhibit it was only like 6 degrees, so they had us wear these massive parkas!  Nikki and I felt like idiots walking in from the parking lot with our boots on and big coats, but I was glad we had them once we were in the exhibit!

 Sean doing his Uncle duty...harassing/making Connor laugh. :)

 The coolest ice slide I've ever seen!

 Is this not the cutest little igloo?!

 Seriously, who does this?  

I know it's kind of hard to see, but this was my favorite part (aka the non child part), the nativity scene.  I loved it!  It was beautiful!  It was the last part of the ice exhibit, so pretty.

 

Holly and Scott had to go put their kids to bed, so we missed getting a picture with her, but here are the rest of us girls!

Aunt Marlys and Uncle Del had us over for dinner in their pretty new house out in the country!  It was so good to see everyone again.  It's been harder getting together since we've all moved.

 I wish Aunt Marlys was in the picture too, but I love that she always wants to document the memories like I do.

That same week we went to Sean's work Christmas party.  It was fun to get all dressed up and go to Uptown.  We don't go to Dallas a ton, but when we do it's always fun.  The restaurant they had the party at was pretty fancy, it's normally an outdoor portion of the restaurant with the pool, cabanas, and tables out.  I think they just cover it in the winter time.  It was a pretty typical work party...watching everyone else get drunk and trying not to laugh.  Luckily there was another LDS couple that we hung out with most of the evening.  It was still pretty fun, it was nice to meet some of the people that Sean works with.

Another fun part of our holiday season was hosting this month's dinner group.  In our new ward Sean and our friend Sterling home teach each other, and Sterling's wife K.C. visit teaches me!  K.C.'s companion is Lindsey, whose husband is Evan, is also companions with Sterling.  Crazy, huh?!  So they came up with a brilliant idea...just do one big fun night a month!  Genius.  In November, K.C. and Sterling hosted and started out the dinner group.  So, in December I volunteered.  I LOVE HOSTING! We've never done a dinner group, but I've always wanted to.  Everyone thought I was crazy when we were house hunting, that it was a deal-breaker for me to have a formal dining room.   Everyone thought I would never use it...blah, blah, blah. (Remember the brick color fiasco?  It's not always a bad thing not to listen to EVERYONE.)  Well, we use the formal dining room all the time, and I love it, and I'm so glad I 'stuck to my guns'!  And this dinner group is another perfect excuse to have to use it!

I love formal dinners.  My parents always had us sit and eat dinner at the dining room table.  We were taught how to set the table properly, pull out the chairs for the ladies, and ask to be excused.  It's called etiquette people!  I know, I know...it's crazy, and kind of "old fashioned", but I love it still!  My Grandma Gin got us 'Christmas Crackers' almost every Christmas, so when I saw some at the store, I knew I just had to have them! (The decorative paper that when you pull apart, they make a popping sound, and a toy and crown pops out, awesome I know!)  It was a first for Sean, and the rest of our guests, but they're pretty fun.  I can't believe I didn't take more pictures?!  So unlike me...busy hosting I guess...

 Sarah and I teach the 6 &7 year old primary kids together, it's an adventure to say the least.  I tried to get a panoramic shot of the kiddos, but they kept moving...I think you get the idea. :)  I wanted to get a picture of all of them with all their missing teeth!  There's 8 kids in our class, and 7 out of 8 are missing their front teeth!  I know Sarah gets really grossed out, but obviously I'm a "teeth person" so I love it when the kids come and show me how wiggly their teeth are, and how they can move them around with their tongues.  They get really excited about it too!

Gillain, missing her two upper centrals!

 Logan, same!

 Oh Jacob...you are just full of energy...

Lily's missing hers too!  We're going to miss you!

 Ben has one of his upper permanent teeth in, just needs the other one!

Same with Lauren!  All these cuties and their loose teeth. :)

Aunt Elaine invited us to their Christmas Eve annual ping pong/pizza party with Uncle Mark's family.  We've met most of them a few times before, but it was SO NICE of Aunt Elaine to make us feel included!  Aunt Elaine constructed a informal nativity scene, and Sean was the donkey!  He always ends up playing with the kids one way or another.

 We had a lot of other fun festivities around the Holidays, these are most of them that happened before Christmas, oh blogging... :)