putting it away!

I'm packing up Christmas 2010...

and feeling pretty merry...

remembering the joy...

and more joy...

and smiling at the memories...

of our noel times...

and the ho-ho-ho moments...

blessings all.

Christmas 2010

Out of hundreds of Christmas photos from several cameras, how can I pick just a few to show on my blog? I ended up choosing close ups of my kids and grandkids - because Christmas brought us together with good times and good memories.

Suzie's in-laws have a neat gingerbread house tradition. They get together each year in mid December and make gingerbread houses in quantity (25 this year). Because they have so much practice, they are very good at it. Their tradition is to give the gingerbread houses away - they don't keep them for themselves. This year, Suzie decided that since she was coming home for Christmas, she'd like to give her house to her brother Mike. After much goofing off, I finally got a good shot of them and Suzie's darling gingerbread house. More photos on Suzie's blog here.

Brookelyn hugs Aunt Becky and thanks her for her Christmas gift - a couple of books for Brookie to read.

Bailee and Suzie after Bailee's performance with the little singing group she's in. The whole family went to Salt Lake City to hear her perform.

Carter loved everything about Christmas this year. He's the cutest age - too young to understand Christmas really, but old enough to get a kick out of everything. He is so loving and melts his Grammy's heart.

One of my favorite things is watching a little one year old learn to walk. It was so fun to see Emmett walk more and more each day over the past week - today he was walking all over the house. When he gets that little grin on his face, I could just eat him up.

weekend in Las Vegas

This could quickly become a favorite Christmas tradition...this first-of-December trip with Becky and Aimee to visit Suzie and Winston in Las Vegas.

We shopped until we literally dropped. This photo is blurry, but it's so classic Las Vegas that I had to include it. We're at The District outdoor shopping mall. I loved the gorgeous huge Christmas tree along with twinkly white lights on other trees and shrubs. But best of all were the flowers - still everywhere - pink and white and red real flowers. In December. Heart warming.

My two darling daughters enjoying a fabulous lunch at the Grand Luxe Cafe in the Venetian. This was where Suzie and Winston had their first date and now look at her lol.

My idea of fun is walking through the huge hotels and taking in their fabulousness, window shopping the designer stores - we loved Barneys New York in the Venetian - and browsing little shops like the Bellagio's chocolate shop (crepes...yum). Some people like the Grand Canyon; I like the grand hall in the Palazzo.