Christmas 08

I can't believe the holidays are over.... how many of us have said that the last few days??? It just goes to darn fast doesn't it?!! Jeremy and I had such a great time in Idaho spending time with our families and just spending time with each other for the past two weeks! What a special time of year! Jeremy can vouch that I'm a pretty emotional person.. to say the least... and this holiday season just stirred up all sorts of emotions. I couldn't begin to explain my feelings for all I am grateful for and especially for my Savior at this time, but to put it in a few words... I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for the knowledge and confirmation I have about the Saviors birth, perfect life, perfect example, ultimate sacrifice, and the promises that gives each of us to be able to be our imperfect selves and still have a way to return to live with him and all those we love if we will follow the example he has lead for us, and if we apply his wonderful sacrifice each day in our lives. How blessed I am to have been taught these truths, and then to have had a confirmation of them in my own heart and life. I love that reflecting on the Saviors birth and having so much time centered around him, and the unified feeling of "giving" is how we start off every year... and that the holidays are a perfect reminder that this is how it should be in our lives everyday of the year.
As I was around both of our families over Christmas... I thought MANY times how incredibly sad it would be if this life was the end... makes my heart hurt to even imagine how terrible that would be to believe that we would only be with those we love until we pass on from this earth, and I'm eternally grateful to my brother and Savior for making it possible for me not to even have to imagine that.
We hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season, we are so so so grateful for such amazing friends and family, we are so incredibly blessed in so many ways.

Some highlights from I to the F (Idaho Falls for you foreigners)

Christmas morning was a true treat for me!!!! Jeremy got me a snowboard, snow pants, a coat and all new gear for snowboarding... and a reservation for a night in Jackson and a day of snowboarding.  How fun in Jackson in the winter??!!! It's so beautiful up there right now. The mountain was REAL icy, but it was still fun to break in my new get-up, and it was just fun to have a little get-a-way for the two of us.  Cute husband of mine, love love love. 

We spent Christmas Eve with the Calls... and got spoiled. Jeremy got a bunch of nice tools.. much needed... and I got a ..... KITCHENAID.... so so excited! Jeremy, me, Chase, and Brooke went 4-wheeling on Christmas eve, other than the huge bruise on my knee from slamming into a bank of snow after going over a jump... it was so much fun!  Jeremy's sister also blessed her sweet little girl, Kamryn, and it was a beautiful blessing. 

We spent Christmas day at the Huls, and loved every minute of it. My parents got us a HEATED mattress pad... and you would have thought I won the lottery... EXACTLY what I wanted... and Jeremy was equally as thrilled that it had a DUAL heater... so he can turn his off while I have my side on. We are what I like to refer to with a little analogy... fire and ice! He's ALWAYS hot.. and I'm always freezing! 

Anyway... I have to take a second to tell my parents how grateful I am to them for putting up with us for the last couple of weeks and letting us take over their life for a little while! They were so great to us... more than great... took care of us 5 star style. My mom is the cutest ever... always ready to go and do... whatever... whenever.  If Jeremy wants to do something and I'm not really up for it... he will ask my mom... because he knows she will be a sure bet! She is so fun to be around and makes me laugh. She is so patient with all the chaos that goes on in her home with all the people, kids, and grand kids! Cutest lady in the world, and I love her to death and look up to her in so many ways! And my dad... those of you who don't know him are missing out. Such a cute person. Jeremy and I even got him to stay up playing cards with us until 1 in the morning... a couple of times actually! That is unheard of for the old padre! It has been a joke for the last couple of weeks that we don't know what we are going to do when we come back to Provo because he has cooked us 3 meals a day for the last 2 weeks! and that is not a joke! Between my mom and my dad cooking, I think I have eaten better the last few weeks than I have in the last few years! And dad... Jeremy is going to miss going to water aerobics with you!!  Thanks mom and dad... we miss you guys already... what are you going to do without us ;) !!!! Ha!!!

We are back in Provo and ready to get back into real life. This is Jeremy's last semester at BYU.. and he is going to be busy with work, and working on getting a few of his "ideas" up and running. It will be exciting to see what 2009 has in store for us.   

These are all my siblings... aren't they cute?? Love them all so much. This was taken on Christmas Eve so I'm not in the picture because we were at Jeremy's family... but this is the whole crew minus me. 

Christopher, Lacie, Josh, Natalie, Shaun

ALL the grand kids except for Maya (she was sleeping).... we are accumulating quite the circus around the Huls house these days