1. Family in town! My mom, step-dad Denny, Garrett, and Kari are all here and staying with us this week. They came down to visit and drop off Garrett and Kari at BYU- but they can't check into their apartments till the 2nd- and so I get some good family time in. They drove down from WA and I'm also very thankful they made it here safely since the roads weren't all that good.

2. After Christmas sales.

3. hand lotion.

1. Home sweet home. It was a great trip- but its always good to be back home in our own beds and routine.

2. Safe trip.

3. Christmas dinner- man was it good!

4. Games. Card games, video games, board games, interactive games... we played several. Mafia is always a favorite!

5. Christmas PJs. We have a tradition of each getting a pair of new pjs at the foot of our bed from Santa- that we change into and wear Christmas morning. We got some fun ones this year!

6. Gospel discussions. After church on Sunday Jake and I got in a gospel discussion with his siblings- it started out defining "being born again" and moved from there through a few other topics but seemed to center around truth, conversion, and how our faith differs from other Christian faiths.

Another night we again conversation followed a spiritual tone as Jake talked about his "conversion". It's amazing to me how the Lord works. I've heard before Jake's struggle with understanding and accepting the gospel as a youth- growing up in such a small town with very few members, and then seeing his parents go through a divorce that he never saw coming presented some hurtles- but hearing him again recount about his rollover car accident, miraculous survival, and the way in which it humbled him, forced him to put things on hold (he was in a body cast and foot cast for several months), giving him space an time to think, it gave him perspective, and allowed for others to encourage him to serve a mission, and that decision helped him really find his testimony... it was just cool to hear it all again- and to then hear how that decision helped his younger brother and sister. I'm so thankful for the Spirit, and how in moments like those it testifies to me allover again of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Jake's brother-in-law also shared a little about his conversion (he started investigating the church after he met Jake's sister Leah- they were married not long after he got baptized, and sealed a year later). It was also cool to see Jake's stepfather (who was just baptized in August after about 10 years investigating the church) pass the sacrament and to see him lead the family in prayers and such.

1. Christ's birth.

2. Wise Men.

3. Heavenly messengers.

1. Vacations! Maybe I'm a slacker for not writing entries every day while on vacation- but hey- its vacation! Plus internet access here isn't super reliable...which brings me to my next one...

2. Buena Vista. That's where we are. A small town in the middle of the Colorado mountains. The tiny town with one stop light that my husband knows as home. On Friday we left the boys with Nana and took a drive. Jake took me to Mt. Princeton and St. Elmo which is a small ghost town at the end of an old mining road. then we drove around town and he showed me the three other homes he's lived in and some "historic" spots. It's crazy to drive through this little town with only one stop light and Subway being the only chain restaurant. There's tons of snow piled up everywhere with cars that obviously aren't hoping to move again till spring- and deer literally on people's front porches. Hearing Jake's stories of growing up here is crazy to me. Its a fun place to visit- and while Jake says it was really hard growing up here and tells me about all the trouble he got himself into as a teenager- ultimatly it molded him into who he is- and I love him.

3. Safe travels. We got here safe and sound with just a little bit of snow fall through Price Canyon and snow on the roads of the last hour.

Busy, busy!

Monday was Jake's office party, yesterday Josh's Birthday party, and today I'm getting packed and ready to drive to Colorado (we leave tomorrow morning)...Busy times- but fun times!!!

1. White elephant gifts. We did a gift exchange of these sorts at Jake's work party. It was so funny. A bed pan, "Dunder Mifflin" paper, and dog faced slippers were just some of the highlights!

2. My THREE year old!!! Oh- these boys are growing up too fast! I can't believe Josh is three, and Dekker will turn ONE next month. Josh had a VERY happy birthday at Chuck E Cheese's.

3. New BYU shirts! We gave Josh two new ones for his Birthday- and he's wearing one today- which means hopefully they've passed the Josh requirements for acceptable attire.

1. Grandmas!!! Yesterday I talked to my grandma Blanche, Josh's Nana (Jake's mom) and Josh's Grandma Chris (my mom). How grateful I am for such wonderful women who love my little family so much!

2. Family history. Our ward family history rep came over and talked to us about all the changes that have happened in family history work over the last couple of years. He worked with Jake's line showing us some cool website and how to know what we can do to help in the work. It was really cool and its true about "the hearts of the children turning to the father" - Jake got all excited and after he left Jake pulled out his grandma's (yet another grandma experience for yesterday!) recently finished personal history book and started reading it. He was laughing at some of the stories and talking about how crazy it is to "humanize" your grandparents.

3. Dekker's babbeling... its just cute!

1. Chocolate advent calendars.

2. The Spanish Fork Festival of Lights. We went to my cousins for dinner last night and then after piled into their truck (boys and bigger kids bundled up in back) and drove through the festival of lights. It was really fun.

3. A clean house. Yesterday we had an open house. We left during the hours of the open house, and haven't heard from our relator how it went- which my guess means it didn't have a great turn out- but if nothing else it got us to get our house in showing order. We cleaned as much as we could from top to bottom and replaced a bunch of door knobs and light fixtures. The house looks pretty good- so even if it doesn't sell- we'll enjoy it more.