Christmas 2011

Brock and I had a lovely Christmas at home together this year. I was hoping for a "White Christmas" but maybe next year, right?

Christmas Eve was a really nice day that we spent together. We slept in until 10:00- I know totally awesome! We ate yummy Orange French Toast for brunch, which was delightful and then we relaxed for a couple hours around the house. I made some yummy fudge and Brock took a nap-yes, an afternoon nap even though he woke up at 10 am.

We decided to spend some of our Christmas money that Grandma Hebdon and Duane gave for a date night. We went to a matinee and saw the 2nd Sherlock Holmes, which was slightly predictable but awesome. Brock bought me a sprite, which is it me or does the sprite at the movies taste better than any other forms of sprite? Yum! After the movie we went to The Grand Tree for dinner and it was yummy.
It is a tradition of ours to drive around and look at Christmas lights on Christmas eve, so after dinner we strolled through some neighborhoods. We stumbled upon an awesome neighborhood off of South 3rd, (in Bishop Owen & President Heap's neighborhood-future reference for locals) that has lit paper bags lining each street and most the houses are really decked out. It was the coolest!
Once we got home we did our spiritual stuff, watched Mr. Kruger's Christmas and then opened up Christmas Eve gifts.

We slept in a touch on Christmas morning and then we got up opened our presents and stockings. Since they changed our Sacrament meeting time we didn't have enough time to do our traditional breakfast until after church. (it was more like our lunch, hahah).

Puppies opening their stocking

Some of our stocking stuff

My mom made this matching scarf and band for me, I love it!

Brutus and Boog got some puffy coats for the winter. They hate them and Brock thinks they are ridiculous, hahah.

It was nice to be at church on Christmas even though it was a million degrees in there with 2 wards worth of people. Roasty toasty!

After church we came home and I made our traditional Dutch Babies, bacon and sausage for brunch. It was quite delish if I do say so myself:) After breakfast we watched our traditional Christmas Day movie, A Christmas Story. Which is very convenient because we don't own it but they play it over and over for 24hrs on T.V. I never get tired of that hilarious Christmas flick and Brock thoroughly enjoys the bullying and the adolescent cursing in the movie, so it is a win win.

We planned an enormous  Ham dinner (you have to have a good dinner on Christmas Day) for just the two of us for that night. We tried to convince some friends to eat with us but we were too late and they had already planned their meals for the night. Plus I think most people would rather just be home with their families on Christmas, I know that's what we prefer! We ate a late dinner which consisted of ham, cheesy crock pot potatoes and salad. (I was going to make homemade rolls but realized that afternoon I didn't have all the ingredients. I was totally annoyed because I had made several trips to the store).
We had a really nice night at home and just hanging out. Brock got a hunting game for the Wii so we played that a lot!

Brock and I both had Monday off so we decided to got up the mountain and hike to Ghrotto  Falls. Well, a mile from the trail head Brock decided to pull off the road for a minute and when he did the right side of our truck sank in fluffy snow. We were tipped and stuck so bad that the snow was about to the windows of the truck. Unfortunately there is zero phone service anywhere on  the mountain and we live in hippie country and everyone drives flippin' Subarus. Finally, a guy in a truck stopped to help tow us out. It wasn't easy and it actually took the help of 2 other random dudes helping to get us out. The guy with the truck had his wife and kids with him and his wife was was so mean and grumpy about helping us. I'm pretty sure she chewed him out for even stopping to talk to us. She kept saying things so Brock and I could hear like " the kids are freezing, the kids are starving, they are going to have to get a professional, only five more minutes and then we are leaving them". I understand her frustration...maybe, but who does that? We felt bad enough already but we really needed the help. After we got the truck out and were thanking them she was super snotty to Brock and I was biting my tongue the whole time! Come to find out she from the south somewhere so I felt better that she wasn't a grumpy local.
They were however an answer to our prayers and I am so grateful they stopped to help and that the man knew how to tow. I just hope that Brock and I will take opportunities to help others and I hope we will be kind and have a good attitude about it.

Well, that's that for this year! We have a had a busy, eventful, fun and surprising year. We are grateful to be healthy, happy and members of the Church. In looking back we have been indeed blessed and watched over this year and we look forward to the New Year and the fun that is in store. I think 2012 will be just as marvelous as the last year... if not more;) See ya on the flippity flip!