December Festivities... CHRISTMAS!

December is probably on of my VERY FAVORITE months out of the whole year! It's filled with fun, and family, and activities, and excitement! Christmas was a fun FAST AND FURIOUS whirlwind to remember this year... so we'll get started!

Sterling and I were OVERJOYED to be done with Finals, and out of school for the Christmas break. The last week we were in school... Sterling got some of the best news of our life...

HE GOT INTO PHARMACY SCHOOL!!!!

We were at a Christmas party for my Dental Hygiene program, and Roseman University called him, to let him know They were extending him acceptance into their Pharmacy program! Needless to say... we were SO EXCITED! Ster had applied to MANY schools, and we have felt right about Roseman from the start. He interviewed there, and felt like he had a great interview. In the mean time, we sent out about another 5+ applications, and Sterling was getting invitations to come out to other schools to interview with them. Once we got the call from Roseman however... we KNEW it was the right thing for Sterling and the right thing for our family! So... Sterling will be starting Pharmacy School This summer up in Salt Lake (South Jordan), and he doesn't have to attend school at Dixie for the Spring Semester! (lucky duck)

 

 My mother and father in-law are some of the kindest and most giving people I have met. They have had a tradition for the past few years, to go to the Jubilee of Trees here in St. George and buy a Christmas tree. Chris (my father-in-law) is the Regional Vice President for Intermountain Health Care (IHC) so he does a lot with the hospitals throughout the state. All of the proceeds from purchasing these trees goes to help out a specific cause for that year. (Breast Cancer, NICU, etc.) This was the Christmas tree that was bought for this year! I loved it! It's the PERFECT traditional tree!

 I also had a lot of fun with my Young Women this Christmas season! These are some special girls! We all have a fun time together!

Ster and I both got iphone 5's for Christmas this year! I FINALLY upgraded to smart phones! The phone I had been using, was my blue flip phone from when I was a Senior in High School! I had kept that thing in SUCH good shape... but at last... it was time to retire it! :) haha! We came out of the dark ages, and approached the "smart" world! This was the only thing we bought for Christmas... but it's different when you're married. You really realize you don't need much at Christmas time. We usually buy what we need, when we need it throughout the year! Our iphones have been fun though, and we are loving them!

We got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with my family! It was different having everyone all MARRIED and stuff now... we've never really had a Christmas like this before. We all went over to Jaycee and Brady's house on Christmas eve, and had soup and breadsticks, and watched the movie "A Christmas Story". It's a fun family tradition! One of our favorites.

Christmas day, we all woke up, and had breakfast/brunch at my mom and dads house, and opened a few gifts there! Then... we just spent the entire day together, and just relaxed. We visited family, and just had a wonderful day!

Other Christmas festivities included:

The Jolley Family Christmas Party!

Party completed with Minute to Win-it games, Great Food (LOTS of it), and... Santa! What a good time!

We also had our Blake Family Christmas party, and it was so much fun! I wish I would have gotten pictures of the food. It all looked GORMET!!!! We have a delux dinner with all the courses, served on fancy china.. and end the night with a white elephant gift exchange. This year... they invited the Elders to come to dinner, and they participated in the Gift exchange. Well... they happened to choose mine and McKenzie's gifts we brought! ... They were in for a treat, because they were PICTURES OF US, which we had edited on FATBOOTH! It was a great reaction!

 

 We put on a Live Nativity with the kids, and Sterling, McKenzie, my Dad, aunt Sheri, uncle Scott uncle Ian, and I had to fill in some "missing" roles! haha! These kids crack me up!

We also hosted my Dental Hygiene Christmas Party! I have been through SO MUCH with my class... and it's so fun to get together outside of our clinic and school!

 Seniors (class of 2013)

 Juniors (class of 2014)

The last few things we got to do, were to go to the Temple/Visitor Center here in St. George with my family, and Sterling's Parents. We love living so close to the temple, and have made it a fun tradition to go see the lights, and listen to the Nativity at Christmas time!

 Sterling's boss, Evan Stapley, DECKS his halls... this time of year! :) He has his house lit to max with lights! He has them programed to a radio station, so when you listen to it, the lights are all synchronized in various flashes and patterns, and rhythms! We LOVED driving around to see the lights!

We had a WONDERFUL month of December... and couldn't be happier!