The End of the Year

And just like that 2016 is over. We went to Hurricane with Hayden & Megan and saw Rogue One for our last hurrah and then the party was over. Our break had come to an end and it was time to get back to our busy, busy regular stuff.

Christmas 2017 will be here all too soon.

Sherlock Comes to Visit

We always try to have a tea party when the girls are all here. This year Sherlock came to visit us.

Those shorts tho!

He might have been the life of the party. The Tea Party will never be the same.

Christmas 2016

Just a few highlights of this Christmas. We made lots of good memories but sadly only a few fit here!

We went to St George with Ashley's family and got a tour of great Christmas lights there from Hayden & Megan.

OPD was doing pictures at the family Christmas party this year. It was a great day to visit Grandpa at work and invade his office just a little.

Christmas cookies and Hot Chocolate!

We must do a puzzle or two every year.

Christmas Eve there were lots and lots of things going on:

 The grandkids got to make their very own gingerbread houses. They even saved some candy for the gingerbread houses!

Watching Santa vs the Snowmen on Christmas Eve with Uncle Charlie.

How cute is this little gal.

 We made it to Ashleys before Santa to get the kids Christmas nestled safely under the tree!

 The unwrapping chaos ensues.

 Funny how Dane never sleeps! SO here is our last but not least present of the season from Hayden & Megan! Pretty exciting stuff.

Temple Square

We made a quick little trip to Utah. We had just enough time to go to Temple Square and see the lights. That was the priority when we heard Megan had never seen them. I mean we had to right?

We drove up Saturday morning and grabbed Hayden & Megan on the way and drove straight to Provo. There was an accident on the freeway that had us at a stand still for almost two hours but we made it. Luckily this year we got there in time before they actually turned the lights out on us! Man it was cold though.

You always have to make a stop into the Joseph Smith Building during Christmas.

Okay this had to be the funniest Christmas thing we have ever seen. Seriously, ever. Quite the collection of Christmas Santas going on right around the corner from Christina's house. Very memorable for sure!! 
The next day we found a Sacrament meeting to attend. Just a random one down the street and of course Christina found someone she knew lol. After lunch everyone else headed home and I stayed one more day with Christina so she and I could drive together down to our house for her Christmas break. It got pretty cold for those guys:

It actually got down to minus 8. They had to jump outside for a few minutes to see what it felt like.

 I could have just told them it was COLD!!!

Christmas Concert

Our FHE group splurged this year and did something different. We went to the David Archuleta concert in Las Vegas!

I have to say even though we enjoyed David Archuleta we kind of discovered Nathan Pacheco. His voice was incredible. Their duet was simply amazing. If you get a chance...go!

The Christmas Express

This year we got in on a great thing! The Christmas Express has been going on close to Alamo for a few years now but I didn't know about it and then I've called for tickets too late! This year I called nice and early and was able to get tickets for us and Ashley and her children. Yay! It is just about the coolest thing ever. Seriously cool. But shhh it's a secret. I read the kids the Polar Express on the way out since we had a half hour drive.

We got there as soon as it opened because I had heard about all the amazing things to do there besides the train. We went through the welcome train car and saw the nativities and got our train and dinner tickets first. We looked at the wonderful displays they had everywhere.

This was a huge advent calendar that I just loved.
Each locker door opened to a fun and gorgeous little Christmas scene.

 How cute is that!

On the trail to the train there was so more cute displays. 

The cookie workshop was adorable. 

There was  hot chocolate for anyone who wanted it.

There was the cutest house with a lollipop roof that the kids could pick one from. There were Christmas trees everywhere too. Then when you get a ways down the path there is a big screen tv with a Christmas movie playing. They even gave the kids glow in the dark necklaces to wear. The train station was next. You get your Golden Train Tickets and there are cute Christmas scenes set up everywhere in there to enjoy.

 Loved the nativities and gingerbread houses.

 There was a room where the kids could write a letter and mail it to Santa. Dane was on it.

Even Shay got into it.

Seriously cute!

 We all got our popcorn and then got right on the Polar Express. The train ride was magical. There were live scenes set up outside along the route for the kids to look at.  Their north pole scenes were so cute. Elves houses everywhere etc.         

 There was even a live nativity going on beside the train. How refreshing to see Jesus Christ in Christmas! It was so cool. The kids were pretty enthralled with it all.

 After awhile Cooper said that there was no way we really went to the North Pole!

 Santa was even onboard to give each child a treat bag that had candy and a little toy.

There were a couple of photo oppportunities

We went on a fun wagon ride that went all around by their animals. It was decorated with lights and was so pretty. There horse and buggy rides too.

 We all had dinner which was a hot dog and beans and corn bread. There was a cookie for dessert and hot chocolate or soda to drink. It was pretty cold so the hot chocolate was awesome. Dinner was great. There was a little tiny train for little kids and bonfires but by then the kids (ok maybe the adults) were tired so we rounded everyone up and headed home. It was so amazing. They do an incredible job and what's super cool is it's all free. But like I said shhhh it's a big secret!

On the way home I gave each of the grandkids their Christmas ornament for 2016.