First things first: Christmas Happenings

I have a couple updates to make on here, but I'll start with all the Christmas cheer. I know it's hard to believe I'm still here and blogging after my extended vacay from the aforementioned, but I haven't given up on my renewed enthusiasm for keeping this thing updated. Yet.

We headed up to Kansas City to visit my family in mid-December. We missed the last of the Texas warmth while we were there, but it was well worth it. 

It was good to hang out with the sibs and the mom (and for Peyton, the dog). Even though they had school and work (other than Brady, but given his wisdom teethlessness, he was unnaturally subdued), we still had a lot of fun! Peyton enjoyed his first snow experience while my love for Texas was simultaneously renewed. I'm much more content to TRAVEL to the snow. I don't like when it travels to ME. Yes, I have taken to Texas quite nicely. 

Brad meets Great Grandpa Felshaw.

Usually Brady had the blanket OVER his head. Perhaps he did so to prevent photographs such as this? 

It's Shadow!!

Brad did NOT appreciate Peyton's snow-frozen hands on his face. At all. 

Sweet little content Brad. 

Santa Grandpa! 

Santa Baby and Santa Old Man. ;-)

Bridging the generational gap. 

The flights there and back were easy for me (I had Brad, who slept the whole time), and hard for Dan (he had Peyton, who missed naps and definitely didn't sleep on the plane). 

We got back in time for me to sing in the ward Christmas program. Dan's parents and Seth arrived the same day as we did. On Christmas Eve, we headed up to Nicole and David's house and had a very enjoyable time there, too. Peyton was in present heaven and was so overwhelmed with the awesomeness of all his gifts, that he felt the need to spread it out over a week. He literally opened 2-3 presents a day for about 4 days (his grandparents were very accommodating in the present department). Brad was his awesome chill self the whole time. Peyton his rambunctious, never-sitting-still-self. It was nice to be able to spread out through a nice big house instead of cooped up in a tiny apartment. 

While we were at Nicole and David's we enjoyed some football (to Peyton and Dan's delight), played lots of games, ate waaaaay too much food, and saw Les Miserables. Dan, Seth and their dad went to a Mavs game. I went shopping. And really, we did a lot of relaxing ... which was ... relaxing. And awesome. 

Merry Christmas! 

Seth stayed in that pink blanket the whole week. 

I sure do love my boys. 

Grandma and Grandpa. 

Grandma and her grandsons! 

So ... maybe I had a little more fun with Peyton's train set than he did. And so what if I waited until he was napping to play with them? 

Peyton: "I share with Bradley!"
Such a good big brother. 

Who'da thunk we'd have a white Christmas in Texas? Not me! 

That about sums up the festivities. 

Oh yeah, New Year's Eve. Didn't make.it. Dan was in bed by 10 p.m., me by 11. I did drink some  Martinelli's (the REAL amber elixir, no matter what my family says about Dr. Pepper). And I won at Crazy Rook. 

Now back to real life! The end.