Anyway! I'm so excited to post about Christmas. It was so perfect! It was a little nerve wracking getting everything ready and baked and packed and of course we forgot something so we had to turn around (good thing we hadn't left on time.. oh wait we never do). Not to mention the 11 hour drive we had to San Diego. But thankfully Kohen was so good! We stopped in St. George and saw Trey's family for a little bit and let Kohen crawl around for a while and he slept for most of the rest of the way. The only scary part was how delirious Trey got around 2 am and wouldn't stop to let me drive. Come to find out he was only acting that way because he knew I would fall asleep if he didn't stress me out to no end and he wanted me to stay awake and talk to him. Wonderful. Also, true about me. Fun stuff. So we got to San Diego safely and had a pretty good drive out.
Now, I don't think I have every posted about San Diego before. My dad's boss has a company condo down there and lets people rent it out for vacations. My family has gone a few times before this trip and it is probably one of our favorite places to go. The condo is on the 33rd floor and overlooks the harbor where cruise ships and air craft carriers come in. It is so beautiful. We have made a lot of fun memories down in that beautiful place. This was Trey's first visit to San Diego and he loved it! We all loved it.
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| We were about four three levels from the top |
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| veiw from family room |
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| view from balcony |
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| view from family room |
The first day we were there Kohen of course woke up at 6 am. That was nice of him. So Trey and I got up and got ready by 7:30. We waited for a tiny bit before we woke everyone else up too :) The Stecks, my cousins/Aunt/Uncle, drove down also for a few days so we planned to meet up with them around noon and have lunch and then go rent bikes. Well, by 10 we were all getting stir crazy from looking outside and seeing the sun shining and the palm trees blowing in the breeze so we decided to go on a walk. Me, Trey, Jordyn, Ben, and Kohen decided to venture out into the big city and we ended up walking a few blocks to the mall.
Of course we split up so the boys could do their own thing while me and Joe shopped. We had to be back by noon so when we were still shopping at 11:55 the boys yelled at us to get going :( So I didn't get to buy my pants. Jerks... :) When we got back we ate lunch with the Stecks and then went to go rent bikes. Get ready for this... its awesome....
Pictures say a thousand words and that was a lot of pictures so I won't say anymore about that.
We ended the dad at Hodad's, a local burger place with THE BEST burgers. Ever.
The next day was Sunday. Trey and I met with the Stecks at the Sand Diego Temple after church. It is so beautiful!! It looks like a castle from the freeway. Trey practiced some skills with the camera too.
That night we took a drive over to La Jolla and went to a look out over the bay. It was so beautiful and we got to watch the sunset over the Naval Base's cemetery.
We had so much fun with the Stecks and we are so happy they drove down to spend a couple days with us!! They are more than cousins/Aunt/Uncle to us. Which is why I call them Aunt mom, Uncle Dad and Kohen calls them uncle cousins, and Aunt Bum. <3
On Christmas Eve all the kids went shopping while Grandpa Rob watched Kohen at the condo. Kohen decided to have some fun with Grandpa and blow out of his diaper (which he rarely does). Grandpa liked that. Then we went out to lunch at a local Mexican place called El Indio. Best taquitos ever. That night we went to dinner at Outback Steakhouse!
Then we opened our traditional Christmas PJ's
Christmas morning was so much fun with Kohen! Grandpa Rob got him a standing up Piano and music player and Auntie Joe got him a hat from Bass Pro Shop. He loved ripping the paper and he loved his presents too!
Kohen turned 8 months old on Christmas Day :) Such a big and happy boy
After all of the morning festivities we went to see Les Miserables. While we were waiting to head over to the theater we played life size chess and checkers at the mall.
The movie was awesome! Except Kohen slept the whole time BEFORE the movie and then fussed the entire 3 hours. So Trey and I had to take turns going out or to the back of the theater with him. I felt really bad for the old lady next to us. She saw our backsides more than she saw the movie I think.
The whole trip was so perfect. There is truly nothing better than being with family and making memories together. It was so hard to say goodbye to them, as it always is. I'm so proud of my Dad, who holds down the fort so well and with so much on his plate. My siblings are also amazing and we had so much fun together. I'm so proud of them and the people they are. We've been through a lot this year and we've all suffered and we've all grown in different ways. This Christmas was perfect because it didn't feel like our usual Christmas, which is exactly what we needed. My mom made Christmas SO wonderful. And we really really missed her. But we stayed busy and happy and, yes, we shed a few tears on the last day there. My dad made some calendars for us with old and new family photos, and my Nanny made us binders with all of our family pictures from when my parents got married to now and also put individual pictures of each grandchild in them too, such precious gifts for us to look back on the years and remember the happy times together.
Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. And its funny to look back at how my reasons for it being my favorite have changed. From believing in Santa, to wanting new things, to just being with family and remembering Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the meaning of Christmas and how it reminds me to be more giving, more loving, more charitable, and more appreciative of how TRULY blessed I am. This Christmas could've only been better if my mom was there with us, but you know what? I think she WAS.
We had a very nice New Year's Eve with some close friends and Trey's family visited the weekend we got home. Kohen got super spoiled of course by his Nana and PeePaw (yes we know that name is creepy :) )
We are so truly blessed with such wonderful family and friends who have been so supportive and loving. And this year WAS filled with good things too! We welcomed Kohen into our lives and so many new memories were born with him. But I am ready for a new year. Sending 2012 off was very bitter sweet, but I feel like 2013 is going to be filled with good, with happiness, and with love.
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and wish you an even greater New Year!
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