Our Eventful Christmas

Christmas this year was so amazing! I absolutely loved every moment of it. Kaden and i got to spend a lot of time hanging out with family and each other. A couple of days before Christmas, right in middle of the crazy rain storm, Sarah and I drove down to the valley to hang out with the sisters and cousins. Jimi, Heather, and the boys came out for the entire week of Christmas. It has been so awesome spending so much time with them this past year. Sarah and I took the boys shopping on Thursday (day before christmas eve) for some last minute essentials, and our quick run to Vegas turned into a 10 hour shop till you drop day of running all over Vegas instead. The boys weren't too thrilled, but they got baseball cards at Target and that was enough to make their day. Then Christmas eve, i got to start my day off with an fun family shoot. Seriously it was a great way to spend Christmas eve, i only wish i could have scheduled  more families while i was down. After that Kaden and I hung out around the house at Penn and Nancy's and then had dinner at my parents. It was quite the event. We didn't take very many pictures, but the house was full. 18 people all together. My family, Jimis family, Grandma, Joe and Tosha and the boys, and Max and of course Pierce, it wouldn't be a holiday dinner with out Pierce there. Then Christmas was scheduled by meals for us, for the most part. Decorate moms gift at 5:30, open presents at Penn and Nancys at 7:00, Open presents at my parents at 8:00, talk to Luke and breakfast at Penn and Nancys at 9:00, Breakfast at my parents at 10:30, Lunch at Grandma and Grandpa Leavitts at 12:00, then back to my parents for some more grazing at 3:00 then back to Penn and Nancys for even more food at 8:00 and then back to my parents to watch grown ups ( we all got Voss in our stalkings) and play some games.. I have barely ate since Christmas day, i think i am still full. While we were at my parents on Christmas we restarted an old tradition of playing nerts ( card game). I remember when i was little whenever we would get together with friends and family we would play this and i can remember a few specific times playing with Jimi and Heather at Heathers parents, and Playing at Jack and Chris' house on their dining room table. Oh i need to rewind for a moment, i forgot to mention that on Christmas eve Dad took a little trip to the emergency room after slicing his hand open with a chain saw. Do not ask how, because it is a miracle, but he didn't damage anything and just needed 12 stitches. Okay so back to Christmas, well actually now to the day after, we took the jeep and razor out for a ride with Jimi and Heather and James. Kaden and James rode in the razor until Kaden scared James half to death  jumping a couple of times. We had a lot of fun, and laughed a lot at the crazy stuff dad and Kaden were doing. Dad almost converted Heather taking her down a ridiculously steep hill, and then he almost dented in the right side of it trying to drive between two bolders that we probably shouldnt have fit through. This Christmas was not as spiritual as it should have been, but it was great spending so much time with family. We honestly all enjoyed being together so much, and really that is how it should be. Kaden and I have truely been blessed with such wonderful families!

Another Semester Down, Now on to Break!

I survived finals, woohoo! I really was worried i wouldn't. I had 45 minutes of choreographed technique to perform for my dance final, lesson plan presentations for my education classes, and a ridiculously stressful 2 hour geography exam. I made it by with 5 A's 2 B's and 1 C. Im not to proud of the C but i am just happy that i don't have to retake the class. Kaden survived this semester too, he got a few A's and a few B's and is overall pretty happy with how he did, especially since he worked full-time all semester too. Now that the semester is over we have decided to make the most of our break. That means finish painting the house, decorating for christmas, and spending time with the family. So far we have finished the Kitchen, and the downstairs bathroom. Kaden has started our master bath, but gave up for a bit because the paint was frustrating him. Kaden has also moved onto what i like to call the man cave, otherwise known as the garage. He is building a desk and shelves out there and while this is going on everything that goes in the garage has been moved in the house. He told me a week ago it would be done and back in the garage the next day but at the moment i am sitting on the couch and am surrounded by camping gear, work out equipment and paint supplies. I will just be happy if it is all out of the house by the time school starts again, which seems to be coming way to fast! I have gone to the valley twice already and am headed back tomorrow, and at home i think all i have done is work on christmas presents, shopped for christmas presents, and worked. I have really enjoyed putting together things for christmas this year, i have decided that giving gifts and receiving gifts is one of my love languages. So christmas is amazing to me. I do wish i felt like it was christmas more spiritually this year though, i am kind of lacking in that area right now i think. I have been way more into the hole gift part than focusing on christ. New goal for today, read the christmas story. I did make a goal the first of December to do something giving everyday and to find christ in my life each day. That quickly got shot down when my migraines came back and i wanted die. Fortunately they have been gone for the past week. Anyways, today i am on too spending lots of time with the family. My aunt, uncle, cousins and sisters are coming up to go to the snow. Hopefully we can get up to Brian head with the way the weather has been. It should be pretty fun though, the other night my sisters and I met them in Vegas and had a blast playing at game works and eating Serendipity. Well, here are few house pictures and stuff I've been working on, i am off to start packing. I leave for the valley tonight and don't come home till Sunday or Monday.

 Our blue messy Kitchen

 The Bathroom, we painted, and put up molding, and framed our own mirror

 Pumpkin Bread!

 Our cute little Christmas Tree, I love our tree skirt :)

Oh Dance, How I Love You!

I have been dancing for the majority of my life, and since i stopped taking private ballet until this last semester i believed i was done dancing for good. This last semester of Jazz has been amazing for me though. I have done things in dance i never thought i would be good at and have really learned a lot of technique i never had the opportunity to learn. I had an awesome teacher and a lot of fun with the girls in my class. I have kind of figured if i can progress so much more now in this one semester than i probably did in my hole 3 years of dance team that i should probably not give up on it quite yet. Last night i went to the schools Dance Concert and was in awe with it. It was so beautiful, and so moving. A few of the dances were very emotional. On top of that it was a modern dance concert, and i have never been a huge fan of modern but now my goal is to be in this concert before i graduate. ( we will see if it really happens) So next semester a modern dance class? I think so. Ah and my favorite song of the night for the dances, The Moon, by The Swell Season. I loved this song before but love it even more now. Oh yea and isn't this out fit sweet, its what you wear when you have a dance final and are required to wear tights and a leotard and its like 20 degrees outside and there is snow everywhere.