Christmas 2011

We had a great Christmas this year. We were so lucky to be able to spend it with our Brudnicki family. The kids love spending time with their aunt and uncles. They also love getting spoiled by them. :)

Because Christmas fell on Sunday this year, we did things a little differently. We decided to go to church all together to Grandma and Grandpa's ward because I needed to accompany a young woman singing in a different ward later that morning. (It sure was nice to have extra hands at church to pass off the wiggly kids to!) So we busted through the presents at our house in the morning before heading off to church. The big boys gave each other books that we had chosen at the school book fair a couple of months ago. They also got really fun books from Grandma Jensen. (Great to have to church that morning!)

 Grandma Jensen also made all the boys these super cute stuffed animals. Carson named his walrus "Tusk" and he and Tusk have been inseparable ever since. (If you look closely, you can also see his missing tooth that he lost the day before Christmas Eve. The Tooth Fairy forgot the first night, so she hitched a ride with Santa and wrote him a note to say sorry.)

After church we spent the rest of the day at Grandma Brudnicki's house, opening gifts, eating lots of food and hanging out together.

Jensen was super excited to get Cars 2 from Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Adam. We had to watch it that afternoon. They also got lots of fun games from them, and we've had a great time playing with them.

 I don't have all my pictures from Christmas yet, and that's because everyone else was taking pictures for me, since my camera got busted this past summer. Dustin decided to be sneaky and not give me my new camera until most of the photo-opt's were over. :)

Great holiday with our family. No one was sick, no one had any drama to deal with, and everyone was grateful for everything they received (kids and adults alike.) :)

10th Anniversary Trip

Dustin and I got the wonderful opportunity to take a special trip for our 10th anniversary this year. Dustin wanted to go to Las Vegas and finally get to see some of the cool shows we always see advertised there. My awesome in-laws agreed to watch the boys for the entire weekend, which was such a blessing. We didn't have to worry about the kids, and we were actually able to relax and enjoy ourselves.

On Friday morning we went and got pedicures at the Luxor's Spa (which is where we stayed). Then we spent the rest of the day walking around, shopping and getting everything ready for Saturday. Friday night we trekked down to the other end of the strip and saw The Blue Man Group. It was super fun. Music was cool, comedy was funny, and everything was clean. (Which is more than we can say for the rest of Vegas. My lungs are finally recovering from all the nasty cigarette smoke!) Anyway, as we were coming out of the show, we ran into one of the "Blue Men" and I got to shake his hand and take a picture with him. Gotta love their crazy eyes!

 

One of the things Dustin really wanted to do on our trip was a car driving experience. When we first booked our trip, he discovered that the place that did it on the track in Las Vegas was closed in December. So when we got there he figured the next best thing would be to go to the Ferrari dealership. But when he googled it to find where it was, he discovered a different car driving experience that allowed you to drive on the streets instead of around the track. (We later learned it had only opened the week before we arrived!) So he booked an 8:30 am appointment for Saturday. Because we had such an early time, no one else was signed up, so it was like getting a private appointment! Dustin got to drive a Bentley, and Audi, and a Ferrari.

 I got to ride along! All three cars were cool, but Dustin loved the Audi the most.

Because we were the only ones on the tour, they let Dustin drive the cars to and from the office to Red Rock Canyon. It was our bonus tour!

We both loved our guide, Roland. He had been a professional race car driver, but now he's an older gentleman who's been retired for many years. He was delightful to talk to, and he made our experience so much more fun. We were also glad we got to do this on Saturday morning, because after all the walking we did on Friday- our feet needed a rest!

Late Saturday morning my parents came into Vegas to go to the Lion King with us! We had awesome 3rd row seats, which allowed us a really cool view of all the performers. The costumes were incredible and some of the voices were unforgettable. (The woman who played Rafiki the baboon was in the original '94 soundtrack.)

 After the show we went to eat at Trattoria del Lupo for dinner. My parents stayed the night in Vegas at the same hotel.

On Sunday, we drove to St. George and went to church with my parents. Then we spent a relaxing day with them, and had dinner with my 90 year old grandpa. It was great to be able to see him again, and I was happy that he remembered who I was.

We had such a great time. We got to sleep in, take naps, eat really good food, visit with family, see really great shows, and most importantly spend time together. Happy 10th Anniversary Dustin!

He Walks

So Mason has known how to walk for about a month now. He just didn't want to walk. But over the past weekend he decided he was okay with this new mode of transport. Now he walks everywhere! And, due to the haircut I gave him last night, he is also looking a little on the bald side. :)

Nativity Display

Here are a bunch of pictures from our nativity display. My camera quality isn't the best, nor are my photography skills, but it kinda gives you an idea of what I've spent my last week doing.