Merry Christmas!

For Christmas this year, we went to the new Cox house in Las Vegas. All five of the Woolley kids and their families, Cliff, Zonda, and Grandma/pa Barnhart came, so we had quite the houseful! My kids really love being with their cousins. We love seeing all the family we don't get to see nearly enough, and it was so nice to stay in the Cox's big, beautiful new home!

Each mini-family was given a day to run, where they were in charge of the cooking, basic cleaning, and activities. Ryan and I chose Saturday the 24th, and as part of our day's activities, we had the "kids" make candy trains, a Woolley family tradition.

Then since that night was Christmas Eve, we acted out the nativity, sang carols, and read from the scriptures (another family tradition). All the kids and some of the "big kids" dressed up to participate.

(for some reason, it's part of the tradition to give Dustin a uni-brow)

Christmas morning we opened lots and lots of presents! We even Facetimed with Grandmii and Granddaddy in Alabama, so that they could see Jeremy open his big present from them - a ukalele! From Santa, he got a Hot Wheels garage and more cars to fill it with, as well as a wooden Melissa and Doug train.

Chloe, ever the consummate girl, got a purse, little dolls with a gazebo, a My Little Pony, and a rockin' singin' guitar. I was welcomed to the 21st century with an iPhone from Ryan. My old LG Dare served me well for 3 1/2 years, but after two weeks with the iPhone, I'm not sure how I lived without it. Ryan scored with sunglasses, several fun gadgets (like a watt meter), and a nice laser pointer (supposedly for work, but he hasn't actually taken it to work yet. He spends the last ten minutes of each night reflecting it off of stuff, playing with the cat, and watching the dust in the air. nerd).

That afternoon after church, we all gathered for a family photo.

The day after Christmas, we all dressed up in the coordinating shirts that Zonda gave us for Christmas (she sowed all those ruffles onto the girls' shirts herself!) and headed up to Valley of Fire State Park to take family pictures. I think that despite my hugely pregnant frame taking up half the shot, we managed to get some great pictures!

After the photos, we used the remaining daylight to take a short hike to Elephant Rock.

Chloe was tired

Mufasa and Simba? Actually Casey and Boston

Casey, his beautiful wife Kami, and baby Boston

On the way home from the park, we stopped by the Speedway to check out their Christmas lights. You drive under the bleachers around the racetrack.

It was a very full day!

The other days we had a lot of fun just playing with everyone (and their toys). I thought Chloe might drive off with Seth's Little Tikes car, she loved it so much!

We came home on the 29th and spent a quiet New Years Eve at home. It was a fun trip; it's always so nice to see the family, but we sure were glad to get home and relax for a few days before Ryan had to go back to work!

I am now coming on 34 weeks pregnant and in full nesting mode. Ryan and I both think our little lady will make a (slightly) early appearance, but I have a million things to rearrange and organize before she comes so she's just going to have to stay put another month or so! We are so excited to meet her and for all the family visits that will come with her arrival!!