Christmas 2011

This post is late getting up here because my camera died a day into the trip and I didn't have the charger so I have been busy collecting pictures from everyone else. I think I finally have all of them now, so here it is!

We had an awesome Christmas this year. It was fun to see Grant actually enjoy opening his toys and playing with them after. Cameron had to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas day so Grant and I went ahead to Spokane without him. We left on the 16th and Cameron was able to fly in on the 28th(our 4th wedding anniversary).

Grant and I stayed with my parents for the first week and a half, had Christmas with them on the realt Christmas day, and then moved over and stayed the rest of the time at the Lovinger's. We had tons of fun getting to hang out with Cole and Erin and Paige and Brooke(all of my siblings). Also, we were excited that this year ALL of my cousins that I grew up close with were able to be home with their spouses/families. We had one day dedicated to just hanging out with them and we all loved it!

Over at Lovinger's, everyone was super nice to postpone Christmas until after Cameron got there. You would have never known it wasn't really Christmas day. We opened stockings and presents, had a delicious, festive dinner and everything. we got to spend a lot of time with the newlyweds, Sean and Melissa. Grant LOVED both of them and we all had tons of fun together. Nicole and Tyler couldn't come up this year, but we still exchanged presents and got to skype several times. We loved getting to see Katelyn and baby Jackson. They had us for Christmas and got Grant the coolest little kid video game thing. He is loving it!

We saw several movies while we were home including War Horse and Mission Impossible. We also saw lots of friends and family, had lots of good food, and just had a ton of fun relaxing and letting everyone get to know Grant more.

Present "wrap-up":

Cameron:

New shoes

Roku(it's like Apple Tv, if you know what that is)

a sweet pocket knife thing

movies

books

Hillary:

Cycling shoes(watch out spin classes!)

a willow tree person that will look way cute in our new house

a cookboook

movies

books

boots

BLOG BOOKS!!!- I have to write a little about this gift because it was SO great. I have been telling Cameron a lot this past year or so that I would like to print our blog into books by each year. So eventually I would have however many volumes of "journals" to look back on. I just wasn't sure how to go about it and even though I had checked in to several different sites that do it, I just could not commit and was nervous that I would spend the money and not like them. Well, Cameron TOTALLY surprised me and did them for me! They are done by year so we have 3 volumes right now (he was going to do 2011, but then decided he would wait so we could add in Christmas and all the end of the year stuff first). They are perfect and the picture quality is great. I was really impressed!

Grant:

LOTS of toy trains and cars(he loves them!)

toddler video games

two different sets of blocks

a quilt

clothes

a toy workbench

Also, the biggest part of all of our presents was that both of our parents helped out with our plane tickets to actually get us home! That was by far the best gift.

Paige holding her favorite nephew

Dad on Christmas morning. Lining up their present from us kids. It was a picture of each of us(and our family if applicable) and we were each holding a letter of the word "LOVE". It was cute and they loved it. I believe in this picture Dad was saying he thought it spelt "EVOL"- yeah....

Watching Grant open his presents

The Skelton kids ready for church on Christmas morning

Grant was getting FIVE molars in while we were home and he was NOT happy some days... That is a big tear drop on his cheek

the Skelton family-Cameron

Grandma with all the Thompson Grandkids

playing with Grandpa Clint

this pictures is cute and funny to me. I didn't even know Paige was taking pictures of us, but that is me holding my cousin's little boy Spencer. Right after Paige took this she said "it is clear you want another kid..." haha, we'll have to see about that.

grant watching the deer in the backyard

scaring uncle Cole with the drumstick

trying on Grandpa's shoes

still obsessed with anything sticky

smiley boy

playing with his Christmas presents

sleepy boy with Grandpa

bath time crazziness

wrestling with Grandpa

Grant LOVED his Grandpa and Papa. He would follow them both around and say their name ALL day, and when they would leave for work or whatever he would constantly ask where they were.

playing with daddy

While we were home we met up with Jon and Michelle and their kids. We decided to go to Chuck E. Cheese so the kids could play, but obviously we joined in on the fun too.

Michelle

Jon

me

Cameron

playing peek-a-boo with daddy

Uncle Sean and Grant

Brothers

Watching the BYU bowl game

"Touchdown!!!"

Christmas at Lovinger's.

This picture is HILARIOUS!!! Grant was quite the crack-up while opening presents.

hahaha....so excited

Playing with Papa

I was so happy that Grant really enjoyed playing with his great- grandparents the night before they left to go to Africa on their mission.

Grant got to play with some older boy cousins on the Lovinger side and he loved it. He acted all cool and you could tell he thought he was 10 years old too.

While we were in Spokane, Cameron and I were able to celebrate four years of wedded bliss(sounds cheesy, but what can I say, it's true!) the best part of the night was that we were able to do everything with gift cards that we either had still from our birthdays or Christmas. We saw Sherlock Holmes and both enjoyed that(except for the 10 minutes in the middle where Cameron may or may not have found me taking a little nap (; ). After the movie we went out to dinner at Red Lobster. Neither of us had been there before and we both really liked it.

us at Red Lobster

by the big Christmas tree at River Park Square

I had to put this picture in here. My sister Paige is a very talented photographer and took some "Spokane" pictures while we were home. I love this one.

We obviously all had a great time being home and loved spending time with so much family! Can't wait till we can see everyone again.