Home for the Holidays and Lovin' It!

There's nothing like being home for the holidays and having children and grandchildren come to join you! I love the holiday season and this is why... Family! It's such a beautiful a time to gather in all that is precious and wonderful to enjoy the warmth and glow of the season. These little ones kicked the season off perfectly by making some yummy rolls for Thanksgiving dinner! Eat your heart out you pudgy lil' Pillsbury Dough Boy!
We spent Thanksgiving day over in "P" town where Bob and I both grew up, celebrating with these wonderful people...
...and these wonderful people! It was a day to play and dance a jig, laugh and eat and go back for 2nd and third helpings of yummy food; nap and and hang out with the fam! We sure did miss those who were not able to be there. You know who you are and we WILL hunt you down!
"I LOVE THIS PLACE!" That's what I heard one of my cute lil' grand daughters say when we entered the basement of this house! You see, that's where grandma Ras lives and she has some pretty awesome and very old toys in her basement. The kids love them, and the basement is where they absolutely love to play! We played school, and Tinker Toys while the big kids spent time studying up on all the amazing Black Friday deals! They actually pulled an all-nighter in St. George, fought the rowdy crowds and came home with some pretty amazing deals and a few black eyes!? (Just kidding) they had a wonderful time!
We had fun hanging out around the table eating, and then eating some more with the fam! We played dress-ups with Aunt Chels' old prom formals. Rousted the bird out from the safety and security of his cozy cage to play, took the Gingerbread Man for a swing, and sang "Mares Eat Oats" with Grandpa Stubbs!
It goes something like this:

Mares eat oats and does eat oats
and little lambs eat ivy,
A kid'll eat ivy too, wouldn't you?!

The kids were very accomplished accompanists for this happy little tune!

We ate breakfasts like Kings...
...drew on grandma's graffiti wall like queens! Oh the joy of these few precious words..."I can at grandma's!"
It was fun to gingerbread with both little ones...
...and big ones too! Grandma Stubbs brought her yummy soup and delicious homemade breads! And oh what a delicious day! It was so much fun to visit with all these great gals... eating candy, licking frosting till we were sick and silly... and creating a delicious, most beautiful work of art! My mom started this family gingerbread tradition years ago and my sister Char embellished it. (She is the Gingerbread Mann you know!) Now we just can't live without this tradition. It's become a big part of us! Christmas just isn't Christmas without a beautiful, brightly lit gingerbread house enjoyed in the company of warm, wonderful people!

One of my finished houses!

Aunt Chels read us the story" Too many Tamales" such a cute Mexican Christmas story...and then we indulged ourselves in the glory of bursting the famous Christmas pinata! Treats went everywhere! Even the grown-up's got into the act! We then played hide and seek in the dark with glow bracelets!!! Oh SO much fun!
Coming home for the holidays just wouldn't be the same without a trip to the Parowan Christmas in the Country Santa parade, and a visit with the holly jolly old man himself! It's always fun to sit on the lap of the happy fat man, but... it can also be a little scary too for the tiny ones who haven't gotten to know him yet!
"Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair!" I think we saw the movie "Tangled" from several different angles and I think we could properly say that we liked it from every angle! It was so much fun watching it with this fun crazy fun crew. We also had a great time dining at one of our favorite places before the movie! Yay for Cafe Rio!

Alas the winter storm began rolling in, and so with that...all the fun packed up and rolled on out too before the snow hit. And boy did it ever hit! I am so very sad to see everyone go, but so happy they made it home safe and sound and warm in there homes. I have loved spending time with family! May God's choice blessings be upon all of our family members this Holiday season and may Christmas bring to them the same joy they have brought to me through the years. Merry Christmas to you all. I love you all SO MUCH! All I want for Christmas is HAPPY children!