Christmas cookies and a gingerbread house

We have been having so much fun! I don't want this vacation to ever end!! I'm so behind on pictures but here are some of the things we have been up to. My awesome mom did a twelve days of Christmas for all the families this year. We got to open a present every morning since we got here. They were all fun things to do with our own little families. We got gift certificates to get ice cream after looking at the lights, candy to eat, hot chocolate mix and mugs, books to read at night, cookie mix and cookie cutters, and lots of other fun things. It's been so much fun spending time together just the three of us. It's been fun for Ava too, she turned into quite the daddy's girl. She will take Eric over me almost every time!

I also got the best early Christmas present ever (thanks mom)! A new canon speedlite! It's been killing me that my good camera doesn't have a flash so I couldn't take good pictures in low light so my mom helped us and we found one on KSL and picked it up that day! I love it so much!

Merry Christmas to me!!!

Ok on to the pictures...

She did alot more eating that cutting!

Gingerbread House

Daddy was much better at it than Ava

Eating the candy off it

This is as far as we got with Ava helping.

making a mess!!

Family Christmas Party

The Sunday we got here my family had our big Christmas party. We did an ugly sweater party this year! It was so fun to see everyone get into it. We couldn't find a sweater for Ava so we stole a little random one off one of my mom's little bears. It was a bit small but she still looked cute. I love seeing family I hardly ever see! It was great food and tons of fun. The kids acted out the nativity and it was quite the entertainment.

Drake and Ava

My sister-in-law Angi and my Brother Richard, the ugly sweater winners!

Ava and Uncle Jake


Ava was an angel

The whole family!!

Ward Christmas Party

I am so behind in posting pictures but I want to go somewhat in order. We are actually here in Utah now. We got in last Saturday for my family Christmas party. It's good to be home but it's freezing cold! We have been enjoying spending time together without Eric studying! It doesn't get much better than this!

Our ward party was alot of fun. It was a pancake pajama party. It was nice to hang out with friends from the ward. The kids got to decorate sugar cookies as well. Ava had fun running around in her p.j's with her friends.

All our friends, Eric was out chasing the girls!

I love Christmas!

I decided to do a fun little session with Ava the other day. I made her a tutu and bought some candy canes so she would hold still. She is not at a good picture taking age but we got a few good ones. We are still working on her smile!:) It looks more like a squinty wink but I still think it's cute. Happy Holidays everyone!!

Daddy/jungle gym

Ava loves when her daddy comes home and she can climb all over him and have him chase her. It's so fun to watch. If he stops for 5 seconds she starts saying "more" more" over and over. She is quite the dare devil sometimes too! She isn't a daddy's girl very often but I think it's so cute when she is!

letting her baby have a turn!

She was so proud!

This was in the morning one day, she didn't want him to leave or maybe she wanted to go with him. It was so sweet I had to take a picture!

Thanksgiving weekend

We had such a fun weekend in St George. It was great to see all my family and Ava had soooo much fun with her cousins. They always wanted to play with her and pick her up and hold her hand. Which is funny because she is about as big as they are! She is still at the age where she is in her own little world but she loves playing with them.

It was so nice to see my cousins as well. I miss out on alot of stuff living here in Vegas.
I'm just throwing all the pictures from the weekend in one post to save time!

Taylor, Ava, and Chance watching a movie on the DVD player. The big TV was occupied with boys watching football!

Brynli and Ava hanging out!

She loves her ice cream!

All the grandkids on Thanksgiving

My sister Robyn cleaning the turkey. My mom called and asked us to get it started. Neither of us have ever cooked a turkey so I nominated Robyn to do it! :) It was hilarious! I had to take pictures. I read her the instructions and she pulled all the crap out. Seriously so gross! Good work Robyn!

Ava and her baby doll on our way to go shopping!

We went bowling with all my cousins one night.

Ava mostly played on the toys with Aniston!

My brother Rob and Ava, and My brother-in-law Jake and Drake hanging out!