tis the season

once thanksgiving and jake's birthday pass, we officially begin holiday festivities. 

we had a lovely weekend. 

(more on that later)

i love the holidays. 

we've decked the halls here.

tree is up. 

garlands hung. 

crafts completed. 

glitter galore. 

candy jars filled. 

wreaths hung. 

santa's displayed. 

nutcrackers presented.

it's feeling so cozy. 

i don't know what we will ever do when we have to take them down. 

if you are still looking for ideas try:

these they turned out beautiful. these, so cost friendly. 

or this, still in the process. 

anxiously anticipating:

time with family and loved ones.

get togethers with friends.

advents. 

giving. 

spending time with husband, 

with no school. 

snow. 

skiing. 

sledding. 

the list is endless. 

traditions started from last year to continue: 

gingerbread decorating. 

first presidency devotional. 

(it was so wonderful, find here)

attending the nutcracker. 

a new nutcracker for our collection. 

christmas eve skiing. 

christmas street. 

temple square lights. 

and more to add! 

for last years holidays check out this, and this. 

what do you love?

what are you anxiously anticipating? 

and what traditions do you have? 

dear: halloween 2011

thank you for being good to us. 

we had lots of fun planning our costumes, eating candy till we were sick, bobbing for apples, pinning the wart on the witch, seeing friends and family, and many more memories. 

here is this years festivities in pictures:

my husband is the best sport. 

but to be honest-he loved wearing his costume. promise. 

can't wait for halloween 2012. 

our state fair, is a great state fair

and you bet your bottom dollar we went.

it's a yearly tradition and it's been one that husband and i have shared two years in a row now.

i think the animals take the cake for our fav and the rides that feel as though they may fall apart on you take second.

(not to mention court and i took our dates on a very twirly one and they got quite sick. oops)

so behind

i'm very behind, and when i say behind i mean a month behind. we were fortunate enough to go to las vegas just days before christmas for the bowl game with the football team, and to the caribbean with jakes family right after christmas. i also need to post just a few pictures from christmas just for our record. with all the havoc of christmas and our vacations we were able to fit in a few additional traditions that we are sure to keep for years to come. one of them is gingerbread house decorating which we started the christmas jake left on his mission. we had the best night with some of jakes best friends and our siblings here are the pictures to show.

our attempts for one decent photo:


so the race begins...






finished product: