Day After Christmas Festivities

We had a snowball fight. McKay couldn't resist the temptation to eat the snow and to catch the melting snow running off the parking shelter. Yum!

We had our annual party with the Pearson clan along with the traditional white-elephant gift swap. Always a good time. Baby Andrew and Baby Dean are growing soo fast!

McKay loves to hang out with the big boys!

Andrew loves the attention he was getting from cousin Sara.

And Santa hid one present really well that it wasn't even found until two mornings later.

Christmas Day 2011

We woke up and checked out what Santa brought us. Then we quickly got ready for church that started at 9:00 am. After church we took our time opening the rest of our presents.

                                      

McKay's favorite present was the ambulance he'd been wanting for months. Andrew's first Christmas was so fun and he loved anything he could get his hands on. 

Christmas Activities

It has become a tradition to make a gingerbread house. McKay's favorite part is ALWAYS the icing. 

Grandma and Grandpa Miller joined us on Christmas Eve. We read the scriptural account of the Savior's birth while we re-enacted it with the Little People nativity set.

Then Santa came to visit....

...and Santa sat on McKay's lap this time. ;)

Once We Built a Snowman

McKay's first request the minute he sees snow falling is to build a snowman. It took a few days and a lot of help! (Thanks to cousins Alayna, Gabriel, Garrett and DeMar.)

Christmas Parade

We made a quick trip to see a quick Christmas parade in Parowan. We've never been and may never go again, but we did enjoy the firetruck and Santa parade. McKay was so happy to have cousins, Jacqueline and Bronwyn, join us.

They blew their new wood whistles all the way home!

Pioneers and Santa

While we've been back in Cedar City, we've taken advantage of the activities at the Frontier Homestead State Park (formerly Iron Mission). We've enjoyed checking out the antiquities along with story time and Heritage Days....where we were able to participate in some fun pioneer activities like candle making, brick oven bread making, old-fashioned clothes washing, etc. McKay's favorite part is the little model of old Cedar City...complete with running train.

We went to the Jubilee of Trees in Cedar City at VVMC. The trees were nice, but it made us a little homesick for the St. George version. 

McKay wasn't in the mood to sit on Santa's lap, even though he was a very nice one. 

Family Pictures

I knew family pictures would be a challenge (aren't they always?) but I really thought we could pull it off. 

I was wrong. 

We tried...

and we tried....

again...

and again

and again.

But finally, after all the funny faces and blurry pictures we found ONE that would pass.

Photoshoot

Looking at these pictures nearly makes my heart burst out of my chest. I love these faces so very much!!!

I had such a hard time choosing my favorites (which is why I had to buy the CD), but here are a few....