Richins

Christmas was not to big this year, because Grandma Janene and Grandpa Larry took the whole family, both kids with all their kids, to Disneyland right after it! We became bugs! This really scared Lilly( we may have forgotten about the very large spiders that come down from the ceiling at one point and Lilly's apparent real fear of spiders. oops.) She recovered luckily and we all flew on the only flying elephant we know! Lilly, Lucy, Colton, Topher and I canoed the river to see the sights with Davey Crockett. This time I scared Colton, he didn't want to go on a big waterfall. No Splash Mountain for him. He did smile at one point on the river run! We watched the parade with lots of life size Christmas treats, and all sorts of characters and dancing royalty! Some of us even rode on royal steads, but all of us got wet! We came from a land of snow and ice to a land where they have fake snow and dress like it could be subzero out side; when it is really in the mid forties. 65 degree...

Grandma Lisa came to watch the girls open presents this year! Aunt Marian and Wayne were suppose to be there too but car troubles keep them in Logan longer than we all wanted. The scooters where the big hit and present from Santa. Exept Glen had to help Santa out because Lucy's was missing a rear bushing.( which makes it unusable.) Luckily we have our own work shop and she was non the wiser! Lucy's brush- she really was more excited about it than you can tell. Lilly's excitement over a new My Little Pony toy! The stockings that where hung on the banister with care by the girls who needed sugar plums to dance in their heads! Our lovely tree that made a record short appearance of three weeks or less. The girls helped decorate it. I bet you can't tell where?

Every year the weekend following Thanksgiving my side of the family does gingerbread houses. It has gotten more intense the last five years because we do something for the Festival of Trees on be half of my nephew! My mom is also kind enough to make houses so each of us kids can invite friends or family over to do them too. One year I will have to get pictures of the full blown madness at her house, but for now this is a little taste. Plus this year Glen and I decided to extend the madness to our house! We had Glen's sister's family over and his cousin's! This is them working on their houses. It was lots of fun, with a few learning curves. The learning curve happened when Lilly got a little to helpful putting powdered sugar on Janae's house and decided to clean it off by dumping a cup of water on it! For your future reference water and gingerbread don't mix well. Okay they do but not in a manner that makes it possible to stand the wall of the house vertical. They...

besides having interesting conversations with the three year old we have- - celebrated a birthday by going on a date to the local high school play. They did Les Mis. and it was fantastic! There was only one person that we would have cast differently but the rest was stellar for high school kids! - enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with a much smaller group of family than I am use too, but that happens when your on year is everyone else's off year. -made gingerbread houses until our little hearts were more than content. One of the major day is now lovingly referred to as "Black Saturday," by my brothers! - shopped until I couldn't handle it any more. Stimulating the economy is a rough thing sometimes, especially when you love shopping as much as I do. I did discover that I like buying online especially when I know I am getting a great deal! - celebrated Christmas with family. We stayed at our own house this year which was a first in the whole time we have been married....