Christmas in Arizona

We decided to spend Christmas in Utah with Mike's family this year, but we did get to spend a little time with my family before we headed up. The 19th of December, the day we drove up, was my dad's 50th birthday! Holy cow dad... you're old. Not like mom, who will be 44 forever!

So we went over to my parent's house for a delicious fried chicken dinner, followed by our imitation of "Things that are older than dad" (anyone else seen that Cosby Show episode?) - which ranged from dirt and fire to Michael Jackson (who turned 50 this past August, in case anyone needed to know). Afterwards, we took a family trip to look at the Temple Lights. Every time we go, we take gloves to keep our hands warm and I always think back to the year that my mom carried around a couple extra pairs in her pocket to give out to unprepared missionaries who looked cold.

The Sisters (Jessie, Calli, Lisa, Summer, and Me)

Grandma, Papa, Amy, and cousin Taylor

Amy & Taylor

The whole family (minus TJ, who left to drive up to Utah with a friend after dinner)

We slept at my parent's house that night and drove straight out the next morning to Utah. We definitely were sad to miss out on the Lewis family Christmas festivities, but we know what they survived without us!

We got to spend a couple days at my parent's house when we got back in town before Calli's family went back to Kansas. My mom gave us a beautiful Christmas scrapbook and gift card, and she gave Amy a cute doll that is so lifelike that my brother-in-law (Brendan) thought it was going to come get him in his sleep!