T'was the Night Before Christmas...

...And all through the snow, little bodies were flying, shouting, "Grandpa, Let's go!"

But before they took off they knew first they must pick 

their cute little cousin and buddy, Dominick.

And on to the sleds they were off in a bound, 

scarfs and boots flying and snow all around.

First, Grandpa was steering...

And Dad took a turn.

Then they hustled inside to the fire that burned.

They sipped their hot cocoa that warmed them right up.

And waited while Grandma prepared for their sup'.

Chowder in bread-bowls made all their mouths water.

Speaking of mouths, a lost tooth for my daughter.

A quick cousin photo to preserve memory.

And Dom headed home to peek under his tree.

With new PJ's on and the Nativity read, these babies were sugarplums snuggled in bed.

These are the moments I treasure so dear.

The pure innocence grows with each coming year.

Time swiftly passes, so I hold them so tight.

And say Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight.

Pre-Christmas Family Night

Here is my precious crew all slicked up for church on Christmas Sunday.

This is what they think about hanging out at Grandma and Grandpa Stewart's house. (And obvious thumbs-up.)

Then we headed over to my parents house for a special Christmas Family Night.  Dad shared some really special thoughts about Christmas, and we were so lucky to hear his "the real santa" story.  My favorite!  So glad my kids got to hear it.

Check out these beauties Chelsea whipped up!  They were heavenly!  A fabulous family night treat.

Romney's Reunite in West Yellowstone...

It seems appropriate to begin this party with balloons.

\

It also seems appropriate to follow that with sleeping babies, because we really did bash 'til we crashed. (These cute kids slept the entire way there- that never happens!)

But it didn't take them long to perk up and suit up when they heard there was a pool. (Poor Chels had the job of holding them at bay while we all got ready.)

We were so fortunate to be able to take advantage of my Aunt's time-share and sweet supportive parents and vacation in style at a resort.  It was lovely!  And we pretty much had the place to ourselves.  It was a great place to relax and makes some fun memories.

These guys are reading their scriptures so that they can go to the pool again. :)

These cute kids got an art lesson from their Aunt Lydia.  They did such an awesome job following instructions!  I was really impressed.

From fun in the game room...

...To card games and giggles that night....

...to cross country-skiing to the nearest store for milk the next morning,

...We had a lot of weight on our shoulders with that many people to please... 

...but it seemed to all pan out in the end, and I think everyone had a great time.

And the snowy drive home was beautiful! (It snowed a 7 or 8 inches while we were there.)

We finished it up with a grand finale at the temple.  It was so fun to go with brothers and sisters.

And of course we had to treat ourselves to a little frozen yogurt at Millhollow.

Lots of happy memories!