Christmas!

We had a lovely Christmas.

If you read my post about

Natalie's Birthday (Click here to read it),
you already know that we almost
didn't make it to the midwest.  

The airport

Utah got this crazy

snow storm the day we were supposed to

leave.  Our flight to Tulsa kept getting 

delayed and then finally canceled.

There were no other flights available 

over the weekend, but my

brother came to the rescue.

Waiting for a flight.... Trying to stay positive!

Since we were going to Dallas for

a few days for Natalie's Birthday,

Trevor got us a flight to Dallas

and my parents met us there.  Then

we rode back to Tulsa with them

after the party for Christmas!

Finally on the plane... getting de-iced

But then our luggage didn't make it!
So the airline gave us sweet little
travel kits which included these awesome
sleep shirts, along with toothpaste and a
toothbrush.  It was close to 3AM by the
time we got to Trevor and Candace's house.

In our airline provided sleep shirts

The next morning, Trevor got us
donuts, so that made up for our
missing bags - I think so at least.

And then we got to see these sweet

little faces - and that really made

the trip worth it!

My niece and fur-nephew!

Natalie loves her Uncle Eric!

Lunch and pictures with Santa!

Anyway, the rest of the pictures in this blog

are from our Christmas celebration

in Oklahoma.  

This was our first

Christmas without Mimi and Pa.

We missed them so much.
Christmas was always at their house. 

So, being the traditionalists that we are,

we tried to do everything the same.

We made all of the usual foods
(enough to feed an army) 

and we put Mimi and Pa's Christmas

tree up instead of my Mom and Dad's tree.

My mom made us all special keepsake
ornaments out of ornaments from
Mimi and Pa's Christmas tree
and their memorial folders.

I'm thankful for the many wonderful
memories I have of Mimi and Pa.
And I'm thankful for the
 traditions that will keep them
close to our hearts and a
 part of our lives for years to come.

I learned how to make Chocolate Pie and Coconut Cream Pie!

Making Christmas Cookies!

On Christmas Eve, we went to

look at Christmas lights.  We started at

Rhema and then drove around to houses

that the newspaper listed as view worthy.  

Christmas Day...

Santa came!

Christmas Day with Taps and Tango

We wore aprons made by Granny

It wouldn't be a holiday without Kraft Macaroni and Cheese

My mom did such a great job with the table decor.
And we used Mimi's gorgeous china.

We had our traditional Christmas cookies and several delicious pies.

Passing out the Christmas gifts

Eric's new golf shoes!

My awesome Bose bluetooth speaker!

Eric's GoPro Camera (for awesome skiing footage) 

Some of my mom's Christmas wrapping paper had glitter on it - so
she was vacuuming me off... what a mess.  But the paper was beautiful.

Eric and I had a Christmas dinner before we left for the midwest.
We used our new Christmas china that Grandma Peg gave us.

Then, in the first part of January,
we celebrated Oliver's 2nd Gotcha Day!
We have had him for two years!