Christmas!

This Christmas was my first away from my family but luckily we did get to spend it with Andrew's family! It was fun to learn new traditions and see the different ways that other people celebrate. We had a wonderful time and were sad we had to leave so soon but we're learning to live with the constraints of being full time workers these days! :)

(And my mom did do a good job of making us feel remembered...we even got a stocking-in-a-box in the mail before we left for Georgia.)

This was probably the biggest Christmas tree I'd ever had for Christmas (my family can attest, my mom is kind of into the Christmas "plants"--don't ask...)

back: Andrew, Erika, Leslie (mom), Scott, Melissa (holding Abbey)
front: Brent and Aubrey

Brent and Aubrey -- ( April 26 is the big day for Brent & Aubrey!! Yea!!)

Scott and Andrew playing the Wii...and apparently Abbey (the dog) was smelling up the room at the time...:)

Aubrey got Andrew this shirt and although it's the BYU football team's new motto, it's soo true! We're both Fully Invested in the "Y" (we call the YMCA the "Y" also now so it can be a bit confusing :))

Melissa, Scott, Aubrey, Alan (dad), Erika, and Andrew

Zoo Lights

On Monday we got to go see the lights at the Cincinnati Zoo for free! (yea for free! :)) A couple of our friends have season passes to the zoo which entitles them to have a guest and free parking...so Andrew rode with one friend and I rode with the other so we didn't even have to drive. It was great! But it was a little chilly...

We were told that no personal photos were allowed in front of this tree so we made it quick! :)

Emily, Austin, and Jared (some of our buddies from our ward)

Austin, Julia, and Lina enjoying the characters at the zoo...

And this photo is for my mom who will definitely like to see the goats. This is how they keep warm! Even they were cold!!

Christmas Candy

Last Saturday I woke up at 8am all ready to go shopping! And not really Christmas shopping because Andrew and I finished that on the day after Thanksgiving. But Andrew and I had some errands we wanted to run and there was an awesome sale on sweaters at New York and Company so I was all set to leave at 8:30--yes, I know record time for me to get ready. Well the thing is that we had helped our new neighbors move in the night before at 11pm until 1:30am. Why were they moving so late you ask? Well the forecast said snow early Saturday morning. But being the optimist I am I didn't even think twice about it. So on little sleep I got ready and of course it snowed a lot!

But fear not! While it snowed I slaved away on these delicious Christmas candies. And yes it did take me all day. The hardest thing to make this year was definitely the peppermint pinwheel cookies. Even the divinity and almond roca didn't foil me this year.


And the best news of this story? The rains came and the snow melted so I got to get my sweaters after all! Yea for sweaters!! :)

For those of you who have do not live near me (which is pretty much everyone who views this blog)...perhaps this Christmas candy will entice you to at least visit. :)

FAITH IN AMERICA

The following is a little synopsis of what Mitt Romney said during his Faith in America Speech. It was REALLY good. Even Chris Matthews, a HARD CORE democrat, said that this was the most presidential he has seen any candidate to this point.

"He shared his views on religious liberty, our country's grand tradition of religious tolerance and how faith would inform his Presidency. Here are a few excerpts:

"When I place my hand on the Bible and take the oath of office, that oath becomes my highest promise to God. If I am fortunate to become your president, I will serve no one religion, no one group, no one cause, and no one interest. A President must serve only the common cause of the people of the United States.

...

There are some who would have a presidential candidate describe and explain his church's distinctive doctrines. To do so would enable the very religious test the founders prohibited in the Constitution. No candidate should become the spokesman for his faith. For if he becomes President he will need the prayers of the people of all faiths.

…

"The diversity of our cultural expression, and the vibrancy of our religious dialogue, has kept America in the forefront of civilized nations even as others regard religious freedom as something to be destroyed.

…

"In such a world, we can be deeply thankful that we live in a land where reason and religion are friends and allies in the cause of liberty, joined against the evils and dangers of the day. And you can be certain of this: Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me. And so it is for hundreds of millions of our countrymen: we do not insist on a single strain of religion - rather, we welcome our nation's symphony of faith." "

Read what some are saying below and watch the full speech at MittRomney.com.

First Snow of The Season

Well snow has hit the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati region and oh man was it a doozey...I mean, just look at this picture from the newspaper. This guy is almost knee deep in snow, it must be bad...
The truth is that yesterday on the news they forecast 1++ inches of snow. And well, let's just say that business was good for Kroger all day yesterday. And sure enough, that 1++ inch came. School is cancelled everywhere (meanwhile, Andrew & I are at work) despite the fact that the newspaper headline says "Snow Less Than Expected". People just aren't taking their chances around here. Safety first, is our motto.

I'd like to say to my friends back in Utah, when you're driving in that 2 feet of snow, just remember, if you lived in Kentucky you'd be sipping hot cocoa in front of the fire right now. :)