The Trip {1}

Here we are at the San Antonio airport, getting ready to check in. At this point the kids are SO EXCITED they can hardly stand it! 

1)- We were going back to Utah to be with friends and family!

2)- This was the first time for them to FLY!!

Luggage is all checked in and now just waiting to board!

We made it to Denver!

After we made it to Salt Lake City we waited and waited and waited for our luggage to come through. It never came. We went to the customer service desk and they did know something about our luggage.

They knew that it was still in Denver.

Great.

They said they'd have it delivered to our doorstep in American Fork (Brett's parents) around midnight.

Well, it did come at about midnight. Everything was in one piece. Thank goodness!

The first thing I did the day after we made it was pick up a bike!

Lesa, Shelle, Deanna and I had too keep up on our training. We were to ride Little Red Riding Hood- a 100 mile race in a short 3 weeks!

Our first ride out!!! Look at those mountains!!

Just beautiful! Coming from Texas, this was the sight I was most looking forward to seeing!!

Another shot on another ride

Beautiful sight!

Another beautiful sight to see! Timpanogos Temple

After we arrived in Utah, Brett's brother Jeff, so kindly offered to let us use their extra car for our time in Utah. It was SO NICE to have a vehicle of our "own" so we could zip back and forth between friends and family and play dates and lunch dates. It was wonderful and so thoughtful.

Connor found these in Jeff's car

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Some of the most wonderful ladies I know. I am so lucky to call them family!

One night while we were in Utah, Michael had a dance concert at his school. We decided to make the trip up to watch it. I think almost all the whole family was there to watch him. We took up half the auditorium!! It was so fun to watch him and whoop and holler for him. The kids loved seeing him and cheering for him! Thanks for the fun night, Michael!

All the cousins!!! (Sorry for the alien eyes-- the pic was taken with my phone, dang it!)

After the dance, we couldn't just get in our cars and leave, we stood by our cars and talked for almost an hour. Makenna wanted Michael to teach her a few dance moves and he did. It was such a fun night.

I met someone famous.

Ha!! I knew I could get you to look if I used that for the title of my post! This post is only one picture of meeting someone famous and all the rest is some fun December stuff, but it got you here, right?

Anybody know a guy by the name of Alex Boye? Oh yes, I met him at Zupa's with a few of my college roommates. He was sitting in the booth behind us and I just couldn't help asking him for a picture. It's a good thing Brett wasn't there because he hates when I do stuff like that, but it seemed like Alex, I mean, Mr. Boye was flattered. My roommate, Natalie is all about pictures, so she was excited to ask for a picture, and she also asked for his autograph. He was very nice and didn't seem annoyed at all. We had a nice little chat and told him that we enjoyed seeing him sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.



Here is the family decorating the tree. What a wonderful time of year. All the kids were SO excited to put up their own ornaments they've collected over they years. And of course, they all argued, and then bargained with each other, as to who would put up the star this year. It seems like it's a fight every year.

This year, Makenna won the debate and placed the star on the tree. 

Mom and Dad also enjoyed decorating the tree!!

Every year there is a standing bet for the boys in the family when watching the Utah vs. BYU game. The fans of which ever team loses, has to do a snow angel out on the lawn with no shirt! You may be asking yourself, "Who in the Bell family is even a U fan?" Well, he's  not officially from the Bell fam, is MY HUSBAND!!! I know, and I still married him. Anyway, the only brother there to watch the game at my grandpa's house (a great tradition) was Tyler, so he had to do it!!!!

So COLD!!!

The kids wanted in on the action, too!!! But quickly realized it was SUPER cold!

This year we decided to do a tradition with the Bell cousins. I did this same tradition as a little girl with my "Bell" cousins that was so fun and exciting each year. Every Christmas we would draw a name and make or buy an ornament for our cousin. By the time I left for college I had my own little box of ornaments to decorate a tree with and by the time we were married I had enough to cover our small little tree! I loved it as a child and growing up and we decided to do it with our kids. It was so fun. McKay had Caroline's name so he decided that he wanted to make a plaster mold of all the letters in her name and paint them for her ornaments. He spent so much time and effort on this and he was just thrilled with the outcome. He also bought her a princess crown ornament. Caroline also had McKay's name and bought him the perfect ornament: Mickey Mouse as the sorcerer's apprentice! (See our Halloween post). He was beyond thrilled!

Makenna got a cute Tinkerbell ornament from Wyatt. Very girly and sparkly-- just up her alley! She loved it.

I love Wyatt's face in this picture!!! It says loads about this cute little nephew of mine!!! Kenna had him and got him a Transformer ornament.

Love this little boy, too!!! Such a happy guy! Connor had him and chose a Yoda ornament.

Connor got a holographic Peanuts ornament from Jaxson and loves it.

Look at that face. What can I say? She is adorable!

What a great tradition! I think we'll do it every year!