The Christmas Spirit

It's Christmas in July, right? Except now it's August.

So might as well jump back to the holidays and catch up on some stuff since I don't really have many new things to report. As always, this is for my own posterity's sake; you really don't have to read it.  Just look at the random photos.

I attended our traditional family FHE Christmas in early December.  It's not quite like it used to be in my younger years (with luminarias lining the sidewalk and everyone coming over), but it's still excellent, always including a visit to the temple grounds to see the lights, hear the free musical performances and feel good about the holidays.

Then I flew back home to Oklahoma for the first time in a couple years.  I drove up to Tulsa to see Nonie and her munchkins.  We survived lunch with two kids under the age of 4.  It was kind of a big deal, especially with little Miss Diva on our hands.  She moves constantly and was definitely checking herself out in the mirror.  She's gonna be a handful when she's a teenager.

After lunch with Nonie, I picked MCB up from the Tulsa airport and we headed back to our lovely little town.

Never had I ever, ever, brought anyone that I was dating home for the holidays.  Never.  Gasp!  That would be a big deal for me.  But seeing how MCB and I grew up in the same town....yes, we both went home for the holidays.  I hadn't seen him since our Thanksgiving trip to Utah, so once again, we had a nice little airport reunion.

His parents had recently finished their new house upon the hill, which happens to overlook my parents' blueberry farm.   Hopefully someday my parents will finish their house out there; they've only been looking at plans for the last 6 years.  It is quite pretty.

So - for the good stuff.  I didn't have to decorate the tree this year; it was actually already done.  And there were presents under it!

Tanner had lots of presents.  

Dad got some presents.

Mom and Honey got some presents.

I got the glitter Toms that I wanted (thanks Tay and Court), along with almost everything else I asked for and even some awesome things that I didn't.  Noise cancelling headphones, yay!  Makeup, yay! A Kindle, yay!  A travel pillow, yay!

We had the delicious prime rib for Christmas dinner, just like Grandma makes.  

And voila, Christmas is awesome.

I spent the rest of the week at home visiting friends that I hadn't seen in a long time.   Like Lindsay and Jana.

And I made Tanner help me with yet another 1000 piece puzzle, which was an awesome Christmas gift from my coworker.  Dowdle Puzzles are really cool, and I got the London one which I absolutely love.  Perfect gift idea!  We finished it super late one night and headed to 'Taco Smell' for 4th meal.  I love my bro.  

And of course, no Poteau trip would be complete without a PHS drum major reunion.  We were alone in the Coffee Cup, the only cool place in town to meet up, so here's our terrible back-lit self-portrait. Band nerds for life!