Utah/Christmas 2009 Extravaganza!

It's overwhelming to think about all that I need to and should write about in regards to our 2009 holiday season. We were so excited to get out of Illinois and head back to Utah. Devin finished class on Friday Dec. 18, and on Dec. 20th, we left on a 12:00pm flight out of O'Hare...Salt Lake bound! This post is in order, but it skips a lot of things we did. For some reason I didn't use the camera as much as I had wanted to :(

We actually bought real tickets so we were ensured a seat on the same flight, first try, and next to each other. It was bliss, and stress free.

The 2nd day we were there, Mom and Dad Tranter took us on a double date. We went to the recently opened In-N-Out and inhaled some delicious burgers and fries, before boarding Trax (Utah's public transit system) to head downtown.

And this is what we were heading downtown to see. TEMPLE SQUARE AT CHRISTMAS! It was so cold, but so bright with lights! What a perfect spot for a photo op!

Here is the woman of the holiday season. This lady did more planning, baking, cooking, hosting, cleaning, and memory making in a 2 1/2 week span than anyone I have ever seen. My sweet mother-in-law :) Thank you mom for making our trip so memorable and fantastic!

One of her many creations...cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning!

Christmas Eve was a feast. All the Tranter (and McDonough) family came over to the parent's house and we ate like kings and queens. Everything from gourmet appetizers, to prime rib, to delicious desserts.

Jen and Dave (Devin's sister and her husband). We love them!

Dave, Suzy and Knox. (Devin's brother, his wife, and baby boy). We love them too!

Us :)

Our favorite little twins! Jack and Lucy are 2 1/2, and have the cutest personalities. (They belong to Jen and Dave)

Lucy is a mom at heart and loves taking care of any baby in sight....fake or real.
Lucy and Knox.

And what would Christmas Eve be without the nativity pageant?! From left to right: Shepard Jack, Virgin Mary Lucy, Joseph Sam, and Shepard Knox.

Devin got to be the donkey that carried Mary to the manger.

In action...

Baby Ruby (the newest addition to Jen and Dave's clan) played baby Jesus.

Sarah, Suzy, and I were the angels, Rob was a wise man, and Dave was another Shepard.

And Father was the narrator/scripture reader.

Christmas morning was wonderful.

The couple we spent the morning with :)

A few days after Christmas we all went up to the Tranter family cabin. This was the first time we've all been there during the winter, and it was so nice! Dad had to transport everyone from the base of the mountain up to the "winter parking" about 3/4 the way up to the cabin. Then we had to pile into his argo and go the rest of the way riding in his argo...military style! The cabin was so secluded, peaceful, and surrounded by nothing but white fluffy snow! We took the snow mobiles out, went sledding, and snow shoeing, played tons of games, watched movies, and ate! It was fantastic!

Sarah and I about to venture out on the snow shoes.

Devin carving a sledding path for the grandkids.

Uncle Dave taking the kids for a ride in the argo.

How cute! They loved it!

Sarah and I with Lucy watching the boys sled. Lucy went down once and was done.

We found her stuffing her face/mouth the snow

Little Jack on the snow mobile

Us :)

Devin, Rob, and Dave went rabbit hunting one morning and took the camera. I thought some of them were funny.

Rob took about 15 pictures of himself...this was one of them.

Cute little Devin Crockett!

And that's all the pictures I have. We had so many family gatherings with the Tranter's, Pace's, and Finch's. It was definitely a great trip, and we were very sad to board the plane back to Chicago. It was so nice to sleep in, have a fully stocked pantry and fridge of all the good stuff that parent's buy, have TV with cable, have multiple fire places to cuddle up to with a book, have no responsibility or care in the world besides whatever we wanted to do that day, and most of all to be surrounded by family we love so dearly! We can't wait to go back!