Wrapping Up 2009

We just got back from spending 2 weeks in California. Being "home", spending time with family & friends, and enjoying beautiful weather was heavenly. We had a very nice Christmas with both families and enjoyed some quality time together. (Logan, Kaya, & Great Grandma Serr)

Before heading to CA we took the kids up to Temple Square in Salt Lake City. It was a VERY cold and enjoyable evening out. The kids loved to see all the lights.The kids were surprised with a personal visit from Santa Claus at our home. We are lucky to have such a great friend. Emily didn't want anywhere near Santa, but by the time he left, she could say, "Ho, Ho, Ho!"For Christmas this year, I made all the grandkids matching pajamas. There are 7 of them with Kaya being the oldest at 5 1/2 years old. It was so cute to see them all dressed up. (Kaya, Logan, Preston, Ettoile, Emily, Damien, & Wyatt)

Christmas morning was pretty crazy with 7 little kids. It was also a lot of FUN! My parents had a total of 15 people in their house for about 3 full days.The one thing we did a lot of while in So Cal was to eat a TON of GOOD Mexican food. I'm sorry Utah, but you just don't know how to do good Mexican food. It was SO yummy. We hit some of our other favorite places to eat and I'm sure we all came home a few pounds heavier.

The kids enjoyed an afternoon at the beach. Emily LOVED the water. She had no fear of the waves or getting wet. The water was pretty chilly but it didn't bother the kids. They laughed and laughed. It was so much fun to see their excitement.

Recognize this house?? Go back about 15 years to the WONDER YEARS. This is the house where the show was filmed from the outside. It's located in Burbank. The Wonder Years is one of Aaron's favorite shows and he was stoked to be able to see the home in person.We had the chance to spend a few days in San Diego. We visited more family, took the kids to the San Diego Zoo and the Model Railroad Train Museum. We also took some time to go visit Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery where my grandparents are interred. My grandma passed away just over a year ago and my papa passed away almost 3 years ago. This was the first time I have been able to visit their final resting place. It was very special for me to be there.On our way back to Utah, we made a detour to visit Aaron's grandma out in Palm Desert, CA. She really enjoyed seeing the kids and they got a kick out of getting to ride in grandma's Ford Mustang Golf Cart. What a treat!!

We drove over 2,600 miles in the 2 weeks we were gone. We still consider California "home" but Utah welcomed us back with a beautiful sunset over Mt. Timpanogos.