Christmas

We had a quiet Christmas. We did splurge on a couple of very nice things including a new German knife set for me, Apple TV and an iPad for Ricky, and several Christmas movies and Christmas books because I feel like those make it feel more like Christmas then anything else. I didn't take many pictures cause I got caught up in the excitement of it being Christmas but here are the 2 I did get.

Ricky opening a present.

 A new Christmas sweater!

Also we were kind of late taking family photos this year so we did Christmas ones.

Ricky is wearing a Christmas sweater that has dinosaurs on it (along with his bow tie and ridiculous glasses). 

 Why? I don't really know. I figured it was Christmas, let him do what he wants.

Christmas Traditions

I love Christmas! It is probably my favorite holiday, followed closely by Thanksgiving. I love many things about Christmas, including, but not limited to, the food, the decorations, the presents, and really just the feeling in the air. I love it all! But I've really enjoyed the traditions this year. It's been interesting meshing Ricky's and my traditions together, but fun. We've even started some of our own. One of which is to make ornaments every year. Slowly but surely we will have enough home made ornaments to cover our tree. We don't have all of the first ones we made cause they didn't make it more then a year or 2, but others have lasted and it is fun to remember where we were when we made them. 

Here's what we made this year!

They turned out pretty cute!

Back to Germany

The month really flew by. By the end I was torn between wishing it was longer so I could stay with family and enjoy the comforts and luxuries of the States, and shorter so I could finally be with Ricky again. But eventually time ran out and I had to fly back home. Or at least I thought so. I made it to Baltimore no issues, but got stuck there for 3 days waiting for a seat to open up so I could fly back to Germany. I thought I had timed it pretty well, but I guess that everyone, all 185 people that showed up thought the same thing. And unfortunately there were only 123 seats available. The worst part? If one other person hadn't shown up, I would have gotten on that flight. It was so frustrating being that close to making it home, and then not. 

Luckily the military has some very strong bonds that are easy to develop, and because of that I was willing to share a hotel room with 2 complete strangers for the night so that I wouldn't have to stay in the Terminal 2 nights in a row. Granted we still spent enough time there (over 24 hours) that I was starting to feel like Tom Hanks from The Terminal by the end. The next flight out came and luckily for me there were less people and more empty seats! Enough that not only me, but the 2 ladies I stayed with were able to make it on board (not without a little drama of course, it wouldn't be space-a without it). We did a little celebratory dance to celebrate! 

It wasn't a bad experience, but it did test my willingness to "be the leaf". And even though it was tough and frustrating to go through, I look back at it now and be grateful. Grateful that I am part of an amazing military community. Grateful to have only been stuck for 3 days, and not the week that one of the ladies I stayed with was. And mostly just grateful that I felt safe the entire trip. Not once did I feel scared or afraid for my safety. Talk about blessings!

Priesthood Blessing and Temple Work

I don't often share spiritual stuff on here. Ok I never share spiritual stuff on here. I don't really share it period, and that is a little sad, because I have so many amazing spiritual experiences. Granted some of them are very personal to me. Others I forget a little too quickly. But I did have one that I do want to share, at least a small part of.

While I in Idaho, I was able to receive a priesthood blessing from most of my brothers (two weren't able to be there) and can I just say how wonderful it was to know that all them were worthy and willing to give me a blessing. I felt surrounded and protected by a wall of love before the blessing was even started. And almost from the very start I could feel my dad's presence, stronger then I've ever felt him, around me. It was a beautiful blessing and I cried the entire way through it. I only wish I had thought to record it so I could hear those blessings again.

Right after my priesthood blessing, most of the family was able to go do baptisms for the dead in the Twin Falls, Idaho Temple. If you ever get a chance to go to the temple with all or most of your family, do it. The whole experience is so much more meaningful and filled with so much more love then when you're there with strangers. 

Of all the things I was able to do while home This day was my absolute favorite and most cherished of them all. 

Me Like Hockey

Have you ever heard that song "Me Like Hockey" by Arrogant Worms? Well, while going around and staying with family, I was able to do a weekend trip with my brother Travis and his family and my brother Robert and his family up to Jackson Hole Wyoming and see my very first Hockey Game and I couldn't get this song out of my head. 

 It was just a minor league game, but still very cool to watch.

 I had that song, and clips from the Might Ducks going through my head the entire time I was watching.

 Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!

The next day we did a little sight seeing and looked around the town. I was able to text Ricky and sent him some awesome pictures of amazing friends I made there.

 Like this elk, 

 And Einstein to name a few. 

I also found this amazing fur Jockstrap. It was a little out of my price range. I was a little sad cause it could have been the most epic of Christmas gifts ever!

Oh, The Simple Pleasures

While I was in Idaho, I tried to spend time with all of my family, not just certain family members, and that included the in-laws. It was great to catch up with them and get to know Gunner, my 4 year old brother in-law, better too. He is one very smart kid who LOVES construction equipment. He has a very fun imagination that really showed itself when I brought out my crocheting. He was fascinated by the hooks and how they worked the yarn.

After playing with my stuff for a little while he decided that he needed his own hooks and yarn. A five dollar gift that he could use for so many things. I was all for it, but I'm not sure his mother is ready to have yarn all over the place just yet.

New Babies!!!

My sister-in-law had her baby while I was home! Everyone was so excited cause they didn't find out what they were having, so it was big surprise. They really wanted a boy to help offset the 2 little girls they already have.

They got what they wanted! They named him Benson Boyd Kent. He was just over 5 lbs and about 20 inches long. He was already eating very well and gaining a little weight, which is good cause he's gonna need all the strength he can get to survive the not so gentle loving his two older sisters have been constantly giving him.