Early in December Dustin surprised me with tickets to a Utah Symphony concert. It was great! The music was beautiful, and it was fun to see Thanksgiving Point all lit up.
Santa made a visit!!
They had real reindeer at Thanksgiving Point!!
Vegas, Newport, and Baby Stuff
The day after Thanksgiving I was able to drive home with the fam for a visit to Newport. The drive was LONG, but it was well worth it to be able to spend time with some of my favorite people. We went to Vegas for a day to visit with Grandpa, who unfortunately was in the hospital but is now home and doing much better, and also to attend a Hector (I think??) family reunion. I didn’t know most of the people there, but got to see Michelle and Matt, Uncle Terry and Aunt Sandy, and also Uncle David and Aunt Janet. The stay was very short, but it was nice to be able to see some family.
Cherilyn and Cailyn on the very long drive home.
My parents have an exchange student names Cherry that came to Utah and Vegas with us. Since she had never been we HAD to take her to the Strip to see the lights and some of the hotels. We decided to take her to The Venitian since it is so beautiful inside.
Cherilyn striking a pose outside of the Belagio waiting for the water show.
I know it’s hard to appreciate this picture because of the quality, but the sky was so beautiful one night and I had to take a pic!
Finally making it to Newport was a welcome relief from the car. While trying to leave Vegas we hit terrible traffic trying to go through California. It was so bad we decided to cut our loses (time) and turn around to go through Reno. We were afraid that there would be snow and bad weather going that way, but it turned out that the roads were clear. Haha while I am very thankful that I was able to visit my family, that trip made me realize why I fly.
The weather was beautiful the week I was there!
Mom, being the amazing Mom that she is, decided to throw a baby shower for me while I was visiting. She put so much work into the decorations, games, and food. One of the games we played was to guess how many safety pins were in a baby food jar. Since Mom doesn’t have any of those jars lying around she decided to buy one, and eat the food herself. Really?! Haha she actually liked it! At least it was fruit instead of like meat and veggies…oh Mom..we love you haha.
What’s a trip to Newport with out visiting the Bayfront?!
The baby shower Mom had for me was great! I loved being able to see ward members I grew up with and even some new faces. People were so generous, and I really appreciate their time and effort on my behalf.
Dad happily stayed off the main floor haha.
Is it sad that I really don’t enjoy opening presents at these things? I mean I love the great gifts people bring and totally appreciate it, but I find it so awkward to have a bunch of people watch me open presents…luckily most people were talking during this part…
LOVE Mom’s face in this pic 
Mom made the place look amazing!
Great food! I even helped!
Aww…little girl clothes are so cute! Now this child better come out a girl…or else he will be dressed in pink!
Oh Cherilyn…this is what happens when she is in charge of taking pics.
This present was so beautifully wrapped I had to add a pic.
Cathy Hingson, a good family friend, made our baby this beautiful blanket. She is so sweet! Another family friend made an adorable blanket, but sadly I don’t have a pic to share.
I love diaper cakes!
Cherilyn and I did some shopping at the outlet mall in Lincoln City. It was great to be able to have some sister time!
I loved my visit to Newport, and can’t wait to go back. Next time we visit we will have our little bundle of joy!
Thanksgiving with the Fam 2011
Thanksgiving this year left me with a lot to be thankful for. My family in Oregon was able to come to Utah to celebrate with us, as well as Christy and David. This year was our year to stay in Utah for Christmas, so I was thrilled to find out that they were going to visit. I love my family very much, and wish that I could see them more often. I am very thankful for everything my parents have done for me, and also for the relationships I have with my siblings. We get to be best friends forever!!
We had Thanksgiving early with Dustin’s family this year because his parents went on a vacation during the actual holiday. I think it was around the 17th when we all got together to celebrate. Sadly, neither Dustin or I took any pics during the party. On Thanksgiving we had our meal and Mike and Beth’s house. It was delicious, and we loved being able to play games, watch football and eat together.
Since it’s so hard to get Dustin to smile nicely for a picture we often take pictures like these…
We played spoons after we ate and yes, the game did get violent. A few of us, including me, have battle scars because of a certain someones claws…Yes Cherilyn is VERY competitive. I have realized that my reflexes just aren’t that good…so I was usually one of the first ones out haha.
Boys and their electronics…love you Daddy!
