It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I LOVE the holidays! Most of all, I love being able to spend a few (generally uninterrupted) days with family! We were very fortunate to have been able to spend the holidays with most of our family (and extended family)

For Ben and I, this was an exciting Christmas of firsts! For the first time, we got our own Christmas Tree, and puts lights on our own house. We also got to spend Christmas Eve & Christmas Day with one another.

We both have very strong bonds with our families, and couldn't bear to break traditions. But as we've learned, marriage is about compromise, and making a few new traditions of your own. This year we headed North from San Diego on the 20th, and made our stop in Elk Grove. We were able to visit with friends and family, before heading farther North to Ben's hometown of Yreka!

I spent my first Christmas Eve in Yreka with Ben's parents and mom's side of the family, The Conroys! Although I was sad about missing my first Zehnder Christmas ( I heard our new game was excellent), I had a fantastic time in Yreka. We played a huge game of BUNKO, and did a very fun White Elephant gift exchange. It was great to get to know everyone a little better, and meet those family members who weren't at the wedding.

Christmas Eve was great, but didn't come to a close until pretty late. So getting up at 5:30am on Christmas morning to drive back to Elk Grove, wasn't exactly easy. We loaded up and made it on the road by 6am, and were able to see a beautiful sunrise surrounding Mount Shasta. The drive south, was not necessarily fun, but the scenery and lack of cars on the road, made it a lot more enjoyable.

We made it back to Elk Grove in record time, and made it to Grandma & Grandpa's for the start of present opening! We had an extraordinary Christmas this year! Everyone was able to make it, and we got/gave some awesome gifts!

After most of the day at the grandparents, we went back to my parents to have our Christmas (normally done early Christmas morning). The presents just kept coming! (Brooklyn & Lola even got Snuggies) We went a little overboard this year, again, after saying we were going to cut back. The best part though?......everyone was there! Mom & Dad, Krista & James, Lauren & Chris, and Ben & I!

Overall, an awesome Christmas, filled with food, family, & fun! Merry Christmas Everyone!!

The Holidays

I absolutely love the holidays. So filled with tradition, and family. I haven't lived in the same town as my family for almost 10 years now. I miss them dearly, everyday. But the holidays are the time of year that I get to see them for more than a few days, at a time.

This year, we were able to go to Snowbird, Utah for our Thanksgiving vacation. This was the first year we were missing someone...Lauren, who couldn't make it. And although we missed her, there are so many memories that come back to me, when we stay there. My parents have had this time share for 30 years, and in that time, have created so many memorable experiences for us. The beautiful glass windows of our 2 story room, overlooking the mountain. You can see the lifts right from our room. The sun shines in through the windows in the morning, and the balcony is usually covered in delicate white snow.

Some of my fond memories include skiing with my family during the day, finding little bits of powder to ski through along the sides of the slopes, and maybe even a little jump or two. I also remember watching the Thanksgiving day parade on TV in front of the fire, Thanksgiving morning in our long johns, before heading out to the lifts. Dressing up, in our Thanksgiving best for a "fancy" dinner at the Cliff lodge. Enjoying a dinner around the fire, with family, usually soup and grilled cheese. And best of all, swimming in the pool (which is hot as a hot tub) while it snows down around you. The view from the pool, is extraordinary! The trees filled with fluffy, white snow, and the mountain rising up around you.

This year, as with one other (in all the years we've gone) did not really go as planned. We didn't have a whole lot of snow, and I came down sick after only a couple of days. Although we would have liked to do a little more skiing, I can't complain too much. I was in a beautiful place, filled with happy memories, and a family I love! I can't wait to share these same, and many more memories when we start a family of our own.......don't get too excited, that will be some time down the road.