Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 was a wonderful 2 weeks of family, friends and fun.
I wish I knew how to rearrange my postings (The pictures are at the bottom about 6 older posts....) but
it started with a surprise visit from Aubrey and 4 of our wonderful grandchildren. They knew they wouldn't be able to come during the Christmas holidays and I was whining a little about them coming and seeing our 14 foot Christmas tree, so Aubrey decided to surprise Grandma Konda and come a week before Christmas. It was a wonderful weekend playing with our grandkids, doing crafts, baking and going to see "Tangled". Thank you so much Aubs! I love you!
At the beginning of the Christmas week, some of the other kids started arriving with Blake and Tiara from Moses Lake, and then Chad and Brittany and baby Brynn from Ogden. We had our annual bowling party with the Neilsons, Parkinsons, Skidmores and Fullmer cousins on Christmas Eve. It was alot of fun to get together.
Christmas Eve was back down to Rex and I, Jacob and Treagan. We decided to go out for dinner and the kids chose a BBQ restaurant in Idaho Falls. On the way home we stopped and visited Butch and Ladonna, and it was a nice visit for all of us. It was strange to not have any little kids around to do the nativity or any little program.
Christmas morning was low key... Jake and Treagan actually arranged a basketball game with the Neilsons! Rex and Brad Neilson, Kevin, Kurt and Kyle, Chad and Keaton all came and played for a couple of hours. I got everything ready for a fancy Christmas Day dinner. Chad and Brittany (baby Brynn), Blake and Tiara, joined Jake and Treagan, Rex and I and it finally felt like Christmas with lots of our kids around us. We opened our stockings and presents at 3:30 in the afternoon! It was a wonderful gift giving time and the last gifts were nerf guns and the college boys and Rex all turned into teenagers with a fun nerf gun shootout.
Sunday we jumped in the car and drove to Salt Lake to Grandpa and Grandma Lyons' house. Jimmy and Carly and the kids were down from Spokane, WA. and they were able to spend the day with us on Monday. Ben and Aubrey returned from visiting in Boise and joined us. We were able to have all our kids together except Blake and Tiara who had returned to Moses Lake and then got on a bus for Portland and a basketball tournament there. We had another Christmas with Ben and Carly's families and then a Lyons Family Christmas party that night. Gathering with family is one of the best parts of Christmas!
Tuesday morning it was back to Rexburg where Rex and I continued to travel to Island Park and stay with our friends, the Esplins for a couple of days. We had at least 2 feet of snow fall on us during the 2 days we were at their beautiful family cabin. We played games and ate yummy food for 2 days with the Hexems and the Prue families from 9 am to midnight with a couple of little walks in the winter wonderland. I was in game time heaven! Thanks so much Keith and Caryn and Zoe!
Chad and Brittany and baby Brynn came back and joined us in Rexburg for the next 5 days. It was so fun to hold little Brynn and help feed her and care for her. She is a little snuggler and such a sweetheart! We played games together for New Years Eve and welcomed the new year by going to bed at 11 pm! We enjoyed more wonderful friends on New Years day and a wonderful testimony meeting on Sunday. I love Christmas time!

Christmas 2010




Island Park Christmas adventure 2010





Lyons Family Christmas Party 2010





Christmas 2010





Christmas 2010





Snapshots of Christmas at the Fullmers





Christmas 2010