"Never regret something that once made you smile"

Right about now I'm trying to force myself not to regret that I didn't study more over Christmas break. I have to take the praxis on Saturday and I'm beginning to worry that I just might not pass it :( (The Praxis is a test teachers have to get licensed, well actually 2) However! What I do not regret is all the fun I was able to have with my husband and his family those two weeks instead. Because it sure did make me smile! First we started the break with celebrating Christopher's birthday a day early at Buffulo Wild Wings (his favorite). Sadly I forgot to take pictures. After dinner we went back to the Dustin's place in beautiful Teton Valley Idaho and the little stinker got to open his presents early as well. He got a new stock on one of his guns from his Dad and a leather bound Jesus the Christ from me. But on Sunday (his actually birthday) I made him our new favorite cake (better than whatever with vanilla cake mix instead of chocolate) and I made everyone sing!

Sophie helped Uncle Christopher blow out the candles!

Over the next two weeks we did lots of things!
 (I'll list what I don't have pictures of first even though it'll be out of order)
- We went caroling to some of the neighbors.
- We made/were given/ ate lots of treats!
- We played lots of new games which made me really happy because I can never get Christopher to play usually! Jennifer and Todd taught us how to play Rook which was SUPER confusing at first but is really fun too! Christopher and I just taught some friends how to play the other night.  I also bought Bananagrams and made Tyson and Maddie play with us. It was great :D
- Christopher and I went on a double date/shopping trip with Tyson and Maddie which was a blast! I loved having a girl to shop with again! Not to mention Texas Roadhouse was delicious! I hope we live closer some day so we can do it more often :D
- I read books 2 and 3 of the Hunger Games series
- I did fit some studying in....
- We went bowling out in Idaho Falls.

Christopher Bowling his heart out

You can't see it but Sophie has definitely learned that Grandpa's a sucker for her sweet little face and got some sweedish fish out of it! 

- We went on a sleigh ride through the Jackson Hole Elk Refuge.  Elk from all around the area come here for the winters so they have a better chance of surviving. It was super neat! I learned a lot I didn't know about Elk.  But it was FREEZING! No I'm not exaggerating. It was literally in single digits the entire time.  Luckily the nice men had huge wool blankets on the sleighs.  We were even lucky enough to have our home ward bishop as our driver!

It was really peaceful and beautiful out there.  That little river never freezes so the Elk always have something to drink.

My personal little heater wasn't even hardly cold and I was just dying!

Our trusty team of horses!

- After our winter sleigh ride we went swimming at the rec center in Jackson! I used to come here when I was little and so coming back is always fun because of the memories.  This time was even better than usual because Sophie LOVED it! I had so much fun playing around with that little girl, it was a BLAST!

Christopher and Tyson are very competitive!

Brothers :D

Sophie even went down the BIG slide and loved it! She has the cutest little way of saying WOAH!

Uncle Christopher playing with Soph

Sophie really liked when we'd let her "float" on her back and Emma really liked Sophie! haha

This was Sophie's favorite place. Well... we might have had something to do with that because thats where the heater was ;) haha

 - We celebrated Christmas of course! Everyone decided that since we were still up at midnight (playing rook) we should just open presents then! Nobody but me wanted to wait till morning! haha So we opened all our presents Christmas Eve and then watched Sophie open hers Christmas morning! (before rushing to get ready for Church) The big event this year (and probably one I won't ever be able to top for Christopher) was Todd and Jennifer's gift to us, and 12 gauge shotgun.  Christopher was so excited he made me send my brother a picture of me holding it right away. We also got a lot of other great things too! I got some cute sweaters and a new winter coat along with some AWESOME footie pajamas, the 2nd and 3rd hunger games books from Maddie! :D and a few other things .  Christopher got a book from Tyson, some new clothes, and a gift card to none other than Buffalo Wild Wings and we got a movie gift card as well. Which is funny because I got him one too! and a glass from there and slippers he'd been wanting. It was just a really great Christmas all around!

Yes these are my Eeyore footie pajamas that am incredibly exciting about and yes I've worn them several times since then, including skyping with Elder Dustin!

Christopher and I woke up at 6:30 so we wouldn't miss this cutie opening presents but she was very tired (as you can see) and slept till almost 8! But she still loved the bathtime ariel barbie we got her. She held it up in comparison with the small one she got in a set of all the characters. It was so cute! 

- After Christmas we obviously had to play with our guns! It was SOO cold but it warmed up a little by the time we brought the shot guns out.  Tyson and Maddie tried out their new hand gun and I shot a few of Todd's along with Christopher's 44 mag.  We got out a bowling pin that I had won from PE last semester and used it as target practice. I got it down in one shot! Better than all the boys (It took them 2 shots)! And my bullet stuck in there so I always have proof! It was awesome :D

I'm kinda proud... can you tell?

Maddie trying to all the ins and outs, it looked hard!

Brothers competing again!

But Todd blew us all out of the water, he is an awesome shot!

I'm not that great yet.... haha

- Everybody left for a few days and Christopher and I had the house to ourselves.  It was our first anniversary the day after they left so we went to dinner in Jackson and then got ice cream even though it was super cold :D (Thanks Dad!)

Happy 1 Year anniversary to us!

Brian and Jenn even stopped in for a few hours on their way home which was an awesome surprise! And we got to celebrate Christmas with my Aunt and cousins as well!
But now we're back at school and stress has piled on like I wouldn't have believed! Then on top of that I really need to pass my praxis tests on Saturday :\ but this break was awesome and I wouldn't trade any of it! It was so great to have Tyson and maddie in town and be able to spend time with family. I miss them already and can't wait till we have the excuse to drive out their way and see our nephew coming soon! Then again on my side in march! :D I just have to stay on top of everything in the mean time!

Keep smiling everybody! :D