Early Christmas Surprises

Ryan shocked us all this year by announcing we were going to Arizona for Christmas! We haven't been to Arizona for Christmas since 2006 when Ella was just one year old, I'm pretty sure. This was so exciting for the kiddos cause they love nothing more than spending time with their cousins! This was beyond exciting for me because I love nothing more than SUN and WARMTH! It was a win-win situation!

And Arizona did not disappoint! The weather in the valley was absolutely PERFECT! Sunny, warm, beautiful! All my Christmas wishes coming true! Oh ya, and there was also my family! =-)

We spent three amazing days enjoying sun and time with my family in the valley then headed up to our cabin in the mountains where it was cold, with a little bit of snow, and felt more like Christmas, which is exactly what I wanted.

Christmas morning was spent opening gifts with Sugar, Jim and the Felstead family, and then the Wood family came up the following day. We made gingerbread houses, played in the snow, watched movies, and played with all of the kids new toys. It was the best!

We got one last day of Mesa sunshine before flying back home, and I tried to enjoy every last second of it. Our trip to Arizona was really awesome and I'm so glad we got to go! Being with family makes the holidays that much better!

Before leaving for Arizona, the kids opened eachother's gifts and one gift from me and Ryan (so we didn't have to lug as many gifts there and back). Hudson's got to open one extra gift because it was definitely too big to take to/from Arizona...

The kids' gift from me and Ryan was just clothes (I know, boring)... and while that's not that exciting for 75% of our children, it is really exciting for 25% (that would be Brooklyn)!...

I think Brooklyn is trying really hard to work up Ella's excitement for a box of new clothes...

 Kendall spent $20 at the school store buying "a little something" for everyone she knew, including Ryan who got a Super Dad keychain...

Ella, who has her own money now due to some babysitting jobs, decided to go all Amazon on everyone and really out did herself on her gift giving this year. Hudson got a LEGO dinosaur set, and Ryan got the next book in his Lee Child's series...

For Kendall Ella made this adorable mermaid, which she loves...

And for Brooklyn, Ella got a face scrub...

Kendall and Hudson got eachother mini skateboards from Five Below...

Brooklyn gave Kendall a lava lamp...

Ella got me these five adorable gold bangles. I absolutely love them!...

And a Super Mom keychain for me from Kendall...

Hudson's big gift from me and Ryan was this indoor basketball game. It took Ella and Ryan a few hours to put it together, but I think it will be so much fun to have and play...