christmas day 2013

Christmas day was a bit more chill for us. We got up just Cal, Mom, Dad and I and opened our stockings, played some cards, ate breakfast and packed up to head to Santa Maria for Christmas with the Griffiths. Here's Callie and I hanging out.

Callie and Grandma Dona hanging out on Christmas.

My beautiful Mama and I on Christmas day. LOVE her.

Matthew and Michael listening to Grandma Donna's story of her childhood.

Michael telling one of his CHP stories while Grandma, Grandma, Mom, and Callie listen.

Adden and Adrian (Michael son) enjoying playing together on a beautiful Christmas day. Love our family and how entertained we all are by each other. Another great Christmas day on the records.

Pirate Christmas eve

Christmas eve morning included hanging out with the fam, decorating Grandma Shirley's Christmas tree with this little munchkin, making food, doing nails, and a run. 

Thankfully I still had energy to get ready for Pirate Christmas eve! I was really a bit skeptical about the theme but it ended up being super fun! Callie, Mom, and I ready for a night of Pirate fun.

Arghhhhh!

Callie and I in our pirate outfits!

Tara and Sadie looking super pirates!

Pirate fun with the nephews: Ben, Adden, Tara, Callie. 

Pirate Crew: Sadie, Callie, Addie, Tara, Sierra, Lynn, Brian, Katie, Mike (Katies Pic)

Looking Like Pirates! Sadie, Callie, Addie, Tara, Sierra, Lynn, Brian, Katie, Mike.

Girl cousins looking tough: Tara, Callie, Katie, Sadie, Addie.

For the talent show adden signed a song he learned in kindergarten. He did an amazing job!

For the talent show: I wrote new words for the 12 days of Christmas to reflect things that happened in our family in 2013. It was lots of fun.

Matthew and I on pirate Christmas eve! Love my big brother.

Enjoying some rich seasonal nog, perfect for the lacto in us all!

Mom with Adden and Benny enjoying Christmas eve with the fam. Such a great night with our wonderful family!

BFFmas 2013

The Monday before Christmas Myriah and I celebrated BFF-mas! After not hanging out for a whole year we still picked up right where we left off. We started out by watching Frozen with Jody (myriah's sister in law) and the kids and then headed for the coast stopping at this awesome avocado stand for a snack!

At the beach we took pics hugging the sun. Here I am hugging the sun.

BFF's on the beach. Tara and Myriah!

"BFFmas 2013"

A gorgeous December day on the coast!

Jumping for joy at getting to spend the day with one of my favorite peps! Thanks again for the great day buddy!

Christmas weekend

I headed home the weekend before Christmas, bringing my Nephew Adden home with me for his first trip to Grandmas alone! The kid played all day Saturday including a trip to the movies and hiking around the property with Grandma and Grand dad. To top off the day we spent Saturday evening ice skating!

Adden and Dad using the buckets to get their balance on the ice.

I loved every second on the ice and didn't take a break the entire evening.

It took Callie a minute but after a bit she was skating like a champ.

Grandma and Adden enjoying ice skating.

Callie and Tara on the ice. Apolo would be proud!

Adden taking a rest from ice skating with Granddad.

The next day Matthew, Benny and Carrie joined us…here's Benny on the way to church chill'n with his gun, crazy kid.

Callie, Tara, and Mom looking festive for church on Sunday.

Festive church outfits.

Seeing as how mustaches are the thing we took some mustache pics….Tara and Adden rocking the mustaches.

Tara and Matthew, Mustache duckfaces.

Dad and Tara twisting our mustaches.

Mom and Tara mustache selfies. I love my family a lot and have so much fun with them. We missed Brianna and Cameron who stayed home waiting for baby Nathan to arrive.

2nd annual Rehab christmas!

For the 2nd year in a row we drew names for our Rehab Christmas. On the Friday before Christmas we went out to lunch for the big reveal. Here we are on the way to lunch. Tara, Danielle, AJ.

We are like a big family….Danielle was falling asleep in the warm car….perfect opportunity for this photo.

For lunch we had ribs with all the trimming. AJ enjoying every last bite!

Peace, besties at Christmas time: Tara and Marlou.

Danielle and Tara, peace

I had AJ's name and as a joke gave him this laptop cooler that I got a the facility Christmas party (he knew I got it and didn't want it) for his gift…I had a volleyball set hidden in the car as his real gift. Merry Christmas Buddy!

Ben got these lovely chocolate liquors and some golf stuff from Marlou.

Danielle got a cup and a gift card to Amazon from AJ, I got Asics running shoes and a Sephora gift card from the big boss (Ben) and Marlou got perfume from Danielle. We all were so grateful for our gifts and for another year working with such wonderful people who have become like family.

Branch Christmas party

Our branch Christmas party always includes a white elephant gift exchange….we get pretty excited about it. This year there were so many people that it had to be the longest white elephant gift exchange on record.

Thankfully I was sitting with Stephanie and Charlene so we could keep each other entertained.

Emily was the lucky one who got this boyfriend pillow in the gift exchange…this thing made the rounds.

I claimed this lovely native American apron as my gift and Steph went home with these lovely silicone cupcake liners…we did some conniving to get what we wanted it but it was well worth it. Merry Christmas to us:)

Pic in front of the tree with these lovely ladies: Natalie, Emily, Stephanie, Stacy and I. Good times.