FUN, FAMILY, AND CHRISTMAS!

SO, I HAVE BEEN PUTTING OFF THIS POST BECAUSE IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG ONE, SO BEAR WITH ME. WE HAD A SUPER BUSY FUN-FILLED WEEK AND I HAVE TO GET IT ALL ON HERE. LAST FRIDAY WE TOOK OFF TO SALT LAKE WITH KIM-JARED'S SIS, AND HER FIANCEE, JOHN. WE LEFT IN THE YUKON, IN THE BLIZZARD LIKE CONDITIONS TO MEET JARED'S FAMILY DOWN THERE, STAY AT THE KIMBALL, SHOP, AND LOOK AT THE TEMPLE LIGHTS. DRIVING ALONG, THE ROADS WERE JUST FINE. WHEN WE HIT LAYTON, THERE WERE PILE-UPS, SNOW, WIND, ICE, AND A YUKON GOING DOWN THE FREEWAY AT 32 MILES AN HR. IT WAS HORRIBLE WEATHER BUT WE MANAGED TO MAKE IT, AND HAVE A GREAT TIME. WE WENT TO LUNCH AT PF CHANGS, FOLLOWED BY SHOPPING AT GATEWAY MALL, WHICH HALLE LOVED-EVEN IN THE SNOW, AND THEN MEETING TREG AND HIS GIRLS AT THE HOTEL. WE ATE DINNER IN THE HOTEL ROOM AND THEN BRAVED THE SNOW FOR THE TEMPLE-JARED STAYED AND WATCHED HALLE SINCE IT WAS LATE, SHE WAS TIRED, AND IT WAS SNOWING-I WENT THOUGH AND HAD A GREAT TIME. THANKS FOR BATHING HALLE AND PUTTING HER TO BED. THE NEXT DAY, WE WOKE UP, ATE BREAKFAST AND THEN HEADED HOME TO GO TO NANNA AND PAPA'S PARTY...

HALLE, JARED, AND I BEFORE WE DECIDED SHE SHOULDN'T GO LOOK AT THE LIGHTS AT THE TEMPLE, I THINK THE PICTURE TURNED OUT PRETTY GOOD~ THANKS GRMA BERNT FOR THE ONE PIECE SNOWSUIT-LOVE IT~

KIM AND I FREEZING AT THE TEMPLE WITH A SNOWFLAKE RIGHT IN BETWEEN MY EYES!

ALL THE GIRLS AT THE TEMPLE: BRIDGET, TIFFANY, ME, KIM, ANNIE, AND GRMA BERNT
SOME OF THE LIGHTS AT TEMPLE SQUARE

ONCE WE GOT HOME WE WERE A BIT TO LATE, TO MEET THE FAMILY FOR LASER TAG SO WE WENT TO NANA'S. HER AND GIGI WER WATCHING THE KIDS WHILE THE ADULTS WENT TO PLAY TAG....WITH 4 KIDS, WE JUST HELPED OUT. ONCE THE ADULTS GOT HOME WE ENJOYED, PRIME RIB DINNER, A WHITE ELEPHANT EXCHANGE, OPENING GIFTS FROM PAPA AND NANA, AND THEN LISTENED TO HALLE. SHE WAS ONRY AND HAD SOME GREEN BOOGIES SO I NEW A COLD WAS ON THE WAY....UH-OH! JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. NANA SNUGGLED HER ALL NIGHT AND HALLE AND NANA ENJOYED IT. SANTA CAME, SCARED HALLE TO TEARS AND SHAKING BUT EVERYONE ELSE SEEMED TO LOVE HIM, ESPECIALLY THE ADULTS! THE WHOLE FAM WAS TOGETHER AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME. THANKS FOR THE AMAZING DINNER AND EVERYTHING ELSE!
SANTA, HALLE AND I~ YOU CAN TELL SHE WASN'T A HUGE FAN!

ALL THE GIRLS IN THERE NEW JAMMIES~HALLE, JENNA, AND JANIE
TREVY, SANTA, AND AUNTIE NIKI! TREVY LOVED SANTA!

THE NEXT DAY WE WOKE UP AND WENT TO CHURCH, HALLE HAD ENOUGH BY THE TIME YW HIT. JARED BROUGHT HER HOME AND PUT HER TO BED SO I COULD HELP WITH THE LESSON. LATER IN THE DAY OUR FRIENDS, THE HIGBEE'S WERE UP WITH THEIR FAM FROM BOISE, THEY STOPPED BY FOR A BIT, AND IT WAS SO GREAT TO SEE THEM AND THERE NEW LITTLE BABY, KATE! WE LOVE YOU GUYS! THANKS FOR STOPPING IN!LATER THAT DAY WE CARAVANED WITH MY SIS AND HER FAMILY DOWN TO LAVA, FOR DINNER WITH GRPA AND GRMA MENDENHALL. WE SHOWED UP AND HAD A DELICIOUS HALIBUT DINNER, EXCHANGED GIFTS, ENJOYED EACH OTHER'S COMPANY, RELAXED, AND FINISHED THE NIGHT OFF WITH MY FAVE, COOL WHIP DELIGHT! SO YUMMY, THANKS TO THEM FOR HAVING US AND EVERYTHING ELSE! HALLE WAS STILL MOODY AND ONRY-YUCKY COLD!

JARED, HALLE AND I AT PAPA TAB'S~HALLE JUST WANTS TO OPEN THE GIFTS-CAN YOU TELL? I WONDER WHERE SHE GETS THAT?
PAPA TAB, NIKI, TROY, AND TREVOR

PAPA TAB, TREVOR, HALLE, NIKI AND I

JARED AND TROY TRYING TO LOOK COOL IN THERE NEW CARHARTT'S-PRICELESS~

ON MONDAY, WE WENT ABOUT OUR USUAL BUSINESS, BUT JARED DIDN'T HAVE TO WORK WHICH WAS NICE. WE WERE SUPPOSE TO HOOK UP WITH HIGBEES FOR LUNCH AT OUR FAVE SPOT, EL HERADERRO- BUT THEY WERE SNOWED IN AT THEIR PARENTS. WE JUST HUNG OUT AND RELAXED AT HOME AND LATER ATTENDED THE MERRILL/HARTLEY CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE BERNTS HOUSE. WE MET UP FOR A NICE HAM DINNER, FOLLOWED BY A WONDERFUL PROGRAM THE GRANDKIDS PUT TOGETHER AND PLANNED OF THE NATIVITY, HAD GREAT COMPANY, SANTA CAME AGAIN-SCARED HALLE TO DEATH A SECOND TIME- WE OPENED SOME GIFTS AND THEN THEY ALL PLAYED GUITAR HERO. HALLE WAS STILL WHINY AND NOT HER BEST SO HER AND I CAME HOME AND PUT HER TO BED. WE HAD A GREAT TIME WITH ALL THE FAMILY AND LOVED DINNER AND SEEING EVERYONE! THANKS BERNTS!

JARED AND HIS BROTHER TREG JUST HANGING OUT~

HALLE AND BRIDGET PLAYING, TANDI WONDERING WHAT IS GOING ON...

LILLY AS MARY, AND BODEN AS JOSEPH IN THE PLAY-ADORABLE KIDS!

IS IT OBVIOUS HALLE WASN'T THRILLED WITH SANTA, LESLEY SAID I WOULD LOVE THIS PICTURE, SAD BUT TRUE~

ALL OF THE KIDS AND TREG AND STACEY ROCKING OUT TO ROCK BAND!

ON WEDNESDAY, CHRISTMAS EVE, JARED WAS AT WORK MOST OF THE DAY. HALLE AND I WENT AND DID SOME SHOPPING WITH AUNT NIKI AT THE MALL AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO GO TO LUNCH WITH HER AND TREVOR. AFTER SHOPPING, I CALLED THE DR FOR HALLE. I THOUGHT A DREADED EAR INFECTION WAS COMING. THEY SO NICELY GOT US IN THAT AFTERNOON AND SAID HER EARS LOOKED FINE BUT SHE HAD A SINUS INFECTION AND ON TOP OF THAT SHE IS GETTING 2 TEETH. SHE IS CLINGY AND MISERABLE, AND IN SO MUCH PAIN IT IS SAD. LATER THAT EVENING HER AND I RAN TO FINISH UP SOME SHOPPING. THEN WE WENT HOME AND THE BERNT'S CAME DOWN AND WE ALL OPENED OUR PJS TOGETHER. THEN WE PUT HALLE TO BED AND I FILLED STOCKINGS AND WE PUT TOGETHER HALLES TOYS-SO FUN TO BE PARENTS THIS TIME OF YEAR! WE HAD SO MUCH FUN!

HALLE, ME, JOHN, KIM, BRIDGET, TREG, AND ANNIE IN OUR NEW JAMMIES!

BRIDGET, HALLE, AND ANNIE IN THEIR JAMMIES, LOVE THESE GIRLIES!

ON CHRISTMAS DAY WE WOKE UP AND DID GIFTS AT OUR HOUSE. HALLE LOVED HER TOYS AND JARED AND I LOVED WATCHING HER. WE TAPED IT ON THE VIDEOCAMERA SO THERE ARE NO PIX BUT IT WAS ADORABLE! THEN WE GOT READY AND WENT TO BERNT'S FOR BREAKFAST AND DID GIFTS. IT WAS GREAT AND THEN HALLE WAS READY FOR A NAP! WE CAME HOME AND GOT HER DOWN AND THEN I FELL ASLEEP. JARED STAYED UP WITH HIS FAM FOR A BIT. THEN HE CAME HOME AND WE SPENT THE DAY TOGETHER-RELAXING AND PLAYING WITH HALLE! IT WAS GREAT! HOWEVER, CAN I JUST TELL YOU THE AMOUNT OF SNOW THAT FELL ON XMAS WAS RIDICULOUS-JARED STAYED OUTSIDE OFF AND ON ALL DAY SNOW BLOWING. THERE WAS 7 INCHES THAT DAY, IT NEVER LET UP. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL BUT ITS BEEN AWHILE SINCE I HAVE SEEN THAT MUCH SNOW. WE COULDN'T REALLY DO MUCH OUTSIDE BUT JUST HANGING OUT WAS THE BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! AND EVEN THOUGH HALLE WAS SICK, SHE WAS A TROOPER AND SEEMED TO HAVE FUN! WE HAD TONS OF FUN SEEING OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND SHARING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH THEM. WHAT A MERRY CHRISTMAS!