Christmas!

I haven’t run much lately. Health, work, life has made it hard. But I’m making some new goals and I made it out yesterday morning for a wet 5 miles. I’m glad I went!

Friday we had a girls trip to see Wicked. Second time for me and Genevieve. I loved it just as much as the first time. I loved that show so much. 

The day after Christmas we celebrated Doug’s 70th birthday and had our traditional Ashman family white elephant gift exchange party. It was SO fun! We hosted, and I just love having everyone come to us. 

Christmas was truly wonderful this year. Bill and I unknowingly got each other heated vests. Love them! 

The girls got these tiny resin kits from Santa. They were so cool. 

Bill has the most amazing pjs. 

Remi is as photogenic as always. 

Everyone got lots of gifts they like and it was relaxing and fun. 

Genevieve and Chloe got to go over to grandma’s house earlier this week to make Christmas cookies. 

We had an amazing Christmas Eve dinner gathering. We hosted this too and all my side plus Bill’s parents and sister came. It was awesome. 

We rolled the piano in as a part of our tradition of reading our Christmas program and singing. 

Lowly Worm made an appearance. 

Spencer was actually sick, so he mostly lounged here. 

Such a yummy spread. 

We went to see the lantern festival at the aquarium and then went inside to enjoy the aquarium. Greg and Karen organized it and it was SO fun. I’ve so enjoyed living near so much family being back here in Utah. We live surprisingly close to each other these days, and that is fun too. 

We babysat for a friend’s dog this week. Remi was so interested in him. She’s never seen a dog before. He was nervous of her, but they did a lot of staring at each other like this. 

I’m so amused by this gift a coworker gave me. Spot on! 

We rode downtown to see the lights and go to the Giving Machine. We started doing that last year and immediately loved it. 

 

Christmas festivities

Bill and I were given a pair of tickets to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas for last night. It was phenomenal. We rode downtown on TRAX, which is also pretty great, as it’s half a mile from our house. We were trying to remember, but the last time we were able to go to this concert was I think in 2009. Definitely before we had kids. It was just as amazing a show as last time. 

Bill and I went and read a story for Chloe’s class this week. They were so cute. 

Bill and I went to my coworker’s show. We knew he had a part, but he kept it on the down low that he was the narrator in A Christmas Story, so ya know, just the co-lead! He did phenomenal. It was the cutest musical version of the movie. Way more heart warming. There’s randomly one of Donny Osmond’s sons that lives up in the Midway, UT area and he and a pair of his boys were in the show. They look just like their dad/grandpa. 😂 

 My work had our holiday party at the ice rink and the entire maintenance team wore Christmas sweaters. We may have bought them for them. Hahahah! They wore them well either way. 

This and that.

 I did a little tiny project this week to repurpose our Christmas stocking pile now that I have a mantle to hang them on. Put some paint on and turned it into an outdoor Christmas decoration. 

A girl and her cat. 

Oh this cat. She’s so adorable. And so annoying. But we love her so much. 

She climbed on my head. What the what??

Look out that gorgeous sunrise from my Saturday run!!!

Gingerbread

This is the first year my run club is still trail running this far into the year. We were on some snow this week, but it was still so fun. I think I'll probably pull out my spikes that go on my shoes next week. Got this amusing picture with my blue light on my head lamp. I really love running with these friends. 

At the ward Christmas brunch yesterday we made gingerbread houses. Spencer went in with a few friends and combined into a big house, including a helicopter on the top. That was pretty fantastic. 

Chloe and Genevieve made this adorable house.

Which collapsed about 10 seconds after I took this picture. 

We called it after the tornado. Haha!

Aaron built a fort with some friends while we were decorating. Good times were had by all!

Bill and some of the kids watched Muppet Christmas Carol, a must for the Christmas season. I just love how beautiful this shot looks, with the tree and the stockings on our actual real live mantle and the decorations on the built in shelves. I love this house so much.