Fancy Weekend

 First of all, doesn't this look nice:

It makes me want to go climb back in my cozy warm bed.  I love it when my kids are lovey dovey with each other.  It makes my momma heart happy.  :)

Lu was so proud of her sock puppet she made at school:

My twinner girls:

We got a good 6 inches of snow last week.  And my kids pretty much lived outside in it every chance they got.  We have a retention pond just across the street, and I'm so glad!  My kids spend a LOT of time there when there is snow on the ground and it becomes a gathering place for the neighborhood kids.  Lots of Winter fun.

Snow cones in the snow: 

 Haha!  Her face!

Maren built a really tall snowman with neighborhood friends:

Last week, Nick was at a conference in Las Vegas.  To all those moms out there doing it on your own, you have my admiration and respect.  Lots of it.

The best way to end the week was to drop the kids off with my awesome sister-in-law and Nick and I spent the night at the super fancy St. Regis at Deer Valley for Nick's work party.  Any hotel that has valet parking and a tv in the bathroom mirror is super fancy to me.

It is not often that I get to dress up and pretend like I'm glamorous:

A sampling of our four course meal:

Nick has loved his work, and we are grateful they do fun things like this that includes me and sometimes our family as well.

In the morning, we put the "fun" in the funicular.  Who knew there was such a thing as a funicular!?  We, of course, had to go check this out.

We very much enjoyed our time together.  I needed some good honey time.

Meanwhile, our kids were being spoiled.  Movies in the home theater, bubble baths, gingerbread houses and bowling:

Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  to my brother and sister-in-law.  I knew they were in good hands.

We have Christmas in full swing around here.  Last night we went to my mom's and helped her put out all the nativities she has collected over the years.  My favorite job was hanging the stockings.  It always has been my favorite job.  Well, that, and setting out the old chipped and glued nativity.

I'm just always in awe when I look at the row:

That is what a family of 14 looks like at Christmas time.  Wow.  I'm so grateful to be a part of this (big) bunch.

My nativities are my favorite decoration as well.  Here's one from my childhood: 

 Sweet, huh?

My all-time favorite:

December is my favorite month of the year.  It is just so filled with love.  Love from neighbors, friends, family, but also love from my Heavenly Father.  I feel it in all I see around me.  Love this time of year.  I think I'll finish every post I write in December that way.  ;)