happy holidays everybody! yes, we know it has almost been two months since an update, however, we do not have our own computer or the internet. So if you just live for our blogs a nice christmas present would be money so we can get the internet :) it's very expensive over here. any way, this is what we have been up to!
we have our very own christmas tree! for the first time! we bought it super early to ensure that we would at least have a tree. maybe no lights or ornaments, but at least a tree.
but we waited a few weeks, saved some money, and bought everything to decorate our beautiful christmas tree.
let me just say that we love our tree. look how pretty!
thanksgiving was, well, interesting. at least we got a cute picture out of it!
mike couldn't wait for the blessing to start sucking the turkey bones dry. maybe it was because he was so excited to get done with dinner so he could do this...
a member of our ward recently bought and fixed up an indoor sports complex. he invited everyone to play roller hockey thanksgiving evening. did you really think mike would turn that down?
We have been very busy with work and staying warm (it got down to -19 degrees last week!). we will try to update you all sooner than two months from now. but until then, we love you all and merry christmas!
jodie, clay and hallie mae, as you can see, we love the blanket! it was the first thing we opened. it is so soft and SOOOOO big...the perfect cuddle blanket! <3
ahhh...the scent of mexican vanilla! yummy! we knew this would be a present, and when we got mom and dad olson's package we almost opened the vanilla so i could start baking with it right away. but we were patient! however, i immediatly used it for french toast and vandi hansen's vanilla syrup and boy did it make it taste so amazing! <3
after 2 months of mike dropping mad and crazy hints, he finally got his guy fieri cookbook [diners, drive-ins and dives]. and he was ever so happy. <3
kirsten we had so much fun trying to guess what is was from williams-sonoma you gave us. we were very pleasently suprised to find out exactly what was in that box. we love it! such a great gift idea and it will definatly be used! <3
okay, you all know us well which means you all know how much we love our animals. so christmas morning wasn't just about mike and me opening presents, it was about them opening presents as well. they didn't understand why they got all these new toys and chewies, they just knew they were going to have the time of their lives playing with everything. <3
i know how to drop hints too! ever since the release of dan brown's latest thriller on september 15th, i have done nothing but drop hints. all the time. i thought that maybe it would be an aniversary gift (don't get me wrong, i love my james bond) but noooooo. so when i opened that rectangular shaped gift at 6:30 am on christmas morning i was giggly and giddy, to say the least. this is mike's favorite picture from this christmas. <3
this year we had a great time hosting a gift exchange with some friends. we had such a blast, a ton of laughs and got an adorable picture out of it! <3
i love my husband, obviously. but this christmas i realized just how much i love him. he got me the glee soundtrack, volume one. jodie and kirsten, i'm sure, understand. i cried. and it has yet to leave the cd player. <3
as a stocking stuffer mike received bean boozled. as a joke. i really didn't think he, eric and kyle (our friends) would open the box and start popping them in their mouths. it was pretty funny though! <3
and so family and friends we leave with this. we love you, we miss you, we can't wait to visit and spend time with you. the weather is cold, windy and snowy, but our hearts and home are warm with the love you all sent us this year. have a happy new year! 
