Christmas in the Mountains

 Colby

 Tracen

 Colby & Jayden

 Jayden, Demi & Karen

 Cameron

 Karen

 My handsome man, Tracen

 That would be me!!! Grandma sledding!!!

 Vance on his super sled!

 Mackenzie

 Travis...always in the kitchen!

 Kaelynn and Makenna...so beautiful!

 Kaelynn

 Makenna

 Out hunting for our tree

 Goof offs!

 We found our tree!

 Papa playing with Tanner

 The girls making Christmas Eve dinner

 Colson

 Jayden decorating the tree

 Best buds...Colby and Braden

 Singing carols & feeding reindeer

 Waiting for the go ahead on Christmas morning

 Jayden made Cameron a cool sword

 Dad's new knife display box

 Christmas dinner

 Game night...highly competitive

 Mom's new apron...love it!

 Grandpa and Colby

 Jayden, Dad and Mom

 Papa and his girl...Makenna

Shawnte' and Mom working on ornaments

This year we booked the lodge at Camp Zarahemla near Mt. Rainier. We ended up having a "daughter's Christmas" as the boys were spending the holiday elsewhere. It was a magical time being in the mountains with the snow and the grand kids! Christmas eve we went sledding and hiked in a little to pick out our favorite tree. It was my favorite tree of all time as the girls made the ornaments and it was simply decorated. I think the kids had a blast playing together (although poor Vance was sick nearly the entire time). The girls made a scrumptious Christmas Eve dinner ~ pulled pork with tortilla's...yum! After dark, we took the kids outside to sing Christmas carols and spread reindeer food on the snow ~ our tradition with Jayden. Christmas morning we opened gifts. It's always so fun to see creative minds at work. All of our gifts were homemade! I love the dessert plate and apron Shawnte' made for me, and Grandpa got a knife display box from Cameron that is just beautiful! Owen put together a binder of favorite talks and thoughts for Jayden which was so special, especially now that he's preparing for his mission. (They also bought him luggage for his mission...way cool). Travis worked so hard in the kitchen preparing a prime rib dinner that was out of this world! It was just fun being together and living in the moment, although several of us were fighting being sick! Seasonal illnesses can't be controlled~it's so frustrating. Christmas night, after the kids went to bed, the big kids played games and enjoyed our final night together. I'm so grateful we made time to be together. I mustn't forget to mention that we brought Marlee, our Mourning Dove who was in heaven and pretty much stayed connected to Dad the whole time.