The Best Christmas Vacation Ever

The Best Christmas Vacation Ever

• 1.15.2010

It really was the best Christmas vacation ever!  I spent two blissful weeks at home and was spoiled rotten.  It felt so good to be able to spend so much time with family!

Christmas Day was spent at home in New York, just me and my Cowboy.  We spoiled each other, of course, (Bron made me think he did all of his shopping two days before, but he had a special surprise ready all along) and spent the entire afternoon on the phone.  I had sent home a little box with blue booties and a card to announce our baby.  My mom called almost in tears; she didn't know whether to be mad at me for keeping it a secret so long, or ecstatic!  Ecstatic won over.  She's excited for her first grandbaby. 

Our trip out West began two days later with a Smith Family Reunion to celebrate my grandparents' 50th anniversary.  Family means so much to them and they were generous enough to pay for Bron and my airplane tickets to see them.  I hope they know how much it meant to us.  To read more about my grandparents, click here.  The entire family stayed in condos at the Homestead Resort in Midway, Utah. Our reunions usually occur during the summer time, but the winter activities proved to be a lot of fun!

The Smith Clan: only a few members were MIA

(Credit for this picture goes to my cousin.)

My brother and sister: Joe and Lauren

Their light shines through!

Lauren and her hubby, Don

Our Mom always says, "They're such a cute couple!"

We spent three days at the resort.  On arrival, we played around these incredible ice fountains.  Later that afternoon we went on a sleigh ride.  We also went swimming in a 60 foot deep natural hot spring inside of a crater.  One morning (Bron went twice) we went cross-country skiing across this massive golf course.  It was great exercise, but my balance was a little off.  We spent our evenings around the kitchen table playing a game called, "Killer Bunnies".  As my grandma would say, "It was a hoot!"  So much fun squished into so little time.

The Sleigh Ride

My cousin, Rachel.  She's been teaching me all I need to know about my new camera.

And that's me in Bron's snow pants nearly six months pregnant.  I looked so akward, the moment just begged to be photographed!

A great picture of my brother.  He's now stationed with the Navy in Sicily, Italy.

My little brother, Ryan, playing in the snow.

This was one of the few shots I took in RAW.  I switched back because I only had one memory card an entire vacation to memorialize.  But wow.  I think I'll stick with RAW from now on.

We also spent an evening at Temple Square.  First, a bunch of us girls took the trolley to get some chocolate at the mall though.  I love the lights at Temple Square!  The beauty there makes me so proud of my Church and my heritage.  It was hard to leave.