Alyssa's Baptism Day!

Allie's good friend from high school got baptized on Monday night. It was so fun to share her special day with Alyssa!

Allie and Alyssa!
Our family with Alyssa!

Christmas Family Dinner!

We had Mark's family over for Christmas dinner. Grandma & Grandpa Holt, Kurt & Michelle's family and Ruth & Doug's family along with Melina Itinose drove up to Park City on that blustery night! The "Big kids" table! The "little kids" table! Sorry Brooke and Ash!

Ashley, Melina, Allie and Brooke!
Brett and Kimber
Brooke and Ashley Kimber and Brooke

Melina and Allie

Brooke and Mom

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas!

This is the kids at the top of the first chairlift at Deer Valley. The snow was blowing sideways! It was a complete blizzard! Dad is behind the kids, asking a host which lifts to take and runs to ski or what is the most direct route to the Empire Lodge so we can have lunch!


Mom and Dad take a moment to pose on the slopes!

Dad got exactly what he wanted for Christmas...lots of snow!!

We finally made it to the lodge, enjoyed a delicious Christmas lunch and warmed up by the fireplace!


Earlier that morning...
Dad was excited about his WiiSki game!
Brooke loved the hat and shirt that said, "Don't feed the Bear!" Notice that the word Don't is crossed out!!
Ashley gets to plan her trip to Switzerland for this summer with her friend, Mariella, who's family owns a home there! Pretty awesome!
Ashley loved the sack of coal that her Switzerland book came in! It's an ongoing joke that mom thinks is really funny and Ashley puts up with every year!
Brooke and her cute coat! She was so happy that she found something at H&M, "the big kids store" that fit her!
The girls picked out some "girl catching" shirts and ties for Tyler!

"Twas The Night Before Christmas..."

We went to one of our favorite restaurants in Park City, Ghidotti's, for Christmas eve dinner. It was amazing! The holiday decorations were incredible and so was the food!

Dad and I ordered the filet mignon. Yum! It's a tradition that we started when dad was doing his residency in Oklahoma. At Christmas time, the Oral Surgery department invited us to the Petroleum Club, the nicest restuarant in Oklahoma City for a fancy dinner, of filet mignon (which the Oral Surgery department paid for.) Since we were poor residents, we looked forward to that event all year! The Orthodontic residents and their wives would get all dressed up and take pictures, like we were going to prom. It was one of our favorite memories of our residency days in Oklahoma! Now every year, we serve (or order) filet mignon on Christmas eve, to remind us of some of our most humble but memorable Christmases spent in Oklahoma!

The delicious filet mignon at Ghidotti's!Tyler and Allie at dinner!
Ashley and Kimber!

Brett & Kimber in front of the gorgeous fireplace!
The girls at Ghidotti's!

The kids acting out the Nativity on Christmas eve! Yes! That is right...Kimber is still the angel (I think she has play that part and recited the scripture, "For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy...", since she was 5!) and Brooke was the sheep!

Here Comes Santa Claus!

The kids ran into Santa on the slopes today! Santa told them that none of them were on the "naughty" list this year! They all drew a sigh of relief:)! Then they asked him if they were going to get a White Christmas this year. He said "definitely!!!" That's right...it's still snowing in Park City!

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It has snowed almost everyday since we arrived here in Utah! It's awesome! Here are some pictures of the gang skiing powder at "The Pines" today. We can't wait for Kimber and Brett to join us! Dad couldn't ask for a better Christmas gift~plenty of powder and the weather forecast calls for more snow!!
Tyler covered in snow!
Brooke getting after it!
Tyler skiing powder for the first time in 3 years!
Allie looks good in her Zebra goggles!
Dad has the best form in the powder!
The view from our balcony before the storm!
We locked ourselves out of the house so Dad has to climb down the hill in his Sunday suit to unlock the door downstairs!
Oops! Dad falling in the deep snow!
Our "Y" flag proudly hanging off the balcony!

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas...

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is decorating gingerbread houses and baking holiday cookies. So on Sunday night, Ashley and some of her friends came over to decorate graham cracker gingerbread houses while Brooke, Misheel Enkhbat and I baked cookies. With Christmas music playing in the background and the smell of freshly baked cookies and fudge, it definitely felt (and smelled) like Christmas! Ashley showing off her gingerbread house with Brooke creeping her in the background!
Ashley and her friend with their creations!

Disneyland, "The Happiest Place on Earth"...And Merriest at Christmas time!

Brooke ran at Footlocker this past weekend in LA. She has been begging to go to Disneyland for a long time. We have taken the kids to Disney World a couple of times but Brooke wants to go to "the land." I put her off for quite a while cause I told her that she has gone to "the World! It's much bigger than "the land." That worked for a while but she finally convienced Mark to take her to Disneyland. We had a blast Friday and Saturday with the girls running from ride to ride. They loved the Christmas decorations and said it was "magically!"...and it was! Disneyland at Christmas time...it just doesn't get better than that!

Brooke Races at State!

"The Bear" sporting her nose strip! She looks so cool!

Our Thanksgiving Feast!

We had a yummy Thanksgiving dinner with Bruce and Natalie and the cousins. It was so fun to have Tyler and Allie at home! We missed Kimber and Brett but it sounded like they had an incredible Thanksgiving dinner (check out their blog for details!)

Tyler & Allie at home + dinner with the cousins + homemade rolls & brown bag apple pie with extra topping + GB3 ward Turkey bowl + roadtrip to Fresno + a ridiculous attempt by Allie & Ashley to write the Christmas poem followed by lots of laughter + watching Brooke run an amazing race at state in Fresno and yelling "Go Bear! Go!" + early Christmas present from Dad...new phones for everyone! Mom scored and got the new Iphone! YEAH! + old friends stopping by...so good to see DJ Sheridan, David Wilkes, Arin Scott and Josh Wymzyack! + a wonderful trip to the new mall to pick out our phones + dinner at the new food court at the mall and dessert~yogurt at Red Mango! YUM! + listening to Christmas music & David Archuleta new CD, which Tyler gave to Ashley for her birthday + a Christmas lesson in Young Women's (Yes! We know it's still November but it's never too early to start celebrating Christmas) + Sunday dinner with the kids and sharing what we are most grateful for (I think mom cried the most this year!) + dropping the kids off at the airport, goodbye hugs and a quiet ride home = a wonderful Thanksgiving in Granite Bay!

Race Place Motorsports!

We took the Young Women in our ward to Race Place Motorsports yesterday and had a blast! Thanks to Brent & Sue Webb, who own the place and are so generous and let us come race the cars. The girls had so much fun! Here are some pictures from our activity.