the pressure

of posting the full recap of our Christmas is too much. I'm just going to feature a few high points and call it good.

Utah

• eating. we did a lot. Hagermann's, Sawadee, Cafe Rio, early Christmas Eve dinner with the usual favorites - olive sandwiches (cut after they're made), little smokies, stuffed mushrooms ... mmmm.
  
• snow, everywhere. I think it snowed 90% of the time I was gone. The weather trumped a lot of my plans because I didn't think I could get down the mountain safely. I didn't actually take Maddy out to play in it, but I did let her look out the window at it.
  
• Lisa and Andrew got married. Hooray! {Thanks to Mel for chauffering me so I could make the sealing and reception and for watching Maddy, too!}
• I got to see Stef. I miss that girl!
• Family, family and more family. Trav and fam stopped on their way to Oregon and CJ and fam drove up a few days early. Everyone else {but Matt} was already there. I love my family!
• La la la la Lifetime movies. Sadly, they were there, too.
• Shenanigans.
  
• BYU's bowl game was a colossal disappointment.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Idaho

• Matt miraculously made it to Idaho, even connecting through Portland. If you haven't heard the story yet, you'll have to ask him about it.
• The Ranch. I love it there! Matt's entire family went up to Cascade for a few days. We snowmobiled, ate {of course} and watched Boise State lose. It was a bad football trip for us.
• Christmas Eve traditions with Grandma Zola. I've never done a multi-family Christmas that I can remember, but it was fun.
• Christmas morning was nice and laid back. Maddy was definitely too young to get it, but her daddy still spoiled her with a stocking and her first bear. She loves Theodore.
• Maddy got to meet her two younger cousins. I think they'll be great friends when they get older.
  
• Little Ali J's blessing. It was great to be there with the Pancheris and Kotters for that.
• Lots of games. Amy dominated me in Trouble and there was plenty of Phase 10 to go around.

I feel so lucky to have been born into a great family and to have married into another awesome one.