Christmas with the Nielsens

We started our drive to Utah at 2pm (mountain time) and enjoyed chasing this gorgeous, full rainbow across the East Bay. It turns out it was not, however, a good omen, because the drive ended up taking us sixteen hours rather than twelve! Christmas traffic at Donner's Pass and overregulation due to a bit of snow delayed us a few hours, and we ended up driving until 6am! But after that, our remaining seven days of vacation were smooth sailing! 

We enjoyed visiting my Grandma Williams in her new retirement community in Orem. The boys loved the "grandma with the balloons!" 

The boys enjoyed so much play time with uncles Kyle and Javier, from wrestling to reading to plain ol' cuddling. 

The traditional Christmas Eve reading. Chase wandered, but T was in rapt attention to the end. 

Christmas morning lovin' with one of my favorite people in the world! 

A post-Christmas BYU basketball game! Both boys followed the game SO well, with Chase telling me authoritatively to "clap your hands" after every basket. 

Other highlights: 

• A belated anniversary date with Ryan to Pizza 712 in Orem. Delicious! 
• Seeing my darling sister-in-law Sarah, who is due about 7 weeks before me, and sharing pregnancy complaints! 
• The boys helping Julia make cranberry sauce and fudge. 
• The boys playing in our room downstairs until surprisingly late several nights in a row. I'd tuck them in and then go down later to find them still playing. One night, I walked in at 10:30 to find them both under the bed chattering away, with Chase stripped down to only his pullup. Crazy boys! But I love that they're such great friends. 
• Seeing Lincoln and Les Mis at a real live movie theater! It's been ages! 
• Great Grandpa Nielsen (whose name Chase bears as his middle name) pulling many, many "vitamins" out of the boys' ears! 
• Ryan's ski trip to Alta and my lack of desire to leave the house due to the 18 inches of snow! 
• Getting to see my sister's cute baby right before we left town! 
• An impromptu Cafe Rio lunch date with Sarah & Javier, Kyle, and Rachel & Chad on our way out. 

This trip was just the rejuvenation we needed. We so appreciate the Nielsens for their amazing hospitality and the sweet gifts they gave all of us for Christmas. 

Thanksgiving and Halloween posts are below! I'm all caught up!