Morning Ritual

Every morning before Nate goes to work, he'll quietly come into our room and give me a kiss on the forehead or the cheek while I'm curled up in our blankets half asleep. I love it!! I know he doesn't have to, but it makes me heart flutter every time. I love that man so much and I know that in the 1 1/2 years that we've known each other, I've learned a lot from him. I'm glad to have married him and couldn't have chosen better. He's been so sweet and good to me, it's hard to believe he's mine each morning. :)

December 26th

Nate and I left his parents place early in the morning and headed down to Salt Lake to see my family. For some odd reason, Nate's car kept making this weird nose that sounded like a propeller in a fan hitting something. We got to Ogden and off the freeway to check it out just as it died. We called a tow truck to take us to the Subaru dealership nearby and called his dad to give us Sara's car to go to my parents house. At my parents house, we opened gifts and stockings.

 Chloe is so cute!

Jess loved her little outfit that I got her. 

 We went down to Mapleton to visit our cousins from my dad's side of the family and my aunt and uncle. It was good to visit with Chira, Cyndi and their families. We haven't seen them in the longest time since they live in Virginia and California. Chira, Cyndi and Charles are older than our lot, but it doesn't make it any less fun to socialize with them. We stayed around for like an hour or two before heading back north for dinner.

Nate got a call from the dealership to find that one of the pistons in the engine flew off and caused the engine to blow out. We either fix it up with used engine and sale it or get a new engine and hold onto it. Both options are going to cost us money that we don't really have right now, but we're going to do our best. My saturn is still in good shape and looks like THE car that we'll be using for the next few months. When we got back to my parents house, we ate a Beach Christmas dinner and then played games with one another such as: Ticket to Ride, Split the Ward and for those using ipod touches, Words with Friends. We all kept each other laughing pretty hard. It was a great day with my family, warm and fun. :)

Christmas Day!

Of course Nate woke up first...early.... and like any other little boy that's really excited for Christmas decided to wake me up with way too much energy. If you don't already know, I'm not really a morning person and I like my sleep. We got up and headed for the living room to open gifts. We took turns back and forth to see what each other got.

Oh we are attractive early in the morning

He was so excited to get his blender. Wanted to use it right away.

He got me an easel!

I was surprised to find my aunt giving us a Willow Tree carving.

This is our loot!!! 

His parents got us a washer and dryer!

For breakfast we had cinnamon roll waffle style. Nate was excited to watch his new seasons of Seinfield. He did that while I got one last big gift out for Nate. ;) He loved it. We got ready for church and headed to our new ward. I think we missed the memo, cause no one was there, so we went next door to the family ward building which held a musical Christmas program. We lounged around our apartment until it was time to go to Christmas dinner with his side of the family. Dinner was great and we spent most of the day chilling and playing games with his family.

Jenetta unwrapping a present

Em playing with her new phone, Rob, Ash and her friend Ryan

Scott enjoyed playing a hide-n-seek in the tree with his toy car

We played Wipe Out on the XBOX Kinect and everyone got into it!

We played zombie Fluxx and then Buzz Word with his siblings both of which were really fun! Nate, Em and Rob played Dominion while everyone socialized and played with their new toys. I read my new ibook, Clockwork Angel for a bit before calling it a night. It's always fun to hang out with Nate's siblings and in-laws, they always bring good conversation and entertainment. :)

Christmas Eve

We awoke around 8 to get ready for the day. Nate is more of an early riser than I am, so he was able to be awake and ready to go long before me. We went to his parents' house in Deweyville to surprise Barbara and Larry with their Christmas present. Ashley and I were able to get Barbara down to Ogden for last minute shopping while Nate got his Dad outside to work on his Subaru. All the while... their new oven was delivered out front and put in by Seth without either of them knowing. All the kids pitched in for it.
While we were in Ogden, I bought some stocking stuffers for the night and some sweaters for Nate. We stopped at Wendy's for lunch on the way back to surprise Barbara. Larry couldn't believe it and Barbara screamed in excitement. :) It's a pretty nice one too. Nate and I hung around for a bit more before heading home to celebrate Christmas on our own.
Unfortunately... When I got home, I found my little bunny Duke had died in his cage not long before I got there. I don't know for sure how he died, but I was pretty upset. He was such a good little rabbit, I loved his quirkiness and his soft fluffy coat. Nate got pizza for dinner and then we settled down with some red grape juice and some fancy glasses. Can't get better than that for romance!

While eating out delicious dinner, we watched It's A Wonderful Life 

After we read the Christmas story of Jesus in Luke. As our new tradition goes, we each wrote our gift to Jesus on a piece of paper and stuck it in our gift box. I finished some few things for the following morning and we went to bed.

Warburton Christmas Party

On December 23rd, Nate and I went to his sister's house in Ogden for the annual Warburton Christmas party. In contrast to the night before, there were a lot less people and it was more homey. Rob made some of his famous turkey and everyone else brought a dish or dessert to share. I brought Oreo balls for dessert

Chocolate and golden w/ strawberry

So lots of good food and socialization. Emily and Barbara led all the kids downstairs to play the dice game. Roll the dice and try to get be the first one to 40 before anyone else, get a prize. The kids loved it!

While the kids played downstairs, everyone else socialized upstairs joking and laughing about different things that had happened over the year(s).

 I thought this was just cute! Shaely playing with Jonathan :)

We missed Jake, Kim and Sara at the party, but overall, it was pretty fun. I enjoyed just talking with Nate's family and spending time with relatives whether we see them often or not. :)

Cecily and I enjoyed tickling each other

Nate and Seth at one point left to get something at WalMart, when they got back, they REALLY looked like brothers with their facial hair and leather jackets. Although, I'm not sure why they both decided to check each other out in this picture. LOL I also learned just before this that Nate's random habit of leaving cupboard doors open, runs in the family. I guess his sister Emily does it too. 

Shaely sang Jingle Bells flawlessly while jumping around in a circle.

Adorable!

We headed home shortly after to get some sleep for Christmas events throughout the weekend. 

Bitner Christmas Party

Every Christmas, on the 23rd (usually), Barbara's side of the family gets together to celebrate Grandma Bitner's birthday. But because it lies near the holidays, it turns into a birthday/christmas party. Several people are included in this party, children, grandchildren, cousins, great grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and parents. It's HUGE! Nate and I went last year together after only dating for a month and a half. There's appetizers of all kinds, dinner and dessert.

 Jenetta enjoyed playing with Nate's phone

While Shaely and Scott played Angry Birds

Jenetta's walking

After everyone is done eating, the Christmas program begins. Each child of Grandpa and Grandma Bitner has one of their children or grandchild present something for the audience. This year, Barbara had Emily read off the article she wrote last year about this celebration that has occurred for the last 30 years. It was fun to watch all of the talent in the program. 

Afterward, as tradition goes, every sings The Twelve Days of Christmas while grandpa hands out large posters to youngest kids to hold as we sing each verse. (Don't worry, Nate has done it a few times back in the day. Haha)

Then, the children sing Christmas songs like Santa Claus is Coming to Town and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer while they wait for Santa Claus to make his appearance. As you can see, they just can't wait!

Screaming and shouting fill the air as he makes his appearance with Mrs. Claus. And then they sing songs with Santa. Scott played Rudolph with his blinky nose and Cecily got chosen to jingle Santa's bells. 

Then Santa Claus pulls out presents for each 'unmarried' grandchild or great-grandchild. I figured this out quickly last year when we were still dating--we each got a gift and sat on Santa's lap. But we got married a little over five weeks ago, so... no blow. Nate was a little disappointed, it was funny. BUT... his cousin Dan gets married to  a great girl, Karli, on the 30th. lol They each got a gift, they might have planned it that way ;) Either way, I'm happy for them and I'm okay to have not sat on the lap of an old guy in a red suit.

It was a great party and fun to go to :)