Our Christmas extravaganza!!

This Christmas our family stayed at our home in West Virginia. It was to say the least a little quiet and not in anyway "White" but was also a very special year. We were able to start several different family traditions that we can't wait to do again next year. Brig is almost two so the magic of the season had his little eyes sparkling and Seth and I giddy like little kids.. we were so excited for him to experience everything. We love this time of year, its pretty awesome how despite the fact that most the world gives little regard to why we celebrate Christmas, its still a season filled with warmth and giving and other emotions that so closely describe our Savior. Christmas eve our family was able to spend the evening with some of our closest friends out here. We attended "A Gingerbread Ball" at a local ritzy hotel and i can't even begin to describe how amazing it was! So i thought i would post a few pics to better share our festivities:)..

Our Family picture next to a ginormous actual gingerbread house ( after Santa went home we were able to sneak a quick picture in his chair)

Me and Brig on the dance floor.. he LOVED the music and dancing. it was so cute and i had to take full advantage of Brig asking me to dance with him..

Briggy Boog on Santa's lap, he wasn't scared one bit!

life sized ice sculptures out side. There was santas sleigh and all eight reindeer. including Rudolf! This was set up for the childrens activities, the decorated center pieces for our table later that night at the ball then went outside for smores, hot cocoa, apple cider, and roasted chestnuts. so fun and so yummy:)The ice looks a little thin in this picture.. it was in the high fifties and so they weren't going to last long!

This was seriously the biggest man made tree i have ever seen and it was made from poinsettias. they were white and red and some how stacked up more than fifteen feet high! it was amazing.. sorry i didn't get a better picture.

This is also from our "Ball" they had lots of different activities going on, dinner, dancing, live bands and Ballerinas, those jumpy toys for itty bitty kids, balloon art and then these pictures. Seth INSISTED we get this done as a family, he had never had a caricature done before so he wasn't about to pass it up:)

Christmas morning brig licking the spoon with left over icing from our fruit pizza..

Our holiday Fruit pizza, this was so fun to make with brig, he thought it was pretty spectacular to have all that fruit on a pizza.. i guess it is kinda a odd thing to take in when your just used to cheese and pepperoni:)

These were actually from our family homevening activity. our neighbor Jack came over and made these with us, its such a blessing to have great people around. Brig had been begging for over a month to go make a snow man and so of course we got none.. instead we got sixty degree's and a sad little boy who doesn't understand.. so we got Styrofoam, beads, glue and glitter..and wallah!