Chestnuts roasting on an open fire..

Christmas is almost here and we can hardly wait! Really though we love the feeling of building up to Christmas, going to see the lights, the family parties, it's great. I love Christmas day cause everyone finally gets to open all the presents you've gotten them, but then in the afternoon it's kinda over and a little sad. So we've been endeavoring to enjoy this festive season despite the evil forces working upon us not to (*cough* nursing school and Tanner's math professor). Tanner just got the urge to buy a turkey last Saturday cause it's his favorite and all, and you know what he did? He woke up at 4 am Sunday morning and cooked that turkey! It wasn't quite thawed, but by 3pm it was done and after carving it up and some just-in-case nuking it in the microwave, we had 3 large tupperwares filled to the brim...mmmm.....turkey..(drool here). We also got our tree that day, now it feels like Christmas is really coming! We both are advocates of the real Christmas tree, not to bag on the fakees, but it just feels so Christmasey when you walk in the house and it smells like the tree and I love going to pick it out, it's so much fun. And Tanner refers to the year his mom got a fake tree as "the year she started ruining Christmas," so obviously we had to go with a real one, though I must say, I think it was a little harsh of him to say. I'm so excited for all the parties and reading Luke 2 together, seeing all his cousins acting out the nativity at his grandparents, Christmas really is so magical!

Aly is doing well and in the Spain MTC. I miss her lots already, but I'm so excited for her out there. And some more great news, our niece Noelle was released from the hospital a couple of weeks ago and is now doing well at home with her parents! We got to hold her for the first time last Sunday, I almost cried seeing Tanner hold her close for so long (Tanner is usually uncomfortable holding babies, so it was so sweet) and smile at her like that. When I held her, I already knew she was part of the family and we all love her to death! She's so tiny still, but so cute! I'll post those pics when I get them. I need to catch up, but finals are next week, so I'm a little slow. And though it's been said, many times, many waaaays, Merry Christmas....to you...in case you can't tell, we've been listening to a lot of Christmas music.