The Best Beginning Ever...

2012 has ended in the best imaginable way for our family.  My sweet dad blessed us beyond belief by flying us home to So Cal for Christmas and New Years.  The last time we were able to spend Christmas with our family here was 2008 so it was MUCH needed.  We arrived a few days before Christmas.  My mom and stepdad saved all the tree and home decorating for my kids to be able to do with them.  They got to decorate the tree, help with the outside decor, made an enormous gingerbread house from scratch, made and decorated cupcakes, and helped prepare our Christmas meal.  The day before Christmas Eve, we went with my dad and stepmom to go get family photos take.  It was hysterical!!!  We got some great ones and we also got to show who we really are in some of them.  See what I mean??? hahaha

                  Sisters

The Best

                                                                                Famsies

We spent a delightful Christmas Eve at my dad and stepmoms house.  The kids were lavished in love and attention and nothing makes me happier.  It was SUCH a great time.  Christmas was spent at my mom and stepdads with the whole family.  We had a delish meal and sooo much fun family time.  We ended the night an my aunt and uncles house.  It was SO great to have so much fun family time.

We all got some narley cold virus that kept us in the house for way more than usual, but it was so great to have so much more down time than we normally have on visits.  We have spent a ton of time playing games, watching super old episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians with my sister, watching hilarious old movies, and just laughing and hanging out together.  I love it here.  I love my family SO very much.

New Years was spent with these wild party animals!!!  We played Battle of the Sexes for 3 hours and even my youngest brother skyped in from India to join the fun.

We LOVE coming and visiting.  It is seriously the best.  I had a friend from where we live now say that seeing the picture of us with our family is like seeing a whole new us...like we all look complete.  And that is how we feel.  Most times, when we arrive back to the east coast, its a hard adjustment because we miss our sweet family so much.  This trip, I feel an incredible peace that I haven't felt in the past 4 years of living so far away from them.  I feel so blessed that God has allowed me to have such an incredible visit with my family and has taught me how to feel the joy of going back home, there, to our family, friends and our incredible church.  I feel a joy that only comes from a healing God who has so patiently and gently taught me that He is in control and that He loves me and knows what is best for me.  He has us living where we live for such a great purpose and that is finally being revealed fully to me.  I love His goodness and His great promise that He will always hold us in the palm of his hand.  This amazing year is starting off in the presence of the greatest family on earth and we will soon be returning home to one of the best lives that I could ever ask for.  God is so great.  And I am fully and richly blessed beyond words!