Christmas in Texas

I love that weddings bring the family all together. It was so wonderful to see my Grandma Bird and my Grandma and Grandpa Hamilton, and for Ryann to get to meet them and them to meet Ryann. Kyle was also able to be on leave from the Navy for the wedding. It was so wonderful to have so much family around.
Since we were all together, we celebrated Christmas Friday night. We had dinner altogether and after...

Ryann washed the dog. Maverick was quite patient with Ryann and she loved having him around.

Then there was wrestling with Uncle Nathan while we all gathered around to read the Christmas story.

Ryann getting a ride on the chair from her great Grandma Hamilton.Ryann walked around with a hand towel on her head...
and Lindsey could not stop giggling at her, which of course got Nathan laughing and the laughter spread.

Ryann, of course, loved the attention and laughter.

Grandpa and Grandma Hamilton
I made picture scrapbooks for the grandmas and grandpas this year. It was so nice to be able to hand deliver some of the presents.

Grandma Bird

Behind that box is Justin, excited to be opening his present

We got him a stick horse that makes galloping and horse noises, and of course a cowboy hat.

Lindsey loved her Cabbage Patch doll from us.We got Ryann and Lindsey matching dolls.

Lindsey was constantly hugging her doll, and Ryann was more interested in taking off her shoes.

Lindsey helped Ryann open her presents. Ryann didn't care, she was much more excited about what was inside the paper.She loved her bath time tea set from Lindsey and Justin. It is her favorite thing to play with in the tub.

This present got the best reaction, I wish I had recorded it...It was a Minnie Mouse with snap on clothes. When Ryann saw what was in the package she gasp and yelled "Ninnie!" (Minnie). I was so cute!
Last year Ryann was thankful for the paper her presents came wrapped in. This year she liked what was inside the paper.
It was fun to be able to spend Christmas with my family.

Texas-Thursday and Friday

Off to Texas we went for Nathan's wedding. The first night, Thursday, we were there my mom gave Ryann her Christmas present. She wanted to watch her open it and see her play with it. There were two presents, but Ryann's attention span only lasted for one present that night.

She opened up a doll and then decided she wanted her doll and her Minnies to ride on Great Grandma Bird's walker.

The next morning my mom and me took Ryann to go feed the ducks.

Great Grandma and Grandpa Hamilton came along for the walk too.

Ryann did not want to get down with the ducks. These ducks are quite tame, you can reach down and pet some of them. But there are a lot of them and when they see you walk up, they all swarm over to get some food.

So instead of Ryann feeding the ducks, we put the bread on her stroller and had the ducks just eat near her.
Ryann didn't mind the ducks eating by her but she preferred to eat the bread herself. Ryann kept getting mad at the ducks because they kept trying to take the bread she was eating.
Grandma Hamilton feeding the ducks
Grandpa Hamilton just observing

After the bread was all gone and the ducks began to disperse, Ryann got out of her stroller.

She seemed to be curious about the ducks...

and enjoyed herself

At home, Ryann got a cup of goldfish and shared them with her Great Grandma and dumped them all over the couch too.

Jared and Melissa came over with my cute niece and nephew. Lindsey sat on Clint's lap...

while Justin was trapped by his feet.

Friday afternoon Candice went through the temple.

Jared, Dad, and Nathan
I love the face my dad is pulling in this picture.

The family at the Houston temple
Jared, Melissa, Gpa and Gma Hamilton, Nicole, Nathan, Candice, Mom, Dad, and Candice's parents

Temple Square

My brother, Nathan, got married on December 17th and we flew out for the wedding. We went to Salt Lake a day early to make sure we could make our flights and not be delayed because of bad roads. We took Ryann to see the lights at Temple Square. Since we were going to Texas I hadn't packed a bunch of warm clothes to bundle up in, so Ryann ended up with her footie PJs over her clothes and her coat. It was a fight to get her to keep a hat on, but mommy finally won. It wasn't until her hands were icicles that she finally let me put her mittens on. Other than that, she stayed toasty warm.

Warm snuggles with her daddy helped keep her warm too.

I don't know how much Ryann really enjoyed the lights, she didn't cry so she didn't hate them. When we stopped at the statues of the shepherds she recognized the sheep and said "baaah", so she liked the sheep.
The lights are always so pretty, but living in Vernal it isn't something we get to see every year, so I was glad we could go and enjoy them this year.

Ryann and McKay

Ryann has a Rock n' Roll Elmo, but she only likes him when she is sitting in my lap. She doesn't like toys that talk and move. McKay came over and loved Elmo. Ryann decided that Elmo wasn't so bad and since then she likes him a little better.

McKay singing with Elmo

Ryann dancing

McKay, Grandpa, and Ryann
Ryann had a lot of fun with her cousins. We wish they lived closer so that they could play more. You know Ryann liked McKay because she is okay with "PopPop" (Grandpa) holding him too.

Skateboarding

Jackson was anxious to try out his skateboard. Once he got pads and a helmet he was out back trying out his skateboard.

Go Jackson!

Dinosaur Museum

Clint and I went with Levi and Jenny to take the kids to the dinosaur museum. While waiting for a tour guide, the kids found the gift shop. Ryann found these two small stuffed animals and Clint got them for her.

She loved them and put them in her stroller,

and then took them for a ride.

The biggest part of the museum is a whole wall of bones that were fossilized in a river bed.

Jackson, McKay, and Clint looking at the bones

Ryann liked going down the ramp to the bottom story of the museum. She loved walking with her grandma, but...

...she had fun doing it herself too.
At the bottom you can touch the bones.
Ryann enjoyed the bench more. She would put her "bebes" on the bench and then crawl up herself. I finally had to carry her away from the bench because she would have spent the whole day there.
Ryann looking at a bone
T-Rex eating Jackson's hand while McKay watches.
Ryann didn't like the piggy back ride from daddy.
Ryann pointing at a bone
This picture makes me laugh. It looks like Jackson is about to kick McKay, but they are just playing with the rocks.

Ryann and Grandma

McKay in front of a partial baby stegosaurus

Outside the exit door there was a boot cleaner.

Jackson and McKay enjoyed cleaning their shoes.