An Arizona Christmas...

We didn't take nearly enough pictures to capture the amount of fun we had in Arizona this last trip.  The week was packed with family and friends,  just the way it should be.  We played cards, watched movies, made sugar cookies, ate A LOT of food, hiked a mountain, and discovered an old game called "Pass the Pigs" that was tucked away in the Gunning closet.

On Christmas Eve, we had dinner at Grandma Bonnie and Grandpa Bill's house.  We set up three tables in the garage and ate hot dogs, beans, salad, and a variety of desserts.  We also had the best hot chocolate that I've ever had!  Here are some pics from Christmas Eve.

Christmas was awesome.  We had breakfast at Reed and Kristy's house, presents, lunch, and cards at Kathy's house, and a dinner party at Nana and Papi's!  Let's just say we were exhausted by the end of the day.

After we awoke from our Christmas coma, we spent a few more days hanging out and playing.  We went to the temple, hit up the mall, ate at a few more of Nate's hotspots, and played hard!

On our last night in Arizona, Kathy took us to the best Italian restaurant.  We ended the night with one more round of Rummy and a few games of Pass the Pigs.  With bloodshot eyes and full bellies, we said our goodbyes.

Another great trip for the books.  Can't wait to go back in a few months :)

Zoo Lights...

This year was better than ever!  Nate and I met Brock, Maxwell, Zailah, and their cousin Ciara downtown at the zoo for the Denver Zoo Lights.  It was a little chilly, but we covered the entire park. Not only were the lights amazing, we got to see some of our favorite animals: mine being the giraffe, hippo and the elephant!  We spent most of the night in the reptile house, looking at frogs, snakes, bats, and other reptile like animals.  The night ended in Santa's lap where we each gave a wish and got a candy cane.  We love these little ones and can't seem to get enough them!  

Graduation Day...

The last two years went by faster than I thought.  This month, I got the closure of the program that I needed by dressing up in a cap and gown and walking to receive my diploma :)

Things I will miss:

• riding the light rail to downtown Denver
• in-depth projects and portfolios
• Nate and I's late night dates after I got out of class
• the friends I have made in the program
• learning new things about the world of early childhood education

Things I will NOT miss:

• the endless amount of papers 
• sitting in class for 8 hours on a Saturday
• buying new textbooks every semester 
• feeling guilty doing something fun when I knew I had homework to do

Saturday was the big day.  The ceremony lasted about an hour and a half; full of speakers, and names being called.  My family came to support me which was awesome for them to come for my three seconds (not exaggerating) of fame.  

After the ceremony and pictures, my family and I went to one of my favorite restaurants in Denver... The Cherry Cricket.  They have the best hamburgers in the state, and it was just how I wanted to spend this special day: good food and great company.  

When we got home, Nate surprised me with a beautiful graduation gift.   It is an antique trunk from a boutique in Elizabeth, a small town south of us.  We found it months ago, but I had given up on the thought of it becoming mine.  It fits perfectly in our home, and it will hold my childhood treasures.

  

So, that's it!  I finished my masters.  No more homework. No more night classes.  No more weekends taken up.  What will I do with this new abundance of free time?  I have a few ideas... 

• become a better cook
• workout more
• start a small business
• read more books
• finish a craft
• contemplate a second masters :)

Parade of Lights...

I love family traditions.  Parade of Lights is one of our family traditions that I look forward to every year.  Nate and I rode the light rail downtown with two of my sisters, Macy and Brook.  It was nice to just sit and visit.  We kept ourselves entertained by telling stories about our childhood.  Here are a few highlights:

Macy: used to pull out her eyelashes and eyebrows because she was soooo stressed about her middle school homework.

Brook: used to have a pet rat, white with red eyes.  She claimed she was training it for a class, but we all knew better!

Kelly: spent her Christmas money from mom and dad on a "Yo Momma" book and spent the next year annoying her siblings with inappropriate jokes.  "Crunch!"

Nate: inadvertently killed his pet hamster, Kerby, by leaving him alone in the bathtub, only to be found by the family dog.

Then we met up with my mom, dad, David, Maxwell, Zailah, and Evan.  This year the weather was perfect and not too cold. We had dinner and then found a spot along the street to watch the show! 

I love this time of year!  I love that Nate has been a part of our family before we even started dating, and that we can share some of our adventures with my family.  Life doesn't get any better than this!