Christmas Eve w/Jamma and Fam

Jamma and McKenna
This year we were going to try something "different". The last few years we've tried other stuff including ice skating, gingerbread house decorating competitions, etc. But this year my mom had a perfect idea of going on a treasure hunt. My mom made a map and everything on a sheet with cute picture clues----so cute! One of the cool things about the hunt was that we were accomplishing things as went you could say (delivering a couple of presents for my moms friends, seeing my grandma/grandpa and aunt Leanna). Then the darn weather suggested other plans. It was a BLIZZARD here. Our first stop was going to be a drive thru light park just off the freeway in Willard. Then when we heard of bad weather, hence bad roads (Sardine Canyon), we were going to plan B which was sledding on Old Main Hill. We probably could have pulled that one off but we weren't dying to be on the roads or get pelted in the face with snow. Plan C- we decided to just go to my Grandma Shirleens and sing (scary) for her and just visit. She wasn't planning on going anywhere and her house used to be Christmas Eve Central. We were a little worried about the roads since she lives up 2 steep hills, but Providence City was a step ahead and the roads were perfect. My grandma's driveway.......a different story!
Grandma Shirleen, Cole and Leanna

*****Side note-this is my aunt Leanna that has been doing dialysis for months now and is awaiting a kidney transplant. More to come about that----because the donor is my DAD!!!!!! He is waiting until after he takes the family to Disneyland (our Christmas present) before the transplant will happen. I am sooooo nervous!

We had a great visit with them and got lots of pictures. My mom also had a clever idea to take up my Polaroid camera so we could leave them pictures also. My grandma told me we wouldn't have any idea how much that meant to them. It was so fun to see them and be with them. Even if they had to deal with all our crazy kids.
Heidi holding Kaidin, Cory holding Tawnee, Jayden, Hillary holding Cole, McKenna, Grandpa Cordell, Rhett being held by Jason, Ethan, Maecee being held by me. Joey, my mom and Brett taking the pictures :).

Our Family with Grandma and Grandpa! It's hard to believe when we lived with them it was just Brett, McKenna and I. We have such great memories there!

We then sang them a couple of Christmas carols and were on our way, HAH, so we thought. Turns out that the little treasure hunt happened, just in a different way. My brother Jas was trying to be funny and kept trying to make it up my grandma's steep driveway that was a flipping ice rink under all that snow (I think 5 of us fell before even making into her house, which was pretty funny i might add, cuz i didn't fall amazingly enough). Well he slipped back and almost hit a brick pillar she has, and got stuck. When we were ready to leave all the men went to push him out. They did it but Joey who is newly married to Heidi flipped his hand to get the snow off and off flew his new wedding ring!!! We all searched for awhile then decided to take the freezing kids home and let them open some presents. The guys went back to find the ring which amazingly (after ice melt, some torch thing, and then a metal detector) was found. That was our treasure hunt...... Pretty exciting I might add.

Jamma with all the grandkids but Maecee (asleep) and Caileb (with his mom). L to R Ethan, Tawnee, Cole, Kaidin, Mckenna, Rhett, Jayden.

This was an awesome present to the kids from their Jamma. A homemade afghan that came with books to snuggle up and read with. Each one was different. (i.e. Ethans had a strip of black and white to signify his mom liking the smell of skunk :)) It was a HUGE hit with the kids. All three of my kids sleep with theirs everynight. Nothing store bought could have beat this! BIG , HUGE thanks to Jamma!