We got to spend Christmas in Utah with the Brower side of our family.  We had so much fun and loved spending so much time with everyone!  Looking back at my pictures, I realize that I really didn't take any good pictures and I didn't take any of family even though that was our purpose in being there.  I really tried to take a lot at Thanksgiving with the Gibb side and then I blew it for Christmas. 

We celebrated Christmas Eve and Christmas a day early so everyone could be there without missing the other sides of their families (except us of course).  We had Christmas Eve at the Slaughter house and had a blast kazooing Christmas songs until Mitchell started the Star Wars song... then someone did Indiana Jones too.  We just can't help it I guess.  It was fun to see so many cousins and their kids we haven't seen in a very long time (and new ones we got to meet).  

Now for Christmas!  Kaitlyn is walking upstairs to see her presents.

Kaitlyn got so many presents that she absolutely loves, but I didn't take pictures of her with them.  Here are two bibs Grandma made for her out of Grinch fabric to match aprons that Alta and Ellie have.  So cute!  We have gotten them so dirty so many times already, thanks Mom!  Kaitlyn also got fun wooden toys and one with a hammer and balls that she played with the rest of the trip. 

Kaitlyn struggled eating, nursing, and sleeping, but had lots of fun anyways.  She got separation anxiety and only wanted me a lot of the time.  She loved Bennie the golden retriever and he didn't mind when she pulled his hair and hit his mouth while he was asleep.  He's a great dog for babies.  He basically ignored her most of the time except the time he licked her in the face.  She thought it was funny.

One of the nights, Jeremy and I took Kaitlyn to Temple Square to see the lights.  Nobody else came with us, but we still had fun in the cold.  I borrowed Alta and Ellie's hats for us since they forgot to take them to Provo.  Kaitlyn loved looking at the temple and would lean all the way back to see the top of the temple.  She kept doing it over and over again as seen in the next two pictures.

After Thanksgiving, my parents could not wait to see Kaitlyn any longer, so they came to visit.  I didn't take any pictures with them, but we took some of Kaitlyn while they were here.  We had so much fun even though the weather decided not to cooperate.  It was the most rain we have had since we have moved here.  All of our plans for outdoor fun were ruined, but we still had a great time.  

On Friday, we drove up into the beautiful mountains and my Dad has an amazing ability to drive straight to nice golf courses that we didn't know were there.  On Saturday, I had previously signed up to help elementary aged girls run a 5K, so we all drove up to San Fransisco and I ran a 5K in Golden Gate Park in the rain.  Then we drove around and got a great view of the ocean and the Golden Gate Bridge.  Then we went to Fisherman's Warf and ate at Boudin's.  We had amazing fish and chips, clam chowder, and of course, Sourdough bread.  I would eat that bread every day if I could. Then because we were not full enough, we walked to Ghirardelli Square and shared a delicious ice cream sundae.  We finally had to go home and for dinner we ate more sourdough bread and some yummy cheese and fruit. 

On Sunday, we went to church, and on the way home from church, we went to find my great grandpa's apartments in Menlo Park.  We found them and my Mom reminisced about the summers she spent in the apartment pool with all her cousins.  She also told us about how her Grandma used to pay her a nickle to paint the stairs.  Only now did my Mom realize that she was probably given a paintbrush and water to paint with.  We also found my Great Grandpa's old house that he built.  It still has the same ugly stained glass front doors.  

I found out that this same Great Grandpa, Orion Packer, built the church building that we go to on Valparaiso Ave.  I told some ladies in Relief Society this, and they pointed me to one of the oldest ladies in our ward, June Soelberg, who can't really hear or see anymore.  I went and talked to her and she remembers him.  In fact, I couldn't remember his first name, but she knew it off the top of her head, as well as some of the names of his daughters.  She has a gift with names.  She even knew the street that he used to live on.  Amazing!

We also walked around Stanford campus to show my parents the sights.  My parents left that night and Stan, our brother-in-law came to stay the night because he had an interview here.  It was so fun to have all the family and Kaitlyn loved having family in her own territory.  She was much more relaxed than she was at Thanksgiving (and Christmas for that matter).

Now here are the Kaitlyn pictures.

 Grandma and Grandpa Gibb sent us this Nativity and Kaitlyn loved it!  She knocked everything off and scattered the pieces until you put them back and she would do it again.

 

 We went to Yosemite for a day after Jeremy finished finals to go cross country skiing.  Since there wasn't enough snow, we just went hiking.  Aside from the fact that Kaitlyn won't nurse in a car so she didn't get a ton to eat (only a little solid food), she was pretty happy until she got too cold.