We're Back!

We are finally back in Iowa after spending more than a month in the warm Arizona sun! We had a great time just relaxing with family and being together for the holiday season. We really missed getting to spend some of the holiday's with Dave's family though.

My entire family was in AZ this year (I think ther are 32 of us now) so we had a crowd for Christmas Eve Dinner and Lauren had tons of cousins to play with.

Lauren and her cousin Griffin - just out cruising

Lauren was an angel in the Nativity story on Christmas Eve

We just had a great time relaxing, eating at a lot of our favorite places, attending the Mesa Temple, seeing old friends, playing tons of games, and getting a couple of days away for a anniversary trip to CA! We had such a great time in California. My younger sister and her husband and Dave and I left our kids with Grandma and Grandpa and we went to play for our anniversary's (her 10th, my 7th). We went to LA and saw Wicked and it was AMAZING! Seriously, if you ever get the chance to see it, go. I am already planning on going to Chicago to see it again it was that good!

We also spent a day playing at the Magic Kingdom! Dave and I went to Disneyland on our Honeymoon and hadn't been back since so it was fun to go back and play for a day. Even though it was crazy busy we had a really fun time and we got to do all the rides we really wanted to (thank goodness for fast passes) and got to eat some yummy Churro's! Thanks Tiff for coming up with the fun idea to go to California and thanks everyone who helped watching the kiddo's so we could go and play.

Dave and I in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle

But after a month of playing it was time for us to come home and get back to "real" life. Lauren was really excited to see her room and all her things after being away for so long. Dave has jumped right back into school and he is off studying most days as well as staying busy with church work. As for me, I am glad to be back and see good friends and it is good to get back into our normal routine but I am not enjoying the cold! This winter just seems so much colder/icier than any of our previous Iowa winters. We have only been back a few days and I am already missing the blue sky and bright AZ sun (as well as all the citrus)! But when Summer hits I will be glad I am in Iowa and not in the blazing AZ heat!