More Christmas vacation fun

Scott, Elisha, and Mike bought everyone nerf guns for Christmas.  They had them wrapped in a big box addressed to everyone from 3 Christmas elves. The box contained the individual wrapped presents which were handed out to each person.  Of course the three Christmas elves had already prepped and loaded their guns and started firing on everyone as we struggled to get our guns out of their packaging.  A nerf war ensued immediately delaying present opening for another 20 minutes.  So fun.  The next week, we took our new toys to the church and set up obstacles for some pretty intense boys vs girls nerf games.

Christmas Eve

Whenever we have kids around for Christmas, we act out the nativity.  My dad puts together an elaborate script, but its the improv that makes it really fun, and perhaps a little less reverent than he might have hoped.  In the end, I think the adults have a lot more fun with this than the kids.

nonbeliever #2 fallen to the earth as if he were dead after the sign of Christ's birth.

Molly made an adorable Mary,  Mike, a considerably older Joseph, and Scott just made an ass of himself.  (I just couldn't resist) 

 James was one of the best behaved baby Jesus' I have ever seen.

We finished the evening with the traditional reading of Jabez Dawes: The Boy who Laughed at Santa Claus.

Christmas Cookies

Yup.  I think you pretty much covered it there, Fos.  This kid likes sprinkles.

I'm gonna marry this man

Yes, it's true.  I am engaged to be married to Christopher Terao Silva.

I was in the middle of writing my account of the full proceedings of the engagement, but I just read his incredibly comprehensive report on his blog and I think I'll refer you there.

I don't even have any of those "that's not the way it went, let me tell you how it really happened..." additions.  He got it spot on.

I will add that I thought there was no way he would surprise me.  I knew it was coming and I had my nails done every night in anticipation.  I was watching him like a hawk for any signs that something was coming.  And I thought for sure that I knew him well enough to recognize  something special brewing in his mind.  Turns out he's an awesome liar and I don't know him at all.  Oooo, a man of mystery.  I like that too.

The "the ring isn't going to be ready for another two weeks" move was the clincher.  I knew it was true and it crushed me.  Another two weeks of keeping this a secret?  I had already resigned myself to believing that he was waiting until Thanksgiving to propose to me in California just like he had been dreaming of since he was five,  (Boys don't do that?) but another two weeks might have killed me.
When we walked through that door into the dining room and I saw this gorgeous display and knew immediately what was happening.  I threw my arms around Chris and cried tears of joy (something he's going to have to get used to, just like I'll cry through my whole wedding... just like I'm crying right now.)

I am so excited to marry him.  He is such a great man and I feel incredibly blessed to even know him.  He is so patient and humble and I'm just drawn to his positive, energetic approach to life.  Can't wait to start our life together come March.

Thanks for the romantic dinner, Chris, and the best gift of my life.  I will remember that day forever.

(Lauren, thanks for the beautiful table scape)

San Diego Zoo

This is an impressive zoo.  They have everything!  I think my favorites were the monkeys... all of them.  They were so cute and so active.  Oh, and the leopard was so gorgeous, and the lions were so big, and the camel was so rabid...

Chris is totally destroying that gorilla in an arm wrestle.  That's my man!

The Reids.  Aren't they the cutest little family?  I love these guys.

Funny right?  That is not a warning you want to take lightly.

Manti

 I LOVE this temple.  Really, it's my very favorite.  It is just gorgeous and secluded and rich with pioneer history.  I wish we could have had more time for pictures, but we were in a bit of a rush.  Plus, it was so crazy windy that my hair was in front of my face most of the time.  Those are the times I am SO jealous of Chris' hair cut.

Rah! Rah! Rah-Rah-Rah!

Yesterday was the perfect day for a BYU football game.  The weather was gorgeous.  Normally I spend half my energy trying to stay warm or dreaming of shade and popsicles.  This game, I could just watch.  It was fun to be there with Chris and Scott and Elisha too, and you know what's even better?  We won! We killed UNLV.  Man, I just love going to BYU football games.

That is one cool cat, man!

Chris and I decided to go as Beatniks this year.  We even spent an evening writing beatnik poetry, which is a hilarious activity if you're ever looking for something completely random to do.  We would just type the most random, abstract, meaningless yet deep-sounding phrases we could think of and then recite them to each other.  So funny!  We couldn't really get through any of them without laughing.  I guess we don't make very good beatniks.  In fact it was pretty hard to be sullen and apathetic at the Halloween party anyway because it was a dance party and man, we LOVE a good dance party.  When we arrived at the party, the DJ had the music going, but the lights were on and some guys were shooting hoops at one end of the gym.   We kicked them out, shut the lights down and were the first two on the dance floor.  Three hours later, we were still going strong!