Christmas 2012...
Our sweet grandpa (below) passed away just a few days before Christmas. His health declined suddenly just before, but it seemed like he'd go from doing well to doing horribly almost every week in the months before. I will never forget when my my mother-in-law came and broke the news. We were all in Las Vegas for Christmas and I was doing hair at one of our good friends houses just down the street. Mom-in-law was coming over to get her hair done as well, and I went to answer the door when she got there. She was crying and said, "Grandpa Rose just passed away." My heart sank. I hugged her and cried myself. I tried to finish my first appointment quickly, holding back sobs, and trying to find words of consolation for my sweet monther-in-law. There is really nothing you can say in moments like that, accept, I'm so sorry and we will see him again someday...and for that knowledge, I am so grateful!! This sweet Grandpa Rose of ours was my last living Grandpa on earth. He was and still is the sweetest man you would ever know. Every time we had the opportunity to go visit them in Kaysville, I'd always walk right over to him and give him a hug and he'd squeeze me right back and kiss my cheek, just like I was his very own grand-daughter. I am so blessed to have known this wonderful man while he was here with us. We miss him dearly and can't wait to reunite someday!
We were lucky enough to celebrate Christmas twice. The first was on Christmas Day (for the little ones) in Utah with Grandma Rose at her house. It was so nice to be able to be there with her. And to be honest, it wasn't about the gifts this year. This year had so much more meaning than any other year. It was a wonderful, spiritual day.
Christmas Day #2 was about a week later... by the time we got back from Utah and settled in Las Vegas again, it was just enough time for Mom McD to get the rest of her fun Christmas things ready for us to celebrate. This picture is of all the grandkids so far on this side...(yep 2 more on the way this year!!) It's funny how you can tell who belongs to whom but yet they all look like cousins! I love and miss these cuties!! Thanks for the cute coordinating Christmas P.J.'s mom McD! You are always so good at doing that for the kids!
While mom McD was getting her last minute things done, we all went hiking in the deserts of Vegas out by Lake Mead.
This is little miss Hadley... she attached herself to me while we were hiking and I soaked in every second of it! She is so hilarious and only shy for a second before she will love you to pieces. We don't see them very much because they live in TX but it is so much fun to see them when we are all together!
This has to be one of my favorite pictures. Someday we will look at this and just know how much Dad McD loves his grandkids. I just love this.
Here we all are (accept mom McD--who's back home getting Christmas ready for us all)... I love how much we've all grown! Two more to add to this cute family in 2013!! (And thanks to the random hikers walking by who took this shot for us! We lucked out with a semi-professional shot!)
Christmas was a wonderful time last year. There was definitely a lot going on between our travels back and forth from Utah and Las Vegas<< Yes, lucky bonus for me, I got to see both sides of the family this year which doesn't usually happen since we do every other year in each state. I'm so thankful for my sweet in-laws who do so much for us all. It is just so nice to be around their sweet spirits and upbeat personalities when ever we get the chance to visit. I'm so thankful for the strong heart that our Grandma Rose has after losing her sweetheart. I know it's been hard for her but she knows that we are all there for her and that we love her more than life. I'm mostly thankful for Holiday's. It is SOOO hard to live so far away from our families. (All our Redding friends can attest to my complaints about living so far away, sorry friends!) The holiday's are such a wonderful time to be together and and great excuse to use the saved up vacation time for Tyler. I'm so thankful for our wonderful families. We are so blessed!
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