Christmas & New Year's Eve

Happy New Year! It's amazing that it's already 2013, but we're of course so excited about the addition coming to our family in a few short months!  One of my cousins asked me if I was ready for the baby to be here already, and I said "No! I still have four more months!"  I probably need much more time than that to feel ready to be a mom, but I'll take what I can get. :)

We had a great time visiting both our families during Christmas week, starting in Fort Worth, TX where my parents and older brother Paul live.  My younger brother, Steve, was able to fly out for Christmas, too, and we loved spending the time together.  We even had a white Christmas, which was a fun surprise!  We stayed at my parents' house and enjoyed nice laid-back days for the most part.  We all needed the down time, especially Paul, who has continued to struggle with pain because of the tumor in his spine.  He normally has less pain when he can lie on his back most of the day, but on the days when he was feeling more energetic, we all went out to dinner and played games around the kitchen table.  He's receiving radiation treatments for his spinal tumor, and is taking chemotherapy pills to treat the cancer that more recently appeared in his brain. Despite the medications and pain, he's maintained his sweet and steady disposition.  He's such an amazing guy!

We met my mom's side of the family the Sunday before Christmas at a Mexican food restaurant.  It was great to see everyone who could make it!  We also loved meeting my cousin Emily's brand-new baby boy, Beckett, for the first time. Our family is growing by leaps and bounds with new spouses and children, and needless to say, my parents are beyond excited that they'll be grandparents soon. My mom included an introduction to my belly ("and this is my granddaughter") to the neighbors and church friends that Dan and I met. :)

Our picture at the extended family get-together: Dan, me, Mom, Paul, Dad, and Steve

Tim, Aunt Jane, and Tricia

(We missed seeing my cousin Kyle and Tricia's husband and three kids that night!)

Russell, Brad, Remy holding Tucker, Uncle Brian, Aunt Margaret, Kolby holding Beckett, and Emily

From TX, we flew straight to Williamsburg, VA to visit Dan's family for the remainder of Christmas week.  Our holiday was extra exciting because Dan's sister Robin got married on December 29th!  There were lots of last-minute tasks to accomplish, and half the family was battling colds or the flu (thankfully not the bride!), but we all pitched in and it was an absolutely beautiful wedding day. Robin looked gorgeous and she and her husband, Rob, had planned a ceremony that gave all glory to God.  It was a very full and fun visit, made even better by all the relatives and friends who traveled to Williamsburg to celebrate with Robin.

  

The rare (and slightly blurry) family photo: Dan, me, Dad J, Robin, Rob, Mom J, Tim, Dawn holding our youngest nephew Josiah, and our older nephews in front: Nathan, Aaron, and Benjamin

Dan, Tim, and their cousin Jon were part of the wedding band during the ceremony. They did a great job!

Our friends from Denver, Mike and Kate and their kids Charlotte and Cameron even made it to the ceremony!  They were visiting Mike's family in the area and took the opportunity to see Robin, Dan, and I.

The three of us all dressed up :)

Robin and Rob's reception was lots of fun with a live band, games, and dancing. The bride and groom looked very happy and in love!

The Father/Daughter dance

The Mother/Son dance

Instead of having their guests throw rice or rose petals, Robin and Rob had the awesome idea of launching lanterns as their send-off. They looked like large paper bags with a thin wire ring around the opening and a cardboard square in the center that you lit.  The heat from the fire lifted the lantern into the air and it flew away into the sky like a balloon.  Once you got past the logistics of lighting a bio-degradable lantern and flipping it over without burning the whole thing up, the effect was magical!

Watching Tim as he prepares to launch his lantern

The idea was inspired by the Disney movie "Tangled," which you should see if you haven't already.

A lovely send-off for the bride and groom!

We arrived back in San Diego at 10:00 pm on Sunday night, and the next morning we drove to Disneyland to celebrate New Year's Eve!  By the time we arrived at the park at noon, it was more crowded than we'd ever seen it before.  We managed to ride three rides and watch two shows during the afternoon, but by evening time, you could hardly walk anywhere because of the crowds. So we decided to find a good viewing spot on Main Street and wait for the fireworks.  They had an 8:30 pm holiday-themed fireworks show with "snow" falling down on the crowd at the end.  Then from 9:00-midnight, they played dance music and created a party atmosphere as they counted down to 2013.  At midnight, they had another huge fireworks show to ring in the New Year.  I'm glad we went, but I don't think we'd do it again.  On the plus side, Disneyland is a fun place to be, even if you don't get to ride a lot of rides.  They have great atmosphere, music, and live entertainment to enjoy - including all the Disney traffic-directors who were dancing in the middle of the street, having a good time.  Also, it's family-friendly, so we weren't surrounded by obnoxiously drunk or scantily-dressed people all night.  On the down side, it was so crowded that night it wasn't worth trying to walk anywhere in the park after a while.  I hate crowds, and I felt terrible for the parents with strollers and their small children who were trying to stick it out until midnight. 

In front of the castle with 5 hours to go until 2013!

Our view before the fireworks started

Happy New Year!