Friday, February 17, 2012

Hello there 2012!



Sooo....I wrote this here post over a month ago....and never posted it. (I won't abandon the blog again! I've been terrible!) Here is what I wanted to post back at the beginning of February....:

Finally. A new post. There is something about the holidays that leave me feeling like I move in slow motion afterward. Probably because there is so much going on and every day is packed full of activities and visits. So please excuse my absence. I am sure you all are sick of looking at Molly's blessing pictures. Even though they are precious. But it is nice to be back with you my dear blog. February is among us and Dallin, Molly and I had the most fabulous Valentines....but before I fill you in, I can't just leave 2011 in the dust like that without some form of tribute. At least to Christmas and New Years. It was Molly's first ones after all. The holiday's were so great...I must dedicate a post to them. Yeah it was two months ago...but deal with it.

Christmas time was packed with family time. The best kind of "time" in my opinion. Yes, Dallin and I feel so very lucky to have such a great support system around us. We have such special bonds of friendship and love with both my family and his...we feel so very blessed. And of course we are grateful that Molly has so much love that surrounds her in the form of Grandparents, Uncles, Cousins, and Aunts. Let me show you how we spent our time over the break. A very memorable "1st Christmas" for Molly indeed.

The weekend before Christmas a couple things happened in our family. First of all...we were Mary and Joseph for our ward activity. And Molly was Jesus. Then we went to see lights at Temple Square. I think that's all that needs to be said about that.:)



The week of fun began with "Curling for Kidney's". This event started a couple years ago in Dal's family. They liked to rent some ice time in Ogden to play curling around Christmas time, and after I donated my kidney they made a fundraiser out of it. This was the first year actually that we worked to raise money for IDS (Intermountain Donor Services). We raised nearly $3000! And it was a ton of fun! Thanks to Dal's Dad who put so much work into the event! We love you!



Last year all my siblings got together for a "date night" sans kids, and we sort of decided to make a tradition out of it. It is so much fun to have some quality time with my siblings. They are my best friends and it is always a good time when we hang out. Not so easy to get all of us together anymore, so when it happens its pretty special. This year for the "date night" we hung out at the commons room of our new place in SLC City Creek. Mom and Dad joined us this year and it really made the party feel complete. It was a lot of fun. I already can't wait until next year. Until then I guess we have the reunion to look forward to. Can't get enough of these loved ones.

It isn't Christmas without the Brough Family Christmas party! Molly got to meet Santa for the very first time! And Dallin dressed up like Jesus...oops I mean...a Wise Man. Yes he was definitely a Wise Man. My bad:) Good job to Mom and Aunts who put so much work into the party this year! It was amazing!




Christmas Eve morning we had our annual Brunch at Mom and Dad Wahlstrom's. It is so much fun to watch all the cousins run around together. It makes for a loud house, but it really is a blast. We had so many new babies born into the family this last year! Molly has lots of cousins her same age. Fun memories!

Christmas Eve night we spent with Dallin's family! They have so many fun traditions that night that it is always something we look forward to. Momma Penny made the most BEAUTIFUL dinner. It looked like something right out of a Martha Stewart Magazine. We did the annual sibling gift exchange, got new ornaments, and opened up our Christmas pajamas! Molly and Liv got matching ones...they are to die for! We ended the night reading the Christmas story. It really was a very special evening. I love Dal's family so much and feel lucky to be apart of them.


Christmas morning Dal, Molly, and I got spoiled rotten!! Our parents are way way too good to us. So is Santa! Thank you for all the amazing gifts! It was so great to have Christmas on a Sunday. It makes the whole day more special. We attended Church with Dal's parents and spent the afternoon with them playing games. For dinner we went to my mom's house for her special Christmas Dinner she does every year. We also got together as siblings and exchanged gifts. The whole holiday could not have been more special. I am so grateful for our two families.

Cousin Love! Nash, Whitney, Marty Alice, Molly




After a crazy couple days in Kaysville, it was so nice to get back to our home in Provo. I was so excited to have our own Christmas with Molly. Dallin and I gave her a scrapbook for Christmas about the story of her birth. I gave Dal a scrapbook as well of our first year as a married couple. I also gave him a new basketball. And Dal!! Oh that Dal! He gave me the most special gift I've ever gotten! He MADE me a table for the nursery! Made it!! The whole nine yards with the wood and the cutting and the sanding and the painting and the....you get the point! It was so beautiful! Can't thank you enough for that honey! It meant a lot to me. He spoiled me more by giving me a foot spa as well. And a ear warmer for when I run outside. Aren't I so lucky? He is the best. He makes my scrapbook look kind of lame huh? :) To finish off the evening we let Molly watch Charlie Brown's Christmas. She maybe watched it for three minutes total and was done.



Phew! What a Christmas! After all that we decided to keep New Years Eve kind of low key. Dallin went skiing with his brother while I took a day to rest and hang out at my parents house. That night we went to the Wrights for a traditional Raclette dinner and chocolate fondue. Yum! We returned home that night and went to bed around 10:30pm. Yeah....waiting up until midnight was just not gonna happen for me:). But I did wake up first thing in the morning and make a special "puffy pancake" breakfast for Dallin. It was very delicious if I can say so myself. Welcome to our home 2012:)
New Years Eve!

New Years Day!

So there you have it. Molly's first Christmas and holiday season. It really was very special and memorable. I just can't help feeling like the luckiest girl in the world. Not only do I have two families who I love and adore and appreciate more than I could ever express....but I have the most special little family in the world. Dallin is remarkable. He really is. I am so grateful to have such a loving, devoted husband. And Molly is such an angel in our home. She has brought me more joy in 5 months than I have ever felt over my entire life. I love my husband and I love my daughter. I can't wait for a lifetime full of happy holiday memories with them. Goodbye to 2011...thank you for bringing me a degree from BYU, a new home, and the most beautiful daughter that heaven had to offer.