Christmas and Santa Barbara

So after we bought all our presents...

And wrapped them...

It was time to travel home to AZ for an un-white, always sunny Christmas.  Just how we love them.

First things first, I traveled out a day or two before Jake and right when he got there it was time for Dalton family pictures.  The studio happened to have this adorable little piano for Jasper to "play."  So many things I love about this picture.

We went to church and dressed up in our Christmas Sunday best.

Could you die for these two?  Enough to make you wanna go to church, huh, even if you weren't a regular?

Just the boys chillin' at Grammy's house.  Not sure what they're watching, but they look enthralled, don't they?

And of course, the big hullabaloo: Christmas Eve!

We got another picture of Jasper half-smiling later, but Christmas Eve was a little rough for him.  He woke up Christmas morning with a full-blown ear infection, so of course, a little moodiness is understood.

Peg's theme this year was trains, so we all rode over to Aunt Glenna's to ride their train.  Jasper's was timid at first, but then cried when we left he liked it so much!

I LOVE him in that little outfit.  Can't believe how many grandkids there are!  We almost fill up the train!

And of course there's the annual caroling.  My dad loves this tradition.  And so do I!  Rob's in the back rocking his new melodica.  What a great addition.  I love singing with these guys.

This is the Moffat's tree on Christmas Eve.  There were more presents being added as I was taking this. They go big every year.  Like, really big.  And it's a ball.

And of course, there are the annual Christmas jammies!!

I can't believe this is already our second Christmas with Jasper.  Wow.

And boy, it is so much more fun with a kid!  Magic times two.

He woke up early, maybe three hours before everyone else, so we had a lot of fun playing with this laundry basket in the meantime.  

Maybe the biggest hit of all the gifts, only it wasn't a gift...  Isn't that how it goes?

My boys opening gifts.  I'm sure this must get so old, but I just love these two so much.  This picture is just adorable.

Jasper opening his new Christmas book.  Last year it was Polar Express, this year it was a sweet book called Song of the Stars about all the animals and creation hailing the birth of the Savior.  I've decided to make this a family tradition: a new Christmas book every year we read together.  I know, so clever.

Family Pajama shot!  

We also got him a little musical motor bike that was a big hit.  It took us forever to assemble (because we made a silly mistake that was nearly impossible to undo.)  He loves to not ride it, or use it as a walker, as instructed, but to push it backwards.  Whatever floats your boat, kid!

Devlin is holding a gift he and his siblings gave Jasper.  He loves it.  My sister knows JUST the things that kids like.

Iris opening her My Little Pony.  I was so excited to give her one since I loved them so much as a girl.

This was a gift my mom bought for all her grandkids.  It's the Fisher Price Little People Princess Palace that I'm the Cinderella voice for.  Yay!  Merry Christmas!!

Jasper's stocking stuffers.  He also got some chocolate goldfish crackers, which he promptly ate.  :)  That tie is one of four matching ones we got for all his Moffat boy cousins.

We headed over to the Moffats for the whole afternoon and evening.  Park and Peg outdid themselves and gave us bedding and a dutch oven.  It's nuts.  They're so generous.  We had such a fun time, and partied it up again Christmas night at the Moffats.  That has also become a fun tradition for us.

The day after Christmas it was off to the beautiful Santa Barbara.  This year we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday.  We all shared favorite memories of him (60+), which was a big hit and fun for all of us to hear them.  This is the 10th year we've done our annual Dalton reunion.  Many happy memories held in Santa Barbara.

Audrey came this year because she's in the family this year!  Can't believe my little bro is married.  But it was so fun to get to spend the week getting to know her better.  Spoiler alert: she's awesome.

Playing the Wii dance game.  We love to dance and we love to play games, so this is a big hit.

Ah, a brief rest from our hard-core partying.  :)  (There's his little motorbike from Christmas, fyi.)

Nana and Jasper.  Mom, forgive me, this picture is just too sweet.  She will hold him like that for hours, she's such a nice grandma.

Churchin' it up, this time in the matching bowties from Grammy Peg.  And my bracelet from trip 1 of 3 to So Good jewelry.  Score!

We were walking distance from a park and from this gorgeous "Thousand Steps" beach.

We took a long walk down it on Sunday afternoon.  

And in case you can't tell, Jasper...

loves...

...the beach!!

And his Aunt Audrey.  Seriously, he really likes her.

We had so much fun shopping, going to see Les Miserables, eating out, getting chocolate croissants, shopping, going to the park, shopping...

My dad treated each of us to a dress from this darling vintagesque shop called Bettie Page.  Evidently she was a 50s pinup girl, but the stuff in there was more modest than most things you see in stores now.    Fun way to celebrate New Year's Eve.  Don't we look ready for Mad Men?

Our annual New Year's kiss at midnight.  Jake was asleep literally 5 minutes later.  :)

Well, when we got home there was one more gift to pick up for Jasper: his very own slide.  I'm happy to offer him something that he can play with in our little shared yard, something he can use to help burn all that crazy awesome energy he has.  

It was so nice to see family, nice to take a vacation, and nice once again to be home.  A great way to end and start a new year.