Family

Some people have really close friends and some people have very close family members. If you are extremely lucky like me you have all of the above and they begin to blend into each other. Your family members begin to feel like really good friends and your friends somehow morph into tightly knit family. For the last 15 years I have known the Lannings, the Gibsons and the Hortons. We have camped together over the summers, seen each other nearly every Sunday at church and celebrated birthdays, graduations and marriages together. We've also been there to mourn losses and the adults and the kids have all been there as a support system for each other. As us "adult" kids have grown some of us have married and some have moved away. When the group gathers it's hardly ever ALL of us. While Travis and Taya were missing this year Christmas is usually the one time all of us get together at one house and celebrate the reason for our season. The food is awesome, the dessert is scrumptious and the time spent together is refreshing and filled with love. If you haven't noticed by now I'm way too sentimental... but I feel so blessed and incredibly grateful to be given friends and family and friends that are my family.

Merry Christmas!

(sidebar: two, yes I said two of our 5D's crapped out on us in the same week so these photos were taken with the only rental available at Samy's the 5D mark II and a fun rental to lift our irritated spirits... a tilt-shift lens)

Matty was trying to capture my "Christmas is magical" face. I think I just look weird.


My Dad is so silly. I love that about him!


CAUTION! Your gag reflex may be triggered by some of the following images! BEWARE!











WAIT FOR IT....



EXTRA BARF!



And yes, those are my parents. Sharing an onscreen kiss and making a scene!

p.s. there are a ton of boys/men but they were all playing video games in the dungeon and refused to come out unless tempted by food. :)