Holidays... So Nice

Isn't this just the greatest time of year? Maybe it is too stressful for some people but I just get so happy around holiday time. Maybe because we don't get to be around our family very much and within a few months we usually get to see everyone. And, though I am very aware she won't be able to appreciate any of it, it is always so fun to think about my little ball of chubs who gets to experience it all for the first time.

Starting with Halloween of course. Not that we have big plans this year. The ward trunk or treat is the big occasion of the evening. By the way, I am totally excited to see everyone's kids all dekked out in their costumes so after Wednesday, start blogging. I'm going to keep Scarlet's first costume a surprise until I post the pictures. Though I will warn you, Jon picked the costume.

For Thanksgiving this year we are going to Jon's home town, Gridley California. I LOVE going to Gridley for Thanksgiving. There will always be a part of me that wants to be home... but admittedly that part gets smaller and smaller every year (sorry mom!) Not only is Gridley filled with people I love, but it has some dang good food. I'm not just talking the Thanksgiving meal, I'm mostly talking about my mother-in-laws garden. Imagine Gail Earl's garden/lawn with the added benefit of being in Northern California where everything grows. I absolutely love it. We leave every year loaded down with boxes of tangerine and mandarin oranges, kiwis (Gridley is the kiwi capital of the USA, fun fact for the day), pomegranates, walnuts, and anything else that happened to produce well that year.

And Christmas, is there anything more I have to say? You just can't help feeling good, everyone just seems a little bit nicer. Jon and I took our Christmas pictures yesterday. I think we got a few good ones. I personally prefer the pictures with just Scarlet but Jon is insisting on a whole family shot. Our first year of Christmas cards... how special! (small tear)

All else is well in the Nielsen house. I actually was just hired as a dance teacher for a new studio that is starting in my area. I'm really excited about that. It should be starting up in February. It's part musical theater, part dance. The company has already been going in the east side of the city and now they are moving to my side of the valley so hopefully they will be as successful over here as they have been over there.

And because I always love a good picture, here is Scarlet from last Sunday. She was just so pink and girly looking I just loved it! Nobody was going to call my baby a cute little boy that day!