Holiday Festivities 2011

Andi's Dance Recital: December 17, 2011
This was an event I don't think I could ever forget. That morning when I took Andi to the recital, I had some anxiety. It was of course another moment in which I was feeling Michael's absence ever so strongly. I wanted him to be there, watching his girl. I was also hoping Andi would have the courage and confidence to dance on the stage, free of stage fright. She's been known for her incredible shyness, which I have absolutely no qualms about. However, being her 24-7 buddy, I know how funny, witty, charming, and smart she can be. Just like any mom, I want people to see those awesome traits--Traits I often think come straight from her Daddy Michael. I was hoping this recital would show that.

Sure enough, my girl got on that stage with more character, personality, and confidence than I think I even knew she had. She had so much personality, in fact, that she remained on the stage much longer than she was supposed to. Rather than sitting down at the end of her her class's performance, she continued to dance with the next class, while also waving wildly toward me in the audience. While I was slightly embarrassed at the obvious obnoxiousness of it all, I was secretly no less than thrilled to see Andi show off the part of herself that I absolutely adore.

The main point of it all is that it allowed me to see her secure and happy. That's all I've ever hoped for her ever since Michael died. I just want her to be secure and happy. It sounds dumb, but seeing her behave as such made the tears stream as I watched and waved at her.

What made the experience even more touching was when I looked over at my dad and he was wiping a tear from his face. He and I talked about it later and he had my same thoughts: It was just so good to see her secure and joyful. It's possible my dad yearns for that even more so than me....He and my mom have been our watch-guards for the last year, and I have felt their great concern for our welfare. How I love them for it.

Here's our girl with her proud grandparents who came to support. So grateful for each one.

Look at her "tenacity" in performance. :)

Before the show. Shown is Anastasia, Andi's good dance and neighborhood buddy.

Gabriella Georgia Warr

Gabriella Georgia Warr (Gigi) arrived mid-December 2011, and no one was more excited about it than little miss Andalyn. Andi had spent enough time around her pregnant Aunt Bethany to know all about the baby in Bethany's tummy. She anticipated Gigi's arrival with great angst and often talked about her new baby cousin. Andi and I were honored to visit Gigi the night of her arrival in the hospital. She was a darling newborn; I instantly thought she looked just like her Daddy Jesse. Bethany shared with me how she felt Michael with her during the ordeal of labor and delivery, and I was sure that to be true. I know Michael was around to help bring this special girl into the world. It was awfully bittersweet to be in the hospital without Michael by our side, but I truly know he was around.

Good job, Bethie. I love and appreciate you so much and I know you'll be a great mom. :)

Thanksgiving 2011

This year, the Allen family got together the Saturday before Thanksgiving for their annual gathering. Last year I missed the gathering because, to be honest, it was too difficult to be there without Michael. It was nice this year to be able to go there with a grateful heart and spend the time with my in-laws. Andi especially had fun playing in G & G Allen's basement.

I appreciate that the brothers still keep up Michael's favorite Thanksgiving tradition of going to the hot pots on Thanksgiving morning. (Even though I remember being totally bugged by the fact that when I was home cooking and getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner, Michael was out having fun with his brothers. Hmmm...Hindsight's changed that perspective a bit now. :))

I didn't take pictures of the actual Thanksgiving day of 2011, but it was spent at my parents' house, of course, and Andi and I were lucky enough to bring the Kleins along with us. Andi had a bad cold that night, though, so we couldn't go to the Zimmerman gathering that evening.

I remember feeling very grateful that evening to have started the holiday season with some extra company that gave me some hope in not only our futures, but hope in future holidays to come. The holidays of 2010 were not fun...heaven forbid I experience such holidays again. Though hard times will indeed come, I was again just grateful to feel some goodness and hope inspite of the pain and void.

Christmas 2011

It was definitely an out of the ordinary kinda' Christmas this year. With a ring on my finger, a wedding date set, and lots of changes to process, it was a Christmas season that marked transition.

I think one of my favorite memories of the season was staying up late on Christmas Eve with Eric, wrapping presents in the newly-finished basement. It was so nice being able to prepare for Christmas with someone--To give the girls a good Christmas together and to be parents together. We shared some memories while we wrapped and I for sure felt a special spirit with us that evening. The frenzy of Christmas morning in our basement. Eric so kindly brought the tree down. --A tree the girls help me decorate weeks earlier.Christmas day at the Luke's.

Andi sporting her favorite Christmas gift: A Dorothy dress from Eric and the girls. (Anything to dress up in is a hit for her.)

Some fun books Abbey got. She's also wearing new jammies from Christmas Eve.

Daddy and baby Ave-sters, as I like to call her.

Andi and Harry in the new basement's toy room. Very exciting.

This was Andi's Christmas program at her preschool. We love Miss Lori!

A week or so before Christmas, Eric's dad was kind enough to come up to Utah to spend some time with us and to meet me for the first time.

I had to put this picture in here because we took it while picking out light fixtures for the basement's bathroom. I think this marked Eric and my first fight....We couldn't agree on any of the fixtures at ALL. It got me back in the mode of marriage again. :)

When Eric's dad came to visit, the Klein family all went bowling. I hadn't spent much time with them all up to this point, so it was a new experience. I was so grateful for how warm and welcoming they all were. Not to mention that they were all pretty sarcastic and funny to be around. Jim (Eric's dad) was especially kind to Andi. It didn't go unnoticed.

The girls did awesome at bowling, by the way! I was proud.
I keep telling Eric we need to join a bowling league. We had quite a few bowling dates while dating, so we got pretty practiced up. Our 100-point games really rocked. :)

I love this cute picture. We went to Eric's sister-in-law, Andrea's, house in West Point for Christmas Eve. These are all the cousins in their new jammies that night. It was so nice of her to have us.

How cute.

Here's Ava on Christmas morning at Grandma Luke's house. Spoiled rotten, of course, just like the rest of 'em.

At Grandma Luke's--Christmas morning/day

New Year's

I didn't take many pictures of this holiday...Mostly because at this point we were down to the wire for the wedding and we were in the mode of moving Eric up here and preparing for St. George.

On December 30, though, the Zimmerman family invited us to their annual New Year's party.

Here's Abbey and Andi with some of the cute cousins. It's always so fun to see Abbey with "her" family. She's in her element....It's great to see her feel so happy and secure.