Christmas Break 2012!

The past 2 weeks

have been wonderful...

Our little family has had lots of togetherness which always makes my heart happy.

The boys enjoyed their time off from the daily hustle and bustle of school,

and Ryan and I soaked up every available moment together.

Hang on for a brief recap!

{Please pardon the picture quality.}

* Christmas was extra special for the Solawatts this year

because it was our year to have

all our sweet boys together for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.

You don't realize how much of a treasure that is until you no longer have it.

The boys woke us up bright and early, ready to open gifts.

Ryan started a fire and turned on the Christmas music...

and the fun began! 

Have I mentioned lately how much I adore these kids.

 Preston was thrilled about receiving a Chromebook!

 And Trysten...well he was ecstatic about his new hoodie.
Sometimes it's the little things!

 Oh, and his Huffy Green Machine.

More on that later.

 We didn't head out to my parents until later,

so Ryan spent some time helping Preston with his new "toy".

 We did some lounging.

 And ate some infamous Soladay Sausage bread.

Thanks again, Carol!

 We drove out to Southlake later in the day to celebrate with my family.

How sweet are my nieces, Addyson and Alexis!

 While there, snow began to come down in sheets.

Despite the weather,

my dad convinced Ryan to brave the accumulation and checkout the

outdoor kitchen and gathering area they're building.

There will be some good family times had there in the future!

Cousins.

I love watching all of them together.

 Unfortunately, due to the snow,

we had to cut our time with my family short

in order to make sure my boys got to their dad's house safely and on time.

I love that my boys get to spend Christmas day with both of their parents.

It's hard to drop them off,

but I know how happy it makes them to celebrate the big day with both parts of who they are.

And if they're happy...I'm happy. =)

Later that night,

Ryan and Trysten played in the snow together.

Handsome boy.

 The Soladay men...be still my heart, those are some good genetics!

 Love...

 Lulu was worn out by the end of the day.

 My 2 men powered on and put together T's

Green Machine

so he could give a little whirl before bed.

 Showtime!

Here he is in action:



* Midway through the break was New Year's Eve.
My parents go all out and get the grand kids together for a New Year's Eve celebration.
It's really special and allows the kids to
make memories with their cousins which will last a lifetime.
They stayed up late, rang in the New Year with my parents
and didn't want to leave when we went to pick them up the next day.
Love it.
Ryan and I celebrated the night with some good friends,
and before midnight, we attempted a group picture.
It kinda turned out.
What a fun night!

* Before the break was over, Trysten was finally able to take his Green Machine outside.
I think he likes it.

Ryan and I took Trysten and Carter on a special outing

to spend some of their Christmas loot.

They searched.

and searched...

and came to the sad conclusion that toys

aren't as much their "thing" as when they were younger.

Why must they grow up?

Carter did, however, purchase a Star Wars Lego toy which he put together over the weekend:

Next, we went to a few of their favorite places at the mall.

Both boys built and purchased 3 custom mini Lego guys.

Sweet boys.

We stopped at Dave 'N Busters for a little ticket winning frenzy.

They won a few.
Over 5,000 to be exact.

* Like all good things,

Christmas Break 2012 had to come to an end.

What a great break it was!

* The other night,

Ryan and I sat and watched videos from the blog

and couldn't get over how much our boys have grown and changed over the past 6 years.

You can't help but get sentimental this time of year

as you reflect on what the year/years have brought.

Over the past year,

we have encountered our first bought of challenges with having a teenager,

but with it came healing and compromise.

Austin,

You are such a kind hearted, caring young man.

I cannot believe my first born is becoming a man before my very eyes.

I know that one day, when you look back on this time in your life,

you'll know that everything Ryan and I did was out of love and meant

to guide you down the same path that our parents lead us down.

Over the past year,

Ryan's job status went through some changes,

but with it came excitement for the future and the career he's always wanted.

Ryan,

As always, I am beyond proud to be your wife.

When we went to your work holiday party the other night,

several of the women told me they couldn't

wait to meet the woman who was lucky enough to be married to you.

See, they can tell what an incredible man you are.

{I'm sure it doesn't hurt that you're so easy on the eyes. =)}

I hope you see yourself that way.

It's hard to believe another year has gone by.

With all the bad things that have happened in the world over the past 12 months,

if teenage blues are the biggest of our family's issues,

then we're golden.

It's about putting things into perspective.

Life is meant to be lived...every moment.

Give up on things you can't change,

love your family every single day, kiss your husband

and do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return.

It's just that simple.

Ten years from now,

I want to look back at this post and remember

where our family was at the this very moment.

I have all that I've ever wanted and never thought possible.

Actually, I didn't think it really existed.

And it feels damn good.

Here's to 2013...