No Place Like Home for the Holidays

This year we were fortunate enough to be able to have both of our families near during Christmas. As long as I can remember I have worried about having to "share" family time during the holidays. As a girl, you always want to spend all of your time with your own family. As I've been married, I have tried to make sure my other family (the in-laws) never feel like I don't want to hang out with them. Until this year we have never had both of our families close enough to worry about it.

This year was our year to spend with my family. All of my brothers and sisters were able to come up to our house/ my parents house in Cedar Hills. When we all get together we always have such a riot. It is so fun to see the nieces and nephews play together, since they are rarely all in the same place at the same time.
Christmas Eve was spent just hanging out at the house cooking and relaxing. And there was also some last minute Christmas shopping for my dad to do. After all of these years he still hasn't learned to get my mom's shopping done before Christmas Eve. The kids made reindeer out of felt tracing their hands and feet. They also made snowmen out of marshmallows. Maybe next year aunt Courtney should try the craft projects out instead of just winging them.


James and Clays reideer



Abby's marshmellow snowman

Right before we sat down for the Christmas Story play, we heard a loud knock on the door and a HO, Ho, Ho. You'll never guess what happened. Santa dropped off a load of presents on the front door. He also left a little note saying he would be back later that night. After the kids opened their toys and pillow cases from Santa we all sat down and participated in the Nativity story. My mom always does such a good job with this and always bring the spirit into the room. I always end up crying when I stop and realize what a great day this was. That a little baby boy was brought into the world to testify of our Father in Heaven and to make it possible for us to return home to him. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful and close knit family. I can only imagine how much love our Savior has for each one of us. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!

I am be killed for this, but I can hardle every get pictures of Adams family. This is his womderful, amazing grandpa, my MIL and FIL Jane and Craig. There are so swesome!

Brooke sporting Adam's awesome digitie

Claytons cool "hawk"

don't judge the picture, it's the only one I have. Doesn't my mom look beautiful!

The Past 3 Months

These past 3 months have been a very busy time in our lives.It's time to play catch up on everything that has been going on. Adam is finishing school at the U and I just went back. I knew going back to school and working full time was going to be busy, but I never expected it to be like this. On the first day of class the teachers always tell you how intense it is going to be, and how you need to study x amount of time for every hour your in class. Well... I have never taken them seriously and boy was I proven wrong this year.
I started the rad tech program and have yet to figure out how I made it through the semester. I have been working at my same job but just working a little bit less. I am doing clinicals 3 days a week at St Marks hospital. I get home around 11:30 pm those nights and get up for work at 5:30 the next day. If any of you know my sleeping habits, you know this didn't go over well with me. I can wake up early, but I can't keep my eyes open past 9 pm. I have learned how to function on zero sleep and how to work through those 16 hr days. I have loved almost every minute of it. I am so excited to finally be headed in the direction I want to. I am also so happy that Adam is finally done with school. He has worked hard to finish and I am so proud of him.
This year for Thanksgiving the whole famdamily came up to our/mom and dad's house. It was so much fun to hangout with everyone and do some sisterly things. The grandkids are getting so big and are learning how to play really cute with each other. The kids just wanted to help with everything and sometime drove me positively crazy, but that's what they do right. We also had to figure out how to child proof the house as well. My niece Madison loves to run around but has yet to figure out how to go down the stairs no matter how many times I show her. After a few bumps we decided the baby gates needed to go up. I love having the family over even if I was a little crazy while they were here.

Grandpa and Clay enjoying the first Thanksgiving feast in new Higham home

James with no teeth. The tooth fairy came to visit him



All of us playing Sorry with the little girls



Abbers

Reese and Abby. These 2 were the only ones to get Adam to play a game. Good job!

Clayton helping with the Thanksgiving napkins

Right before Thanksgiving, my sisters and my mom all got together for the Time Out for Women conference that was held at the Salt Palace this year. It is always a good time when the Higham women get together. There were a lot of really great speaker and lots of wonderful music.It is just a reminder on how great it is to be a women, and what are Heavenly Father had in store of us.

Me, Amy and Kristen eat lunch in the Utah Foods office

Lindsay and Brookie

The cutest girls you have every seen. (don't mind my vampire eyes, I only had 4 hr of sleep)

Our life is a little uncertain and a lot of things are in the Lords hands right now. I am so grateful to have my faith and know that things will work out they way the Lord wants them to. It if comforting to know that he has greater things in store for me than I could possibly dream of. I hope everyone enjoys the CHRISTmas season and all of their Christmas dreams come through.

Chow for now

XoXoXo

Courrtney

Happy Two Years

This past Sunday, Adam and I celebrated our two year anniversary. I can't believe that is has already been 2 years, but yet I feel like this is how it's always been. I never thought I would find someone who could drive me crazy, make me laugh, and calm me down all at the same time. I just can't stay made at him for very long, even if he really deserves it. He works so hard and never has a complaint. I am so grateful for all that he does to make my life a little easier. He is my sanity! A big thanks to everyone who gave us a push in the right direction! Happy 2 years, and many more to come!

Mt Timp:* Warning lots of pictures*

One of the fun things we did this summer was to hike Mt. Timpingous. I have never done the hike or seen the cave so I was pretty excited. We had lots of little people and were probably out numbered, but somehow we all made it back. We got up early that morning and got all of the kiddo's and adults out of the house. All of the nieces and nephews minus Madison were present. We started up the hike and I was thinking "this is going to be a breeze". Yeah right! I was feeling the burn when my little nephew wanted to be picked up. I guess I should specify, he is NOT little, he is solid. After many rest stops for the "kids" and many children being pick up and put down, we finally made it to the top. Going through the cave was awesome to see everything. There are some tight spots to fit into and I am surprised we all made it though. After a quick rest we headed back down the mountain. That seemed to take forever and it started to rain. The rain was a welcome after the hot summer sun. After we all made it down it was off to home for some much needed napping. All in all, I think he had a lot of fun.

This sign made us all laugh

The little ones, plus Andy

Pit stop. It looks like Brooke and Darren decided to hold up the mountain

Andy taken advantage of a photo op

The crew from the back, some of them had already rounded the corner

Amy and Emory in the cave

Kristen, James and Clay

Abby and her daddy

Me and Reece's pieces

Abby wondering if daddy's going to share

Dad, Morgan, Brooke and Mom

Ranger Clay

View from the top
Dad, Morgan, Brooke, Mom, and Kade

Clay, Kade and Jax

James

Darren and Abby

Jeff, Amy and Emory

Brooke

Me and my little sis

Me, Brooke, and Morg

Kade, me and Brooke

The girls

Adam's "artistic" picture

Brooke's super women pose

Me trying to do a pose, but I look more like Skreetch

Clay's all tuckered out. Mom carried his dead weight down the whole mountain

"We did it, and I can only move my thumbs right now"

Reece, Jaxon and Andy

it looks like these two are ready to scadattle

Jaxon and Reece

Best Buds

Emory was the best kid there

Kristen, Clayton and Morgan

 

clay finally woke up and was ready for his photo shot