Christmas 2014 and Annie's Homecoming!!!

We had a wonderful Christmas season!  Below I am at a Christmas breakfast with my siblings that live here in the area.  Always fun to be with them and catch up!

Christmas morning we had fun watching these three little ones open their presents from Santa.

The rest of the family came over between 10 and 11 am.  We took lots of pictures.  I think my picture with my grandkids below turned out pretty good!  Love them all so much!

We also got one of the kids with their families on the stairs like we used to when they were little.

Then we took the family pictures:)

We all got to talk with Annie on Christmas which was a treat.  Kim made us a yummy breakfast and the cousins exchanged gifts, then the siblings exchanged gifts, and we gave our gifts to our children and grandchildren, and they gave their gifts to us.  

When the gift exchanging was all over we had a nice dinner together and visited.  It was a lovely Christmas!  The picture below is what we woke up to Christmas morning.  We hadn't had snow in weeks and then this.  It snowed all day so we definitely had a white Christmas:)

 

Five days after Christmas and one day after her birthday on Dec. 30th Annie returned home from her mission!  It was one of the sweetest days of my life!!  Words can't express the joy I felt that day!  Alyse helped me decorate the house and hang her welcome home sign on the garage.

All the family gathered at the airport to welcome her home.  We had some great welcome home signs there for her! We were all so excited!!

That airport was filled with lots of love!!

Annie loved meeting her new niece and seeing all her nieces and nephews and siblings again!

She was just glowing!!! below is her name tag in Tahitian.

After the airport we all returned to our home and had a birthday party for Annie with a Twenty Two theme.

I spent hours cutting out 22's that were all over the kitchen.  And we played the Taylor Swift song Twenty Two as Annie walked into the house:)

The family with Annie.

Annie had brought everyone home beautiful shell leis.  Some of them are pictured above.  She loves the people of Tahiti and they loved her as evidenced by the beautiful shell and pearl jewelry they gave her before she left. After her birthday party we went in the family room and had Christmas with her. I am so grateful for her missionary service and so grateful to have her safely home!!!  it will be a happy New Year!