Christmas Eve at Heidi's

Even though we have a lot of family living far away across the country and across the world, we feel really fortunate for the family and friends that we do live close enough to spend time with, especially for the holidays. Heidi was gracious enough to host Christmas Eve at her house down in Provo. We dined well - yummy appetizers, soups, and sandwiches were served in abundance. And lets face it - any evening that I don't have to prepare dinner is a good one.

Heidi even provided entertainment for the kids - blank wooden ornaments and a huge array of markers to color and decorate them. Genius! Kept the girls busy with minimal fighting.

And I think anyone with a child wishes that Heidi could be their nanny - she is so good with kids! Looking at these pictures, I can't believe how much bigger my nephew Rowe is already. These babies grow up fast!!

And not only is Heidi awesome with kids, she is super generous and thoughtful with gifts. She got the girls these adorable Hello Kitty leotards and tutus from H&M. Huge hit with the girls.

In addition, Auntie Heidi got the girls fabric tablecloths with fabric markers so they girls could draw on them.

And of course, all the parents got their own children new pajamas. I got such a good deal on Lu's pajamas from Gymboree (I even got a free onesie for her baby brother and free shipping on my order). But Lucy eventually ended up letting Olive borrow her pajamas for a while because they were too big. Now Lucy is getting hand-me-downs from Olive.

I love what good friends these cousins are. It makes family get-togethers so much fun when they can play together. If only we could get the rest of our family out here!