Thanksgiving and Christmas

OK I know that this is way past due, but I am just now getting caught up on blog.

After San Francisco, Ty and I boarded the Amtrak train and went to Longmont, CO (near Denver) to spend Thanksgiving with Ty's family. We really enjoyed our trip since we took a sleeper car. We enjoyed sleeping, watching dvds, and talking. We also were able to go to the dining car and eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We met many people this way since we always had to sit across from another couple. The train was a different experience. It felt like a completely different world, one in which the people are different as well. We met one interesting man who was akin to a modern day hobo. He took the train all over the United States visiting friends. He was an interesting person.

We spent 3 days with Ty's family eating, and watching some great shows. It was fun to play with Zuzu and Creature (two pugs) at the park. It was very entertaining to see Creature go down the slide and then try to run back up it without any success. We took some videos of it and I was very upset when I erased all my pictures by accident. I guess we will just have to go back soon.

We also took a tour of the library that Steve works at and also the place that Karen used to work at and then went to see the new James Bond movie. It was actually a pretty good movie.

The following month we went to Nampa to spend Christmas with my family. The first night we were there, it snowed a lot. Dad also decided it would be a great time to burn some boards and things that needed to be burned. So we had a bonfire in the snow. This seems like something that Jeff Foxworthy could use "You might be a redneck if..." After our back ends were numb it wasn't so bad.

On Christmas Eve, we had a white elephant gift exchange. I think the best present was dad's snowman that when bumped started singing and then dropped a nice little piece of candy out its bottom. (shocking huh?) He also got a nice beanie and pirate beard. Just what he wanted actually.

Ty got a decorative gourd and a well dressed bottle of dish soap.

I got various second hand (ha ha) lotions and soaps.

Christmas was a wonderful day. Ty got a shotgun from my parents which we promptly used the next day. Angel, Marcia, and Sammy all got crocheted items from Ty's mom, Karen. They were beautiful, and the kids loved them.

The day after Christmas, we went out to try out Ty's new shotgun and my dad's new AR-15, his new pride and joy that he put together himself. It was very cold and snowy, but hey, that never stops the Hunts from doing anything. We laugh in the frozen toes of frostbite.

The Saturday after Christmas, we went to Pocatello to see my niece, Natalie be baptized. It was nice to be with them for that wonderful experience. Natalie had Ty and I convinced that they got a puppy for Christmas. She told us how well trained he was and that the neighbors were taking care of it while they were in Pocatello. We found out later that it is a big life sized stuffed dog that walks and barks, not a real dog. I just laughed and laughed about that.

The night before going home, we had a family party and Ty played his ukulele and we sang a bunch of songs. It was fun. My sweet little niece, Marcia, decided it would be nice to put on "makeup". She started stamping her face with a Santa stamp that grandma gave her. She decided also that everyone had to have a stamp or two. She had a great time stamping everyone including herself.

We had a great holiday season with family and friends. We feel blessed to have such great families.