merry christmas

merry christmas from the coltons

so we're a little late for this post, but it's the effort that counts. christmas morning - kate's ready to go!she had to check out what santa brought for her stocking - a new elephant friend!kate got a lot of fancy necklaces for christmas - she was super pumped and has been playing with them everyday since. she even knows how to put them on! where did this girly girl come from? :)

after we finished opening our gifts, we got ready for the day and headed out of town to visit our families. we were able to get away for 5 days which is a first for us since we have been married. weston always has to rush back to work, but that's what comes with working in retail.

on the 26th, we went out to poverty flat with weston's family for some sledding. weston had his dad pull him on the 4 wheeler so he could "wake-ride" i've just coined the phrase.
we were so surprised that kate had such good balance - enough to hold herself up the entire time we pulled her! i thought for sure she'd get a good view of the blue sky, lying on her back :) check out kate's snow gear - she is decked out head to toe in authentic iceland sweaters. she is even wearing the leg warmers as pants :) trent and ali - all bundled up and riding in styleour little familygrandma colton staying where it's warm - in the truck! smart lady!mama and kate getting pulled by grandpa coltonannie, chad, and sophiethe motley crew, or is it crue? on the way home from sledding, we passed my grandparent's home in monroe and saw this on their lawn! that is a HUGE pine tree that got blown over! i couldn't believe it! all i have to say is that the people who live there now better be VERY grateful for those north blowing winds - they could have had a VERY different awakening :) it is so sad that the tree is gone, though!

here she is in her christmas dress at grandma & grandpa cottle's house after churchnaturally, she was a hit at church. several of the ladies in relief society got a chance to hold her - whether they planned on it or not! she just walked up to them and gave the look . . . please pick me up . . . she might as well have batted her eyelashes at them :)

we made it back home on monday afternoon (the 29th) and both worked hard the next couple of days so we could take off again! we left for denver on the afternoon of the 31st - yes, we were DRIVING on new year's eve. but, we pulled into highlands ranch where my sister lives around 11:30 for the midnight activities :)

we spent a couple of days shopping and visiting, but what we really came for were saturday and sunday. my niece, haley, got baptized on saturday and my nephew, ben, got blessed on sunday.

i didn't take my camera with me to the baptism, so i didn't get any pictures of haley. here she is this summer, holding a much younger baby kate.and here she is on halloween 08

here is the handsome benjamin thomas cottle in his blessing attire
the "REAL Cottle" family
and the fabulous group shot

we have had a busy couple of weeks but enjoyed everything we were able to do. we loved spending time as our own little family and of course spending time with our bigger family :) we hope you all have had a fantastic holiday season!