5th Annual White Elephant Party

So for anyone who reads this on their google reader- WARNING: I'm hoping to do a lot of back posting. For those of you who try to go to my blog to read updates- you'll never see the next months worth of posts because they are all catching up posts. But here it goes.

I love having traditions. I feel like some we try to start and then they never really catch on or I forget, or life gets in the way... but there are a few that I love that we have held on to in my little family. FHE every Monday, family prayers/songs every night, Reading the Natvity on Christmas Eve, and... a white elephant party every December. Each year when I do this post (granted this post is QUITE late... about 5 months late :) it gives me a chance to look back at years past to see where we have been and how our lives have changed each year. It gives me a chance to remember our closest friends during that year of our life (Sugarhouse, Sandy, Spokane, San Ramon, now Cary). Maybe this year we will actually have a 2nd one in the SAME LOCATION!

2011 was another great year surrounded by our wonderful friends...

 

Mitzi and Mike McBride, Tenille and Chris Vance, Charise and Bill Johnson, Chris and Gaby Hubbard, Meg and Jake Abhau, Tristina and Eric Eaton, Ami and Jess Arbon, Joe and Monica Merrill, Erika and Ben Smith

 AND FAMILY!!!!

 

 The night was full of good socializing, laughs, and gifts! 

We decided to steal a play out of Megan's playbook from 2007. It couldn't have played out better. Since we like to tease Jake about his dude crush on Joe... seriously my heart couldn't have been happier when I realized ours was the last gift in the pile and it was going to end up in Jake's hands.  Thanks for being good sports to the whole gang- but especially Joe and Jake.

Thanks to all who could make it! What a fun night... I can't wait til next year... well... in 7 months! (Yikes... I will have 3 kids by then!)