A Merry Holiday {Part 2&3}

Lot's of fun holiday action happened this past week despite the sad news we receive after the Holidays.

Here are the Highlights:

Bunco Christmas Party! 

*Put together my costume in .02 seconds. Dressed myself up like a Christmas Tree. Only thing missing was a Star on the top of my head! LOL!

* We bunco girls always know how to have a good time! 

*Lots of treats!

*Lots of FUN!

*I seriously LOVE my friends! 

We had a quick trip this year with family. This is what happens when you are not in school anymore. You don't get to relish those long holiday breaks like you used to.   

Price Side Christmas! 

*Sabbath Day with Grandma Beth. Wonderful Christmas Program.

*A little Santa came to visit us..te he he! Treyson had a blast dressing up like St. Nick!

*COUSINS! Tom and Courtney came, so the kids got to play. They are expecting baby #3 in May!

*Christmas Brunch!

*Price kids Dog piles:) So much fun!

*Mini snowball fight!

*Opening gifts. YAY!

*Saying goodbye, pictures with Grandma. Boys sure love their Grandma Price!

Cutler Side Christmas! 

*Made ourselves right at home. Kids love Grammy's decoration including the Santa toilet seat:)

*Sugar Cookies for Santa! Grammy has the BEST recipe ever (talked her into using real butter this time - turned out even better!) 

*Christmas Eve Dinner Soups. Pumpkin, Curry and White Chicken Chile. YUM!

*Stations: Decorating cookies, Puzzles and Coloring.

*Traditions: Reenacting the Nativity and Singing Christmas songs after.

*Christmas Photo Opt:) and boy Christmas performances..LOL!

*Christmas Day! Presents, Dinner, relaxing watching movies, just dance and games, ect.

*Saying goodbyes. Pics with Aunties and Uncles. Stopped by parents office for goodbyes for Grammy and Gramps.

On both sides not all the of the family could be together. The other married couples had different plans. Maybe next year! We sure missed them :)  Hope you enjoy the videos. They make me so happy watching them and just so proud to be apart of such great families.

Enjoy these little voices:)

We are grateful to be apart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ was the ultimate gift to us, Our Savior and King. This year, as a family we decided to give gifts to the Savior. Some of those gifts included - giving a softer answer, more scripture study and serving others..ect. Some of the kids answers were really simple, but sweet, "be nicer and say prayers." This has been such a blessing for our hearts and minds to be turned more towards the True meaning of Christmas, which is Christ the Lord. We are looking forward to a new blessed year!

-Hour of Deaths-

Heavy Heart. 

I could probably write a novel on both of these people in our lives that have passed away recently, but I am emotional and physically (I taught 2 Zumba classes yesterday and had a later night with my littles) drained. I also need some time to collect my thoughts and feelings. 

3 days ago Christian close cousin Cody passed away. We were heartbroken to find out this news. We don't really know the details, but he went in his sleep. He was very special to our family, actually the whole Price family just adored him. Our hearts are hurting for sure, especially Christians. He was only 26 and one of Christian's heroes! The funniest kid you would ever meet he was. Just the thought of him puts a smile on our face. He was so very special and no one could forget his out of this world dance moves! An angel on earth returned to Heaven to meet his brother Kade. You see, not to long ago Cody lost his brother in an accident, so this family has endured so much loss.

This pic was taken at our Price family reunion back in 2006.

We are going to miss him so much, but we smile thinking of him as a missionary with his brother Kade  singing in the choir in Heaven. This dear cousin of ours touched our life in more ways than words can describe. I will write more later on one of the greatest spiritual experience we had with Cody. This is something we have never forgotten and changed our perspective forever. Just know he was such a significant spirit, and his love for life would make you just want to be better and more loving person.  We love you Cody and Rosemann Family!

Read Cody Steven Roseman Obituary, here.

Next, yesterday I got word that my Father past away early that morning. He was in his early 60's, still young. He had been on life support for a week. I don't know all the gritty details yet, but I know he was not doing well for a while. I was being updated all week by my brother Kody who lives in Florida. My sister Shannon (we have the same father but different Moms) was the closest to our Father. I wish I could be there to support and comfort her, because I know it has been so hard to go through this. I want to be there for her but our distance makes it hard. She is one of the strongest women that I know. She has endured a lot lately with her grandpa just passing not to long ago. I have not been able to get her off my mind, and I constantly pray for her. I have not been able to reach her yet, but I also want to let her grieve. I just hope she knows how much I love her.

 This means both of my biological parents are gone now. It's kind of crazy and makes me sad thinking about it actually. Both my Mother and Father and I am only 28 years old. I honestly have mixed feelings on the death of my Father, which I will dive into at a later time. My day was really busy so I just recently had the time to reflect and reminisce. Lots of emotions - Sad, angry, hurt, lonely sympathetic, guilt, ect. Yes, I was raised by my grandparents, but my Father was apart of my life for awhile. I want to celebrate his life and remember the good, not the bad. My Fathers obituary is not up yet. I am about to go through pictures to see what I have of him. I knew I had some at my ring ceremony we did in Florida when I got married, so I'll share that one with you. Love you!

My grandparents are getting up in their age. I seriously dread the day when it is their time. I am grateful I will always have the Cutler family. They will be all I have after everyone goes. How blessed I am to have them.

That is all I have for today. Thanks for all your sweet comments, text, messages, thoughts, prayers and love.

I'll leave you with this quote:

“You don't want to get over it. Don't act surprised. As awful a burden as grief is, you know intuitively that it matters, that it is profoundly important to be grieving. Your grief plays a crucial part in staying connected to your loved ones life. To give up your grief would mean losing that person yet again. If I had the power to take your grief away, you'd fight me to keep it. Your grief is awful, but it is also holy. And somewhere inside you, you know that.”

-Unknown

This hit close to home today as I thought about how more will be added to the list of all the people that are in Heaven that we love and miss so very much. This brings great comfort to know that it's almost a "good grief" and that it's something sacred that only you and Lord could only comprehend and understand. We are thankful for our knowledge of the Gospel when it comes to hard times like these. Comfort in the hour of death can be hard to find, but the Gospel help me keep the great eternal perspective. 

Christmas Newsletter 2013

Hope this finds you all well this Holiday Season! 

Love: Christian, Kerri and the Boys (Treyson, Porter and Kreed)

PS. I made it uber big so 'yall could read it. ;)