Christmas in Colorado

Wow this crazy catch-up-on-everything blog pattern is coming right along.

Up now....our Christmas in Colorado! Celebrated just the way we like it, with a super fun ornament exchange with all our BFFs here and then quietly just us.

The ornament exchange has become our favorite holiday tradition here, with all of us requesting the day off in advance and man the ornament hunt starts early! Our first one in 2007 was hosted by the Doyles, with only six in attendance, and this year we rocked it out with SIXteen :) Such a good time. Lots of wild laughter and shrieks as ornaments got unwrapped, coveted, traded and drooled over. Here is the whole crew with what we each ended up with (we missed Hutch, who stayed home with a sick baby). I think his wifey scored him an awesome robot ornament.

Team Apostle.

With my B.

And my Jen!

And my Dee Dee. (missed you Shellie!)

Jenn, Dee Dee & Tanya lounging pre-exchange. The Koepps had Nordy's BBQ picked up for the party and it was delish. And easy prep.

These two made a post-exchange-exchange as Mike was DROOLING over the Dunder Mifflin ornament Dee ended up with and she was coveting his Tony Romo ornament :) She's a football fan, this girl. So Mike was very happy and Dunder Mifflin sat front and center on our tree.

Berto & Kate.
Love the moose ornament dangling from your shirt, Rob.

AND THEN....

Mike and I celebrated our Christmas together on the 22nd before I left for Missouri.
Here's the Christmas tree with presents galore...

And our overflowing stockings!

Mike with his presents. I made him open his first because I love to give gifts so much that it's terribly hard for me to keep them a secret until the holiday so I didn't want to wait any longer for him to see what he got :)

And displaying one of mine! P.S. pretty sure I married the world's best gift giver. He's amazing. Don't worry, Dad (do you read this?) - the Victoria's Secret box was filled with lotions ;)

Have I mentioned how lucky we are to have community here? Getting together with 16 of our closest friends to celebrate Christmas is among the greatest blessings of my 2009.

But surpassing even that was getting to spend the best holiday with my husband yet.....2009 was a good year to us and so to spend our last day of the year together (the 22nd) was sweet beyond all measure. We laughed and cackled and cried, and joy overflowed. He is the greatest blessing God's ever given me.

Oh what a merry Christmas!