we need a little christmas, right this very minute...

Back in October, I signed up to hopefully get tickets for the upcoming Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert. I also made my mom, dad, and youngest brother sign up, just to increase our chances of going. Mom's name was drawn (or however they do it)! And there was much rejoicing!

We went Friday night, and it. was. AWESOME. Deborah Voigt sang with the choir, and it turns out she's kind of a sassypants, and completely adorable. Also? John Rhys-Davies narrated. John. Rhys. Davies. That's Gimli, dudes! His deep Welsh voice is amazing to listen to! They did a Charles Dickens segment that was fantastic. Also, one of the organists (was it Clay Christiansen?) did a solo of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and it sounded like something the Phantom of the Opera would play. Incredible! (If you can ever find it on PBS, go ahead and watch it.)

The show was so. dang. good.

After the concert, we walked around Temple Square in the cold. Because Temple Square at Christmas is glorious.

Brent, Mom and me. This selfie was taken while Dad went to the car to get his coat...

On Saturday, we had our family Christmas party.

The Orgill family isn't small in numbers, and it keeps on growing (YAY!). There are ten adults and eight kids (between the ages of 9 years, and 8 months). All of us were at my parents' home in content Christmas chaos. I loved it.

We had soup and sandwiches for lunch, then the kids made a crafty Christmas treat, and then it was time for presents. (We missed Brent up until just after 1:00, since he had to work that morning. Humbug!)

Also, Aaron and Ryan arm wrestled, which was fun to behold.

Seth and his powdered doughnut mouth.

Emmett and his powdered doughnut mouth.

Kaylee making her doughnut snowman.

Jane is having a good time.

Julie liked snacking while others made her snowman craft.

Kaylee waved her snowman guy like a fairy wand against Seth.

The three girls playing ring around the rosy. Cutest thing ever.

Jackson laughed pretty hard when Goose tickled his back in earnest.

Ready. Set. GO!

The girls unwrapping their LaLaLoopsie dolls from gramma and grampa.

Emmett was so cute when he unwrapped his present; he said, "I got a box!"
Then he got really excited about the book and Snoopy...

Marshall was thrilled to get "don't break the ice."

And this Harry Potter-loving boy was ecstatic to receive this HP lunchbox.

Isn't he the cutest?

 It was such a lovely weekend, and I cannot wait until tomorrow to head back down Utah to see more of my family and enjoy the heck out of Christmassy stuff, and ALL OF IT!

finding my groove

Well, it happened, folks. I went snowboarding for the first time of the '13-'14 season.

Back in, like, August, I bought a Big Sky card, which allows me to ski for free once each during opening an closing weeks, plus once for half price somewhere in the middle. So I took my freebie on Saturday with a few friends.

To be honest with you, I was equal parts nervous and excited. (I was nervous because: -I hadn't been snowboarding in nearly 10 months -I had only just begun to kind of figure out carving the last time I went -Frigid temperatures expected at Big Sky. I was excited because: -I hadn't been snowboarding in nearly 10 months -I have all of my own gear this year! -Big Sky provided me with my happiest memory of the 2012-2013 ski season -The Bowl -I just really love Big Sky.)

We stayed at the Stagecoach Inn in West Yellowstone Friday night. It's kind of a quaint and rustic hotel...

The Grand Staircase

O Christmas Tree...

Next morning, we got up and had breakfast, then bundled up, packed up the cars, and made our way to Big Sky, Montana!!!! 

Cameron was ecstatic to be on the mountain. He lives to ski.

It felt even colder than it looks...

Such a pretty morning...

Big Sky's claim to fame, I guess.
And really: who doesn't love Charles Norris?

Me and Brooke, bundled up at the hotel.

Who's who? It's hard to tell boys from girls when everyone's in ski gear, which makes me laugh.
Cameron, me and Brooke

Brooke and Cameron are much more experienced skiers than I am, so they went their own way, and I stuck to the lower lifts with Jordan and Chanelle. 

I don't think I mentioned exactly how nervous I was about my first time back on the mountain after nearly 10 months without any practice. Last year was my very first season of snowboarding, and I wasn't sure I'd remember anything, and I had no idea if I'd even be able to stand up on my board, let alone ride it down, never mind figuring out how to carve.

Turns out, I needn't have worried too much, because a lot of it came back pretty easily. (I only practiced carving on the really shallow portions of each run.) And, good news! I didn't fall even one time getting off the lifts! (That was always the hardest part for me last year.)

I've forgotten nearly everything Jon taught me re: carving, but I feel like I might make some pretty good progress this season...

I took this during a break after riding The Bowl.

Isn't it so lovely?

Christmas trees...

This was on my last run of the day. I was exhausted and chilled to the bone.

Chanelle, somewhere in The Bowl.

After riding the bowl, I headed back to the lodge to warm up and chill with Jordan and Sean while Cam, Brooke and Chanelle finished up on the hill. I looked at my weather channel app and was totally shocked to read the temperature with windchill factored in...

-9, but feels like -21. Eesh!

My entire body hurts quite a bit today, but I'm happy with how well my first ride of the season went! So excited the '13-'14 season is here! Huzzah!

so, thanksgiving happened...

There are about a thousand reasons whyThanksgiving is among my favorite of all the holidays. I think the only reason Christmas trumps Thanksgiving is because of the music and the twinkle lights...?

I took the week of Thanksgiving off. I've tried working the week of Thanksgiving, and I'm always sorely disappointed because I end up getting no-showed a lot. And that does not help me to feel thankful.

So I spent the entire week leading up to Thanksgiving with my family in Utah. And that helps me to feel extra thankful.

Abby and I saw Catching Fire.
We may or may not have screamed at the monkey part.

Fraggle Julie

Jane helped me make dinner;
when we put on our aprons, she said, "We are adorable."

Holy crap, Emmett kills me dead with his cute smile.

"Normal" is quite rare for a picture with me and Seth...

Told ya.

Jackson and his sock gloves.

We had a tickle fight. I feel like we both won.

Also: Jackson ate ham! PROTEIN, baby!

Mom, Dad and I visted with Gramma the day before Thanksgiving...

Kaylee painted my fingernails (and Mom's) after Thanksgiving dinner.

She also painted Mom's nails.
We loved how she'd grab one finger with her entire hand to hold it still :)

Checking to see if it's dry...

Oh, golly, this boy Derek has got my heart...

I love Marshall and his toothless smile.
My mom told him, "If you lose any more teeth, you'll have to eat baby food!"

I shellacked Janel and Kaylee's fingers and toes.
Marshall wanted to feel the warmth of the UV light (or, as we liked to call it, the "oov lamp.")

Jane put that banana there to make a face.
Isn't she awesome?

Jane helped me peel/core/slice the apples.
Her payment was bits of apple, plus some of the skin.

This cute little nugget wouldn't go down for a nap one day,
so I treated her to some popcorn and milk. Naturally.

 I also spent a lot of time with the adults in my family, but they're less adorable than their offspring, or their offspring's offspring...

Mom and I went to see The Book Thief in Ogden on Black Friday (away from the stores and the throngs of shoppers!). We cried. It was fantastic...

I was with my family for nearly nine days, and leaving them in Utah as I drove back to Idaho was a big bummer for me. Good thing Christmas is just around the corner. AND it's a good thing there are lots of fun and awesome things happening between now and Christmas. 

It really is the most wonderful time of the year...