Day 1 Skiing

 Day 1 Skiing

Kids took a 1 hour lesson and then they were ready to ski

Caleb and I enjoyed empty slopes 

Taking them to the top to do a blue run 

Corben really working on pulling his legs in closer together 

Mason following Dad 

Beautiful sunset while driving to our campsite. 

Kids skied open to close! 

Deer near our campsite

Christmas Day

We had a great Christmas at home and opened gifts. 

Then we surprised the kids and took them camping near Yosemite for the next 3 nights.

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We stopped by Bass Lake

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In our trailer we played a new Christmas game that uses tiny hands to act out something for the other players to guess

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The Christmas surprise was skiing two days at Badger Pass, Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area!!

Christmas Eve Candlelight service

One of our Christmas traditions, a candlelight service to celebrate the birth of Jesus. 

Instead of a gingerbread house, we decorated gingerbread cookies in the Nativity scene. The kids shared them with our next door neighbor boys, Camden and Conner ( I was surprised they ate them as you know store bought cookies like this have been sitting in a box for awhile)

Christmas Eve...ready for Santa to come!

I didn't label any gifts.  Instead each family member has their own ribbon. I put a small piece of ribbon in each person's stocking.  So on the morning of Christmas we will then know which gifts belong to who. 

Journey to Bethlehem

One of our family traditions...driving thru the Journey to Bethlehem at Bethany Church in Fresno

Kids paying the Roman guard 

Traveling to the census while Mary was pregnant 

King Herod 

Mary rode on a donkey all those miles 

Angels of the Lord appeared to the shepherds that the King was born 

No room in any "hotel", they stayed and had baby Jesus in a stall with animals, laid the newborn King in a manager. 

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God sent his one and only son to live on earth with us to share the Good News that he would die and take all of our sins with him so that we might be able to live with God forever....if we only have faith and believe!  

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Thankful for experiencing the true reason for the season, our Savior's birth

Great Grandpa John Corso

We stopped in to say Merry Christmas to Great Grandpa John Corso

Dancing Elves

Dancing elves video.

We have been laughing out loud at this video non stop.

Click link to view

https://youtu.be/OJ7Dmxtclbg

Christmas with the Haushalter crew

All the cousins 

On our way to Bakersfield, a fun memory popped up on my phone...

a picture of the cousins by a door at Christmas 5 years ago

So we tried to recreate the pic.

We all decided Eli is the "most changed"

Love this!!

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The adults...I am not sure why this picture doesn't look flattering to any of us...but a child took it, so I am going with that 

Haushalter group

Gaithers, Hartnetts, and Haushalters

(missing Papa John and Meme) 

and for tradition...a crazy pic of us all

(not sure why the kids picked up bottles of wine, but we went with it) 

 

Heather and I attempting a pic...so bad, and so funny!

Charcuterie Platter

Charcuterie  boards

Assorted cheeses, meats, crackers, nuts, bread, & grapes

Mason and I made our first...(well and second, since we made two)

Charcuterie Platters 

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So fun and so festive and so very yummy!

Mason helped add details and we added some of her sugared cranberries 

A list of the cheeses we served

Goat milk brie

Triple cream brie with wild mushrooms

Garlic & herb stuffed brie

Chevre fine herbs goat cheese

Port salut

Blue cheese

Mild & buttery brie

Colby jack

Habanero jack

Aged Havarti

Smoked Gouda