After Christmas Blues

Really, that should read "After Christmas 'Reds" because most of the week following Christmas we spent with the Allred side of the family.

Lance spent the week at his dad's house playing with friends and while there was usually something planned each day of the week, the rest of us mostly hung out and relaxed.

Jude couldn't get enough of his Wedgits and would sit there with these little square block things and build, build, build.

Glenn didn't make a dessert for our "competition" the night before, so Wednesday he made some homemade pizza with his new pizza stone (a gift from Chad).

Jude thought it was neat to watch Grandpa make the dough. The pizza turned out really well!

One night my family went to the DC temple. It was nice to be there together and the lights were beautiful as they are every year. Chad and Jason were superstars and stayed at home to watch Jude and Mason.

Santa brought the Glass family the game Telestrations and we had a great time playing it! It's like a cross between Pictionary and "Telephone" that you play with a large group of people. Hilarity ensued. It is definitely a game we will get out a lot!

Every year my Allred grandparents send my mom a check to be distributed amongst the grandkids. For the past several years we've decided to use that money to go to one of our favorite restaurants as a family--Nagoya's. It's a Hibachi grill in Ashburn and is always always wonderful. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa!

We wanted Uncle Chad to give Jude a haircut while he was there, and after watching him trim up Jason and Stephen, he seemed ready. Until he was in the chair. And then he wanted nothing to do with a haircut at all. Oh well. Honestly, his hair grows so slowly that he just needs a tiny trim around his ears. I guess I can do that another time.

So, instead of a haircut, Jude opted to try to clip my nails instead. Thanks, buddy.

It was a good week, full of family. It was really nice to spend so much time with my brothers that live so far away most of the year. I am so lucky to be part of a family that actually enjoys being together. I hope I can cultivate that in my own home with my children so they can have a great relationship with their siblings, too. It truly is priceless.