Happy Holidays

Hello All!
Our little family is back in Omaha for the Holidays. Ben finished his final on the 17th, and right when he came home, we were in the car and off to Nebraska! We have had so much fun here...we walked across the "Bridge to No-Where"...it's a Omahan's inside joke...but we really did walk across this footbridge from Nebraska to Iowa in the Freezing cold!...and we spit over the side trying to hit the ice burgs floating in the Missouri River!...heehee....We have gone to the Winter Quarters Temple Trail Center to see the Ginger Bread Houses display, Dad has taken us to UNO where he teaches and we have invaded the rec center almost everyday playing racketball, basketball and volleyball.....and I go running, and we even went to our family favorite restaurant, "Three Happiness"!!!!....

Christmas Eve was spent with the Zendejas side extended family at my aunts house....with some Amazing food!!!...Christmas day we all decided to sleep in since Charley wouldn't really know the difference...but mom set an alarm on her phone to tell her it was her Birthday (yes, my mom's b-day is on Christmas), but we had to tease her she needed a reminder...but the alarm was set for 7:50 (it does it automatically when you don't pick a time yourself) so Charley heard it and was up, and there was no getting her back to sleep. We opened presents...It is so much fun having a kid on Christmas, I had more fun watching her than anyone else....I don't even know what everyone else got, i was to busy watching and filming and taking pictures of Charley. She actually kinda understood Christmas...now that she is almost 2!!!!

After presents Dad made his famous omlets....which he only makes on Christmas morning, then the boys went to play basketball with some cousins and another uncle at the church, another family tradition. Then we were off to Uncle Eddies house for Christmas dinner with the Rosenthals...my mom's side. It was a nice, big house, but when you try and fit over 100 people in a house, it doesn't seem so big!....yes, we have a huge family! (and they all live in Omaha, with a few exceptions, us being one of them) Then it was back home after a long day to relax!

This is my first Christmas being home since being married. Normally on the years we are supposed to come home, my parents come out to Utah. It has been fun being home. I have loved visiting with family and enjoying spending time with my parents and siblings. I have missed all the craziness of being home, and as I get older have come to love my family even more and understand how much family means to me.

Ben and I were supposed to head out to NC to see the Schramm's for the weekend, but things didn't work out and our flight was canceled. We are sad we wont be able to see them this holiday, especially our niece and nephew.

We have had a great time here in Omaha, and hope that where ever you are, you are having a great time as well!

The picture is from my aunt who took pictures on Christmas of everyone at the Rosenthal dinner!

My thing I am going to do this next year....

Last year I made a goal to run a marathon. I have been wanting to run a marathon since high school. Finally after talking with Ben, I just decided to do it. I registered for one, and there was no turning back....I paid $90, and no refund...so I had to do it.

This coming year I decided that I am going to compete in the National Hoop Dance Competition down in Arizona. I have been dancing for almost 9 years, and I have talked about going for the last 6 years. Every year around the time of the competition I always find some excuse not to go....Living Legends 10 day tour, no money, pregnant...I always find something.

Well this year, I have no excuses. Especially since gas prices are falling, and my sister just moved to Arizona, about a mile away from the competition...I have to go!

When I dance at Pow Wows or for other events, people always ask if I ever have, and when I tell them I haven't they tell me I should. I am not expecting to go past the first round, but I think it will be a good experience. I will be competing against both females and males (there still isn't a big enough showing of females to have our own competition...that is why I don't think I will make it very far.) I have a very different style of dancing, and I don't know yet how well I will be preceived at a national level with other great hoop dancers.

But I tell you this because I can't register prior to the competition, I have to register there. So by telling people I am going to compete is my way of registering. I have to now complete my task! The competition is at the beginning of February, and I still haven't started training hard....I should start! Wish me Luck!

Santa's little Helper

We had our ward Christmas Party tonight. It was a nice evening with tons of friends, and good food! ...And a special visitor came...I didn't know he was going to come or I would have brought our real camera, and not my cell phone, and I wouldn't have let Charley roll around on the ground (she was playing with her friends...and she messed up her hair, and in the picture it looks all crazy...that is not how we brought her!...heehee).

Charley loved Santa. We have been practicing a few Christmas words, and that was one of them....so she was very excited to meet him! She liked him even better after he gave her a little bag of candy!