"best of" christmas 2013

• Christmas shopping date at City Creek!  I love living 4 minutes away.
• We sent out Christmas cards for the first time.  
• Quinn fit in perfectly with my woodland creatures Christmas decor.
• Humongous, as in 7 feet tall, gingerbread house at the Grand America.
• We saw The Hobbit.  It was ok, not my favorite.
• Lots of Christmas classic movies including White Christmas, Elf, Christmas Vacation along with the cheesy Hallmark romantic holiday comedies that I kind of love.
• Christmas Adam celebration with just us two.  We went out to dinner then opened presents from each other.  Dustin got a new blue suit. He totally surprised me with a little blue box.
• Santa came to my grandma's on Christmas Eve!  Sadly I was *not feeling well* and missed him. ;)
• Skyping both of our sisters!!!  Shayna in Ukraine, Korinne in Idaho.
• Christmas get together with some of my best friends, and their husbands, and precious babies!
• Lots of time spent with each other and our families.  

guess who? 

(yes i was santa! i was volunteered! no one else wanted to do it! the littles never knew it was me though haha)

last year                                                                          this year

i LOVE these girls!

harpy christmas!

December was crazy for the hubby and I!  He had intense finals, projects, papers, and presentations, and I had a bajillion harp events, concerts, gigs, and church performances.  Dustin survived another semester of business school with all A's and one B!!  And I survived another harp Christmas season.  Though it was a lot of work learning new music, having 6am rehearsals, and moving the harp everywhere in the snow, we both loved the spirit of Christmas that we felt in our hearts because of the music.  Music truly is powerful and can lift hearts like nothing else.  I am so grateful for my talent and the many opportunities and blessings it brings to both mine and Dustin's lives.

holiday diamond party!  i was hoping i might get paid with diamonds but sadly no ;)

harp & bells christmas concert.  

my students played with 4 other teacher's students totaling 40 harps on stage!

 seven harps! 

we accompanied the salt lake vocal artists on their two christmas concerts

 me and my boss/harp teacher/friend/mentor/wardie ShruDe

 a few of us accompanied the salt lake choral artists again at their assembly hall performances

my best harp mover husband 

back to december

Whew December came and went!  I can't believe we are already into the new year.  Well we were so busy being busy and busy just enjoying ourselves and the holidays and our families that I didn't write a single blog post.  So here's a quick recap. :)

a few girls nights with these beauties!  

lots of harp playing

Hung out with our favorite vivint friends - TJ & Emily!  The girls crafted while the boys played Xbox.

Christmas harp recital with my four students!  I gave them dusting brushes for their harps.  Teaching is such a joy!  Someday when I'm not working full time, I plan on expanding my studio...

Bowling & pizza for Tanner's 16th birthday party! Look at my crazy parents haha.

Our Christmas tree.  My parents got a new fake tree this year, and gave us their old one.  We love free stuff!  It fit perfectly in the corner of our front room.

After one of my gigs.  I accompanied a Methodist choir at their Christmas concert.  Mr. Harper was the ultimate harp mover!  Snow, ice, rain, multiple flights of stairs...nothing he can't handle.  

I finally made it to Trader Joe's!  Let me just tell you that milk chocolate toffee popcorn is DANGEROUS!  I'm restraining myself from going back and buying five more bags.  We're going to try out the mandarin orange chicken tonight.  

A Christmas party I played at - this house had 31 decorated Christmas trees and 19 nativity scenes. After that, I felt fine about not going to the festival of trees.

My old roommate/traveling companion/good friend Michelle got married!  So happy for her - they make a gorgeous couple.

Santa came to {my grandma} Noma's house!  It's hard to recognize him behind the beard and glasses but it's my hubby!  Santa baby!

We had our own little Christmas a few days before the 24th.  We wrapped presents, got some fish tacos from Rubio's, opened our gifts to each other, and watched Home Alone.  Dustin surprised me with a STUNNING sapphire necklace I had been admiring at the mall.  He is the best.  I love spending Christmas with him. We have way too much fun. 

We did Christmas with my family on Christmas Adam because my mom had to fly on the 25th.  We spent Christmas Eve at Dustin's parents.  Such a lovely Christmas and it was fun having both of our brothers home from their missions this year.  

We spent a lot of time at Dustin's parents house between Christmas and New Year's when his family from California was in town.  The Harpers are serious about settlers of cataan and I finally won after being a part of the family for over a year.  So this was a big deal and I definitely did a victory dance.  Dustin was so proud.  :)

We went tubing twice in one weekend!  Once with all of my Hunt cousins, and once with the Harpers.  It was a "kick in the pants" as Dustin would say.  And also freeeezing cold.  

Hope you all had a fantastic December and a lovely Christmas!