Christmas and wedding pictures

Here are a bunch of pictures from our break. We spent time at grandma Auman's house in San Jose and made an awesome gingerbread town, had a Who party with Matt's family - including the Grinch and a Roast Beast, went to San Francisco with my family (which included the customary stop at the Ghirardelli Chocolate Factory), had Christmas morning at grandma Bromley's house in Alamo, and did a whole bunch of wedding stuff. It was an incredibly busy vacation, but we got to do lots of fun things and see lots of people.

Aunt Karen and our gingerbread village

My grandma Auman teaching Owen how to eat frosting from the beaters

Owen playing with Josh, PJ, Don, and Jake at the ward Christmas party

Who party! This was so fun - but Owen was terrified of the Grinch.

Matt and Owen get ready to eat Roast Beast.

Who hair!

Five sisters at Lexie's bridal shower.

Playground on Christmas Eve.

This is a house a couple neighborhoods over from Matt's house. They do this every year. I can't imagine what their utility bill must look like.

Cousin nativity at grandma Bromley's house. My cousin Melanie's new baby Emma got to be baby Jesus.

Yummy pies and rolls at Matt's house on Christmas Eve!

My mom and dad play a game on Christmas Eve.

The Bromley family traditional Red Velvet Cake on Christmas Eve. Yum!

Christmas morning - waiting for Hilary to get out of the shower so we can open presents.

Christmas tree on Christmas morning - we had 17 people there, and it was kind of a madhouse.

This is what Owen thought about having Christmas morning at 7 AM.

Cute siblings - Becca, Kevin, and Madeline - in the car on the way to the temple for Lexie's wedding!

Becca, Kev, Mad, Owen, and Hilary.

Waiting for Lexie and Ryan.

Kevin interviewed everyone about their marriage advice for Lexie and Ryan.

Hooray! The cute couple.

Lexie and Ryan and the bridesmaids.

It was way past Owen's nap time at this point, and the only way he'd stay happy was if we let him carry around three pounds of goldfish. Doesn't he look snazzy in his cute little vest and bowtie?

You guessed it - Lexie had to bribe Owen to sit with her by feeding him goldfish.

Someone told all the bridesmaids to make sexy faces... this was the result. Not quite sure we got it.

Don, Brant, Josh, and PJ supervising the car decorating.

Waiting for Lexie and Ryan to come out. What you can't see is that everyone's fists are full of rice that they're planning on dropping on Lexie and Ryan as they run through the tunnel.

On their way!

Madeline and me watching a bread making demonstration at the Boudin Sourdough factory in San Francisco.

I loved the tour of this bread factory - we got to see everything, and taste several kinds of bread.

Obligatory stop at Ghirardelli Square for ice cream.

Owen had one hand each on me and Matt to make sure we knew he wanted bites of our ice cream.

Ice skating at Union Square in San Francisco. We went with Matt's brother Jon and his wife Sarah. I had never been ice skating in the city before, and it was really fun!

Huge Christmas tree behind me!

My very attractive family at the Oakland temple looking at the Christmas lights. This is my mom, Kevin, Becca, Hilary, and Madeline.

Love the Oakland temple.

And just for good measure, a cheese face from Owen.

We're alive

Yes, I know it's been forever since we posted last... I could give a million reasons, but mostly, we've just been busy. Sooo... hopefully we'll have some pictures up soon. We had a great Christmas break in California (definitely appreciated the lack of snow) which included my little sister's wedding the day after Christmas. All three of us got sick (we had 17 people living in the same house... it was bound to happen), but we have recovered and are definitely glad to be home. It was a good vacation, but I will say this - none of my children are ever getting married at Christmas.

Anyway. That's it for now. Pictures later. Hope you all had wonderful Christmases!

Halloween

We had SO many Halloween activities to go to this week. There was a trunk-or-treat, library story time (with costumes), reverse trick-or-treating to our ward (we went around and gave candy to all the students in the singles ward we serve in), the BYU kids' Halloween party, our ward Halloween party, and then of course trick-or-treating on Halloween. We ended up making Owen two costumes - he was Oscar the Grouch for most of the week, and for our ward Halloween party, we all dressed up together as the Empire State Building (Matt), King Kong (Owen), and whoever the girl is... I think her name is Ann (me). We made all the costumes, which was fun, but I don't think we'll be doing that again. My mom and grandma stepped in at the last minute (they were visiting so they could go wedding dress shopping with Lexie) and helped me finish up the costumes.

Anyway, enough talk. Here are the pictures!

Owen did not like having a unibrow drawn on. :)

Oscar!

Something about the unibrow made everything Owen did 10 times funnier.

After trick-or-treating our ward, we went and visited Michelle and Olivia, and had dinner with them in the Cannon Center. Thanks, Michelle!

Does it make me a bad mom that this next picture cracks me up?

Matt had a little too much fun with the Halloween makeup. :)

At BYU's Halloween party for kids. Owen loves this pumpkin... he rolls it around the house all day.

Picking out a prize at the cake walk.

Costume parade!

Owen was the Grand Prize winner for the best costume at the BYU party!

These were his prizes... a trophy and one of those sticks that makes noise when you shake it. He thought it was pretty cool. :)

King Kong and the Empire State Building at the bishop's cabin for the ward Halloween party.

...and me with them as King Kong's girl Ann. I wore sweats under that dress - it was so cold!

King Kong fell asleep on the way home.

Getting his first haircut... daddy had to bribe him with goldfish.

Before.

After. Not a huge difference, but enough to make it far less shaggy than before.

Trick-or-treating on Halloween to all the freshman living in Wyview. They gave out great candy!

By the third door or so, Owen had it figured out. He'd knock, and then stand there with his hand out ready to grab some candy from the bowl.

Taking a candy break... and a break from his garbage can!

Checking out all the candy he got.

Cousin dinner at Cafe Rio with all the BYU Bromley cousins... from L-R: Janessa, Jacob, Kelly (not a cousin - she's Jake's girlfriend), Lexie, Hilary, Josh, Brant, Jocelyn, David, Owen, me, and Matt. We love having so many cousins up here!

Playing with the light sticks Matt's mom sent Owen.