Christmas in Yellowstone

This is the first Christmas the Johnson family has spent in the states in something like 15 years? We haven't spent Christmas in the states since moving to Saudi. We've always traveled somewhere else (Nothing like spending Christmas in the freezing cold in Turkey, or in the incredible fortress outside our hotel in Budapest) or spent Christmas in Saudi.

Mom, Dad and Bobbie flew to the states, spent a couple of days, then on the 23rd the entire family (including Grandma and Grandpa) loaded into 3 vehicles to carpool to West Yellowstone.

My Dad rented a beautiful log cabin/house for us. We easily could have accommodated 4 more people and everyone gotten a bed. The largest room in the basement had a huge king bed and a twin - so Bob and I shared a bed and Taylor took the twin. The first time we've all slept together in beds for our Christmas tradition. Normally we're on the floor. It was actually really fun sharing a room for a week with the 2 of them. I don't get to see them enough.

On Christmas Eve, we went on a bus tour of Yellowstone.

 Bob throwing snow at Taylor during one of our stops.

Taylor destroying Bob after her attack. She got soaking wet (She refused to wear a coat or snow pants or boots. After countless arguments, she finally conceded to wear the boots and bring the coat. She told me later she was grateful she'd brought them... crazy girl) and was cold the rest of the day.

Buffalo! or bisen. They are synonymous. I came back from Yellowstone very educated.

Snowed hard most the time we were on our outing. 

After the tour, we had our usual large Christmas Eve dinner and after...

Bob snagged one of those icicles and fun was had by all.

Then we opened our Christmas jammies!

Christmas day we woke up, opened our stockings and gifts. It was fun with such a large group. It was especially fun to have Grandma and Grandpa there. We've never spent Christmas Day with them (excluding when Grandpa came to Saudi 3 years ago).

Dad got me the most beautiful pearl necklace from China for Christmas (all the girls got one) and I'm completely in love!!! I've always wanted a necklace just like that. I have a couple other ones that are very pretty, but this is just a simple strand and it's so pretty. I got so many wonderful gifts - it was such a nice Christmas!

Dad rented snowmobiles on Christmas Day, and we spent the day lounging around, snowmobiling and playing with our new gifts. Also - we watched Once Upon a Time.

Wednesday Dad, Bob, Taylor and Brandon and I went snowboarding/skiing. 

Bob tried snowboarding for the first time ever, and she was actually incredibly talented. 

She picked it up so fast - I was jealous. However, sadly, she's a sour-puss quitter. She hated it! Had the worst attitude. So she quit. But she truly was awesome until then. Taylor helped her - he is so sweet with her. 

Dad snowboarded for a bit and at the very end he and Bob switched to skis (she didn't have a better attitude about skiing, in case you were wondering) and Brandon skied. I got maybe 2 or 3 runs in at the end before we left. The rest of the day was spent with Bob on the bunny hill.

Trevor drove 7 hours in snowstorms after work on Wednesday (he didn't tell me that until later. He knew I'd worry so he lied and said the weather wasn't bad) to join us. He got there around 10. We opened our Christmas presents to each other. I got him a Harley shirt from Saudi and he made me this incredible book of pictures of us and gave me a gift card to get pampered. His sister in law, June, told me later that he had asked her what to get me for Christmas? He wanted to get me something sweet that I could use to relax and spoil myself. I thought that was so sweet, that that is what he wanted to give me for Christmas. His mom gave me an ornament - apparently it is a Schauerhamer tradition that Lisa gives each of the kids an ornament for Christmas each year, and she made me one. It is a pretty pink castle. I like to think it's because I've met my prince charming. Hahahaha, super corny, but it's my blog, so deal! 

Bob gave him his favorite gift though, fairy wings!

Thursday my Dad rented the snowmobiles again. It was so much fun. We went out for probably 5 hours or so between two long runs. It was so pretty.

Friday Dad, Mom, Trevor and I went snowboarding/skiing. It was Trev's first time skiing - we thought that'd be easier than learning to snowboard. I sure love him but he spent more time in the trees than on the slopes.

This is a picture of him after falling. You can just see his head and skis, and the tree he crashed into:

The next picture his him waddling his way out of the snowbank. I love it! It looks like an action shot, instead of him rolling his way out of the snowbank:

Trev got on the 2 person lift with my Dad instead of me. Haha.

 So pretty!

We taught Trevor the game Scotland Yard, a Johnson favorite.

Taylor saw this idea and he wanted to do it all Christmas break. It turned out to be pretty amusing. I don't have all the videos on my phone, sadly.

Saturday we drove back! 

The Christmas apple makes another appearance... 

We took an hour detour to pick Riley up in Toole so she and Bob could have a sleepover. What a joyous reunion that was! (That night the girls wanted to see a movie in the cheap theater - they picked the movie, we watched the trailer - seemed good. So we all went, including Luisa. IT WAS A HORRIBLE MOVIE! I've never walked out of a movie before... but I took the girls out. Which lead to that awkward moment texting Riley's mom telling her I took them to and then out of a bad movie... sorry if your kid asks any explicit sex questions... I felt like the worst person ever.)

And that basically sums up my Christmas break!

The Christmas apple a month later... couldn't bring myself to throw it away because it looked so funny. So it sat on my counter for a while. Don't worry, it's since been disposed of.

2012

December 2011 Samar told me,

“This is it, Boo. This is our year.”

And I believed her, because she is my best friend and knows me better than anyone else.

2012.

2012 brought me my first full time job. Complete with benefits (which was great since my Dad’s insurance kicked me off) and a 401k, which sounds so adultish.

I turned 26, which is a solid number. I’m not such a fan of odd numbers.

My best friend got married.

I got to take the trip of a lifetime to Pakistan. I got incredible new clothes, bangles, met extraordinary people and made memories that will never leave. I gave a public speech at Samar’s wedding which was so hard for me to do, but I did it. And I cried the whole time which was humiliating, but I said what was in my heart and it was probably the best wedding speech ever given.

I worked to make my relationships with family stronger.

I made new friends. Some really good friends that I’ll treasure for always.

I learned the power of the priesthood. And that God is willing to give me what I need – I just need to ask for it.

I learned how to make the best of a bad situation.

I made the choice to let people in.

I fell in love for the first time.

I allowed myself to be vulnerable in a relationship for the first time.

I took risks.

I moved. Again.

I served others. I learned that service truly is the key to happiness.

I learned to pray a little bit better, and learned to decipher personal revelation a bit better.

I learned how to cook better, and started taking Tae Kwon Do.

All in all, it was a pretty great year. I’m grateful for all I was able to learn and experience.

Love,

Brittney

Happy New Years Eve!!!