last christmas break

We'll have Christmas in later years, of course, but this is our last year we'll actually have a 2 week break. Since we've been married we've been students and have always had time off for the holidays. 2011 will bring lots of change.

I left on December 15 to visit my family in Las Vegas. Michael inched his way there by car a couple days later through some pretty bad weather.

Scarlett had fun visiting Great Grandma Nishimoto in the nursing home. The first thing Grandma said was, "That's my baby!" Since she has Alzheimer's, everyday she got to meet Scarlett again.

And everyday Scarlett loved it.

One day Grandma got to come home for a special dinner!

Clockwise starting top right: Scarlett and 1st cousin once removed, Eleanor. 4 generations of Nishimotos. Scarlett with my Auntie Erin and Great Auntie Elaine. I don't know where Mom was for the other picture--but all 4 generations of Nishimoto women.

The whole gang visited Grandma on Christmas Eve.

Christmas morning we opened presents in Las Vegas with my parents and Jello & Sarah. Jared & Kim (on the right in above photo) came a little later.

Scarlett didn't know what the heck was going on. She bounced from one toy to the next, and I was never quick enough to get a good picture of her.

 So we stuck her in a box. She was surprisingly quite content with it.

I got some pretty sweet gifts, but the funniest was this...

Count'em: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 singa-ma-jigs! We had some fun before returning a few. Santa (aka my sister Robbyn and Michael) sure came through this year!

Later Christmas day we headed to St. George to visit with Michael's parents. (Sorry Deanne, we never got a picture of you! I didn't even realize until I got home.)

Scarlett figured she'd rather visit with the sliding glass door.

We wanted to be in Portland for New Year's, but the weather kept us in St. George (good thing, otherwise I wouldn't have gotten those sweet jeans).  When we did eventually leave it was only 12 degrees! Brrr. 

We spent New Year's in Logan with Michael's Sister's family. Headed to Boise the next day, and made it back to Portland on Sunday--just in time for Michael to start school on Monday.