Well, 2015...That's a Wrap!

We finished up this year extremely well! November ended with us spending Thanksgiving with Jon's sister's family up in Redmond, WA. Originally, we were hoping to spend the holiday with Jon's parents down in California. However, due to Jon's new job and the fact that trucking companies are really busy during the holidays, he wasn't able to get the time we'd need to travel off. Luckily, Laura's family decided to stay in the area for the holiday too and so we got to share the day with them and their friends.

December was awesome! So many good things happened, but one of the highlights was having Emily come home from her mission. Emily, my sister, has been serving a mission for our church the past year and a half in Norway. She returned on December 10th around 7 pm, and being that home is so much closer for me now, I got to be there when she got off the plane! The whole family was there except for Jessica, who was still in Utah. Seeing Emily and hugging her and having the family reunite was a glimpse of what I think returning to Heaven will be like. Especially when I saw my parents hug her. The joy on their faces made me pause and just contemplate on the love that Heavenly Father has for us and on how happy He will feel when we get to see Him again.

Our first glimpse of Emily:

That weekend my Aunt Janet and Grandma and Grandpa Sorensen joined us to hear Emily's homecoming talk. It was a nice weekend to just be together and have some fun. Playing cards with Grandpa was especially fun!

A group of us playing cards:

Unfortunately, I had to leave the fun and go back to teaching in Tacoma for a week. Once that was over though, my family came to spend the day with me in Tacoma and then take me home for Christmas Break! We spent our time goofing off at Point Defiance Park and then making gingerbread houses at Jon and my place before heading to my parents' place in Vancouver. Unfortunately, Jon wasn't able to with us at the time because of work, but he came to join us on Christmas Eve and spent the weekend with us.

My mom, sisters, and I at Point Defiance Park:

Jessica's gingerbread house:

Christmas was, as always, very early in the morning and wonderful! I got some pens, skirts, movies, lotion, kitchen supplies, hiking clothes, and boots. Jon got some Frisbees, ski tickets, tennis rackets, dried mangoes, and some books.

Kate and I being silly:

Kate in the AWESOME PJs she got for Christmas:

Kaka and I:

All the sisters, Jon, and Hinckley on Christmas Eve right before reading the Christmas story, playing some games, and watching "It's a Wonderful Life" (which we watch every year on Christmas Eve)!

Christmas day lunch/dinner:

Time at my family's place was pretty chill. We colored, watched movies, made and ate food, talked, went on a mini hike, played games, and made good memories.

Playing games:

Dad and I:

 Abby, Jon, and I wearing our Hiking Buddies shirts that Abby made and gave me for Christmas:

Ems and I before our hike:

Abby and I playing with the gummie legos that we made:

Now we've all gone our separate ways again, with Emily and Jessica in Utah, Jon and I in Tacoma, and the rest of the gang in Vancouver. It's comforting to know, though, that no matter how many times we leave each other, that we'll always come back together again because we're sealed together in the temple. That's the most beautiful thing about the gospel and the reason for it all.