Friends Around the World!

I love this time of year when everyone comes Home for the Holidays.

On Saturday Vicki (5 months pregos with baby boy #2), Kasey (in town from up North) and I went to one of our favorite breakfast spots down by the beach. We only had an hour (due to busy schedules) but we loved every second of it. It's always so great to be together again.

After breakfast I headed over to breakfast # 2 (whoops) at Grandma Joyce's house to meet up with the rest of the family. She had her annual Christmas breakfast and as always it was delicious! The girls always have a blast getting together with cousins as well.

(*This was the advent calendar activity for the day)

On Saturday night we had the opportunity to meet up with my friend Ana and her husband Charles (visiting from LONDON) . The five of us (Carter included) went out to dinner and were able to catch up even more with out interruptions.

On Sunday we went to church and filled our cups to the rim with the spirit of Christmas. The choir sang like angels and the program was so heart warming. After church Kasey brought over Jackson and Riley for an hour. Katie and Ella were in heaven because they love and adore these two kids (as do we all)! Meanwhile, Kasey, Bryant and I stuffed our faces with chips and dip.

On Saturday morning I got a surprise phone call from my gorgeous friend Fashion. She and I were in the same ward growing up & she is one awesome gal! She and her family (equally as gorgeous) live in EL SALVADOR (for her husbands job). They are in town visiting for the holidays and were hosting a little gathering Sunday night and invited us on over.

The vacation home they are renting is out of this world! It's fabulous! Fashion and Jeremy have twins (Ella's age) and a sweet little 1-yr-old girl. The kids had fun eating and chatting at the kid table while the adults caught up on the couches. It was so much fun and wished we could have stayed longer. Thanks Fashion!
Once we left their house we met up with this crazy bunch (my family, the Hiatt's and Sally's family) down at Naples for a walk around the gorgeous, lit up Island.

(also the advent calendar activity for Sunday) These houses are incredible! They go all out with the lights and decor! A California Christmas.

I'll take palm trees over snow any day!

Sally's parents are in town from CHINA, so it was awesome to have her family join us as well. After we walked the island we went back to my parents house for some treats and warm hot chocolate. It was quite the night!