Happy Christma-hana-kwanz-aka!

Technically we only celebrate Christmas, but we wanted to be culturally sensitive to the many viewers of this blog who may be celebrating other holidays of this season.

Once again, the Barbers made me one of the fam for the holidays. They even made me a part of their gift exchange. The excitement of it all got to me, and I had to take a little pre-gift unwrapping nap beside my present. The box, not the cat. That's smokey and she's already got an owner.


My mom was kind enough to send me a bunch of packages so I would have stuff to open on Christmas. There was one package, however, that caught us all off guard. Nikki and my new toy cat were both puzzled by the box she labeled "DO NOT OPEN UNTIL CHRIST." Mom, is there something you're not telling us? Needless to say, the package remains unopened. I'm crossing my fingers that when the time does come to open it, it's a -get out of jail (aka hell)- free card.


And here we have our first family picture on our first Christmas Day. Please take note of Gracie's glowing eyes. I always knew that dog was possessed.


Can't wait till next year when Nikki is the one sending me packages with eerie messages about the 2nd coming and my face is photoshopped into our family picture.

- Coco Channel

Our First Christmas

So this year was pretty monumental for me in terms of the Holidays. Now that I'm a college grad and taking on my new role as a working woman, I'm learning that the real world is less lenient than BYU on two week holiday breaks and such. My job went ahead and booked me for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years Eve. Thank goodness for Nikki's family taking me under their wing.

Nikki's grandparents' house was decorated so beautifully, it made it easy for me to overcome my homesickness and catch the Christmas spirit.


I'm not going to lie, this little train set did play a significant part in my enjoyment of the festivities.


My pseudo family for the holidays. We rocked that game of charades we played down in this basement, hunh Nikki? No cheating whatsoever...


Since living together, Nikki has been kind enough to share her grandparents with me. It's a good thing she's so generous with them because I've grown sort of attached to these two people.


Nikki's grandma has formed a similar attachment. No, not to me...to her new can opener.


Thanks again Barbers/Ovards, I have you to thank for a tear-free holiday season.

- Courtney Barber

Gingerbread Temple

What is that? You say you're not familiar with the "Gingerbread Temple" practice? You mean you've only made houses and little stick figure men out of gingerbread!?!

Well, in all honesty, that is what we set out to do.

Except, instead of gingerbread we used graham crackers. Though the dedication was there for us, the execution of our blueprints did not go as smoothly as planned.


After numerous attempts at various home-like structures, we concluded with something much better. Much, MUCH better. A Gingerbread Temple! Complete with a sourpatch kid Angel Moroni and all.


Naturally the sugar filled activity led Nikki and I into a frosting fight. I mean, really...how couldn't it?


Despite my pleas to keep the frosting out of my newly shampooed hair, the results were messy. We're still finding hidden globs of frosting in random spots of our apartment.


All in all, I'd deem this one a ginger success.

XOXO Courtney -the Cooh-Kong- Lisonbee