christmas break goodness

Two words. Christmas. Break.

We have been here, in the bay, for a little over a week and it has been practically perfect. I have loved every minute of family time, snuggling with my husband, eating yummy food, reading Harry Potter for the first time (I know, I know. Super behind the times but I finished Sorcerer's Stone on Christmas Eve and am currently on chapter 2 of Chamber) and so many other great things. With so much going on, I have not really had time to update the blog but I really just have loved not worrying about anything but being here and now with my family.

Last Saturday, we got in around 10 a.m. and my dad picked us up from the airport. We stopped at home for a bit then we were off shortly after we arrived to head to my grandma Moser's for a little Christmas gathering. My grandma Moser lives in a little town right by the Nevada border called Portola, CA. It's population is 1,957 people (I did look that up) and I always loved visiting when I was little to the place where my dad grew up. Anyways, it was so good to see some of the Moser side of the family, as we don't see each other very often. I am one of the younger cousins on my Dad's side and I love having so many cool cousins that I can look up to (as well as awesome Aunts and Uncles). We chatted, ate good food and played a family favorite, Farkle (a.k.a. white elephant). Here is a great photo of grandma and here kids:

 And here's one of the cousins that were able to make it (missing our Shields girls! Also, I look so terrible but I am posting this for posterity's sake)

The next few days I got to see/hug good friends at church, watch BYU football and basketball, saw Night at the Museum 3 and Mockingjay and the Hobbitt, hung out with Zach's brother Chris, ate good food, went to my mom's CCR class then got sore, went to my Aunt's zumba class sore and then got more sore, ate more good food (not to mention the sweets), read HP by the tree as seen here:

and spent lots of time with my family. Christmas Eve was the day we went to Zumba and it was so fun! I love dancing around and just having fun. Mostly, I LOVE watching my mom and aunt GET DOWN with their badselves. They seriously are incredible dancers. Once my mom and I left, we had to make some last minute Christmas shopping stops before we got home. For dinner, we went to Wong's. Oh, Wong's. I feel like a part of me grew up there haha. It's a little hole in the wall type of Chinese place that my grandparents have gone to for years and where we still love to go. It's one of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions to go out to eat for dinner and it was really fun and reallllly yummy. Another of my favorite Christmas Eve traditions is grandma and grandpa giving us our PJ's. It was amazing to have my Zachary with us through all the fun this year. 

Christmas day. Waking up incredibly excited, opening our stockings all together on one bed, waiting at the top of the stairs to go down one by one and then getting to open presents is all apart of the Moser family Christmas morning. I was mostly excited to watch Zach open the GPS Garmin running watch that my parents got him for Christmas and it lived up to the hype. He was so excited!! I loved it! Grandma and Grandpa, the Stones and Auntie Tamara came over for breakfast which was uhhhhmazing. Seriously, divine. We had god ol' breakfast casserole but to make it REALLY good we had homemade (fried) scones with fresh off the stove buttermilk syrup. Heavenly. For me, the best part of the entire day was getting to skype Elder Moser.

Look at that handsome smile!

It was so SO good to see him and hear his voice. He loves the work and serving the Lord and you can just see it in his face. Man, I sure miss this kid. It was weird not having him here for Christmas... Then again, it's been weird not having him here for the past 10 months. I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST SAID 10 MONTHS! Almost a whole year. The people of Argentina are sure lucky to have him. The rest of our day was filled with family, food and fun! I sure love and am so grateful for the family I have. Especially missed on Christmas was Elder Moser and all my White family. 

The day after Christmas, mom and I went out early and shopped around. Mostly so she could get Christmas stuff on sale but also to look around and spend time together. We all went out to a late lunch/dinner at Costco (basically my favorite restaurant) before we went to see "Into The Woods". I already knew it was a musical, but my parents did not know as much. I liked it, they felt mislead by the advertisements. So basically, it went well! 

Saturday was the first day my dad had off work except for Christmas so it was really fun to have him around. We ate grade A breakfast sandwiches from Diggers, watched Harry Potter and the BYU basketball game (BOO ZAGA) and then made homemade sushi. Yes, you did indeed read "made homemade sushi". Here, look!

De-lish. Here are some "during the process" pics, before baked pics and then after. All to make you jealous... Just kidding, to make you want to come over sometime to have me make it for you.

While we were rolling..

 Before we popped 'em in the oven...

 And after. Boom. Mouth? Watering.

My mom learned to make sushi during my senior year of high school so I only got to have hers a couple times before I left for school. Needless to say, I was very happy we found time to make it while we were home. My mom is awesome.

And, today. I love Sundays. They are my favorite day of the week and have been for some time! Mostly, I started to love Sundays the most when Zach and I were dating. Since his family lives in Provo, he and his family would graciously have me for dinner every week to feed me delicious homemade meals. It was also the day Zach and I could spend together, usually without homework, and just relax and rejuvenate for the coming week. Before they were legally my family, they were my family. The fed me, let me come over like all the time and loved me before they had to. And that is really special to me. Anyways, today we went to a farewell for a family friend of ours who leaves for his mission tomorrow to enter the MTC Wednesday. He is Matt's age and they have been best friends since we were all little kids.  I was too excited to hear his talk and hug him after to take a picture.. woops! Elder Middleton will be amazing, we are so excited for him! Once we got home, we just napped:

watched Harry Potter (he's been a big part of this break, obvi) and ate really yummy quesadillas. 

Carne asada

 Salmon 

 Zach and quesadillas 

It was really yummy! Then again, everything else we have eaten has been really, really yummy. I have probably (definitely) gained 10 pounds in a single week. But it is all in the good name of family. Excuse? Maybe. Anyways, sorry for the dump. I just really want to keep up with this blog and document our life! Zach says this post will be a "doozy", but I mean hey... What's a good life without a little doozy?!