Truly a White Christmas!

With George not caring for snow like he does, it is amazing that Utah got "dumped on" with the most snow they have had at once the entire season exactly the week we were there. However, the kids tried to get us bundled up and with the fun company we were with, we had a great time!
George even had to try his hand at the snow blower! Look! No gloves or hat!


Lauren and her singing group sang at one of the BYU stake's Christmas programs on Sunday, so we all went to watch her perform. The Sacrament meeting was beautiful and, of course, Lauren just beamed as she sang.
We ate lunch at Chuck-a-Rama, our favorite family place to eat in Utah.

We then went downtown Salt Lake to Eagle Gate. It was so freezing, but oh so fun! Some of the kids tried running through the fountains even in that weather. Had they been caught by the water, they would have frozen to little ice blocks!








We then took the Trax train to Temple Square to see all the lights. It was just breath-taking!

On Monday, George and I, along with the parents, took 9 of the 10 grandkids (Taylor went snowboarding) shopping to find out what they wanted for Christmas. It is just too difficult to carry it all out from Florida in suitcases, and besides, we have lot more fun this way. We all had lunch together, and then the dads take the kids home while the moms and George and I get the shopping done. It is a marathon day, but so great! Once we got home, I had some major present wrapping to be done.

Tuesday morning, the adults went to the Jordan River Temple. It is always so special to be in such a sacred place with your children. George and I always look forward to that.

Kent and Natalie opened their gifts from Grandpa George and Grandma Laura that evening because they left the next day for Logan to spend some time with Natalie's family. Ella opening her Caribbean doll.Ethan

Natalie
Look how the doggie made Ella smile!


Wednesday was Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful dinner at Kyle and Kim's that Kim had prepared.

Then we read the Christmas story from the Bible, and the kids were dressed up so appropriately, thanks to Alison. She had sent a whole box of clothing from China with a family coming to the U.S. Thanks so much, Alison! We had such a great time portraying the Christmas story!
Connor as Joseph and Jenna as Mary.

Lauren as the angel and Brady as the shepherd.

We didn't have any sheep, but Koda cooperated very well as a little lamb. And Brady insisted on wearing a wisemen crown even though he was a shepherd, but it all turned out great!!

Taylor, Kade, and Carter were the Three Wisemen.

Then, everyone got to open their gifts from Grandpa George and Grandma Laura. I think I saw big smiles on most everyone's faces! Brady never let his present go from his side the whole night. Thank goodness he was the first to open his!


Hannah Jenna Lauren
Hannah, Lauren, & Jenna with their Caribbean dolls I brought them back from the cruise with my Rigby family.
Kade Carter - Sadly his item he wanted wasn't in, so he just asked for a gift card.
Connor

Taylor

Lauren and Hanna in their Christmas pajamas their parents gave them.

Kyle and Kim
Kevin & Angie and Koda.

Christmas morning was beautiful! We had spent the night at Kyle and Kim's, so we got to see their family open their gifts.




A wonderful big brother helping a little brother.


After opening the gifts, we went to Kevin and Angie's where Angie had a fantastic breakfast with homemade scones, eggs, bacon, etc. It was great!
Grandpa George sitting at the kids' table.


The kids played and had fun together, then the rest of the day we went to movies together. The kids loved "Bedtime Stories," and some of the adults saw "Seven Pounds" and "Benjamin Button." When we came out of the last show at 11:00 p.m., there was so much snow and it was blowing so hard that the streets were drifting, the police were keeping everyone off the main road which was how we were going to get back to Kyle and Kim's where all of our suitcases were. Well, Kevin meandered on this street and that until we got to Kevin and Angie's house. They gave us some sleeping clothes and new toothbrushes and we stayed there for the night. It was truly a whiteout! You couldn't even tell where the street started and stopped!

Friday, all the adults and Taylor went to the after-Christmas sales and had lunch together. Then that evening, Kyle had tickets in a suite for the Jazz-Dallas game. Not only did the guys see a winning game for the Jazz, they got to eat prime rib and shrimp. Not a bad combination! But the girls and kids had a great night, too. We just sat around and talked while the kids played.

Saturday morning, 6:15 a.m., Kyle took George and I and Kent to the airport. Kent needed to get back to work. Natalie was staying another week. The week in Utah was so fun--we hated to see it end. It went waaaaay too fast, but now we look forward to spending the next week in Florida with Jeff and Amy, their kids, and Craig and Cassie. Warm weather, here we come!

Christmas Greetings from the Copeland Families!

George and Laura

Kevin & Angie, Taylor, Connor, Kade, Lauren, & Hannah

John and Alison, Bracken, Parker, Tyson, & Preston

Kyle and Kim, Carter, Jenna, & Brady

Jeff & Amy, Garrett & Isaac

Cameron & Anne, Sydney, Jaxon, & Mason

Kent & Natalie, Ethan & Ella

Craig & Cassie (Missing is their baby, Mia--the cat!)

Christmas! What a Wonderful Time of Year!

What an amazing time of the year! When we can all get together as family and celebrate the birth of our Savior. It's just the greatest!

This year we went to Utah for the Christmas vacation. We had quite the time getting there. First of all, we were detained in the Dallas airport for four hours, but this actually turned out to be a blessing. Cameron and Anne, who live in Dallas, brought the three grandkids and we got to spend some time with them in the airport before boarding the plane again for Utah. I'm so mad that my camera was, of course, already being routed on the airplane, so I didn't get pictures of our happy reunion with Cameron's family.

After the four-hour layover, I immediately called Kevin to tell him we were boarding the plane and the door was shutting. We were finally on our way to Utah. However, with severe weather in Utah, we circled the Salt Lake airport so many times, we were running out of fuel and had to be rerouted to Boise, Idaho! Then when we finally got back to Utah, it took so much time to get in again with only one usable runway, so poor Kevin ended sitting in the airport parking lot in freezing cold weather for 3 1/2 hours! But we finally made it! Instead of getting in at 7:30 p.m., we ended up getting in at 3:30 a.m.--very late in the night!

Saturday, December 20, we had our annual Rigby Christmas party which my Dad plans for each year. He has been so good to continue this tradition which he and my mother started many years ago. With nearly 80 people in attendance (which includes all of my six brothers and sisters, their spouses, many of their children and grandchildren,) we have outgrown my parents' home, so we always hold it in a church.

My sisters Joyce, Natalie, my dad, me, and my sister Beverly.

We had a wonderful roast beef dinner where everyone brought side dishes.

Brady with his dad, Kyle.

Jenna, with her mother, Kim.

Then my dad gave all the granddaughters and daughters a special statue to remember our mother and grandmother.

This is my dad with a picture of my mother when she was a junior in high school. He always pays the most beautiful tributes to her!

He also has a fun "Guess how much money is in the jar" game, with the person who guesses the closest to the amount getting the jar of money. Believe it or not, a Copeland has only won it once! Amy beat out Kevin by only $.04!!!!! Kevin and Angie and four of their children. Great-Grandpa Rigby with Kevin's daughter, Hannah.

Grandma Laura with Hannah and Lauren.

Grandpa George with Brady.

Then we all have a wonderful Bingo game where every person attending gets one card. As each person wins, they get to go into a huge room just filled with items like a store. My sisters Joyce and Natalie helped Dad pick up items for this all year. We play until every person gets to go into the room, then we start over. We ended up going into the room four times! There is everything from golf balls to sports gear, to toys, to clothes, to kitchen items, decorating items! There is a little bit of everything. Everyone loves Grandpa's Christmas bingo! Thanks so much, Grandpa, for such a wonderful party and for getting us all together! Ella loves her "Hello, Kitty" gift!Grandpa George with Lauren and Jenna.Ethan playing basketball with the big kids when the party is over. Kevin and Kyle with their Grandpa Rigby.