An Idaho Christmas (and other stuff).

This year was our turn to go up to Idaho to spend Christmas with Nathan's side of the family.

You know the song, "over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go....."  just turn that song into a picture and that's pretty much what it looks like going to Driggs, ID for Christmas.

You literally pass over a river, and through some woods, and across miles and miles and miles and miles of snow covered wheat fields. Dirt roads, old red barns and a charming small town main street lit up in Christmas lights to boot.

It truly is something out of a storybook. 

The first day of our break we went sledding down a magnificently large hill, titled 'Kay's Hill'. So named for Nathan's grandparents who owned a dairy farm at the bottom of the hill. It's funny, everything in small towns is named after who lives there or by some random event that occurred there. Things like 'Hatch's corner' or 'Moulton Barn'. These landmarks are always used in reference when giving directions, for example: "You'll drive about 10 minutes down the road, passed Hatch's corner and continue on until Moulton Barn" or whatever, just something like that. Directions that make absolutely no sense unless you're from the darn place.

 Nathan doesn't like to open his eyes for picture, apparently. I still love him.

 After the sledding extravaganza we snowmobiled over to 'our tree'. 

What makes it 'our tree' you ask?! Well it has our initials on it, that's why! We carved this over three years ago and here it stands! It has withstood the test of time, just like our marriage. Haha.

Here it is when we originally carved it. Cool, eh.

ANYWAY. Back to Christmas. Here stands my beautiful lighthouse gingerbread creation I made. Do you like? We actually had two gingerbread house making parties this year but I have chosen not to picture my other creation because my grandma Abbott told me it wasn't very good (ha! you've gotta know her). I actually agree with her though, I tried to make a hobbit hole and it kind of just looked like a green blob so we'll leave it at that. I'm proud of this one however so I'll share it with the internet.

My mom sent me with (and Nathan but he refused to wear his) this beautiful, festive Santa Claus headband. I love it and will wear it for many years to come.

One of the best parts of Christmas break was I got to eat lunch with friends 3 days in a row! It was awesome. Unfortunately I did not get a picture each day but these are the friends I see the very least so I had to document this occasion. My dearest friend Cassady has been living in Georgia the past year or so and I've missed her terribly. Also Marisa moved to New Jersey recently and I also miss her dearly. And Shae, dear Shae, if you are reading this you are awesome and I will always appreciate you.

And I can't forget this beauty. My sister in law (who is also named Hannah) and myself had the privilege of riding in plastic sleds pulled by a team of draft horses across a small pasture. That description makes it sounds cooler than it was, all in all it was like a 5 second ride across a small field and back but I thought it was pretty cool, OK?

In conclusion I had a really nice Christmas break, I haven't had a full week off like that since I was in High School. I read a buttload of Harry Potter and almost didn't know what to do with myself and all that free time. It was great.