party like it's the end of the world

New Year's Eve was a little bitter-sweet this year. 

We had a wonderful time with the Woodheads, but it was also our last night with the Bradburns before their big move to sunny California. 

We enjoyed a delicious and fun meal of fondue! What a fun way to eat - it really makes you slow down and enjoy the experience and conversation. We had fun playing games and laughing late into the night; well, at least until midnight (which is now late for us). It was a low-key New Years, but perfect in our book! 

We sure LOVE and MISS the Bradburns!! Sunday dinners are not the same without them! This hopefully just means some road trips will be on our calendar soon! :)

Our "Tender Tennessee Christmas"

We spent the week of Christmas in Tennessee with the Lamberts. Grammy and Grandpa Murphy were also in town for a visit, so it was a week full of festivities! 

Mormonza 2012

A few years ago my family decided to start our own holiday, and so Mormonza was born. We celebrate our religion each year on December 23rd (Joseph Smith's birthday). Some of the traditions include: 

decorations in red, yellow, and blue (the primary colors)

a stereotypical Mormon meal (casserole, green jello, Lion House rolls, etc.)

favorite FHE games 

attending the temple (added this year)

having the missionaries over to join us for dinner (also new this year)

watching a movie or clip with a spiritual message or thought 

It was a great experience to attend the temple with Grammy and Grandpa - they had so many insights to share with us from their service in the LA Temple Presidency. We are so grateful for their amazing example of service! 

Some people might think we are crazy or sacrilegious, but it is just fun and has become one of our favorite family traditions. :) 

Christmas Eve

The Murphy Christmas Eve traditions were continued this year - it was so fun to have Grammy and Grandpa with us, just how it was each year growing up. We enjoyed the traditional clam chowder dinner with Grandpa's famous shrimp cocktails. The Sleepy Elf made his special delivery, of course! This is one of my favorite family traditions - he drops off presents on the door step or on our beds each Christmas Eve and they are always pajamas so we can all look our best on Christmas morning. 

Earlier in the week we walked around the Opryland Hotel in Nashville. They do a fabulous job decorating for Christmas! 

 

Christmas Day

Christmas fell on a Sunday this year and I loved it! It just seems right to celebrate the birth of our Savior by attending our church meetings and learning from the Spirit. Dad assigned himself to speak and he did a wonderful job! 

Once we returned home, we all changed back into our pjs and started the Christmas routine. We always take turns opening gifts and watching each other so the process usually takes a while, but I like it that way. I don't know why, but opening our stockings is my favorite part! Mom made a stocking for Mike to match the rest of the family's - she's the BEST! 

After all the presents were opened, Dad surprised us by playing a little "Let's Make a Deal" game that he put together. We each got a hat from his golf club in our stocking, but then we had to decide if we wanted to keep that hat or trade it for something else. We each traded and ended up with different hats. Mike got the best prize with a BYU hat signed by Ty Detmer - he was a happy boy. 

We finished the night by watching The Grinch all together as a family; the perfect finish to the Christmas season.

 It was such a fun week and a great feeling to be home. Can't wait until we are all together again in April! 

Woodhead Family Pictures - November 2011

Marlies used her awesome photography skills to create a little family photo-shoot. I think they all turned out fabulous! 

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"

We had a wonderful time celebrating Thanksgiving with the Grassli side of the family. We had a delicious meal at the Chuggs' home and I was introduced to the tradition of the Thankful Book. Each year on Thanksgiving, every family member writes what they are thankful for in the book. It was fun to look back through and see what everyone wrote in years gone by. When Michael was little, the things he was thankful for were usually centered around BYU sports, or the Jazz - and it seems to be a theme he is sticking to even now.

This was my first holiday that I have spent away from my own immediate family, and I am proud of how I did! I didn't cry at all; although I got a little teary when Grandpa G. pointed out that it was my first holiday away from home - I guess I hadn't thought about it too much until that point!

I am so grateful that I have been able to get to know all of Michael's extended family so well, since we  live close! They have been so kind and I truly feel like they are my own!

We stayed at the Woodhead's in Sandy for the weekend so that we could feel like we were "out of town" on vactaion. The day after Thanksgiving we ventured out to check out the Black Friday deals, but didn't make a single purchase.

That night was the first night that Temple Square was all lit up with twinkle lights! Marlies, Jane Anne, Michael, and I wandered around in the freezing weather - it was the perfect way to start off the Christmas season! 

The weekend of Thanksgiving we also got our little home in the Christmas spirit! I really really really love holidays and Christmas is no exception! We lucked out and got a free tree and a few other decorations from the Dean's office where I work - the tree is just the right size. 

The Christmas letters are a Lambert tradition - Grandma Lambert has made them for each family.
The advent was sent to Michael on his mission from Grandma and Grandpa G. while they were serving in Switzerland.

We invested in the nativity this year - we were given more pieces for Christmas so next year it will be more complete.
My mom made the cute placemats and napkins so each meal was festive! 

 Lindsay Ham and her fiance, Brycen, invited us on a double to make gingerbread houses. They made the pieces from scratch and everything - I was so impressed! Our house was a bit of a struggle, but it turned out alright in the end. Let me introduce you to the "love shack": 

one year since "yes!"

It is hard to believe that one year ago Michael popped the question, I said yes, and I have been wearing the most gorgeous ring on my finger since! 

November 26, 2010

Michael proposed to me over Thanksgiving break while my family was in town for the holiday. We had talked about getting married and had looked at rings a little bit, but I was not expecting it that soon at all!

It was the day after Thanksgiving and we had been hanging out with my dad's side of the family at the Woolley's house. Mike told me that his mom and sisters were coming to the mall in Orem to shop and suggested that we go say "hi" - I thought that was a great idea and bit the bate. As we were leaving, he mentioned that we had to stop by the apartment he was staying at to pick up his phone charger. I offered to just stay in the car while he ran in, but he suggested that I join him. Once we walked in the door I walked right over to the couch and plopped down, while stating, "It still smells in here". I had walked over rose petals and did not even notice the set up in the kitchen! Michael called me over, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him! Of course I said "Yes!" right without hesitation! I was SO shocked, I was shaking the entire time and for a while after!! I was so surprised; I had no idea he had talked to my dad or purchased a ring! So sneaky!! :)

The Woodheads were waiting close by, so they came up after to celebrate with us! We then went back to the Woolley's house, where my family was waiting. I was so happy that they were in town so that they could be part of all the excitement! It meant so much to me to have my family there - especially my mom and dad!

That was the perfect beginning to our ever after - from that day on I have worn the ring I will wear for the rest of my life and I couldn't be happier about being officially taken! 

Thankful

Seeing as Thanksgiving is right around the corner, tonight for family home evening (we are trying to get in the habit now), we made a list of a few things we are most thankful for:

our temple marriage

supportive and loving families

opportunities for education

our little cozy apartment 

the gospel of Jesus Christ

BYU sports 

the power of prayer and the Priesthood

good examples

yummy desserts
the country in which we live and freedoms we enjoy
the Woodheads' washers and dryers
traditions and holidays

BYU Football

This has been a pretty exciting season of Cougar football! Michael and I purchased sports passes, which get us tickets to each home football game and into most of the other sports at BYU. We love BYU sports and it has been so fun to be able to go to the football games! Mitch and Marlies also bought passes with us and it has been so much fun having them at the games too! 

It hasn't been the most successful season, but there have been some exciting games, a quarterback controversy, and we have a winning season so far! 

Go Cougs!!