The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

By FAR, the most joyful time of year for a BYU student is that glorious, stress-free, void-of-responsibility time we call Christmas break. Finals are finally over and the new semester isn't until next year, so joy to the world!  This blog post will undoubtedly be monstrously long as it is a pictures + commentary post all about the 3 week extravaganza dream that Dad made a reality for us on the East Coast. Feel free to scan & be happy.

Some of us took classes we weren't too fond of this semester and we couldn't wait to get rid of the gobs of paper and mindless assignments we'd completed over the course of the semester, so... we BURNED them. Talk about cathartic!

the "College Kids" Embark for NewYork!

we had too much luggage, full of Christmas goodness, but our little trolley kept sliding all over the New Jersey train. It was hilarious trying to keep it all together.

And for any Brian Regan fans out there, we were in the Newark Airport "terminal C" where the restrooms for the coach passengers are located. :)

We took a train from the NJ station to NYC. The train had the greatest bouncy seats!

Logan was our fearless leader and a superb bellhop. He navigated every street and transportation system flawlessly in his beloved NYC as well as carried almost all of the luggage. He's skinny, but he's wiry! Lynette and I had a hard time keeping pace with his 6 foot strides.

At 2am ET we finally made it to 96th St. in New York City.

And now, the moment we've all been waiting for.. ok maybe just me. But I waited a good 8 months to see these two.

Sisters, sisters, there were never such devoted sisters....!

We were nice and cozy. When Lyn or La would turn, I had to turn with them so we all fit. Ha. Party!

Besides Laura's morning sickness (which we were completely oblivious to), we enjoyed a 

Perfect day in Manhattan

There's the Hudson River and NJ from the roof of Laura's apartment complex that would look like a skyscraper in Provo, but is a midget in the Big Apple.

Running through NYC

We ran from Laura's apartment and all through Central Park. 

We found a castle!

And in Times Square the church was spreading some Christmas cheer!

I'm obsessed with Mormon.org. If you haven't visited it in the last month, do so. I promise you will find gems for you and yours.

We even ran down to Broadway where we entered ourselves in a drawing for tickets to see NEWSIES. And if you can't tell from the picture, we won!!! All 4 of us got in!!! Open the gates and seize the day! 

We're in NYC!!!

We returned 2 hours after winning to see the show and enjoyed it immensely!

For dinner Logan introduced Lynette to her first New York style pizza.

Even at night, Time Square is bright as day

CONNECTICUT & "oh!... BOSTON!"

Thursday night we caught a train to Connecticut to go visit the Gimenez cousins!!!

(Grand Central Station is one of the prettiest buildings in NYC!)

Jasmine, Lynette, Giselle, Whit, Alejandra

at the beginning of Boston's... 

FREEDOM TRAIL

Boston Cemetery

at the grave site of Benjamin Franklin's family

We walked and walked and walked and walked aaaaaaaand walked

Samuel Adams' grave

Long live the Sons of Liberty! I bet they'd have a word to say to our current Mr. President...

"Logan put on your lobster" - Lynette

I LOVED Boston. It's dotted with historic gems from the colonial period throughout downtown. Amazing!

This statue just merited getting on Logan's shoulders. I just didn't know that someone was taking pictures of the whole thing! ha

Paul Revere's ride was a Triumph!

It was a BLAST to be with Log & Lyn. Every part of travelling was enjoyable with these 2 on either side. 

It was below freezing outside and we had some time to kill, so what did we do to pass the time? Sang Christmas carols in the subway station!

Who does that??? 

We loved you BOSTON & even more, the GIMENEZES!!!

Back in New York...

Bryant Park

The New York City library

Logan had the incredible opportunity to visit his mission and because of Christmas, see lots of friends at his wards' Christmas activities

 I've never seen people love a returned missionary so much. He was EVERYONE's favorite. 

No. literally, EVERYONE's favorite.

It was fun for me to be back in Latin-land and to fill in as Log's comp going around strengthening the members, eating burn-your-face salsa, speaking spanish and...

Dancing! yeah, we festijared

they loved seeing the white guys dance, especially their "ex-misionero"

and Logan was gettin' down!!!

recent convert with his wife who was baptized on Saturday. Logan almost died of happiness.

MISSIONS ARE FOREVER.

Christmas!

The big reunion happened when we all converged on the Steve & Esther Toronto family's house in Pennsylvania.

We toured Christmas City U.S.A. on Christmas Eve - Bethlehem, PA. Just as we were leaving  a white Christmas began.

they're going to be the cutest little parents!!

fully cast Nativity play

Joseph Christian as Joseph

Maren as Mary

Steve as the trusty donkey

Elizabeth Rose & Lauren as angels, obviously! :)

Mr. Taylor I think was one of the wise guys... I mean men

 the WHOLE family - togetha foreva

Virginia

(Verlan & Katherine's)

U.S. History 101 - so fun! 

 Monticello - inspiring! Gotta love our good friend TJ.

Colonial Williamsburg

I wish I knew my British monarchs better. We loved learning the history of the initial foundings of America. It was messy, but it's still obvious God's hand was in it. Mom & Dad were in history heaven.

They invited to the Governor's Ball

boys on one side...

Girls on the other :)  

 Colleges!

The College of William & Mary

Dr. V's school - the University of Virginia

(founded of course by our good friend TJ)

A Merry Land

(Joseph & Leslie's)

New Year's Day we visited the DC temple & visitors' Center. I was in heaven.

Maryland State House

Ft. McHenry - the inspiration for the national anthem

the college kids - freezing but happy

Back in PA...

the happiness continues

buddha??? What about a mission?!!!

Well, Lynette and I's cameras both died and we hadn't packed our chargers, so the photos end here, but the fun didn't. That night we got to watch Jeff & John play in basketball games - ballers! After their games, we set up the Fiesta Bowl to watch Oregon trounce someone (sorry Dad, I don't remember who!) and BYU's bball game was on the flatscreen TV. Dad was surrounded by his grandsons and chocolate. Take away the migraine and that might've been the highlight of his trip.

We played a lot. We laughed a lot. We loved even more. And the Savior made it all possible.

It was "a triumph my dear. Another triumph!"

Merry Christmas fam! "God bless you, every one."