Happy new year!!

Well, its a new year and I am really behind. I didn't even finish talking about our New Zealand trip. I'll try to summarize it. I guess the last thing I talked about was the Rugby game, which was awesome. We were then able to spend time in Hamilton and go to the temple, the rose gardens, catch up with some of Scott's friends, and do some shopping. We then drove all the way from north New Zealand (Hamilton) to the tip of the north island (Wellington) where we took a ferry to the south island. From there we drove down the west coast of the south island visiting Greymouth, Franz Josef, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Invercargil, Bluff (which is the very south tip of New Zealand), then back up the east coast starting at Dunedin, then on to Oamaru, Christchurch, then back up to Picton to catch the ferry back to Wellington. From Wellington we drove back up to Gisborne to spend the last days of our trip with our friends. During our last days in New Zealand we traveled up to Matamata to visit Hobbiton. It was absolutely awesome. Then before we flew out we took a bus from Gisborne up to Auckland then stayed with some friends who then took us to the airport at 5 am. We arrived in Brisbane, Australia around 9 am local time. Where we are picked up by Lachlan and we spent the 4 days we were in Australia with him and his wife. We were able to go to the temple in Brisbane, shop, visit the Australia zoo (Steve Erwin zoo), and visit the Gold Coast. It was amazing!! That was a very short summary of our adventures, if you want a full account just ask!
We finally got back to the USA on the 20th of November. We had an amazing trip but, it is so good to be home!! The trip was really long but extremely worth it. Because we were able to stay in Gisborne for 5 weeks we were able to get to know people and actually experience New Zealand. We made friends and memories we will never forget. There are people we met and made friends with that I will always miss. I am so glad we were able to get to know people and spend time with them. I hope to one day be able to see them all again.
We were able to spend Thanksgiving in Grace with Scott's family. They had Thanksgiving dinner at Scott's brother Curtis' new house out in Lago. It was a great holiday with Scott's family. Dinner was awesome and we had fun with family. We were able to meet up with some of Scott's friends while we were in Grace. It was good to catch up with Sterling and his new wife Kelly, and Colter.
Then we spent Christmas in Rupert with my family. We actually ended up in Rupert on the 20th. My mom asked us to come early and help her with the invalids who were in her house. My little sister had surgery on her knee on the 20th and my Dad was supposed to have a hip replacement on the 16th. Dad didn't actually have his surgery on the 16th, he ended up having it on the 27th. When they were doing the preliminary procedures for his surgery they realised he had some damage on his heart. So, he had to see a cardiologist before they could do the surgery. Luckily they cleared him for surgery and he was able to do it the 27th. So, we ended up in Rupert on the 20th. I was glad to have so much time with my family. It has been a long time since we were able to do that.
Christmas was good, we spent Christmas eve making treats then, around 6 or 7 we all sat around my Dad as he read the Christmas story from the Bible then we all sang Christmas carols. Afterward we all went downstairs to the tree to open one present. Usually the presents are some form of pajamas. This year was a little different for my little family. Catherine got pajamas like everyone else but, I got some nice long basketball shorts instead of the sweatpants I normally get, and Scott got a board game. Scott had a new idea he wanted to implement this year, he decided that instead of giving him pajamas or basketball shorts every year (he would never wear them, and he really doesn't even wear all the basketball shorts he already has) he wanted a board game so that he could play it with everyone on Christmas eve. He even made me a list of 20 or so board games that he wants (over the years of course). It was actually a good idea and it went over well. Catherine didn't actually have that good of night. She managed to fall asleep right before we started eating dinner and when she woke up she was very unhappy. She kept crying and rubbing her eye, which was bright red. So we finally decided to try and flush her eye out with water, at which point my sister Heather saw a very long eyelash in her eye. So then began the "fun". We tried every thing we could think of. Mostly it just made Catherine even more mad. She would squeeze her eyes shut really tight then open them a little tiny bit to see if we were going to try and put something else in her eye. Finally Scott and I decided to just run a stream of water into her eye and hope the eyelash came out. I held open her eye as best I could and Scott gently poured a little water in her eye. She threw a fit, as expected but, as I was drying her face I saw an eyelash on her cheek. Catherine also stopped being so mad (after we got her face dry of course). Luckily she was still able to have a good Christmas eve. We put her to bed at 9 like normal but, in about 30 minutes or so she was back awake and would not go back to sleep. So, we all took turns holding her and trying to get her back to sleep. At one point my sister Heather, who is 7 months pregnant was holding Catherine trying to rock her back to sleep. While Catherine was quiet when Heather was holding her, she was by no means going back to sleep. Heather was holding Catherine against her belly, like anyone would, but I guess that Heather's baby, Nathaniel, had something to say about it because, he kept kicking Catherine, which, I might add, she thought was hilarious!
Anyway, so we finally got Catherine to sleep (I forget when it actually was, I just know it was late) and we were able to play Scott's new game. We got up Christmas morning at 5 so that we could get everything done and get to church at 10 am. I know it seems like a long time to be opening presents, and believe me it is, but, that is how it works at my parents house. We all watch everyone else open their presents so, we take turns, and with 9 adults and 4 children it can take a long time. Luckily it actually didn't take as long as we thought it would, then we all went upstairs and shared our Christmas breakfast (which I look forward to all year). That is part of the tradition at my parents, we have an egg and sausage bake that cooks while we open presents, and it is amazing!!!
So after Christmas it is on to our anniversary. Scott and I got married 2 years ago on December 30th, 2009. It has been an amazing 2 years and I look forward to many more happy years with Scott. I love him so much!! For our anniversary we were able to go to Tucanos for lunch. Tucanos is a Brazilian grill in Boise. It was very good!! They had this grilled pineapple that was covered in a brown sugar glaze, I would go back just for that!! Then we were able to drive back to Rupert and my parents watched Catherine while Scott and I went to Sherlock Holmes. Amazing movie by the way!!
For New Years we spent the night with my parents, Heather and her family, and Jennifer. We mostly played games all night. It was a lot of fun!! Then I didn't actually get to see the ball drop because Catherine had woken up and I was trying to get her back to sleep. So I got my new years kiss at about 2 after we got ready for bed.

I think that pretty much sums up the last of 2011. It has been a good year! I don't really look forward to the next 5 months or so, because we are trying to finish up Scott's last year of Pharmacy School. As soon as we find him a job everything will be much better. I do look forward to Scott's graduation in May! I love watching Catherine grow and I can't believe how big she is getting. I love her so much! She learns something new every day. Half the time it is a way to get into something I don't want her to have but, oh well. She is cute doing it!I was trying to take some Christmas pictures of Catherine, this is they only good on I got mostly she just wanted to suck on the ornaments.Catherine playing with her cousin Marcy

Catherine on Christmas morning with her stockingSitting with Mommy
Reading her new book.Sitting with all her toys
Playing with her toys
This is one of my favorite pictures! It was a good thing we didn't wrap very many of her presents because she didn't last very long. She fell asleep in Scott's arms long before we were done with presents.