new year's in utah

december was a kind of crazy month for us. we finished our semester, went to seven different states (driving down to florida added three, and then all of our christmas traveling), and for most of the month avoided all of our work. but we are finally back in north carolina, filled with mixed emotions--glad to be back to a regular routine and real life, but not glad to have to get back to work (not to mention missing our family). i just wanted to post a few pictures from our week and a half in utah, where we got to see a lot of the people we love most: family, extended family, and friends who are pretty much family. we always have such a short amount of time when we go to utah, so we never get to see everyone we want to--but we had a great time this year.

on to the pictures! (which i just posted on FB as well, but i wanted to include them here too.)

the leiningers--six out of the nine kids were there for most of the week, but we were missing shane and kiley (in california), lindsay, travis, and the gang (in denmark), and kurt (on a mission in uruguay). we played HUNDREDS of games of killer bunnies and bohnanza, thanks to kenzie (the gamemaster in the middle, with jet) and had a great time relaxing and talking. we also got to meet jet, the new puppy (and kenzie and callie's bff). next time we see them, most likely, melissa and james will have a BABY! and we will be aunt and uncle all over again.

and unfortunately, although we spent most of our time there in ogden with them, this was one of the only pictures we took while we were there. we are so bad at pulling out our camera when we should. dang it!

WKWWL reunion! these ladies were my family for a few years of my life in provo, and this was the first time we've all been in the same room together since we took THIS picture THREE YEARS AGO:

a few things have changed since we took this picture. four are return missionaries now, five of us are married and two are engaged, and one has a baby! (mr. calvin was the cutest little guy i have ever seen, and whitney is a really great example as his mom.) six are graduated with the final three graduating in april, and all are moving along with awesome plans. although we've all moved farther apart than the two apartments we used to live in next door to each other, i still love these ladies, look up to them, and am so glad we get to see each other occasionally. seeing them was the BEST! i just wished i could have lasted longer.

we got to see austin twice while in provo. he's a rockstar byu freshman, and he just turned in his mission papers! we'll be hearing in a few weeks where he's going to be going, and we just can't wait for him.

dinner with the myres cousins and grandparents, which was awesome. we even took a soccer team picture, complete with poses. this is one of the things i miss most about living in provo--not getting to go to cousin dinners with my cousins on both sides. they are awesome people. (we also got to see grandma and grandpa murphy but FORGOT to take a picture with them! gahhh!)

and last but not least, a picture with two of my favorite boy cousins, who i've grown up with all my life, and their two lovely fiancees. one is my best friend and one shares my name, so i don't think this could have gone any smoother. i really enjoyed getting to meet alyse (tanner's soon-to-be wife) and spending time with the very happy sarah and alec. HOORAY!

and now, for the anticlimactic ending--we're back in north carolina, unpacking and trying to buy a lot of healthy food for our game on! competition with the myres family. we play to win, and to lose all those holiday pounds. Team Bob and Jillian!