The M Game: March 2012

An amazing reunion and such a fun wedding, but time to go home. Back to Pinckney, Michigan. Shortly after I arrived, I started working at Pinckney Pub & Grill. I met some really fun people and I learned a lot. It was Halloween and I was a pirate! Suuuper creative, I know. This year will, without a doubt, be better. I have some good ideas. Anyway, there was Halloween, then my mom's birthday! It was fun to be there and celebrate. I made a Lavendar Cake and she almost died.

A few days later was Thanksgiving. We have wonderful neighbors and decided to have a 3 House Dinner. Appetizers at Messy and Meredith's, Dinner at our house, and dessert at the Zeigler's. It was so much more enjoyable to share it with them!

The Holidays had started! It's the most wonderful time of the year. But first, the youngest Nyf (Neef), Liam, got baptized! My brother Jake baptized him and my dad confirmed him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was beautiful. And Liam behaved! It made it so much better that the Zeiglers came. Bu also came out to Michigan for the occasion and it's always fun to have her. Our house has never been cleaner! As Jake put it, "When Bu's here, my quality of life skyrockets."

Our ward Christmas Party was a Night in Bethlehem (plus Santa). We spent 12 hours at the church, decorating the gym with many things from our house. Weird that there was a lot of Nyfeler house-Bethlehem crossover. Bu came and helped, and the Murdocks were the backbone of the party, they even made huge palm trees! It was so cool, everyone loved it.

We saw Arthur Christmas, went shopping, and of course got ice cream while Bu was here. Her marveling at the beauty of Michigan made me remember how great it really is. And I love Christmas!!!

After some Christmas shopping, we took the whole family to get a tree! Complete with cider and doughnuts.

Peter and I. Can you believe he's 14?

We talked about getting matching pajamas for The Zeiflers (Zeiglers and Nyfelers) but it wasn't until Christmas Eve that my mother decided she'd make them. Typical. And they were wonderful, until they ripped. But it made for a good night and an even better story.

Christmas morning--- THE BEATLES ROCKBAND!

Jake and Peter loooove snowboarding so I joined them at Alpine!

In August, the Clawsons gathered to North Carolina's Topsail Island. We stormed that beach like it was Normandy. 70ish Clawsons (not just people, Clawsons), 4 days of Bu's Boutique, 2 houses, and 1 Atlantic Ocean. Bliss. We had kids running around, teenagers making meals, and grown ups planning night activities. It was so much fun to be on a warm beach with all my family! Reunions are so fun! Definitely the highlight of my year. So here are some of the pictures I still have with me-