The day after CHRISTmas....

The day after Christmas is spent with Aaron's family! We eat, open gifts and let the kids play! This year we also got together with Aaron's extended family and we took a picture of the great-grandkids that were there...they are sitting on the very same fireplace that many years ago Aaron and all his cousins sat on. It may seem like A LOT of great-grandkids, but....at least five or more weren't there. Aaron's Dad comes from a big family....and it's lots of fun to see all those people we don't see very often. I made Eden & Hayden tutu's and Hayden is modeling one in the pictures...Halle got a baby buggy from Nana and Papa and she LOVES it...just not when she can't get tables, chairs and people out of the way or...doesn't turn the corner very well.

Reading with her Nana...

Seriously, this was one of about 5 shots...and it's as good as it gets!

All the great-grandkids...Elijah, Jayden, Tate (on Eden's lap), Eden, Hayden, Kai, Bryce and Halle...she's the brown one....hehehe!

CHRISTmas Day 2009

This probably my most favorite day! I so love hanging out in my sweats with my family....eating my Mom's yummy food...the prime rib was GREAT Mom...you just have to be patient...breakfast casserole...and I made sticky buns for the first time. I think they will be the NEW tradition. We open stockings and then presents. Followed by a day of just relaxing....ohhhhhh....so much fun! Halle got some fun stuff...a stuffed chicken from Great Grammie Carla...she loves to say "cluck, cluck, cluck"...just like her "Barnyard Dance" book....jammies from Grammie, her Little People School and a so fun singing Crayola thing. TiTi got her the cutest outfit from Gymboree and a new baby Cabbage Patch. Aaron got his most favorite gift EVER....a Book about building tube amps. If you want to know about it...you'll have to ask him. He's been in the garage ever since! Just kidding, but...seriously, he LOVES it! I got a super cute, hip, brown purse, cozy slippers...and Lia Sophia necklace and a fun black sweater. Halle slept like a dream in her Pack-n-Play that we put in Grammie's walk-in closet....and Amber added THREE more purses to her collection! SHEESH!! But...most important we all got to spend time together!!!

CHRISTmas Eve 2009

For Christmas Eve 2009 we started off with Halle waking up to look under the tree and find her Pal Violet from Uncle Shaun and Auntie Heather. She loves her....Violet is a Leap Frog toy and you program her with your computer...she knows Halle's name her favorite food and color. It's been fun to see Hal's face when she sees Violet. Definitely one of her favorite things. My friend Kristin and my Mom came over Christmas Eve morning and had breakfast with Halle and I while Daddy was helping The Grace's move into their new house. The rest of the day was spent preparing for Christmas Eve at my Aunt & Uncle's. Christmas Eve is always spent with my Mom's extended family. We take turns at different houses and this year we were at the Hall's. Halle loves spending time with her cousins and checking out all the new things at other's houses...we just have to keep on extra good eye on her. We ate a yummy meal...I think Halle ate her weight in ham....and then opened our gifts. We draw names and the guys have a grab bag gift of sorts. This year Daddy got a battery charger with AA and AAA batteries...those will definitely come in handy at our house for all Hal's toys. He also got a HUGE Mr. Goodbar and the gift that keeps on giving: My Dad's UW headband. Just a little background on this...last year we gave that with Aaron's gift to Colby in hopes that it would be the gift that kept on coming back. It's a great way to remember my Dad and he would think it was so funny! You see, my Dad and Uncle Gary are the ONLY Huskie fans on that side of the family. HEHEHE!!

***Please excuse our grainy pictures...somehow the settings on the camera got changed...gee, I wonder how that happened??***

Christmas JOY!

This is Hal and I last Saturday. We weren't sure how she would react to the tree, hence the "corral". While I was *trying* to put up the ornaments/garland last friday she was right behind me trying to take them off and pushing me OUT of the corral. Little Turkey! But, this week Halle went to her "Auntie's" and didn't touch ONE tree or ornament. So, the corral has now been taken down and she hasn't touched our's once since then. What you can't see in this picture is her reaction....she is in total AWE of this tree and it's sparkling lights and "pretty" decorations. I was explaining to Hal about the star on the top and the lights and the ornaments. She is soaking it all in....I can't wait for her to open up her gifts and spend time with her family! We have a book that I bought for her last Christmas that tells the story of Baby Jesus and Christmas. We have been trying to read that to her and singing lots of "Jesus Loves Me"...and she's working on saying "Jesus"...He is the Jesus for the Season....please, let's not forget that. It's so easy to get caught up in everything else. But, he truly is the reason!!

Fetching the Christmas Tree!

The weather was beautiful yet oh so chilly on Sunday, but...we needed our tree and Grammie needed her's....so off we went. We all bundled up really good, but...Mommy forgot Halle's gloves.....She could hardly move anyway! But...boy did she look cute. We would have more pictures, but...she decided she would rather be *running* around and not hanging out with Mommy & Daddy. We did manage to get some pictures with Grammie and while Hal was chillin' in the Ergo on Mommy's back!! Don't you love Halle's new hat that her Nana made for her!!?? It's so cute!! I promise to post some pictures of our Christmas tree and decorations soon.....