Christmas and New Year

We are having a great Christmas break, although I am somewhat disappointed at how few pictures I have been taking. Here's a re-cap:

Christmas Eve
It was just the 5 of us, and we had a fun evening. We had our traditional appetizer/finger food dinner, during which Brian read us a beautiful talk by President Faust called "A Christmas With No Presents." It was a great reminder of all the things we truly are blessed with that are not tangible. The kids each got to open one gift from grandparents. We read and acted out the Christmas story from Luke, and then watched "Twas the Night Before Christmas." The kids put out cookies and chocolate milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer - I am not sure where this came from, but they insisted on it. Lucas was super excited about his stocking, and I asked him what he thought Santa was going to put in it. He thought for a moment, and excitedly replied, "His foot!" We laughed about that all night.

Christmas morning
Connor was up at 4:45 a.m., but we managed to keep him laying low until a more reasonable hour. Not many good shots from the morning, but we got some of the gift opening action. It was chaotic but fun.
Isabel got her Easy Bake Oven (thank heaven for grandparents), and she enjoyed her first cake creation.
My favorite Christmas morning quote: As Connor first peered into his stocking, he excitedly exclaimed, "there's not even anything bad in it like rocks or coal!" Guess he was worried.

We lounged for a good part of Christmas playing with the new goods (Remote control car! Star Wars Legos! Dollhouse! Games! Thomas the Train sets! Hello Kitty lotion/bath set! Thomas the Train play tent! Barbie dog and vet care set! Books! Makeup! And more!). In the afternoon we had dinner with Brian's family at his grandmother's house.

Our baking efforts this year (subdued, but still good stuff: cookie dough truffles, toffee, Spritz cookies and popcorn balls)-

New Year's Eve
We spent New Year's Eve with our good friends the Harts and the Nelsons at the Chadwick's home. Pizza, lots of kids and lots of playing, adults playing Apples to Apples, lots of talking and laughing. The kids loved the noisemakers I brought, and went wild with them. Isabel called them Happy New Year's Makers, and Lucas called them New Year's Blows. Connor got the name right.

New Years Day
Our new nephew was born! Brian's sister Kelley and her husband Leo welcomed a new baby on New Year's Day (her due date to boot!), a sweet son named Parker Henry. What a way to start off the new year!

We took down Christmas decorations, Brian and the boys spent most of the day re-organizing the basement (I pretty much married him for his organizational skills), and Isabel and I went shopping all afternoon. Pretty good deal to me! She is a RIOT to shop with. She thinks the cosmetics counter at Dillard's is pretty much heaven. She loved looking at everything in Gymboree; when she'd try on a cute purse or bracelet or shoes or whatever, she'd say, "why yes you may have this dance, handsome prince!" What a hoot. She wanted to smell everything at Bath and Body Works. And check out every department at Target. And this all with such enthusiastic superlative exclamations (this is darling! love this! sooooooo cute! isn't this fabulous mom?). I may have a shopaholic on my hands.

The rest of break
We've been sledding, swimming, out to lunch, doing playdates, getting together with friends, Connor lost his first tooth (see previous post). The break has flown by.

Much as I love Christmas, I am always happy with January's arrival. This year I am especially looking forward to the start of a new American Idol season, our annual trip to the National Western Stock Show, the return of a schedule and routine when school resumes on Jan. 7 (we have a long break), and my ultrasound (Jan. 21!!!).

Here's to 2010. Hoping it's fabulous!