What Santa Brought This Year

When we got Ashley's stocking and saw how tiny she was in comparison, we knew we had to put her in there and take a picture. I know at future Christmases, we will look at that stocking and won't believe that she actually fit in there her first Christmas.

Trimming the Tree

I had about given up on putting up a Christmas tree this year. With six-week-old twins, the sleep deficit that I had acquired made survival seem like a near impossibility, much less anything as frivolous as putting up a Christmas tree. However, thanks to some amazing friends and family who took over the night shift this last week/weekend, we were able to catch up on some sleep (Thanks Mandy, Ursi, Meghan, mom and dad!!! You saved my sanity, and I'm not kidding!) After some sleep and a few days home alone with the babies where they did really good, the world seemed a little bit brighter...so Friday afternoon, we put on our Christmas outfits

and trimmed the tree. This picture only shows lights, but I promise we eventually got ornaments on it, too. (By we, I mean me. My kids are over-achievers, and all, but they haven't quite got the motor skills to decorate a Christmas tree.)

Ashley did get a little fussy, but I put her in the Moby wrap, and we were good to go.

I have to give some credit to my mom and Jill, too. They came over on Friday morning, helped out with the babies and laundry and let me sleep in. Thanks!!! I'm so happy that we didn't have to skip a Christmas tree for the babies first Christmas. What a blessed year it is to have these two little ones!

Trip to Katy

The day after Christmas, we headed down to Katy to see my grandparents. Toby, Karla, Brent and I rode together, and my dad and Sherry met us down there. It was wonderful to all be together with my grandparents. They are such wonderful people, and even though it was a short trip, we had a great time. I took only a few random pics, but here they are:

On Saturday morning, Sherry made us the most delicious strawberry crepes. These are going up next to Sherry's chocolate cake, as one of the most delicious things in the world...ok, the cake wins hands down, but the crepes are good. Luckily, we got some of her cake, too, for Brent's birthday.

Grandmother in her usual fashion gave us many "treasures" while we were there.

Like father, like son...a little nap in the living room.

Lincoln Log Contest

As I said, my mom gave us some toys for Christmas, and we all reverted to childhood. Brent received some Lincoln Logs, so we decided to have a building contest. See what you think.

This was my entry. I had to go first, so I was a slight disadvantage, but I think I held my own.
Here is Brent's entry. I like the two story building on the right.

Toby's entry was a little unorthodox, but I like the balcony to the left.

Karla's entry indicated a bit of sarcasm, possibly belittling our competion, but it did show some out of the box thinking.

Christmas Day

We spent Christmas day at my mom's, and had a great time. Brent carved the turkey...as Tasha looked on optimistically.
My mom gave us a number of toys this year, and we all reverted to childhood. Brent and Toby spent some time flying toy planes in the backyard.

My mom showed Toby and Karla how to play jacks.

Toby attempted to build a car with his new Erector set.

I did my share of playing, but also plenty of relaxing.

Tasha got a Chesapeake t-shirt from Toby. She actually seemed to like it more than any other clothes she has ever had...and even if it was from Chesapeake, it was pretty cute.

The Nutcracker

We did a wonderful mother/daughter day today. My mom, my grandmother, my sister-in-law Karla, and her mom went to the Nutcracker.

It was a lot of fun, and it had been quite sometime since I have been to the Nutcracker, so I really enjoyed it.

Afterward, we went to the Melting Pot for some cheese and chocolate. Yes, I have gone to the Melting Pot twice this week...Brent is pretty jealous. It was a great day!

Girls' Night at the Melting Pot

I have a group of friends from high school that I go out with once a month. We started a new tradition last year. We are planning to go the Melting Pot every year around the holidays, as our Christmas present to each other. It's awesome!
These are great girls! I am really blessed to have friends like these!

Baking Cookies

Yesterday, my sister-in-law Karla, our family friend Stacey, my grandmother and I went over to my mom's house for a cookie baking extravaganza. Well, Stacey and I did the baking part, but Karla and my mom joined in for the decorating, and we all did a little bit of the eating.

I brought all different colors of icing and sprinkles.

And I think that the final result was some pretty good looking cookies, and a fun afternoon.

Christmas Blowout!

I was a Michael's yesterday, and they were having their "Christmas Blowout!" When I saw this sign, I had to take a picture of it.

Regular price $5.99...now $9.99. I think I'll wait until the "Christmas Blowout!" is over so that I can just get it at the regular price.

Our Ornaments

When Brent and I married, we decided that we would collect a special ornament every year of our marriage. Now, after 9 1/2 years of marriage, we have 10 unique ornaments that represent the years. Here they are:

1999 - Our first Christmas - We actually received this ornament as a wedding present.
2000 - Dad and Sherry went to Israel that year, and brought this ornament home for us.

2001 - Brent thinks this is the lamest one, because it doesn't represent anything about that particular year, but I think it's cute. I guess we refined our selection process as the years went on, and now all of the ornaments are symbolic of something about the year.

2002 - This was the year that we bought our first house, the one we are still in (though we can't wait for the house we are building to be complete). We decided to get an ornament of a house to commemorate the year.

2003 - We went to Disneyland. It was a great trip...we went out to California to visit Ursula - had a great time, and spent 3 days at Disneyland.

2004 - We had so much fun the year before at Disneyland, we decided to make a trip to Disney World. Had so much fun, and decided we really love Disney!

2005 - We went to Boston with Toby and Karla. It was a great trip, and the first time Brent and I had been back, since we moved home from Rhode Island. For those of you who have not been, Boston is famous for their swan boats on the pond in the Boston Common.

2006 - After Brent finished the bar exam, we decided we needed a serious vacation, so we took off on a two week roadtrip. One of the last stops on our trip was Seattle, where we picked this ornament up.

2007 - As you should know, 2007 was Oklahoma's centennial. As proud Oklahomans, we had to get an Oklahoma ornament.

2008 - With our trip to London this year, we picked up this cute little ornament of a British taxi.

And hopefully, we have many fun ornaments to pick out in the years to come.

Our Christmas Trees

We finally put up our Christmas trees. We usually have some friends and family over for a little tree-trimming party, but this year the holidays snuck up on us, so it was just Brent and I, which actually turned out to be really great.
We do two trees. First, the one we call the "mall tree." It has all matching ornaments, and looks like the kind you see in malls.

Then, the "homey tree." It has all the sentimental ornaments that we have collected each year, the ones I've made, and ones we have been given by others. It's also the tree that we bought our first year of marriage in Rhode Island.

Brent built a fire for us, and after we decorated the trees, we sat by the fire. Brent read from a book we have on Christmas traditons to me, and we just sat and talked, and enjoyed each other. It was one of the best holiday experiences that I've had in a long time. What a surprise blessing!