A Very Belated Christmas Post

This Christmas we spent a lot of time with family. Unfortunately, I did not spend a lot of time taking pictures. But I did get a few.

We had Kase's side of the family came over for an early Christmas party. This is Eliza and her 3 cousins. It is really hard to get a picture of 4 kids.

This year we spent actual Christmas with my side of the family. It was nice to relax and hang out. My brother hung out with us quite a bit and it was a real treat. I have a few more pictures of Christmas morning but I figure people don't like being on the internet in their pajamas. So those will not be posted on here. Eliza got a new baby that she is very fond of. But I think the biggest surprise was that my brother and his wife got Eliza a pink VW power wheel! We were all shocked and amazed. Eliza immediately loved it. She doesn't know how to drive it but she loves to sit in it. At home, she feels safe in her car and loves to sit in it while I vacuum. (She is really scared of the vacuum.) When we made it back to Knoxville, we had a 3rd Christmas with just the 3 of us! Our tree: Eliza ran immediately to her little people barn, but she also loved her kitchen (I may have found it on the side of the road, cleaned it up, and it's as good as new!)Kase got an ornament for his 2010 graduation. It's a little guy holding a camera. So cute.

Eliza also likes her rocking horse. We had a wonderful Christmas!

New Year's resolution: take more pictures!

Post Christmas Photo Shoot

As a girl I feel that I am allowed to be a little bit crazy. (Atleast I am self-aware right?) As I mentioned I didn't get a good picture of Eliza on Christmas. So a week later I dressed her in her Christmas outfit and she had a photo shoot with one of her favorite Christmas toys.

She wanted to show off her new purse. It comes with everything a girl needs: liptstick, money, bracelet, keys, mirror, and it even sings her songs.

They keys are especially handy for cutting teeth on. And everytime she plays with her purse, her mom gives her a $1 allowance! This was exciting at first but she is starting to get a little greedy and recently asked for a raise.

But then she realized she doesn't need a raise because she looks like a million bucks. And I think she is priceless.

Christmas Day

Christmas morning we had our christmas at home just the 3 of us. It was so fun to spend time with each other and see Eliza explore. Although the dog enjoyed her new toys more than Eliza enjoyed her new toys. She liked the bows and paper. But it was really fun.

Showing Eliza an ornament in our matching P.J.s ...

The stocking my sister helped me make for Eliza. I also made Kase's so don't make too much fun of it....

Eliza and her bow....

Kase and his cufflinks that look like movie reels....

Eliza's new blanket that I like too much and I am afraid to use it cause I don't want to get it dirty. ha ha.

After that we headed over to Kase's parents house to celebrate some more....

We had homemade pizzas of all different kinds....

Eliza found some more bows that she liked......We loved watching everyone open their gifts especially the neices and nephew. We loved visiting and playing games. I don't have any pictures because we brought a camera that Kase borrowed and I apparently don't know how to use it because the pictures were all too dark. Which is why I dressed Eliza up in her Christmas outfit for a photo shoot a week later because all the pictures I took of her on actual Christmas were not good. Sorry little baby. (those pictures are coming soon.) But we did have a lot of fun on Christmas.

Santa Clause came to Town and Sang us a Song

We celebrated Christmas with my side of the family the weekend before Christmas. We had fun....

Kase loved on Eliza....

My brother and his wife came over to open presents with us ...My sister taking pictures.... Eliza got the cutest Grover from her uncle John and aunt Leah.....

Santa played a song and my sister sang but I don't have a picture of her singing....
Oh Oops did I forgot to mention my dad is Santa?..... Eliza also got to see Ms. Clause...

We had a wonderful time.

Our Christmas Part II

The weekend after Christmas my Mom, Dad, and Sister made the trip to our house. We had a lovely weekend together celebrating Christmas. Friday we all exchanged presents and watched movies. Kase was so excited because he finally got a surround sound to go with all his other gadgets.

I call his love for all things electronical the "Never Ending Story". As long as he enjoys it, I don't mind. Because of his obsession, I am able to watch my favorite shows with high clarity and volume. I can't complain.

The Monster was happy to have a buddy to play with all weekend because Isabella, my parent's dog, came to visit too!

Mom cooked up some DELICIOUS pot roast, beans, cornbread, and chocolate covered cherry cookies. I am still eating on all of this yumminess. I have lunch and dinner for a week!

Dad and Kase recovered a chair for me. This did not result in any injuries.

I enjoyed spending time with my family. I have gotten to see them a lot lately and it has been very nice. I love having them over. I am so thankful for all they do for me and for all the love that they give to us.

I had a very Merry Christmas.

Our Christmas Part I

Christmas is over... and I miss it already. Everything was so exciting. There was joy in the air. At work, homemade treats would randomly appear in the kitchen and neatly wrapped gifts would appear on my desk. In the car, fun carols would be sung and almost every radio station would play songs celebrating the Savior. At home, there were treasures to wrap, goodies to bake, and warm movies to watch.

Now it seems colder outside. The sparkle and warmth has dissapeared. The carols have faded away.

Oh, bother. BUT DO NOT FRET! A New Year lingers but only a few days away. Here to bring back the sparkle and warmth. Hooray!

Now about my Christmas. It was wonderful. My favorite thing about Christmas is spending time with family. And there was plenty of that. This year was the first, yes, first year that we stayed here for Christmas. I had a lovely time.

Christmas morning, Kase and I woke up and we opened presents at home.

Presents for him, for me, and for the monster.

Our stockings had been hung by the chimney with care. One of my favorite tradtions, I grew up with stockings full of favorite candies,toys, socks, and other small treasures. This year, Kase was in charge of the insurmountable feat of filling my stocking. Although, he is the most perfect husband, after he ran around looking for reese's peanut butter christmas trees, my stocking found itself filled with 2 oranges. Apparently, shopping for such treasure before last minute on Christmas eve is not his strong suit. (Little did he know, my stocking was really filled with joy disguised as oranges. When my mother later heard the orange story, she laughed all through dinner. A good time had by all. A great stocking filler.)

A treasure hunt lead Kase to his very last gift.

Then we went over to his parent's house to enjoy the rest of Christmas day. The food was delicious and the family was so fun. I loved watching our niece and nephew open their gifts.

*See Below The TreeAngela and LotusRyan, Kase, and ThomasKatie PadreThomas, Scott, and RyanSophie and Carrie (that's what all her dolls are named)Padre and his new toy SuperDeb and her new toy

My favorite gift was from my mother-in-law. I hope I don't embarrass her by blogging about it. She gave me a beautiful bracelet with a very sweet letter. It made me feel very loved and very much like a part of the family. Which, by the way, I am very glad to be part of such a wonderful family. This was a wonderful Christmas gift for a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Fairy. Don't ask.

*Kase wants to emphasize that people in pictures are not as unattractive as they may appear.