Christmas!

Our little family had a wonderful Christmas this year.  We felt very blessed and fortunate this year and especially on Christmas morning. 

I finally got to put my decorations up the week after Thanksgiving.  Luckily I got them done then, especially our tree and lights on the house, because the next week I got mastitis.  I never knew how miserable mastitis is!  I had no idea.  (I now feel for all those out there who have it or have had it...)  But luckily it went away and I felt much better once the antibiotic kicked in.  

Anyway, here are a few of my decorations this year:

Snowmen:

My little tiny Nativity I made out of clay a few years back:

Kitchen table:

I even climbed on the roof and put our lights up this year!  

(Don't mind that missing section on the top... I couldn't remember how we did it last year and I came out a little short and had no desire to fix it...)

Shad's stocking I finally finished just 3 days before Christmas:

We gave these out to our neighbors:

And these muddy buddy bags to Jeff's co-workers:

Our Christmas festivities were filled with fun, food, and especially family, specifically lots of Christoffersons.

Festivities started on December 18th when Jeff and I went to the Christofferson Cousin Christmas party.  We had Hawaiian Haystacks and a gift exchange.  I'm glad Jeff's cousins make the effort to get those who live nearby together once a year so we can see and catch up with everyone.  Grandma watched Shad for us so we didn't have to worry about taking him and could just enjoy the party.

Our next party was the Christofferson Christmas Dinner Party on December 23rd.  Tradition would have it that there were various soups for dinner, followed by a talent show/ program of whoever would like to perform.  Tiff and Nea performed a hilarious version of the song "Noel" along with a few other songs.  I wish I'd taken more pictures but everyone who performed did a great job.

Here's one of Shad playing with cousins Tylie and Danielle:

Great-grandkids that were there:

And the adults all trying to get them to look:

Grandkids that were there:

And kids that were there:  

Jeff's Family minus Nikki and Spencer:

After the party some of us drove over to see an awesome house/ light show nearby.  I didn't get a video but I think it topped the one in Lindon/ Pleasant Grove area:

We spent Christmas with Jeff's family in Lehi this year.  We decided our family was still too small to have Christmas alone at our house, so we even spent the night in Lehi.

On Christmas Eve we had a delicious ham dinner, for which we got to use my collection of various Christmas plates:

Shad's Christmas outfit:  (I have to do this while I still can...)

We also opened Christmas pajamas, read the Christmas story from Luke 2, and hung out as a family.  We were only missing Nikki and Spencer in CA.

 (I love these candid ones while I got the camera ready for a group shot:)

Christmas pajamas!  (We do have some on the back row... they're just hiding behind the couch...)

"Love ya" on Christmas Eve:

Before going to bed we watched "White Christmas" together downstairs.  Well, most of us watched it...

Shad sleeping while Jeff and I goofed off trying to fall asleep on Alex's floor.  We must be getting old or something, cause we had a hard time falling asleep on the floor... or maybe we're still young and were just excited?  Ya I like that reasoning...

Christmas morning we lined up on the stairs...

And then exploded into the family room for presents.  Shad opening his first stocking from Santa on his first Christmas:

Other Christmas morning favorites:

 

 

His new walker from Nana which was a BIG hit:

For church we attended Jeff's home ward with his family, where they had a nice Christmas program prepared.

After church we relaxed and enjoyed the day together.  Shad ended up with two stockings to open from Santa this Christmas!

Amy and Ty came back over too.  We also played some games before Jeff and I headed home. 

Monday Jeff and I enjoyed his day off work by making an awesome breakfast of hash brown, egg, and bacon breakfast burritos, with fresh real tortillas.  We took our time getting ready and playing with Shad before heading back up to Lehi to hang out for the evening.  We made some awesome pizzas for dinner and played more games with the family before headed back home again.

I LOVE the holidays and am glad they aren't quite over yet... 2012, here we come!