Gifts.

I was so blessed this Christmas. I got picture frames, socks, games, gift cards, a purse, and my Snuggie. Garth went WAY overboard and got me a camera which came at the perfect time because my old camera broke on Christmas Eve! He also gave me a subscription to Cooking Light which I wanted to help with my New Year resolution, but more on that later. What a fabulous holiday!
Garth got some amazing gifts like this flask, lots of socks, games, gift cards, camping gear, sweaters... He loved it all! I got him a gift card for Red Lobster and I plan on taking him out for lobster because he has never had it! I also got him a gift card to get a massage at a spa. He likes massages, lol. We were totally spoiled this year!

Christmas 2009: Part 2.

It was our first Christmas morning together and it was perfect. We had mimosas and cinnamon rolls. So delicious, I think this is our new tradition for EVERY Christmas morning.
Don't they look yum?After a relaxing morning watching Christmas movies and yummy food we went to my cousin's house to celebrate and then back to my parent's house to open gifts to each other. We had the best time, enjoy the pics!
Almost sisters:M & D:Brother and sister:Opening some pretty amazing gifts:
Parentals :Siblings:The next day we stopped over because I forgot my camera, and we took pictures in our new Christmas outfits. I got leggings for Christmas and they are the most comfortable:Love my future SIL's dog, Kodi Ray:We went Christmas shopping the day after Christmas and got a $230 tree for $60! So of course we had to put it up and make sure it all worked:TA DA!
Sunday after church we hung out with the family for a delish rib dinner and more pics with my new camera.
My brother's cat, Lilly Mittens:Us:Brother & almost sister:M & D with Brad:The whole fam:Perfection.

Christmas 2009.

We were incredibly blessed this Christmas and we are just so thankful for such amazing family and friends. Instead of visiting both families on Christmas day, we split it up by going to Garth's family Christmas Eve and my family on Christmas day. It was perfect! No rushing around and trying to eat two big meals. So, first I'll tell you about Christmas Eve, in pictures.
Us:

Garth and his sister, Sam:
Uncle Garth and Lilly:Trying to get a picture with our Lilly:

Bobotie, South African deliciousness:

The amazing feast:THEN Santa visited!He is a handsome Santa, no?

Dr. Lilly:My SIL and I with our matching Snuggies: Such a wonderful day! Tomorrow I'll tell you about my family's Christmas.

Merry Christmas!

It is has been such a great week already! Avatar on Monday night, sushi with good friends last night and tonight we're going to finish wrapping gifts. Tomorrow we both work half days and then we're going to celebrate the holiday with Garth's family. I'm really excited because Garth is playing Santa Clause this year. Growing up, Garth's uncle used to dress as Santa and bring in all the toys and put them under the tree while the kids hid and sneaked peeks of Santa. So they are continuing the tradition with Garth as Santa for our sweet niece. I can't wait to see her face when Uncle Garth comes in! Don't worry, pictures to come...
My mother-in-law makes this incredible lamb with amazing potatoes every holiday. But this year we all begged her for delish bobotie. It's a South African meal that is out of this world amazing. So I'm looking forward to THAT tomorrow too!
Christmas Eve will be amazing for sure. Christmas morning will be just Garth and I and we are super excited about it. We are going to watch Christmas movies and enjoy a mamosa and cinnamon rolls before heading to my cousin's to celebrate with my family. Ijust love this time of year with family and friends, bring on the fun!
And to all of you lovies, have a very Merry Christmas! I pray you all have wonderful fellowship with friends and family and make many happy memories!

Holiday Wish List.

All I want for Christmas is for my hair to grow back so I can curl it like this again. Ok, but in all seriousness here is my holiday wish list I promised my mom I would post.

1. I want to try leggings.

2. I love these sweaters from Kohls.

3. Columbia gloves found here. 4. Ralph Lauren perfume found here.


These are just suggestions, but I love giftcards. I'm pretty boring, but gift cards to Target, Kohls, Olive Garden and Family Video are perfect. As for Garth, he is even more boring. He wants socks. He loves getting new socks, I'm not even kidding. But I think he would also appreciate gift cards to Bahama Breeze, Target, and Chili's. Hope this helps mom, love you!

Out of the Funk.

I'm happy to say that this morning at 8 a.m. I officially had that moment where I felt in the Christmas spirit. It was very unexpected, but let me back track to last night first. I was analyzing why I was feeling so Scrooge-like and two reasons came to my realization:

1. Garth made me watch Interview with a Vampire. This movie was disturbing, creepy, and I hated it. Garth told me this was a movie I just HAD to see, but then throughout the whole movie I heard Garth mumbling "I don't remember this movie being so weird" and "I never saw this in the TBS version." Needless to say, that movie gave me nightmares and depressed me.
2. I have had this horrible headache. I woke up Sunday morning with it and it never went away, even after taking medicine. And if you know me at all, I hate taking medicine. I avoid it at all costs. So if I'm taking tylenol I am in PAIN. Well, Monday the headache was still present and it was a miserable day of work. I came home to my sweet hubby making my favorite dish - his spaghetti. It was so good and after dinner my headache was gone! I was so happy I decided to workout. Big mistake. As soon as I got to the plank jacks my neck started throbbing and then my head started pounding so bad I burst into tears. Garth jumped off the couch and ran to me so fast and started to hug me. He gave me the best neck massage and medicine and my headache went away.

This morning my headache is completely gone, praise the Lord! And I ran into Meijer before work to grab oatmeal (a must-have in my book) and this Meijer worker smiled and said "Merry Christmas!" with a big smile and in THAT MOMENT it dawned on me that it really is Christmas time season and it just put me in the best mood.

Sure, there are still no decorations hung or presents bought...yet! But I feel the happiness of the season and I'm ready to embrace it!

Scrooge.

Gosh, I am feeling like such a scrooge this holiday season. We didn't put up our Christmas tree. We didn't hang our stockings. We haven't given our wish list to my parents. We haven't done any Christmas shopping. We haven't watched Charlie Brown Christmas. We haven't even started listening to Christmas music.
I thought I would get in the holiday spirit over the weekend because we had holiday parties to attend and my church's Christmas show, but it just hasn't happened. Maybe the weather is to blame?
I plan to get out of this silly funk tonight by pulling out my Christmas music, making hot chocolate, and decorating. It's time to start feeling in the Christmas spirit!

Tradition!

It's the most wonderful time of the year! I really adore this time of year - the twinkle lights, Charlie Brown Christmas, holiday Starbucks cups, smell of pine trees, yummy Christmas cookies, and the hustle and bustle of the season. It's all so magical, I don't even mind the snow.

Last year was our first married Christmas together and we wanted to start some of our own holiday traditions. But in the midst of all the holiday parties and family gatherings we only ended up doing one of the traditions we were planning on and that was to make a big breakfast on Christmas Eve.

I'm actually really excited because this year will be the FIRST time I get to spend Christmas morning with Garth! While we were dating and engaged we spent the morning with our respective families and then our first married Christmas (last year) we stayed the night at his mom's so we could watch our niece open gifts. But this year we are celebrating with Garth's family on Christmas Eve and with my family Christmas evening which means we get to wake up together and open gifts just the two of us! I think this is great because we don't have to rush from one family to the other.

It's the start of new traditions. I see a lot of Celine Dion and Mariah Carey Christmas music playing, ABC Family holiday movie watching; hot cholocalte drinking; and celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Christmas

I love Christmas. It was so. much. fun. So many fun family memories - playing lots of games, laughing, drinking good wine, opening gifts...

Garth and I talked a lot about what type of traditions we wanted to start for Christmas, but we actually only did one of those traditions, ha! And that was making a huge breakfast:

Then it was off to spend time with family. We spent Christmas morning with Garth's family. Our niece Lilly had a great Christmas! She got this awesome four wheeler:

And this super cool guitar. Isn't she a rock star?

I also enjoyed her guitar:

Garth and I:
Garth, me, his sister, and Lilly (she doesn't really like her picture taken):

After fun times, good gifts, and amazing lamb and potatoes it was off to see my family:
I caught my brother by surprise, but the picture was priceless:
Tried to catch Eric and his gf Jess by surprise but she was ready:
Brother Brad making Christmas dessert:
And Brad's other creative creations - gingerbread men. Here is batman:

Penguin:And Abe Lincoln: