christmas past

So much for posting more frequently... I apologize; I got sick Christmas evening and have been wiped out since. I am still sick, but I am finally free of Christmas crafts and obligations. For once, I may finally have some time for my self (as the baby wakes up from his nap and starts crying)... So maybe not.
For me, the holidays were stressful; I took on too many projects. Luckily, I was able to finish all my crafts in time. My projects included decorating wood letters, scrap booking calendars, and baking Christmas goodies. With one exception, all turned out great! Christmas was good to us this year.
On Christmas Eve, we went to Robert's parents' house for dinner (delicious) and caroling. We also opened gifts from Robert's sister, Sarah, and her family. She made me a gorgeous jewelry set. Her husband made Robert a nice wooden pen. Afterward, we went to my parents' house to open our gifts. The best gift, a 32" HDTV. It is amazing! We had previously been watching TV on an old 17" pathetic TV (seriously, it had no outlets for DVD or VCR players. lame). I got some more nice jewelry and Robert some little tools. Baby got a lot of books and toys.
Robert and I woke up at 6:15 Christmas morning to share our gifts. Robert gave me a gift card to Scrapbooks ETC (and later an ASU sweater at his parents' house). He also "gave me" the chance for professional family photos (which I will post when we received the cd). I gave him a new watch, a nice shirt, and "The Dark Knight". We gave baby some rattle/teething toys, a plush blanket, Wall-E, and a floor play mat (which he loves).
Christmas morning was spent eating omelets and opening more gifts at Robert's parents' house. My FAVORITE Christmas gift came from Robert's parents; we received the book "Christmas Jars" and a jar with $50 in quarters (no, the quarters were not my favorite part of the gift). We were given a couple more books (one was for Joel) and some food storage cans. Baby got a cute hoodie towel, as well. Our gift to Robert's parents was a calendar with each of their grandchildren representing a different month. Unfortunately, in my last-minute, crazed state of mind, I placed a wrong name on one of the pages. Mom didn't even catch it; one of my sis-in-laws caught the "typo". Luckily, the misspell was fixed by the next day.
When we got home mid-morning, I continued working on family Christmas gifts while baking a red velvet cake. Um, yes. I take on too much. We left for my grandma's house at about 2:30 (during the ridiculous storm). Dinner was delicious and enjoyed by all. Well, all except for my cousin who spent the entire time on the phone with her missionary. Baby got a bunch of great gifts including some much needed clothes (he is almost 3 months, but fitting into size 6 mo). We got a vacuum (sorta random), small knick knacks, and money. We gave my grandma, grandpa, and parents calendars with month-specific pictures of Joel (my parents' calendar had the most detail).
Christmas evening was spent with my best friend Jodi, whom I love. I am so excited; she is expecting in August. I am going to have to find some way to fly out to Texas and be with her when the time comes...
I hope all of you had a great holiday! I look forward to a new year.

The tree I decorated for my parentsThe wood letter craft I did for Jodi's giftA photo I took and Photo shopped for JodiMy red velvet cake!Yummy!Baby's First ChristmasWall-E, Baby's new favorite movieTowel head!GorgeousThe best giftI love you Jodi!Mom Root's calendarMy mom's calendar