Christmas Wrap Up (Ha! Get it?)

Let me start by saying I am so blessed to have such a beautiful, loving, fun, and HUGE family! I thought growing up that my family was big... and then I went and got hitched to a boy with an even bigger clan; well, that's when things tend to get out of hand! So here is the low down of our Christmas events...

Ugly Sweater party... yes, that is a kitty on my shirt, we should have won!


Christmas Adam (or Christmas Eve Eve) was spent shopping and baking my head off, I don't know why, because I just ate all my goodies. Then out for a girls night drink (Diet Coke for me thank you) with my sister, cousin, and friend... this was the extend of the holiday "fun just for Emily with no work involved". Oh, and onion rings.

Christmas Eve was spent pondering the whereabouts of my Mother in Law who made the snowy trek down from Portland (She should have had a sled dog, but the Subaru seemed to do the trick). Just before the Christmas Eve church service started we got a call that she just made it into town. Yeah!! That was great news! After church we headed to my parents house for corn chowder and the first annual Cousins Gift Exchange. It went OK, next year I will make sure its not last minute! Everett also received his first pair of Christmas pajamas, a tradition in my family that we want to keep going for him.

Uncle BJ, Aunt Lisa and Ev in his jammies

Yeah it's Christmas! Everett woke around 7am (I was up earlier but had to lay in bed because there was no way I was going to look more excited than my kid! But I was) He immediately spotted the big yellow dump truck that Santa left him... He thought it was pretty cool, and fell in love when daddy put him in the truck and gave him rides! After our small present exchange between Ev, Doug, G-Ma and I we got started on breakfast... oh yes, I decided it would be fun for everyone (22 people) to come over for breakfast. My Martha moment quickly faded as people piled in my tiny house and the eggs wouldn't bake!! I slowly turned into a shreaking Martha monster and poor Doug has not left yet. Kudos to him. It all turned out and I hope people enjoyed the food and company. After a short break we headed over to a quiet pre-dinner visit at my parents house then headed to Doug's sister's for dinner with the Striley clan. Thankfully we ate fairly early so Doug, Ev and I were home by 7:30 and I'm not kidding in bed asleep by 8:30.



Friday was the big Nanny's Kids Christmas party and my cousin Carla's 40th birthday! The party was awesome, the kids had fun the grown ups had fun. Carla wore a tiara and was 40 and fabulous (NOT over the hill, that phrase was banned from the party, you would have been stabbed probably).


The rest of the weekend was spent at home with a sick baby... I think all the excitement just wore him down poor kiddo. On the mend now though!

Looking forward to an exciting 2009! Lots to expect, and be thankful for in the coming months.

Everett meet Santa

It's really strange that we are now in "seconds". Everett is celebrating his second Christmas this year, he had his second visit with Santa, he is ripping ornaments off his second Christmas tree, he received his second stocking (because the first one was a babies first Christmas stocking). This year is much more fun than last year, and I'm sure the fun will multiply until we have to start buying Wiis and cars and crap like that.

I thought I'd do a little "then and now" for you all to reflect upon, since I know my child is the most important thing in all your lives... haha... I suppose this is more for the grandmas and aunties.

If we don't see you, we wish you all a Christmas filled with the gifts of love, peace, family and laughter.

Love you!

Then...

...and now

Then, the failed Christmas card photo shoot...

...and now, the failed Christmas card photo shoot

Then, angelic Santa baby...

...and now, helpin dad chop down the tree

The Great Tree Adventure - or next global warming documentary

This is Doug's latest creation. I thought we were being primitive that day so please, picture me with movie worthy hair and makeup on, thank you.

I'm One Today! Ev's B-day party

I won't go on and on about Ev's birthday party this weekend... It was so much fun, and so much work! Next year, pizza parlor all the way! Here are some pics of the day:

Opening presents with wonder (or fear?)

NOT eating his cake... what a boring kid!

Cheese!

Evy and Papa, chillin before the guests arrive

We also went Christmas tree hunting this weekend and were able to get really high since there is no snow! We got a great tree, and mostly had a lot of fun on our adventure... Doug took some great video and I'll post it as soon as its ready :)

And then there were 4!

Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! We had a beautiful weekend up in Portland with Doug's mom and aunts and family... We ate way too much, laughed pretty hard, and laid around lazily for 4 days. It was perfect :)

We have a LOT to be thankful for this year. We just found out that we are expecting a new addition to our family! #2, as we affectionately call it, will be joining us on or around June 23rd. So that is our big news, sorry to those of you that feel this official announcement is a little impersonal, it is pretty difficult to spread the news on an individual basis.

Ev will be turning one tomorrow! I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone. He is now walking all the time, has going on 6 teeth, says mama and dada, and what I swear is "that". He is also developing quite a strong will, so that should make for an exciting year! AH!!

Here are some pictures to update everyone on our November adventures!

Out to dinner at Rockbottom Brewery with our P-Town friends and soon to be fellow parents

Doug makin the gravy
Grandma and all the aunts

Ev on T Day, He wore the hat for about 5 minutes and I think thats a cat toy he's chewing on.

Our lame attempt at a self family portrait

A couple of our professional family pics from this year