Christmas and New Year's 2009

Hello, all! Just a few pics from our holidays! We stayed home for most of it this year! We put up a tiny, pre-lit, almost Phoebe-proof tree this year! We had sold our 7-foot, pre-lit, Home Depot after-Christmas special at a yard sale in 2008. After 4 years of having to put extra lights on it due to a whole section of lights being burnt out, I had had enough!!!! And last Christmas, we got a real one, which was ideal for a newborn and 3-year-old, but not so this year! As you can see, we opted for the 4 ft on a table! These "in front of the tree" photos crack me up! We couldn't get a good one of the girls together, because Phoebe would scream every time Abby came near enough to touch her chair, which she wanted to rock in constantly. I guess she thought Abby would interfere with the rocking!

Here was the best one...

Here's what most of them looked like...

Notice she's perfectly happy by herself!

The best one of all of us--timers are a wonderful thing!

Phoebe is all about the sunglasses!

Our mantle with Phoebe's new Nana-made stocking to match the rest! The Santa in the middle was carved by Josh's dad and given to us as a gift a few years ago!

Christmas Eve at Ben and Marleina's! We had appetizers for dinner! Spinach dip, sausage balls, cheese dip, white chocolate chex mix, snickerdoodles, magic cookie bars and a homemade cheese ball with crackers!! YUMMM! New Christmas jammies and a CRAZY Kendal face!!!

Christmas Morning! Phoebe on her new turtle toy. Her legs are too short to reach the floor at the same time, so this is how she sits on it for the time being...

Abby loved her new baby with car seat, stroller and baby hospital bed with doctor set. She was feeding "Sam" here. Doesn't she look so grown up?

The "spread"...Candy cane face...
...this time blueberry...
Abby's first ride on her big girl bike--unfortunately, even with training wheels, she fell within 2 minutes--aye aye aye...
New Year's was spent with Nana and Poppy in Travelers Rest...we had more appetizers and pretty much had to wake ourselves up to watch the ball drop...Dick Clark's Rockin New Year's Eve just could not keep our attention this year!!! I didn't take many pictures, but Phoebe had climbed up into the rocking chair and this reminded me of that skit on Sesame Street? with Lily Tomlin playing a little girl (Edith Ann) in a HUGE rocking chair...all she needs is to dangle her legs off the front and grow a bob with straight bangs...(here's a link if you want to see what I'm talking about http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocBO0fr1Ui4 ) In fact, I can see Phoebe making a similar sandwich in a few years...
Poor Phoebe promptly joined us in sickness just before we went home. Abby and I started the congestion the Saturday before Christmas and Josh joined us a few days later. By the time New Year's came around, Abby was over the worst, but Josh and I had sinus infections and Phoebe ended up with the croup...You can see in her eyes that she was a sicky, but she can still pull out a smile like this anytime...
So I'll send you off with that smile and say HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! How about let's actually fulfill some of our New Year's goals this year? I want to run a 5k--I know it sounds a little lame, but that would be a MIRACLE for me and hopefully I will get some of this weight off in the process. And I also want to record a CD--will I actually do it this year? Tune in for updates!!!!

I saw this on my friend, Katie's Facebook page and needed it GREATLY! Just wanted to share...

"The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache."

-Marjorie Pay Hinckley (she was AWESOME!)

I need to have this figuratively tattooed on my brain! I know I don't laugh enough and boy, my life would be a LOT less stressful if I would! So join me in promising that 2010 will be a year filled with more laughter and joy and less grumpiness and "bah-humbug"-ness!!!!

Christmas Card 2009