Happy New Year!!!!

So I never really understood why start a new year in the midst of winter. It's cold and dead outside. It doesn't make sense to me to 'set a goal' to 'lose those ten lbs' in the middle of January when all a person (meaning me) wants to stay inside in my cozy house and watch episodes of 'The Office', eating delicious homemade chocolate chip cookies. I never understood why people do 'Spring cleaning' when in is gorgeous and beautiful outside- go enjoy the outdoors! Plus, I get out all of my Christmas crap from the back of the closet and have a mess to put away- so I end up purguing garbage. So I do my spring cleaning in January, when I'm inside ignoring the cold weather anyway and still have delicious Christmas leftovers to eat to motivate me to do my cleaning and do my 'new years resolution' of losing weight in the spring- when I want to be outdoors playing anyway- so I believe New Year's should start when spring is here- when everything is reborn and 'spring cleaning' when I already have crap invading my hallways... It's a win-win for me! What's your take on this?

So instead of wishing you a Happy New Year- I'm going to wait a few months- when the groundhog's shadow isn't looming over our spirits- come on Puxotony Phil!
I truly hope 2009 brings each of you much joy and happiness! Ring out 2008- ring in2009! Happy 'spring' cleaning!

Santa Claus is comin' to town...

We spent Christmas Day with Ryan's family, it was a blast! Santa made a guest appearance...

Hailyn with Santa- I guess she was a good girl this year- she got a Baby Einstein play gym- and she LOVES it!

Ry's mom and cousin Jeremy...

Our little family...

Ry's family

On Christmas Eve, we ventured out to my side of the fam- it was a lot of fun! The grandkids renacted the Nativity story- the babies were the sheep- Hailyn was supposed to be a sheep too, but wasn't being cooperative...

We did get a picture of her costume though...

This is a picture of her cute onesie (dainties4u@blogspot.com)check it! Doesn't she look like a gift? Well, she was our gift this year!

Her Christmas Eve jammies... a little gingerbread girl in the corner- too cute!

The back of them- sweet!

Her Christmas dress

Baby's First Christmas...

This was Hailyn's first Christmas and boy was it AWESOME!!! We've celebrated all week long...
On Tueday we went to my sister's house, where my brother in law Steve made some AWESOME chilli and Hailyn got SPOLIED!!!!
Here's baby's first Christmas!Her hairbow matches her shirt perfectly... thanks Tavia!


Hailyn opening her first present...

My siblings- and Ryan- Steve was taking the pic- wish I got one of him in it!

What we found under our tree...We got a Hailyn for Christmas!!!

Hailyn had a stocking at my sisters- she must've been a good girl this year! It had tons of formula- 'candy' for her... and a rattle... and a...she got spoiled, that's put it that way!

All the stockings were hung...
Yes, we have a lil bit stocking for our lil bit and a pink stocking for Bailey...

And here's Santa' s little helper...

Stocking Stuffer

In the spirit of peace and goodwill towards man, Ryan and I had a funny idea to have Hailyn be 'our stocking stuffer'. She enjoyed it VERY much- ha! Yes we plan to torture our children with incriminating pictures- enjoy!

Let it Snow Let it Snow Let it Snow!

Ummm... LOVING this! Hailyn's first snow day! YEAH! It never snows in Vegas and there's like 4 inches here- I feel like I'm in Utah! It's FUN!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

BAH HUMBUG no more! So I decided to stop being a GRINCH and broke down due to the request of my honey!!!
Ok, so Ryan asked me on Sunday night, "uh, where's the Christmas tree?" I replied "in the garage" like duh, of course it's in the garage, where else would it be? He gave me puppy eyes and the lip and asked if I would be putting it up this year. (Uh, I put it up last year and he asked me WHY I bothered to put it up- men, and they say women change their minds-whatever!) anyhow, I couldn't resist so monday morning, I busted out the Christmas tree and pulled out decorations from the back of the closet which was a feat in and of itself. So Ryan comes home to some decked out halls... and everything else in the closet. Yup folks, if I was going to dig in the back of the closet, I was going to do some 'spring cleaning'. It's still a work in progress...
Anyhow, here are some pics of our holiday decor...
Here's some ornaments that my grandma made- she also made me and all my siblings stockings- they are very beloved...


My stocking for now... ( I plan to retire it and make Ry, Hailyn and I matching stockings)

Ryan's stocking- yes we're 'grown ups'- haha- never! He loves Batman, I love Princess Aurora..

Stewie! Every year Ry and I get an ornament, and I'm getting Hailyn an ornament each year- so when she leaves the house she'll have those Christmas memories to take with her- just like I did! (I'm also doing new PJ'sfor a Christmas Eve present so we'll have blingin' pj's Christmas morning)Oh, so Stewie has a laser gun and the present says "to Lois"

Our first ornament together! Est. 2004!

I found these smore's ornaments- love 'em! Love snowmen and smores- best of both worlds! I got the teacher one last year when I was teaching. Baby's first Christmas is obviously Hailyn's ornament this year (as she gets older the ornament will be in the stocking like mine were)

The only nativity set we'll have up for the next few years:)

Ok, so I made these ornaments with my students two years ago- love 'em! I ended up making a whole bunch- they look like giant marbles and are stunning in person!

Need I say more? If any of you know my husband, you know you will ALWAYS find Diet Coke in the fridge at our house

Love smore snowmen and ice cube snowmen- AWESOME!

The tree!

So although the decorations are up late, at least they're up! I kicked the grinch- bah humbug spirit and now have awesome Christmas decor in my home- now, if I can clean up the aftermath BEFORE Christmas... ahh... that is the goal now. I'll keep ya posted! I need some elfs to come clean this mess up!