Thursday, December 23, 2010

Family Christmas Card

Ah - Our first Christmas card as a little growing family. So presh!

Enjoy the Holidays everyone!

A Trip to the North Pole...

This is Claire's first Christmas - and we are enjoying even more than she is! She isn't interested in the Christmas tree yet, her favorite present will be the wrapping paper and she's still too little to play in the snow. But still, Christmas seems more magical this year because Santa will be visiting our house and leaving present for Claire.

We actually introduced Claire to Santa at the Ogden lights. We used to go there when I was a kid to see Santa and I always thought that it was the North Pole. Claire loved the lights and looking at the different Christmas booths. I was interested to see how she would do with "the big guy."

She was adorable! She didn't cry and she wasn't afraid at all. Instead, she looked at him, touched his beard, looked at us and blew a HUGH raspberry. "So this is Santa huh? So what?" Santa and his elf laughed and said that they had never seen a child do that before. Ah - my little princess who loves to blow raspberries at stranger.... I wonder who she gets that from?

Christmas dress from Grandma Schmidt


Claire took a little nap while we waited in line to see Santa



Santa warm and magical house!


The raspberry!


Claire was so fond of the candy cane that Santa gave her that she didn't let go of it the whole night!

Ah... A breather!

We've entered a new chapter in our life.... one of relaxation for the next couple of weeks. I know, sounds really lazy right? Yesterday Kelland and I realized that we've have been running from one thing to the next since last August. Last year I was working as a preschool and dance teacher, taking online classes, and I was pregnant. Even after we had Claire and she was still in the hospital, I had to run up to campus to take an exam for one of my classes! After resting and adjusting to mommyhood for a week - Kelland and I jumped into directing at Sunset Junior High and we were there everyday with our little princess. This was followed by performing in two other shows, finishing up my school contract at work, intense callings, and both of us taking a full load of classes summer and fall semester, not to mention another directing gig - ah, if we didn't love those teenagers! Someone has to right?

I attribute this "need" of always having to be busy to my dear sweet mother. Growing up she involved us in every activity. And I mean every activity. Gymnastics, soccer, piano, softball, ballet, swimming, singing, theater, basketball.... We were always running from one thing to the next. She used to say, "Idle hands are the devil's workshop". I became so used to the busy schedule - it's become a habit.

The semester finally ended as did most of the other things keeping us so busy. It was a hard semester! We took Claire to campus with us and traded who went to class and who played with her in the Non-traditional student center. She made more friends on campus than both us combined! If she wasn't such a people person and so good- natured there would be no way we could do what we did. We both did great in our classes (So far, I have four A's), but like everything else, it had to come to an end. Now, on weeknights we look at each other and say, "Did we have anything planned tonight?" Then, we turn into the birds from The Jungle Book - "So whaddya wanna do?" We haven't had this much free time in just over a year...and we're not quite sure what to do with ourselves. For starters, we have been deep cleaning every area and cupboard in our house to get things all organized and spick n' span. We have a personal "No Eating out for 90 days," and we are on day 15! (Holding strong - eating out is one of my biggest temptations!) We love having Netflix, and it's greatly reduced our entertainment budget:) Kelland put up Christmas lights on our house for the first time since we've been married and we are enjoying our growing little girl who is just over eight months old! Also - I've been able to bring out my crafty self again. I'm not great at making things - but I LOVE to do it! I love having little projects going to work on in spare time.

My amazing crafty sister-in-law Brook taught me how to make tutu's - and Claire got a little photo shoot:




My sister Annette came and spent the night at our house with her little boy Hyrum. Him and Claire played and took baths, and Hyrum got to wear one of Claire's pajamas to bed. Doesn't he look cute?