Our Family Christmas 2011

Our Christmas celebrations, started off with a really fun party at John and Kim's house ( with the Truesdell side of the fam), the Saturday before Christmas. ** Sorry, I don't have any pictures - my camera wasn't working right** Every year we choose names for a gift exchange with a dollar amount limit, but it was especially exciting this year because we decided to to have a Christmas Carol theme for each person. So not only, did we have to select a great gift on budget, but it had to coincide with the carol chosen for each person ( all decided by a random drawing ). Even Elizabeth participated ( with Mommy and Daddy's help of course). She chose Uncle Johnny and "Silent Night" and picked out a soft throw and pillow set for him complete with some ear plugs to ensure a silent night. I chose Katelyn and "Christmas Don't Be Late" and got her a fun pepermint swirled saucer sled. Kevin chose Kourtney and "White Christmas" and he picked her out some very soft Kermit pajama bottoms. It was so much fun! Not only did we have a blast picking out gifts, we got some fun things too! John had chosen Kevin and got him a GPS ( via e-bay I believe) which he had been needing to get around to his customers addresses installing auto glass! Kevin couldn't believe it when he opened the gift, and I was so excited for him because had we had the money to buy each other gifts that is what I would have gotten him! Kim had me and "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and I got some tasty lipgloss, a new game called "Spot It" and some mistletoe kiss hand soap. For the evening, we all dressed in our Christmas T's, and played some minute to win it themed Christmas games ( planned out by Kim via pinterest) and dined on my FAVORITE Christmas snacks! I was so excited to indulge in my mom's cheese ball, filled with stinky bleu cheese ( as I had been denied it's smelly goodness my entire pregnancy)! We also watched "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" together. What a great night! Everyone had such a good time! Next year, we are planning on a Hawaiian Christmas theme. Which I am definitely looking forward to :) We should start planning now!


The next event of Christmas was Christmas Eve spent with the Robinson side of the family. We got together for a meal of turkey and all the trimmings at Cathy and David's home and got to ooh and ahh over our newest nephew ( born Dec. 10th), little Emmett. Cathy managed to snap this picture of me with Elizabeth ( ignore the red eye, I tried to fix it but it wouldn't go away) shortly after Grandma Linda had given her, her Christmas surprises which included a soft pink dolly, a Fisher Price board book about with a little teacher character, some baby food, a squeezey snowman ball, and a soft pink teddy bear wrist rattle. Thanks Grandma Linda! I love you :)


And here is our little Elizabeth all prettied up for church in her velour Christmas dress! We scored this fancy little ensemble at our local DI ( Deseret Industries ) thrift store for $3 and she looked so lovely in it!

So happy after getting dressed up for church, look at those kickin' legs!

This picture is the start of our Christmas Day festivites, above you will a note a very sick and unwell Grandpa Van. We invited he and mom over to spend the day with us and indulge in Christmas ham ( compliments of Safelite Auto Glass) and other delicious snack type goodies! He ate a little bit of food, then excused himself after we had opened a few gifts, so he could recover from his very terrible cold.

Grandma let Elizabeth wear her "ho-ho" hat.

Napping in her butterfly papasan cradle swing while we opened gifts.

Here is Kevin with his very own one of a kind personalized felt stocking! My mom has made one for everyone in the family. I got mine when I was 26 ( also a personalized one a kind one). My mom had me open the gift as though it was mine and hand it off to Kevin as I got down to the box it was in, which indicated it was for him after all. He was so surprised to have received it, he thought he might have to wait for a few more years! Ha! We tricked him, and best of all, he loves it! Go Mom! Handcrafted with love for her son in law. Now, we just need to work on Elizabeth's.

Another one of the gifts grandma brought to our house was a handmade santa hat/ stocking for us to take baby girl's picture in. And I think you'll find the result - so cute! See Below

Mommy's favorite gift!!!

Grandma Judy and Elizabeth

Look what Santa stuffed into my stocking this year! This is the hand stitched stocking and santa hat Grandma Judy made for Elizabeth. She looked so adorable snuggled into her little stocking sleeping bag. She also kind of looks like she has angel wings, because we covered the pink boppy with a white blanket. She's definitely our little angel, and the best gift ever!

Daddy and Elizabeth took a little nap in the recliner, while Mommy and Grandma scoured the internet for stocking ideas for her. Little did we know that Kevin was so sleepy because he had come down with a virus and spent the next 12 hours with a fever and very twisted into knots tummy!

Surprise!

I see you Grandma!

The Classic Christmas Tree Shot - Baby's FIRST Christmas!