Christmas Eve & Christmas

Christmas Eve we went to Gramma Marilyn n Grampa Bert's annual Christmas Eve party. It was fun. Life is so busy it's hard to see all our aunts, uncles, & cousins, so it was nice to get together. I included some pics of Houston & Maelee too. Houston looooved all of Gramma's Christmas characters & loved watching "Hassa" (i.e.-Santa) move around & read.

We also went to Grammy & Poppy's to open some Christmas gifts for Livy. Our little baby-to-be got quite a few gifts too! It was so fun to see all the baby stuff, & so sweet of my parents to do that!

So I went a little overboard with Christmas. I don't like the idea of spoiling kids at all, & had previously warned Bobby that I wasn't gonna go nuts....but, it's just so fun to have a kid, & it's easy to get carried away! I guess next year she'll have to share her thunder though, so she can enjoy one last year of being an only child with all the presents! Liv is the best though, & was so grateful for everything she got, & repeatedly told us so. I'm grateful for her, & what a great kid she is.

So Christmas Day, I was a party pooper. I had been up most of the night with Liv who was not feeling well (i.e.-excited about Christmas). I cannot believe how exhausted pregnancy makes you. I guess you don't really understand until it's you, but I feel like I have narcilepsy! Bobby & I had to work that night & I was so tired already, knowing I would absolutely not make it through the night shift conscious! So he let me sleep while he & Livy went to celebrate with the LaRose's. I was bummed to miss it, but my tiredness got the better of me. His parents got us an awesome motion detecting soap dispenser, & salt n pepper shakers that dispense those difficult to measure "sprinkle" & "pinch" measurements that nobody ever quite understands. They are so awesome! They also made a big Christmas lunch for everyone to enjoy (although the smell or sight of ham makes me puke these days, so maybe it's a good thing for everyone that I wasn't there!)

We are so grateful we had such a very Merry Christmas & that we were able to celebrate with all our family & friends. We are very blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives.

Best Christmas Gift Ever

Santa gave us the best early Christmas present ever, although it isn't due to arrive until August 1st! We are all so excited, & grateful for this wonderful blessing. Liv will be the best big sister ever. Let's hope HoneyBun will be a good furry big sister too!

To tell Bobby, I wrapped up a little sterling silver baby rattle I had bought in Mexico years & years ago (check out the pic of HoneyBun, she doesnt' look to sure about all this!)

For Livy I told her she could open one Christmas present early. I wrapped up a Dr. Suess book titled "Oh the Places You'll Go- A Book To Be Read In Utero." She is such a good reader, so we figured she could read it to the baby before it's born so it could learn to love her sweet voice. The pictures I got of her reaction are priceless! Love it!

I had made my parents calendars for Christmas, so it actually worked out perfect when I found out I was pregnant. I had included birthdays & pictures on the calendar, so I drew a picture of Baby LaRose on it's due date....To tell the family we let Livy announce it in the dinner prayer. She did perfect! She rememebered to end it with "blessing Zach's eyes, Dakota's healing, Billy's health & healing...& that we were thankful for the baby in Jen's belly. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." It was so cute. I love to listen to her prayers. Kids are amazing....
To tell Bobby's parents, Nannie, Papa Ed, & Gramma Marilyn n Grampa Bert we wrapped up beautiful little boxes with binkys in them. It turns out that ALL our ideas were a little tough to get! Bobby joked saying that maybe we needed to drop balloons from the ceiling & announce it overhead. It was pretty funny though. We are all so excited & can't wait! Yay!

Friedli Family Fun!

Zach, Tessie, & Dakota went to Arizona to celebrate Christmas with her family, so we all celebrated early letting the grandkids open some gifts, we all got our stockings, & we worked on our secret santa project. My cute parents do this every year. It takes so much time & effort, especially with our ever-growing family, so I hope they know how much we appreciate it! It was a little more difficult this year too because my parents are still renovating their house. I think Houston loved all the open area to run around in though, he was fun to watch :) Dakota was so cute & happy, enjoying all his gifts. I got the cutest picture of him smiling so proudly after he was showing off rolling himself over. He is getting so good at it!...We also had a fabulous musical number from Liv. She sang "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," & did awesome! She is so brave! We all had a blast. Thanks Mom & Dad!

Christmas with the Weeks

My family is the funnest. Sorry, but I love them! We had an early Christmas party with my Aunt Becky, Uncle Troy, & all their kids. Nannie & Papa Ed came too. It was so fun to get together again so soon (we had Thanksgiving there just about two weeks ago). We had lasagna, played games (which Justin & I won!), & exchanged white elephant gifts. Zach & Tessie's white elephant was hilarious! Their gift said, "We couldn't find a white elephant, so we got the next best thing..." & they had a small white mouse in there! Becky drew that gift, screamed, & dropped him once she discovered what it was. It was soo funny! So of course Livy switched & got that gift, which in turn I stole from her, & we let him out in the park by our house on the way home. Papa Ed ended up with Liv's feather boa, & magic wand. Nannie with a mini-basketball signed by none other than our own Justin Weeks. Bobby & I got some light reading on "Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals," & Zach and Tessie got some depends undergarments, baby powder, & rubber gloves, which of course he made her model. We had a great time!

Christmas-Crafttime

Me & Liv have been thoroughly enjoying the Christmas spirit [& Bobby when he's forced ;)]. We have been watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas books,& can't forget the crafts. We made gingerbread houses with my fam, made a gingerbread family out of foam cutouts & glitter, painted & glittered up our own ornaments, & made new ornaments with her old school pictures to add to the "special tree." The "special tree" is my 30, er-forgot how old I was for a sec! 31 years of Christmases, with all my special & collected ornaments from primary, school, my fabulous & ever-fun momma, grandparents, & my aunt Karen. I love it & it is so special to me, so Bobby & Liv have to join in the fun :) This year I got Bobby an ornament that looks like his old basset hound, Phil. Liv got a light-up "O" monogrammed ornament, which is truly hard to find since an O is not a super common letter; & I got a fabulous sparkly red dress with maribou feathers of course. Love love Christmas!