We had such a lovely Christmas. We started off the festivities on Christmas Eve at the Carters with the sibling gift exchange. Rob's sister Melanie and her husband, Jeff and baby Henry got to come to Utah for Christmas. It is so much fun to have them around and grace loves having a little playmate!
Trying to be patient...
Rob got his first taste of un-packaging and putting toys together this year.
Too slow!!! She wanted her toy that
second. Henry has this same little doggy and she loved it, so Grandma got her the little girl version, Violet. She was a happy camper!
Here's Violet and an excited mama.
Gotta love the joy that comes with tearing paper off of packages!
This picture is funny - I never get a full eyes closed picture, they're always the not-so-beautiful half-open-half-shut ones. Pretty amazing eyelashes, eh?
Grace had to check out (and break in...) all the cool stuff Henry got. He was very sweet and patient with his overly zealous and faster moving cousin.
First present of the morning...looking a little sleepy still!
This is Grace's (and my!) favorite present that she got. A little broom and dustpan set so she can help clean up all of her (and our) messes. She
loves to sweep, so now we can sweep together!
At first, Grace was really concerned about the excess wrapping paper that she was unwrapping. She wouldn't continue to tear off wrapping paper until she had given the little piece that she had just torn off to someone to put away. Looks like she has her daddy's clean genes! By the end of the unwrapping fun, she had forgotten all about that and left the little bits everywhere.
Grace trying on Mama's new hat and pearls
Gracie and her babies at Grandma's. She has become quite the little mama. She loves to wrap babies up and carry them around and take good care of them. It is so sweet to see her little feminine, nurturing nature taking shape.
We had such a great time spending the day with family (near and far!). We are grateful at this time of year to celebrate the greatest gift of all, the birth, death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ.
Merry Christmas!
My good friend Kristen comes over every morning to exercise with me and brings along a little playmate (ha!) for Grace, her daughter Madison. They are almost exactly one year apart in age, and Grace loves to help "take care" of Madison when she comes over.
Sometimes Grace likes to pretend that she's still a baby too, and gets a binky out. It was pretty traumatic this morning when I hid them and wouldn't get one out for her...oops!
Can you spy my little helper's work here?
Here's the sweet culprit herself (refusing to smile)...but hey, I'm grateful for any help I can get!
Happy (and cold!) bride and groom.
Sweet girl.
Sweet family.
Girl cousins
Boy cousins
Of course Grace found the vents for a little Marilyn moment while we were waiting for the luncheon.
Grace loves her Uncle Mike
And this is only part of Katie's side.
Grace was stylin', thanks to the Easton girls for helping out with the accessories.
Katie and her daddy
We saw a lot of this... :)
After a fun day, the bride and groom took off in their oh-so-fashionably decorated car.
And Grace played with, I mean, helped clean up the balloons...
...and then we had a dance party!
Doesn't my cowgirl look pretty darn cute in those boots?
It was pretty hard to figure out how to walk in them, but as soon as she does, you'd better believe we're going to start working on the country dancing skills :)
Trying to be patient...
Rob got his first taste of un-packaging and putting toys together this year.
Too slow!!! She wanted her toy that second. Henry has this same little doggy and she loved it, so Grandma got her the little girl version, Violet. She was a happy camper!
Here's Violet and an excited mama.
Gotta love the joy that comes with tearing paper off of packages!
This picture is funny - I never get a full eyes closed picture, they're always the not-so-beautiful half-open-half-shut ones. Pretty amazing eyelashes, eh?
Grace had to check out (and break in...) all the cool stuff Henry got. He was very sweet and patient with his overly zealous and faster moving cousin.
First present of the morning...looking a little sleepy still!
This is Grace's (and my!) favorite present that she got. A little broom and dustpan set so she can help clean up all of her (and our) messes. She loves to sweep, so now we can sweep together!
At first, Grace was really concerned about the excess wrapping paper that she was unwrapping. She wouldn't continue to tear off wrapping paper until she had given the little piece that she had just torn off to someone to put away. Looks like she has her daddy's clean genes! By the end of the unwrapping fun, she had forgotten all about that and left the little bits everywhere.
Grace trying on Mama's new hat and pearls
Gracie and her babies at Grandma's. She has become quite the little mama. She loves to wrap babies up and carry them around and take good care of them. It is so sweet to see her little feminine, nurturing nature taking shape.
...these jeans (and I assume the baby inside...) should be kept away from fire.
Rob working hard.
Grace working hard.
