Christmas...better late than never!

I thought that perhaps I should get around to posting about the rest of our Christmas. After all, it is APRIL. Geez...time really gets away from me these days. Since I want to use this blog as my own personal journal, I'm going to try to catch up.

Our December was full of the usual craziness. We managed to get our Christmas decorations out this year, as it was the first holiday season with our entire house DONE!
My husband loves real Christmas trees, so we bundled up one night and went to pick one out.

 There are only 2 things that my husband insists on in our marriage...a real Christmas tree and (much to my dismay) colored lights on that tree. I have to learn to pick my battles. I keep telling him that when we have a bigger house, we will have two Christmas trees...a real one with colored lights, and a fake tree pre-lit with lots of CLEAR lights.  Even with colored lights, I think our tree turned out very pretty!

There were Christmas parties that we were excited to dress up for...

...but then Anna would fall asleep before the arrival at the party, making for a cranky 3 year old. Yes,  this is the position that she fell asleep in. Too cute.

My mom and I took Anna to Ballet West's Nutcracker for her first time. My cousin's little girl was a clown this year in the production, which made it that much more fun.

Anna was thrilled to dress up in her fancy Christmas dress before the show. I told her she could pick out a souvenir. Instead of picking one of the many varieties of nutcrackers, she picked out a tiny wooden violin. She carried that thing around for weeks, and even had to go to sleep with it for a few nights.

Anna did so well at the Nutcracker! She got a little bit antsy toward the end, but we had great seats 4 rows from the front, so she had a great view of the dancers as well as the orchestra to keep her entertained.

Anna and I also made it to the Festival of Trees this year.  Anna's favorite tree of 2011 was the one all decked out in pink, purple and princesses. This just happened to be a tree in memory of Kristen, one of my former patients.

The actual Christmas week became a little more crazy and exciting than we were expecting with the unexpected arrival of my baby nephew Hunter. The week around Christmas was filled with trips back and forth between SLC and Logan. I drove up on December 22nd when he was born, then drove back down the next day, then drove back up with Trav and Anna in tow on Christmas Eve to do our John family Christmas. We left late that evening and headed back to SLC. Then the day after Christmas, Anna and I headed back up to Logan to spend some time with Brandon and Maday while they were here. Needless to say there were many miles put on my car that week!

I forgot to take my camera to my mom's, so the only pictures that I have are from my iPhone. Here's a few that I do have from Christmas Eve...

My mom's tree in her basement

Daddy opening presents with Anna

Loving her princess book from Grandma and Buppa

 The present from Brandon and Maday trumped all other presents this Christmas...a treasure chest full of princess dresses, necklaces, and various accessories. She was in heaven!

She insisted on putting on the purple princess dress and wearing it...not only for the rest of the night, but the rest of Christmas weekend.

 Cody attempted to play Anna's tiny new violin from my mom and dad - a 1/16 size violin! It's adorable, but it may be a while before Anna is ready to play it.

That night, when I said it was time to go home so that Santa could come visit us, Anna actually looked around and said "That's okay. I think we have enough presents!"
Seriously? What 3-year-old says that?
Hmmm...so much for the Santa excitement!

On the actual holiday, Trav and I chose to stay home with Anna and have our own cozy little Christmas. We spent the entire day in our pajamas, opening and playing with presents, and enjoying each other's company. In years past, we have alternated spending Christmas morning at my parents' or Trav's parents'.  As hard as it was to not do the "Christmas morning" thing with my family and Trav's family, it was nice to stay home, take it easy, and let Anna go to town on her gifts. And, man, was she spoiled!

Christmas morning, decked out in her princess gear to open the Santa gifts. I love that she took the time to read through her book before attacking the other gifts.

Opening presents with Papa

My crazy messy front room with the Newman family trying to find places to sit between all of Anna's presents. 

 Her new "dancer dress" from Santa

Anna's Christmas stash...honestly only a small percentage of that is from her parents (and Santa)!

 Crazy, hectic, exciting...it was a great Christmas!