Here are some pictures Jackson and I had taken the other day. Hope you like them. Happy New Year!

Christmas Come and Go

Well Christmas is over and sometimes I feel like it is a huge let down only because I tend to build up to Christmas all month and then the day comes (which is wonderful) but then it is over. . .back to reality. Thankfully reality is pretty great for us too. We had a great first Christmas with Jackson. He actually did pretty well at opening his presents and he really loved the ribbons on everything. He is a pretty spoiled little boy, lots of toys and books and even a new pair of shoes. Our little apartment is being run over with all of his stuff! We had the traditional Stoker Christmas with snacks on Christmas eve (I made Chinese BBQ pork and it was AWESOME!), we watched Luke 2 and read the story of Christ being born, and then opened a few presents and went off to bed. The next morning we had Grandma Miller's breakfast bread (and that is no easy task to make) then we opened the rest of the presents, watched the Sun's lose by 1 POINT (what a heart breaker), and had a very yummy Christmas dinner. Then that night we went to see the Temple lights and that was the highlight of the day for Jack. He loves those lights, even though it was freezing cold (according to Arizona standards). The most important thing to remember is the birth of Christ and the sacrifice he made for the world. All and all it was a great Christmas and I am already excited for next year, but until then we should try to keep the Christmas spirit alive in our hearts all year long.

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

Last night we watched the movie White Christmas. I am a little ashamed to say I had never seen it before. It was very wonderful, especially the end when the snow is coming down. This got me to thinking about all those places where the snow is coming down right now. One place is WA where the family is. It is beautiful there with the snow covering all the green trees. I can almost smell it. . .but not quite. It is raining in AZ which does not = a white Christmas. I guess living here does have the benefits of not driving in the snow or for most people being trapped in their house. We also do not have to wear big heavy clothing yet which is nice for Jackson. But for all of you not living in a white Christmas here are some pictures to enjoy and a real Christmas tree pine fresh smell and all.

11 Days Till Christmas

So there is only 11 days until Christmas. I hope all of you have done your shopping, decorated your trees, and gone to see Santa. We went to visit Santa this week and all I can say is I am grateful to have such wonderful and patient parents. We went to see him in the mall and the line was pretty short (only about 10 people). However, Mall Santas are very inefficient. Santa goes on break at 12:30pm sharp no matter where you are in line. We got there at 11:45am so plenty of time, however the line was moving at a sluggish pace. I really didn't think we were going to make the cut. Brandon couldn't stand the wait so he went walking. I love babies and all but how long does it take to take a picture with a newborn? Seriously! Thankfully we made it in.

Jackson wasn't so sure about the big guy. He really liked the bell that the photographer rung (if you can even call her that). The first picture is him checking Santa out. I love this one because Jack always makes that observant face. Then I think he had a little bit of a panic attack and almost started crying but the bell saved him. The last picture is the best one we got of him actually looking at the camera. He is not smiling but what more can you ask of an 8 month old? I think all in all it was a good experience and thanks to Grandma Miller he had a cute reindeer outfit just perfect for the occasion. Merry Christmas everyone!

How to trim your tree?

Picking a tree is a tough job, but it is a must for Christmas. First of all do you buy a real tree or a fake one. The real ones smell so good and it is always fun trucking out into the muddy tree farm and picking out that perfect tree that most likely is too big for your house. However, the fake ones are nice too because you only have to buy it once, the lights are already on it, and you don't have to worry about it drying out. . .fire hazards are a big concern in Arizona. Every year I agonize over how to decorate our tree. Having an A personality a part of me really wants the "Martha Stewart" tree where everything matches and is elegant. Then the other part of me wants the fun tree with lots of colors and random ornaments that we have collected over the years. Also, how do you know what to put on top, star or angel? Right now we have an angel which I think is fitting because it reminds me of Christ which should be the whole focus of Christmas but it really doesn't match the rest of our tree theme since our tree is not elegant but more free and fun. I guess I when we live in a house and have more room we will be able to have both elegant and fun trees, but in the meantime we will just have to settle for a bit of both trees.

On another note, where are the people that go all out with decorating their house? I want to see the neighborhoods that have the HOME IMPROVEMENT houses with the ridiculous manger and Santa on the roof with the entire sleigh and reindeer set. Where are these houses? All I see is boring ones that look beautiful but everyone once in awhile I want to see a really tacky Christmas house that looks like the lights are going to explode.

Milestones

Jackson has done it! He crawled, yeah! We have been trying to encourage him to do it for a month now and he was so close. He would rock back and forth and then get frustrated and breakdown crying. I felt so bad for him. But then yesterday, we were over at the Stoker's and he wanted these Christmas bells that were too far to reach so he just decided to go for it. Let me tell you, it wasn't a slow creeping crawl either. It was a I'm gonna get those bells as fast as I can crawl. With his little arms and legs a turning he got those bells. Then we tried to see if he would crawl to other things. I kept moving the bells away and he would chase after them. At one point I was thinking to myself is he a baby or a dog because I was making him fetch after every toy I could find. He really got excited when Grandpa Stoker put out his phone for Jack to play with.

*On a side note, Jackson is no longer to play with our keys because he slobbers all over the key remote and the batteries wear down so we can't get into our cars. It has happened 3 times in the past 2 weeks.

By the time the night was over I think he got sick of crawling after things because he was not doing it anymore. He would just get mad at me when I moved the toy farther away. I guess it is his right to be mad, I would get angry too if I went after something and it just kept getting farther and farther away, lol.

In the Christmas Spirit

I know it is only Dec. 3rd but I am already totally in the Christmas spirit. Shopping for gifts, wrapping paper and ribbons, wreaths, the tree and all the lights. Even the round the clock Christmas music. As soon as December 1st hit I was out hanging the lights, putting up the decorations and making Brandon trim the tree (even though it is a fake tree). I think that Jackson loves Christmas too. He is in awe by all the lights and loves playing with wrapping paper, naturally. There is just something infectious about this time of the year that makes me want to sing out Christmas songs at the top of my lungs and drink in every moment. With that in mind. . . you will be seeing a lot of Christmas pictures on the blog. So to get the season started.