Christmas II

On Christmas afternoon, we loaded up and drove up to Washington to meet the rest of the family at Amber (Kelly's sister) and Rob's. It was great to be all together and enjoy the chance to visit.

That evening we exchanged gifts between the families. Kelly and I had Amber and Rob, which was significant this year because Rob is being deployed to Afganistan on January 23. I really struggled to figure out what we could give them that they would enjoy, but would also be meaningful to the family while he is away.

At Mom Peterson's suggestion, I finally decided to make a countdown to Rob's homecoming. I enjoyed designing the calendar and especially the chance to do something (however small) to let them know we are thinking of them.

Here's how it turned out--

A special thanks to April who helped me figure out what to put at the top. (We were limited by only 1 of each letter of the alphabet!)

After a lot of great food and visiting, we drove back down to Eugene on Saturday night. Our flight home wasn't until early Sunday evening, so we enjoyed a quiet day at Mom and Dad's. I especially enjoyed attending church and running stake errands with Kelly's Dad. We would walk down the hall 5-10 feet at a time, stopping to talk with almost everyone! It's easy to see that Kelly's parents are genuinely interested in everyone and loved by everyone in return. Their love for and focus on their family was also evident as so many of the people we met knew Kelly by name and that we are living in Las Vegas (even though he didn't grow-up in Eugene).

I am certainly grateful for the wonderful family I married into and for the blessing of being all together at Christmas.

Catching Up from Christmas

We had a wonderful and busy Christmas season this year. I am making this my week to catch-up and document events from the end of 2009.

We spent the first few days of the Christmas break in Eugene, OR at Mom and Dad Peterson's house with Scott (Kelly's brother) and Tessa, April (Kelly's sister) and Mitch and Zander (the only grandchild between the three of us).

I'm not sure what Kelly did on Christmas Eve, but I enjoyed 'girl time' with April, Tessa and Mom finishing presents, making a last-minute trip to Michaels, wrapping gifts and helping with Christmas Eve dinner (the Peterson family tradition).

On Christmas morning, Zander was the man of the hour and didn't know what to do with the attention of 6 aunts and uncles and grandma and grandpa all at the same time! He didn't even notice his little tent filled with presents, but was more than happy to dive in to check it out once April pointed it out.

Kelly and I should have discussed the specifics of the "small" Christmas we planned to ensure we were on the same page! His small Christmas included:
- slippers, a fun book, a church book, a fully supplied/decorated guest bathroom (this was more of a gesture than a gift because he had requested that I get around to it several times) and fancy swiss hot chocolate and english toffee.

My "small" Christmas included:
- a creme brulee torch, a cute corduroy jacket, two layering tank tops, a necklace with matching earings and a garmin. Wow!

Maybe we'll just call the new mountain bike he wants to get part of Christmas!

Part II of the holiday posts to follow soon.

That Time of Year

I want to post a report and a few pictures from Thanksgiving, but I keep forgetting to transfer pictures to the computer. We're currently planning/preparing for a little Christmas party at our house, so when I get home my mind is on cleaning, decorating and baking rather than pictures and blog posts.

In the meantime, I'd love to share/get opinions on the many calendars I've found to choose from this year. There is so much letterpressed, printable and screenprinted loveliness out there!

Ilee Press

(This is the calendar I've gotten for the last three years. I still like it, but I'm considering changing it up. Or maybe not. I think the different colored papers is what does it for me!)

Up Up

Sure As Blue

Saratams

Pink Roses 1220

Pinecone and Lola

Nella Designs

Naomilynn

Ruffhouse Art

Missprint Design

Livingroom Floor

Jelly Beans


Egg Press

Coreymarie

Bomobob

A Line of Her Own

3 Sisters Love

1 Canoe 2

Baptism

Sean and Chase Peterson were baptised two weekends ago, on November 7. Kelly and I were lucky enough to be there, along with most of the family. The boys had it all planned out -- one was baptized first, and the other was confirmed first. The near-scalding hot water in the font will definitely make theirs a memorable day. (It's like they were baptized by fire twice!)

Congratulations Sean and Chase!

So, I'm still the newest member of the Peterson family and during the trip I noticed that I shied away from taking pictures of the adults. (Kelly's intense dislike of having his picture taken just might have something to do with this!) But I have lots of picture of the cute Peterson kids as follows. . .

These cute kids are ready for pizza!

Since he was sitting at the head of the table and had a crowd watching, Will decided to put on a show.

He learned this dance from Kung Fu Panda. His older brothers (and Dad) get a kick out of it!

Uh oh, here comes Dad.

Tate and cousin Misti.

Tyler loves her new braces!

Since I'm relatively new to the family, it is fun to spend time together and be there for important events. I might have missed the twin's first six years, but I was there for their baptism!

When I think of my own extended family, I don't think of the in-law aunts and uncles as add-on's. (Even those who's weddings I remember.) They are just part of the family. I don't feel out of place in the Peterson family, (on the contrary, they are great at making me feel welcome) but it's good to know that I won't always feel "new." And each opportunity to spend time together makes me feel less brand-new.

Dinner is Served

I arrived 30 minutes early to a BYU Marriott Society lunch meeting at Planet Hollywood yesterday. I made good use of those 30 minutes at Sur la Table!

After struggling with my old pastry cutter earlier this week, I decided a new one was in order before the Thanksgiving pie making begins. Can't wait to give it a try.

In the clearence section I scooped up a gorgeous turkey-sized plater and these lovely yellow serving platers that match my house perfectly. I also bought the turkey yesterday.

We're ready for Thanksgiving!

Halloween

Kelly and I were senoir missionaries for Halloween. It was a fun, easy costume that may be recycled in future years. I just wish I had found suspenders for Kelly and a short-sleeved shirt!

Love his old man expression in this one.

Upcoming Events

Kelly and I are going to see Aida for our second anniversary. It's broadcast in HD from the MET, to a nearby theater.

You can see it too!