Glimpses from our Christmas

Was it a white Christmas for you this year?  We did not have one, and have yet to have a snowstorm.  We did get some big cotton-like flakes that came down a few days before Christmas.  It lasted just long enough for us to get Anya in her snowsuit and get a few pictures. 

 Aunt Cindy and Uncle Tony came in from KY!  Cindy made Anya an ornament for her 1st Christmas!

 Aren't Katie's gifts wrapped so PINTERESTingly?  She is so crafty!  We didn't want to ruin the beautiful job she did.

 Every year Cindy wraps her gifts for us like pieces of candy.  I had to get a picture of her handing them out.

 Anya got bubbles from Aunt Cindy.

 Anya enjoyed being the center of all the action.  She did great with her messed up schedule.  She's such a happy baby when we are over at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

 Isn't Katie so creative?  I love the star she made for my tree.

 I made Mom and Dad a scrapbook with their wedding photos.

 Before bed, Cindy read Anya a Christmas pop-out story that she gave her. 

 "Blitzen's Bar" was the Hot Chocolate Bar that Katie and I created.  We had wine, Baileys, hot chocolate, coffee, and apple cider.

 Cindy made a Gingerbread house that we decorated on Christmas.

 Happy little Anya feeding herself pears.  YUM!

On Christmas day my sisters and I got all glamed up.  It was like playing dress up.  Katie has tons of pretty dresses, shoes, and jewelry...plus she is a hair stylist so we had lots of fun!

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 This is my Vitameatavegamin pose.  "It's so tasty too!  Tastes just like candy."

 We had to do a stair pose like when we were kids.

 Typically my head would be chopped off...but Josh got it in the picture!

 We decorated the Gingerbread house while the guys watched Football.

 The gingerbread men were doing snow angels.

 Anya with Grandma and Grandpa Nilsson.  She loves seeing them!

 Dad made his famous Cornish Hens...and they were SO good!

 Katie and Tommy love getting pictures with Anya.  Well, I know Katie does and I think Tommy just goes along with it.  What a nice boyfriend!

What did you do to celebrate Christmas!  I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and have a blessed New Year!  Happy 2012!

Top Destinations

Anya has officially accomplished the art of army crawling. Her current top destinations are:

1.)  Our Christmas Tree...especially when gifts are underneath!  (Those gifts were for friends and that's the only reason they are down there.  Wrapped gifts stay up high.)

 

 2.)  Her furry friend Charlie...just stay away from his toys!

 3.) The door with endless possibilities.



4.)  Daddy!

Other popular way-points are: ANY cords (just don't pull out daddy's xbox), cell phones, Charlie's bone, laundry baskets, and small debris.

Oh Anya, you are my little mover!

This Christmas...

In the beginning of the month Josh gave me my Christmas gift....a new camera!  Hence all of the photos...  We went to Josh's parent's house to decorate for Christmas.  Anya wore the dress from Grandmama.

Josh tackled the tree. 

 Papa read to Anya while she put the pages in her mouth.

 Anya's loves listening to this dog sing at their house!  She gets a kick out of it!

 The tree is almost done!

 Papa got Anya a sippy and some baby food treats.  Anya is getting so good at holding and drinking from a sippy!

 "They let me stand on their table."  ~Anya

 We went to the Christmas Concert at our church.  Shel, Echoing Angels, and Smalltown Poets performed!  We had a wonderful time!

 After church one Sunday in December by the tree!  This year it is decorated with gifts and Proclaimers (Gospel translated to native language for first time ever!) to our Church Sponsor in Sierra Leone. 

 Looking at the train with daddy...

 Baking the BEST sugar cookies ever....recipe from Pinterest of course!

 Anya enjoyed rolling around while we frosted cookies with the BEST icing you've ever tasted!

 I had to get photos of Anya in her outfit from Auntie Kates!! It looks so cute on her!

 Anya and I had a pajama day!  Which involved a full day of snuggles, relaxation, and cheesy Christmas movies on Hulu...something I need to do more of.

Playtime with Daddy!

 What do you think of Anya's leggies?  My total mismatch girl!  I lover her...

 Last Sunday we celebrated Christmas with Josh's extended family.  Anya had a cold but that didn't affect her personality one bit.  She had a blast!

 Playing with Papa's glasses is fun.

 This is the outfit I bought for Anya. 

 It's very hard for her to sit still....

 I want to crawl...

 No, Anya you need to sit....

 But I want to crawl mom....

 Happy first day of Winter!  We even got a few snowflakes that came down that looked like cotton. 

 Anya is wearing the snowsuit from Aunt Cindy.

Only 3 more days until Christmas!  I'm definitely dreaming of a white Christmas...but unfortuantely this year the odds of seeing that pretty white stuff isn't likely.  I'm alright with that since we have family traveling in from KY and OH.  It makes things much less stressful for them as they drive and us as we wait.  The Christmas weekend officially begins today for the Nilsson family!  Today we plan on visiting downtown Geneva for a few hours today with Anya...maybe just for lunch... or a visit with Santa...or a stroll around the town...we haven't completely decided but just want to get out together as a family and go someplace festive.  In years past, we visit Chicago for the day but this year we decided to pass since it's normally too cold and Borders closed down...sad face.  Plus we have a baby now and babies just make you tired, and going downtown can be very exhausting since we are anti-taxi.  So off to Geneva it is (and much less expensive I might add).  Tonight we are headed to church for the Christmas Eve service, or in our case the Christmas Eve, Eve, Eve service.  I'm very excited to have my sister Katie and her boyfriend Tommy join us!  Yay!

Friday my other sister Cindy and her husband Tony are coming in from KENTUCKY!  I love saying that...in years past we would have to say CT, but Tony had a job change which brought them much closer!  What an answered prayer that has been.    We are treating them to Portillos Italian Beef.  Saturday Tony's parents are coming in from OH.  Cindy and I are very blessed that our in-laws and parents are good friends!  It makes celebrating Christmas much easier, that and the fact that Tony and Josh are both only children.  Sunday we are celebrating Christmas at my parent's house with everyone.  I'm excited to see everyone and have them share Anya's first Christmas with us. 

This Christmas Katie and I have decided it would be fun to get totally decked out and dressed up.  When else do we have the opportunity to get totally dressed up?  We have also planned a hot chocolate bar...courtsey of Pinterest! My dad will be making his specialty Cornish Hens.  There will be plenty of laughs, games, and food! 

Since it's Anya's first Christmas Josh and I finally get to put our Christmas family traditions to use!  Well, we always have, but now it seems more fulfilling.  We'll make our Jesus cake...my Great Grandmother's Tea Ring, read the Christmas story in Luke 2, and make sure to read Anya plenty of children's books about Jesus' birth. 

Stay tuned for PHOTOS from Christmas weekend!