Lily's First Christmas Break!

It was so much fun to have a baby this year for Christmas!

Michael and I enjoyed helping Santa Claus out. Before Christmas, Michael, Lily, and I did our annual tradition of parking by the Pleasant Grove High School in the Seminary Building's Parking Lot and watching the lights on the house across the street dance to Christmas Songs. We have gone about 4 years now ha ha! But they do a good job and its nice to stay warm in your car. We went to Cravings in American Fork and had some delicious grown up grilled cheese sandwiches and tasty potato soup too!

On Christmas Adam (Sunday, the 23rd) we went to the Stokers! My family does a nativity every year where all the grandkids dress up and they act out the story of our savior's birth. We have really nice costumes for it too. The kids love it and all of us old people love watching it! My parents have 24 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild so it is quite the production! Lily was an angel this year. She looked pretty adorable! Even if she does have an orange face, ha ha! We ate a delicious dinner and exchanged gifts as well. Lily got an amazing present from her Aunt Jana. Its an Alphabet Wall! It is so adorable. Now Lily has something to look at when I change her diaper :) I got something I have always wanted- a quillow made my by talented niece, Holly. Michael got a playstation netcard from my brother, Ryan and he has already downloaded games. Lily gave her cousin Cohen an Iron Man Lego thingy and I gave my brother-in-law Darren a gift card to the Bike Barn and Michael gave my brother Mike a Giftcard to Gamestop. All of us kids chipped in and gave my mom a handheld dyson vacuum. My dad got a gift card for his Kindle from us. Lily gave both sets of Grandparents a little plaque that has her footprint and handprint on it and a paper weight of her hand print. I made an ornament of her footprint for us but even though I tried a million times I was unable to do it again for the grandparents. Our parents always give us stuff for food storage and end of the world survival. This year we got some water filter things and $. By then it was getting late, so Michael took Lily home and put her to bed while I stayed at my parent's and had some tasty desserts and did our favorite thing as a family. sit around the living room and just hang out and talk. It was a fun night.

Daddy and Angel Lily

Mommy and her Angel!

All the Angels! Katie, Cami, Lily, Zoe, and Elsie

Mischievous Angel

Grandma Stoker and Lilly

Lily Loves Grandma!

Charlie's Angels!

The Nativity Cast! Notice my brother Mike on the right who decided to be an angel last minute as well :)

The Alphabet Wall my sister Jana made Lily! Isn't it amazing???

Jana, the creator of the alphabet wall and one of Lily's favorite  aunts!

My Dad, the narrator of the nativity

Lily is excited for Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, we visited my parents for awhile before heading over to the Malouf's for another amazing dinner. Renee always decorates her tables so beautifully for every occasion. Michael's Aunt Diane and Cousin David  and Sheryl came over as well. They also do a nativity. Theirs is a lot more reverent because they have 6 actors as opposed to 25 ha ha. Lily was the baby Jesus this time! Then we had to put Lily to bed, but luckily we were sleeping there so Michael and I could still enjoy the night there. Lily slept awesome in her pack and play. After she was asleep we had some tasty dessert and then opened our traditional Christmas Eve Gifts from Craig and Renee-pajamas!!! Then we left some cookies out for Santa and carrots for the reindeer and then the rest of the kids promptly went to bed so Santa could come :)

Aunt Kim with Lily. Lily is wearing her pretty Christmas dress!

Erin and Emmy, 2 of Lily's Favorite Cousins

Malouf Family Nativity

Kate as Mary and Lily as the Baby Jesus

Sweet Picture!

Such cute kids!

They were so reverent! What a sweet group of kiddos!

So many presents! 

Grandpa Malouf is NOT a night owl :)

Christmas morning Lily woke up at about 7. I was sleeping in the room with her so I just put her on my chest and she fell back asleep for another hour. They sleep in late at the Maloufs so we didn't want to wake anybody up. At 8 we snuck upstairs and fed her breakfast. Grandpa Malouf was awake and we woke up Michael too. Finally everybody was up and we all went downstairs to see what Santa brought at about 9. He came! The kids were all very excited. Lily wanted everybody else's candys. She would put 2 Snickers in each fist and crawl around. She didn't care much about her toys yet. She was too excited about everybody else's. But she loves them now! Michael and I shouldn't have gotten her anything since we could have gotten away with it this year but it was too much fun to shop for her! From us and Santa she got a motorcycle she can push and ride, a picnic basket that talks to her, Little People Noah's Ark a puppy that talks and some butt paste, some elastics, some bath toys, a baby, and 2 books.

A little bit later Chris and Alison and their kids and Sean and Brittany came over and we ate a delicious breakfast prepared by the men. Then we opened all the family gifts! It took hours! :) It was a lot of fun. We were all VERY spoiled.From her grandparents Lily got too many things to name! Lots of cute clothes, some diapers and formula, and some toys and books. I gave Michael some clothes, books, the new batman movie, Ratchet and Clank video game, a sound machine, some hair fiber, deodorent, shaving cream, and yogurt covered pretzels and raisins. He gave me some boots and a groupon for eyelash extensions and for a maid service to come deep clean our house sometime soon and an adorable diaper bag and a  book and some teeth whitening strips and lip glosses, lotions and some tasty Reese's trees that were eaten almost instantly. We also got a Playstation Move and the Zumba game to go with it and Just Dance! So much fun!!! Kim and I had each other and I gave her a giftcard to Barnes and Nobles and she gave me a gift card to Target with some cute gloves and nail polish and lotion. Michael got another playstation net card (which he was very happy about) and he gave his brother, Sean, a gift card to Home Depot. Lily gave her cousin Kate an I-tunes gift card and she got a cute little tea set from her cousin Emmy. Michael and I gave his parents a gift card to Costa Vida since they eat there like twice a week and they gave us $ and some gift cards and copies of all their family movies! We definitely got too much stuff!

Michael and I tried to have Lily take a nap at the Malouf's but she wouldn't have it so we went home to shower while she happily took a nap in her own crib. Then we came back, and watched some old family movies, ate some leftovers and played some games. That night, Alison, Brittany, my friend Amber, and Alison's friend Lyndsie went and saw Les Miserables! It was amazing. I cried and cried. It was a very powerful movie. Since I was out seeing the movie, Michael stayed at his parents to play games while Lily slept and we all spent the night again! Luckily Lily did great again. She didn't make a peep until 6:45 and I just snuggled with her again and she fell back asleep until about 8.

Lily on her new motorcycle!

The next day we all went to Pizza Pie Cafe for dinner! I love that place! It feeds my inner child :)

On Friday, December 28th Michael, Lily, and I went to Scheels and had dinner at Noodles with our friends Brad and Amber and their three kiddos. Michael and I rode the Ferris Wheel! Lily was still too small, so Amber watched her with her little twins while Brad rode with Ryker (Lily's future husband). Ryker gave Lily a Little People Christmas Book where she can lift the flaps. She loves it! It said, To: Lily,From: Your Future Husband :). She gave the twins some cotton candy.

On Saturday, December 29th we had our annual extended family Stoker Christmas Party. We bring pot luck and play White Elephant. This year I brought the extra sculpey clay I tried to make footprint ornaments out of (Only one turned out) and the rolling pin I ruined trying to make it with a bunch of granola bars we don't like that much. Michael brought a few books he wanted to give to DI anyway. Michael had to leave early to take Lily home for her nap so he didn't get anything, but I got some raspberry muffin mix and a cake tester and a deck of cards. Not too shabby. Its always fun and interesting to see my dad's family. 

On New Year's Eve we spent the evening with my family at my brother Mike's house. This has become kind of a tradition. We eat lots of tasty, fattening foods and play Hand and Foot, my family's all time favorite game and sometimes mix it up with some Mexican Train (another family favorite). We set up a pack and play up in Mike and Nicole's bedroom so Lily could sleep while we partied the night away :)

Our First New Year's Eve!

Lily woke up to Ring in the New Year at Midnight with us!

We both have weird faces in this one

One of the noisemakers!!!

Scared of all the noise!

On New Year's Day we spent the day with the Malouf's at Michael's partent's house in Alpine. This is also their family tradition to spend New Year's Day together eating tasty food (soup!)  and playing games and hanging out together. Renee, Michael's mom also has a tradition of giving us little notebooks to write in for the year. This year we are writing things we are grateful for in them every day. I like this one because it helps me be more positive and happy when I am counting my blessings. Renee gave Lily a cute shirt to wear that says "Baby's First New Year's 2013".

Lily loves Grandpa Malouf. They are best friends!

January 2nd, Lily turned 11 months old!!!! Only one month left until her first birthday! Michael and I had to go to the dentist so my sister Judy watched Lily while we went to the dentist and then we even saw a movie after!  I have a chipped filling and Michael has a cavity so we even get to go back next week. It was Michael's last day of the break. So sad. Lily and I will miss having him home with us. Michael even let me sleep in a few times which was son nice! At least the school year is almost halfway over and we can have Michael home with us all day again when summer comes!

Happy New Year Everybody!