Christmas!

Here is our Christmas in photos...enjoy! Lydia got an early present from her favorite baby sitter Mackenzie, it was a pack n play for a baby...well Lydia got a little Jealous of the baby and kicked her out and took over!
Lyd had a lot of fun playing in the paper with daddy...that is mid air, she was totally fearless!

All the presents in front of our tree...we stayed the night at my parents though so I had to get atleast one pic of our tree (ha ha ha!)

Opening her Christmas Eve jammies!

Can you tell she had been crying, that was after the first attempt to put her down I think she was so excited for Santa to come so she couldn't sleep (ha ha ha!)

My little brother Ty went to Christmas Eve midnight mass...He didn't really dress like that but we thought it was pretty funny!

All the presents under my parents Christmas tree!

Lydia and Tyler dancing to "Yo Gaba Gaba" Lydia is so obsessed with the show it is hillarious!

Derek opening presents!

Mom and Dad enjoyed having everyone at the house, it felt almost like when we were younger (minus staying up and watching "a Christmas Story" 7 million times.

Lydia had to try on every pair of shoes she got, and she got three so it was pretty cute. Here are he new kicks!

The gift that keeps on giving!

Lydia was so excited about her dress ups from Nana and Grandpa Hardman

Lydia was so excited about her new kitchen, and so is mommy (now hopefully she will mess hers up instead of mine!)

Chris saved all the wrapping paper to take over to his parents for the kids to play in...it was so cute.

YES we got Chris' mom a snuggie, she is always cold and still likes to read and sew so it was funny and yet practical (ha ha ha)

Grandma and Grandpa Knudsen got the kids these darling easels from IKEA, They were in Heaven!

Lydia LOVED this present!

Uncle Clint taking Lydia for a ride on Bode's cool new scooter!

Lydia playing with her new vacuum from Nana and Grandpa Hardman and...

Daddy playing with his new Christmas Present too!

We had such a great Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve with Chris' family. We went bowling, had a great dinner and had dessert and sang the Hallelujah Chorus with extended family.

We spent the night at my parents, opened presents, took naps and saw Sherlock Holmes.

But the best part of Christmas this year was getting to talk to DARIN!!!! He sounded so good, and you can't help but feel so blessed to know that he is safe and doing the Lord's work.

Merry Christmas, hope yours was Merry and Bright!

What I love most about Christmas time...

THE TREATS!!!

WHY?

Ok so this post is a much needed vent and so please understand that some of the things I say in this post are more out of feeling unable to understand everthing that happens in this life.

Our best friends the Miller's baby boy Urban Black was born December 16th, due to a cord being wrapped around his little neck he didn't live. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since we got the news. Seeing Colby and Meghan just the night before and talking about how excited parenthood was going to be I can't help but ask the question WHY??? Why do they have to go through this, why do they have to suffer. As a friend and someone who hasn't gone through anything like this I couldn't help but want to blame someone, the doctor it had to be his fault, he had to be the reason that my friends were suffering. Then as I talked to Colby and Meg I realized that they didn't blame him, they understood more then I that this was an accident, something that potentially could happen to anyone but I could help but ask WHY THEM? I started to see that each time I visited them they were the strenght for everyone else. I realized how selfish I truly was, here my best friends just lost their precious angel and they were comforting me! Yes they were heart broken and yes they had their moments but for the most part they were the strong one's. And so again I asked WHY THEM, WHY did my friends who were such a strenght to those around them, why my friends who are such amazing people, so strong in the church and so giving why, why why! I am not going to lie, I don't know why I wish I did, I wish I knew what I could say to make the hurt go away, to make them know that everything is going to be ok but I don't. What I do know is that Colby and Meghan love their little boy more then anything in the world. And that whatever love they have for Urban Heavenly father has for them. I know that they will always be Urban's parents, I know that they will see him again, and that they will get to raise him just as they will their other children. I know that I don't understand Heavenly Father's plan for us or for Colby and Meg but I do trust that he has a plan. And that even though they are hurting, and truly no one on this earth understands what they are going through there is someone who does. Christ didn't just suffer on the cross, he suffered all things he is the only one who knows exactly what they are going through and WHY!

So I am here to tell you that I still don't know WHY, I wish more then anything I did but I probably never will. What I can tell you though is that I am so grateful for Colby and Meghan's example in my life. I seriously don't know what I would do without them and their friendship and I look forward to the day when they will get to be reunited with their sweet angel Urban Black. I love you both and please please know that we would do anything for you, if we could take it all away we would. Stay strong like I know you will, we love you!

She is all Girl!

Ok I know I post about how silly Lydia is, but who are we kidding the girl cracks me up! So here is the latest outfit, put together by none other than L-Y-D-I-A! Notice the high heeled shoes...
Complete with baby and stroller, but don't forget the...

Purse!

Tis the season for ugly sweater and of course eggnog!

Well we had our annual sweater/eggnog party last Saturday! It was a much needed break from the usual Saturday night activities (get to-go and watch a movie) and it was so fun to see good friends we haven't seen in a while. We broke tradition and instead of decorating gingerbread houses we did sugar cookies, we figured that they are edible which is an added bonus. Anyways it was a blast and we are looking forward to next years already (ha ha ha!) Lydia's sweater fit her when I bough it, I think that girl is going through a growing spurt!
Justin and Linds...gotta love Justin's star face!

Brian and Becca...we are so glad that they are now living here Their daughter Sadie and Lydia are close in age and I hope they are good friends!

Nate and Kimi, Kimi was rocking a great sweater with the added bonus of a bell necklace and Nate and Chris I swear coordinated their outfits because they are matching!

The fearsome foursome...ha ha ha!

We swear we are having so much fun (ha ha ha!)

People decorated some darling cookies...not so cute you couldn't eat them of course.

Brad, Carly, Alex and Jandie decided to get in on the decorating action!

Alex was very detail oriented with placing his sugar beads on the cookies...it was so cute!

Sadie helping Becca decorate some cookies!

Well it was a fun night, we hope you all have a "Very Merry Christmas!"

After a long day...

Who wouldn't want to come home to this (or in my case walk up stairs to this ha ha ha!) Lydia beng Lydia
She found and put on my hat

but her outfit wasn't complete until she found the perfect pair of shoes!

Oh but she was missing one accessory...the oven mitt oh silly me!

I love this little girl!

Oh Boy!

Well my best friend Meg is having a baby BOY, at the end of the month!!! We had her shower at my house this weekend, it was a lot of fun and she got a ton of cute stuff. I'm so excited for Meg and Colby we have been waiting for them to have a baby so they don't get sick of us and our "KID" (ha ha ha!) Anyways Meg we love you and we couldn't be more thrilled for you guys! We can't wait for little "mini miller" to finally make his debut!!! Best of luck on the last couple of weeks and just know you are going to be one amazing Mama! Bode and Raini stayed the night, and Patrice picked them up at the shower. Lydia had a blast with her cousins, and all I've heard every morning since is "Raini, Raini, Raini!"
Meg opening some of her great presents!

She got such cute stuff, and had so many friends come!

There were a lot of kids too!