Staying Sane and Having Fun - Christmas 2009

My blog posts have definitely been sparse lately, probably due to juggling work, family and holiday festivities. A tricky balancing act, I might add! I wanted to post several fun and festive recipes, among other things during December, but you see how well that turned out! So, I guess I'll just catch you up...

During December we attended several Christmas parties, shopped for presents, cooked way too much, and played host for both of our brothers over Christmas week! Highly exhausting, but I wouldn't trade a second. This was also out first Christmas with Savannah. We adopted a few new rules which I think made everything much more manageable....I think I'll share.

First - we made the rule that Christmas morning is going to be at our house. I think having kids is the perfect time to implement this rule. If you are married (especially if your in-laws are in the same town) you know how difficult and tiring it can be trying to see everyone all a short time frame. Throw a small child in the mix and it could turn out to be no fun at all. We were prepared to be worn out, but we wanted to control the weariness as much as possible and still have some fun so we thought this was a good compromise and cut down on some travel time. However, our doors are open on Christmas morning, so my parents decided to visit us instead. This also allowed for me to take on some family traditions, which include to recipes which I will share later. The food turned out great (although I barely escaped one disaster...but that's a story for another time), and we all had a blast!

Second - we implemented the "Don't wait on us" rule. While I don't think anyone in our family would carry on any festivities without us, it allowed us to take the pressure off of ourselves. This rule was purely for because of Savannah. Babies are bound to get off schedule during the holidays, however, I still wanted her as well-rested as possible so naps, meals, and play can take time. We especially used the rule Christmas afternoon (Tim's parents house) and Christmas Eve night (Tim's grandma), but funny enough, we got there at the usual time. Just needed to take the pressure off...obviously the stress is all in my head!

So the holidays were officially a success! I enjoyed spending time with my wonderful friends and family, especially our brothers who are from Minot, ND (my brother) and Chicago (Tim's brother). Savannah got more than she needed...now she doesn't even need anything for her first birthday! Speaking of her first birthday, that's my next project. More to come! But for now, I hope you enjoy some holiday pics (taken with my new Canon Rebel - thank you Santa!!!)

She was delighted to have swiped something off the tree

I saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause!