Christmas Festivities

Where does the time go?

I know we are all busy during this time of year. It always amazes me how fast December is here and gone, but even with all the hustle and bustle we are sure to still enjoy this Christmas season.

With Maya's 2 year old birthday just around the corner in January, she is quite the lil' talker, soaking up everything around her, talking, dancing, and giggling all the time. She also is enjoying all the holiday fun, taking after her mother. =)

We helped decorate the Christmas tree at Grammy and Grampy's house, made gingerbread houses with the fam, drove to Thanksgiving Point to see the lights, (which Maya absolutely LOVED), and are anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival! The spirit of Christmas is all around and I love the feeling in the air.

We also have had TONS of snow this week. Maya has come down with a cold the past few days so we have yet to get her out in the snow to play, but as soon as she is healthy we are looking forward to that. The forecast does say a WHITE CHRISTMAS! I couldn't be happier!

I have really enjoyed living in my condo this year. I live in a great place with great neighbors. This really is the first year I have gone "all out" on my christmas decorations and I'm pretty proud of it! I wouldn't say I'm the most creative or artistic person, so this really is quite the accomplishment for me! I wish I could keep them up all year round...there's just something about the way they make my home look and feel! =)

Here are some pics of what we've been up to, ENJOY!


Decorating the tree at Grammy's house

She loved putting the ornaments on...and attempted to take them off too.

Uncle Tay Tay helping too

My crazy parents....aww.... the love!

My 4 foot REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!

My beautifully decorated fireplace!

Decorations everywhere!!

And more decorations....

Maya with my friend Cassidy

Maya helping Auntie Ali with the gingerbread house

Maya loves her Grammy!

The Guthrie's (so glad your here for Christmas!)

My brothers...they struggling building their house. The roof was caving in, the trees were breaking, and Carsen was harassing Taylor with the icing. We were all dying laughing! Grammy had to come to the rescue to help them finish it up.

Avery & Hudson love Grammy!

Eatin her ice as usual....messy face and all!

Holiday Fun!

Have I mentioned I love this time of year???? I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

We have a Williams Family tradition to cut down a REAL CHRISTMAS TREE every year and gather the family together that is around to make our trip to the tree farm, tag the tree, and then return to cut it down. We don't do fake trees like most Utahns do, we are OREGONIANS at heart and only allow for REAL TREES in the house. hee hee.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well, spent with both sides of the family. First we ate at Granpda Williams house with Joan and her kids and then we went to Tracy and Joeen's and enjoyed the small group of Hill's that were there and played games and had yummy treats.

Here are some fun pics of the last couple of weeks.


Cutting down the Christams tree!


Grandpa getting ready....

Grampy strapping the tree to the car in the background while the ladies froze while we waited to get in the car. Nice cheese smiles ladies! ;P

Me and my angel face on Thanksgiving day. Who knows what she was lookin at...

Cheesin it up!!

My parents! They are the best!

Christmas is coming!

With Thanksgiving this week I have quickly gotten into the holiday spirit and am sooo excited for the holidays. I love this time of year! Christmas is by far my favorite holiday, not for the presents, the snow, or the time off from work........but for the spirit of giving and love that is soo abundant during this time of year and for the time spent with family and friends!

A lot has happened in this past year and as I reflect back I feel very blessed and grateful. With Christmas coming I wanted to share some of the pictures from last year.......



Look at how much hair Maya has grown in one year....yeah!!


Christmas dress 2007


Cutest lil' nose I've ever seen!

Once there was a snowman......

So chubby, so cute!

My lil' indian

I am sooo grateful for the wonderful daycare that Maya goes to 2 days a week. Amber has been a HUGE blessing and Maya loves her and her home. Today in daycare they made themselves into little Indians in celebration of Thanksgiving.

I had to share these adorable pictures!!

Happy Halloween!

Maya was sick on Halloween so I was worried how she would be going trick or treating. Getting her dressed in her costume was quite the event but once she got outside and was running house to house with Grampy and her cousins she was happy as could be! We went trick or treating at Jenny & Jeremy's neighborhood. It is the place to be if you want some GREAT candy. A few houses are known for giving out king size candy bars and they even have a hay ride for the kids to take them from house to house. One house has a mini haunted house throughout their garage. Her neighborhood does pretty much every holiday real big!! It was a little rainy but held off for most of the night and it actually wasn't too cold.

Maya held Grampy's hand and walked door to door with great excitement and was lovin every minute, but that only lasted half the time. We came to a house where the man passing out candy was outside in his driveway and he had a scary mask on. Now, as you all know, Maya is quite the scaredy cat, so when she saw him she freaked out!!! She was pulling away from Grampy as Grampy was trying to reach to the candy bowl to get her something! There is a picture below of this, too funny! Maya wouldn't walk one more step after this and so we had to hold her the rest of the night and after a few minutes she was laughing and smiling again.

Thanks to Jen & Jer for being great hosts and to Grampy for being Maya's sidekick running from house to house while I walked along taking pictures and chatting with my sisters!

It was a great Halloween!


The cutest kitty I've ever seen!


Carsen the hippy, Hudson the pirate, and Maya the kitty


She loved grabbing the candy and putting it in her bag

Grinning from ear to ear as she walked away from every house until.....

The scary man!!!!

Mama & Maya

Love her to peices!!!!!!!

Cutest pirate I've ever seen!

The hosts! Thanks guys!

Play time

The kids love their Grampy

Auntie Ali with the cutest witch I've ever seen!

A MUST SEE!!!

This is the best thing that has come out of the election!! Enjoy!!! =)


http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/10/24/von.ga.kids.political.rap.cnn?iref=videosearch


(I tried to upload the video itself with the embedded info but I couldn't figure out to get it to work.....so if any of you know how let me know!)

Pumpkin Patch FUN!

We finally made it to the pumpkin patch tonight! It took quite the effort to get us all there, and we still were missing Ali Jo (darn college classes, work projects, and intern applications), but it was a great time! We went to this place last year and the kids had a blast. It is very kid oriented so we went back again. Now I'm really getting in the mood for FALL & HALLOWEEN! =)


So hard to get them ALL to look at the same time!


Grammy was making Maya laugh! Great job Grammy. I love her laughter!


Me and my princess

She loves her Uncle Carsen

The 3 lil' cousins


Uncle Tay Tay with his favorite kiddies. =)

Running through the maze....we got lost for awhile but Avery led us out!

Gotta love these things

Taylor & Jeremy

What pumpkin patch do you know that has these great kid toys?

She wouldn't move from that spot! My scaredy cat!

"Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" Maya said all the way down


Grammy is such a great helper


Who knows what they were lookin at...silly kids!

Maya with her favorite Grampy!