December stuff

Blogging is a lot like journal writing. I try to stay on top of all of our doings, I inevitably get behind, then I start to feel overwhelmed by all the things I need to write about and how many pictures I need to upload. So here's to trying to be a better blogger!

It's just not as easy as it once was. My newborn baby that used to lay in my arms and happily eat while I uploaded my heart out is now a 17 pound chunk that likes to lay down and eat and that I'm trying (most times in vain) to feed solid food. Also, if I hold her to feed her, I usually feel like my arm is gonna fall off after just a few minutes. Not conducive to being a good blogger!

Anyways, here's some of what we've been up to. Last weekend Matt was away for his Navy weekend. The kids and I decided to drive into the big city and go shopping. I got about half of my Christmas shopping done, and bought Addison's high chair with my Babies'R'Us coupon. Is it just me or do you lose your self control when you go into Babies'R'Us and become convinced you need everything too?! I really have to watch myself otherwise I'd come home with things like bottle warmers (she doesn't drink bottles), video monitors (I would love one of these but they're so expensive and so not necessary!), and pads to put under her high chair! (this one I still might buy even though Matt says, and maybe deep down I know, it's unnecessary)

Here is Addie enjoying her new high chair. And no, we don't usually keep it in the living room, we had just put it together. :)


We shopped till about 5:00 and then hurried over to our ward Christmas party, A Night in Bethlehem. It was really cool and we all had a good time. Our ward in Clovis did this a couple years ago and even though I helped to plan it all, I wasn't able to go because my work party was the same night and I had already committed to being there. So it was neat to finally see how it goes.

They had the lights low and "stars" hanging over us to make it feel like your outside.


The pictures are a little blurry, but I kind of like that because it protects peoples anonymity. :) I sometimes worry that I'll post someones pictures and they'll get mad because they don't want it online, you just never know! Here's the angel and shephards.


Mary and Joseph walked around slowly going to all the booths to see if they could stay the night. Then they slowly walked to the stage manger, it was very moving!


The three wise men with their gifts.



I was very proud of myself on Monday because I got all of my out of town presents wrapped and to the post office, and all of the presents I have for the family wrapped and on the tree skirt where the tree will soon be. :) Here is what my living room looked like after wrapping 40 presents, packaging 5 boxes to be mailed, and taking care of a six month old. Yikes!




On Thursday we went out to celebrate the completion of Matt's training. Yea! It's been a lot of long hours and hard work and we are so excited he's done! Our mission was to buy a tree, but after looking at trees for awhile we decided to go fake. :( We were planning on going fake after this Christmas, but my friend Joy said that Lowes has all their Christmas stuff 50% off already, so we figured we'd just do it sooner rather than later. I love real trees but I figure it's more economical and better for the environment to go fake. And my hope is to someday have two trees, one fake and one real. :)


The Mexican restaurant where we ate was decorated so cutely! They had hundreds of ornaments hanging from the ceiling. They said it took about 200 man hours to get them all up. Only 50 women hours though. :)




After lots of weatherman talk, we finally got some of this!


These were taken on our ride home from church. But alas, as we drove down the hill towards home it started to turn to rain with just a few flakes intermingled.






I think car pictures of everyone like this are becoming a Ray family tradition.

Okay, my family is complaining of hunger pains. My work is never done. :) More on our weekend to come...