Monday, December 29, 2008

Enough Doom and Gloom

Alright it is time for some catch-up posting! I am going to cover a lot of events, while trying to keep this post fairly concise. Sorry about the sideways pictures. I don't know why they came out that way, but I am not in the mood to go and reload them.

THE COUSINS PARTY
Dec. 22, 2008
Every Christmas season the Palmer clan has a huge get together, littered with all sorts of wonderful family traditions! The most beloved of all traditions is the white elephant gift exchange. Every year there is one item in greatest demand. This year it was an adult size pair of red long underwear PJ's! Everyone was fighting for it. We tried to get them, because that day we had just purchased Evan a pair just like it for his Christmas PJ's. Unfortunately it was not it the cards for us, and Jared won the prize. Thankfully, Jared let us borrow them for Christmas morning!


Evan with his Daddy at the cousins party. We had to dress him in his fancy Christmas outfit. He wears it to church every week. He is also wearing his bells for the reading of the Polar Express.


Everyone who got the underwear was required to wear it.

Michael and Jared laughing at one of their gifts. The party really is this fun!

The photographer didn't quite get everyone in the picture, but you get the idea of how huge this party is.

WORK PARTY
December 23, 2008

Lanny and Mark hosted our work party out at their place. Everyone fell in love with Evan ... how could you not ... and Mark's sue-chef gave him this hat! Isn't it adorable??? The party was really fun, but made me so grateful to live the life I do. There were so many of them completely wasted by the end of the evening, and they really were making fools of themselves. It is funny how friendly drunk people can be sometimes.

I LOVE this child!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!!!
December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve this year was at Brian and Lori's house. It was a wonderfully relaxing evening with just our family eating beautiful and yummy food and exchanging gifts. We played this REALLY fun game called Quelf. Seriously I CANNOT wait to play it again. I don't think I would get sick of this one.




MERRY CHRISTMAS
2008
This year was the first year that we got to have Christmas in our own home. It was one of the most relaxing and wonderful experiences yet. I loved being able to wake up Christmas morning and revel in the joy of my child opening his presents and playing with them in the comfort of our own home. I loved being able to continue some of the traditions that I grew up with. (I made monkey bread for the first time :-)

After a wonderful morning at home we drove out to Lanny and Mark's house to have Christmas with the rest of the family. It was so fun, as we knew it would be. We talked, opened presents, went quading and sledding, ate some of the best food ever, and relaxed. I made the sweet potatoes (yes ... two baking attempts in one day) and people seemed to enjoy them. I think it was a success.

Justin and I stayed the night there and it was just a lovely day. I was able to talk to my family (well, some of them) and that was an amazing Christmas present for me to be able to have access to the technology that keeps me in touch with my family and friends, eventhough I am so far away from them.

I love Christmas, and I look forward to it every year. I hope that I am able to keep the Christmas spirit in my heart throughout the entire year, and keep my thoughts on Christ as much as I do through this beautiful (and COLD) time of year.

Our baby and his santa present

Daddy and Evan matching!

Quading and a tube ride behind the quad. What a fun day!!!!


MORE COUSINS AND FAMILY
My cousin, Zach, is playing in a big hockey tournament right now in Calgary. The benefit of this for me is that I get to see my cousins, Aunt, and Uncle that I haven't seen since I got married. Grandma Shaw also came out with them and she is staying with us. I love it when my family gets to come through and I have the opportunity to spend time with them. I can't believe how big my cousins have gotten, but I sure have had loads of fun getting to know them a bit better. Hopefully this is the start of a great relationship with them.

Uncle Jim and Auntie Lori, my cousins Zoe, Zach, and Kelley!

11 comments:

Amanda Palmer said...

you are so good about posting pictures. I really need to learn, so that I do not always have to wait for Jared to do it for me. It was a great Christmas and I agree how nice it is to wake up in your own home for Christmas and then spend the rest with family. Glad you are here to share it with:) Also had fun watching movies and hanging out this weekend..thank you!!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad you are up to date with your postings. Nana and I look foreward to the pictures and keeping up to date with you Justin and Evan.

Grandpa

Lisa said...

Nice post and great pictures. I haven't done a post yet. It's been crazy with everyone coming and going and trying to keep up with things. I'll get to it soon I hope.

becky said...

Looks like you had an awesome Christmas! We did Christmas for the first time on our own too. It is wonderful! Glad to hear everything is going well!

Lynn said...

YAY! I REALLY enjoyed catching up on all your Christmas fun! Christmas is just so much more magical when you have a child to share it with, eh?
Loved the CUTE picture of Evan in his Sunday Suit and bells on waiting to hear the story. What a sweetheart!

Peter and Mandy said...

Glad you had a lot of fun and I love the pictures.

Amanda said...

Loved the pictures of the cousin party and especially the big red underwear. You never know what the hit item of the night is going to be, but I am always amazed at the variety - garlic fudge? pepperoni? fun though.

cwitt said...

oh kira! i miss you :) your holiday looked great!!! and evan is so ridiculously adorable!!! i love you girl! call me some time

motherofangels said...

you really need to blog again!! Miss you :)

Heidi said...

I enjoyed reading all about your Christmas! It sounds very fun and the pictures (particularly of Evan) are adorable. You're looking good too, Kirs. It's funny that you made sweet potatoes because this Thanksgiving was my first attempt to make those! Yum. I'm glad they turned out. Until I saw one of pictures of you on Christmas morning, I'd forgotten what you looked like when you were tired. :-) Sure wish I could see you.

Sarah said...

One of these years I'll make it up to the cousin party. I heard the collage of Angie and Chelsea also made its way around.