Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

I know it's January 8th already, but Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!!! We have had such a great year and a wonderful Christmas season. We have loved having all the family in town and the parties with such great food! (though Megan-the mean child :)- didn't let me eat any of the delicious chocolate treats that were everywhere!!! I have found that her not screaming as much is plenty incentive to avoid chocolate!)

We had Christmas Eve with the Drake Family, with the traditional Mexican dinner, followed by Grandpa Drake playing the guitar and everyone singing Christmas songs. Then we read the Bible story of the birth of the Savior, and open presents.

This Christmas was extra special, I guess, because over half the family got sick within a week of each other! I had the flu the day after Christmas, as well as quite a few other Drake family members, and then Alec, Lily & Tim all got terrible colds, along with many of the other Drake family members! Tis the season for sharing. Blah!

On Christmas Day we had lunch with the Smith Family. Yummy, Yummy! We are so blessed to live close by to so much of our family! My favorite part of the Smith party was watching the Early Years Movie of my brother, Adam, that I had put together from old home movies for him. The best part was a clip of him at 7 years old, dressed up in a wig; teenage mutant ninja turtle mask; superman cape; shorts; knee high socks & women's shoes, running around the front yard. It brought back so many funny memories! I love you, Adam!

Here are some of our favorites:

Santa brought Tim the remote control airplane that Alec asked for him. Yahoo! (Never mind that it got stuck in the neighbors tree on its' maiden voyage...)

Ah, the most Super Duper Remote Control Truck ever- complete with trailor and remote control four wheeler! Alec has been staring at this trucks' picture in the toy magazine for three months! Go Alec!

Lily and her special Baby Alive doll. She adores all babies! This one has a star button bracelet that you can push and she talks. Lily and Alec's favorite saying is, "Oh Uh! I made a stinky!" and then she giggles. My favorite part is she says, "I love you, Mommy," so sweetly, and then Lily snuggles her close and says so sweetly back, "I love you, too, Baby Princess."

Grandma Drake made Lily a special princess quilt, with a matching smaller quilt for her baby doll. We are spoiled rotten!