Ally's First Christmas.....

Well this Christmas was Ally's first Christmas. We really wanted to start our own Christensen family traditions with her. So we did the opening of one gift on Christmas Eve and eating finger foods/junk foods for dinner and watching Christmas movies all night. Then in the morning we opened stockings and ate homemade cinnamon rolls. YUM! Then we opened the rest of the gifts. Or I should I say Ally, Kramer and Newman opened their gifts and stockings. I had special stockings made up for our little family and a personalized tree skirt to match the stockings. Kramer and Newman were more then willing to help Ally tear open her gifts. I swear they just love to rip the wrapping paper off. Then later that day Ally decided she could climbed all up the stairs, not just the two on the bottom. So she did. With Cody right behind her of course. It was so funny to watch because she just went up them so fast. She hasn't learned how to come down though, that will be next. She learned so quickly and is really good about figuring out things. So needless to say we had a wonderful Christmas together. We hope that all of our friends and family had a wonderful Christmas as well.

This Weekend....

This weekend has been a lot of fun and sooo busy. Ally and I went to a family girl's annual Christmas party, which was fun. I was really lucky to get this picture of Kellie holding Ally. Ally is going through the stage where all she wants is her daddy or momma and everyone else freaks her out. I makes me feel bad because I want her to be nice to all of her family and our friends but right now she is really particular who get to hold her and be close to her. I am so glad that Kellie was able to hold her when she was being nice..too bad it was while she was sleeping. But oh well. I told both Kellie and Brittany to sneak on kisses while she was sleep. It was cute.

We finally bought a Christmas tree this year for Ally. We have been putting it off until we had a baby, because I was always afraid Kramer and Newman would play with the decorations or pee in the tree. This year I can keep an eye on them. Cody and I had so much fun picking out a tree (fake and pre-lit is the way to go) and buying the decorations. We decorated it tonight, it feels like Christmas, I love it. Well I hope that everyone had a great weekend as well...

Thanksgiving in Vegas.....

Our family at the top of the Stratosphere... The Christensens, Brittany, Kellie, Pat, Cody, Dustin, Bret and Blayne

Maddie had to get in the picture with her uncles, Bret, Dustin and Cody

Getting to know you.... Ally and her blankie and her Uncle Bret having a moment.

Daddy and Ally playing video games. Umm Ally? Watch the road..Talk about a distracted driver

Momma getting a second wind, and it was delicious

She will never have to worry about bodyguards, all of her cousins will protect her

Daddy and Ally at Thanksgiving Dinner

Bret and Caleen at Thanksgiving Dinner

Bronson, Maddie and Markelle at Thanksgiving Dinner

All the boys at Thanksgiving Dinner

Cody and Brittany at Thanksgiving Dinner

Dustin, Kellie and Dave at Thanksgiving Dinner

We spent this Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with the Christensen Clan. We had so much fun with all the kids and grown-ups. Here are some pictures we took. We made it to the top of the Stratosphere. Which I would NEVER go up to before we had Ally because Cody always wanted to go on the rides at the top and there is NO WAY IN HELL I would go. But this time I said "oh yeah, lets go" and Cody was surprised to say the least. Now that we have Ally I can easily bow out without being too pressured. I was able to go shopping with Kellie, Brittany, Caleen, Maddie and Talbie and we had so much fun. It was nice to be able to spend more quality time with the family and get to know them better, we would all end up in Bret and Caleen's room and talk all night. It was so much fun. Cody went out with Bret to the casinos at night into the wee hours of the morning after Ally and I were tucked in bed. But I did get a chance to go out with Caleen. We didn't go too far, just to the downstairs "make-shift" bar and had a couple of drinks and just talked. I had so much fun. Poor Caleen, I think I talked her ear off. But I had so much fun. We went back up stairs and everyone came over again and we talked some more and then Cody and Bret went out for a little while and when they came back Caleen and I were burning the midnight oil. So needless to say both Cody and Bret made us go to bed. Thank you Blayne and Pat also. We had a great time. Little Ally was leary of everyone at first and the warmed up to the boys and Bret but not to Kellie and Brittany and Caleen. She did warm up a little to Caleen but not for too long. I felt so bad she is such a pill sometimes. I REALLY want her to come out of this phase fast. As you can see in the picture above she warmed up to Bret. I love that picture they are so cute. I think she was amused by all the kids. Aiden and Chase and Ember and Talbie couldn't get enough of her. They stuck by her side constantly. It was so darling to watch Aiden and Chase with her. I was sad when we had to leave everyone. We had to get back to our little Kramer and Newman who stayed at the Dogs Spa and had a blast as they always do. I must say it is so nice to be home though, with our boys and Ally and Cody.