Christmas and all that

So I didn't take any pictures on Christmas. None.  Sadly, part of me didn't want to because I didn't want to have to add them to the blog. Pretty bad, I know.

Emilia received way too many toys.  Which is exactly what we expected.  It lead to a mass clean-out of her toy box and room to make way for all the new stuff.  All of us received a lot of gifts and we felt humbled by how much we have this season.

I made a goal last year--after freaking out pretty much every night in December--that I would not do that to myself again this year.  I am proud to announce, I did it.  I started shopping at the beginning of November, figured out which gifts I wanted to make and paced myself so I could get them done.  It still took me until Christmas Eve to finish everything, but I never felt rushed or overwhelmed by all the things I needed to get done. It was nice to be able to relax and enjoy the season for once.

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my family.  Steve's parents drove to Colorado to spend time with two of his sisters, so we could spend time with my folks uninterrupted.  It was nice to be surrounded by people we love and celebrate the birth of our Savior.  Steve's parents were back by New Year's Eve, and his sister, Nicole, and her family, came to town, so we all played games while the girls played.  It worked out so well, I think we need to do it again soon. :)

I had 3 photo shoots in December.  The first one was on the 17th and was totally for fun.  It was with a photography/model Meetup group that I'm part of and the theme was misfit toys/broken dolls.  I love being able to use photography as an art instead of just a form of documenting the same thing over and over again.  See how the pictures turned out here (I like the ones in the second group better): http://www.sabrinawattsphotography.com/2011_12_17/ and http://www.sabrinawattsphotography.com/2011_12_17_more/

I also had a wedding in Logan on the 29th.  Luckily Steve still had some time off, so he could stay home and watch the girls.  I was gone from 9 am until 11 pm.  It was a long day.  Then on the 31st I did some pictures for some family friends in Provo.  I much prefer not having to drive 2 hours to get to a shoot.

Bubby had her 6 month check up and weighed in at 16 lbs.  She's still only in the 9th percentile, but I think she's growing.  We're pretty sure she's allergic to bananas and she is having reactions to other foods as well.  Not only does that make it difficult to find things for her to eat, but it's making her a picky eater.  She does love freeze-dried strawberries, gluten-free cheerios, corn chex, and grapes.  I keep trying new things with her, so hopefully we'll find more stuff she's willing to/can eat.

Steve also finished his first draft of his thesis recently and is working on revising it now.  We look forward to him graduating in April.  Maybe by then, we'll know what we'll do next. :)

My New Year's resolution? Well, one of them is pretty cliche, but I want to make time to exercise regularly.  I also want to work on revising my book.  As soon as it is revised, all you people who have asked to read it are going to get a copy.  So wish me luck on my resolutions, k?

Thanks to everyone who actually sent out a Christmas card.  It was nice to hear from you.

Merry Christmas, everyone!  And Happy New Year!