What a Little Helper!

 Adaline decided to help me with the laundry. She is really good at pulling the garments out of the dryer.

 It takes her a couple of pulls on each item to get it free from the dryer but she is determined to get it out.

"Am I a good helper, mommy?"

 "This is hard work, mommy."

 Once she gets it free from the dryer she drops it onto the floor. You can see all of the garments she had already helped me out with in a growing pile on the ground at her feet.

She had to make sure that daddy's pants were completely out of the dryer.

 

 Then she moved onto the next garment.

Mommy was grateful for her willingness even if mommy just had to pick up the cloths again to fold them!

After a long day of helping mommy and daddy, Adaline was pooped. She draped herself across her stuffed giraffe to get a little rest and daddy had to take a shot of her.
 

So tired!

Christmas Day 2012

Getting the tree ready for this Christmas Eve was really fun to do as parents for the first time. Cory and I were like every other set of parents out there and we were still wrapping presents at 1 am. Cory and I needed to get to bed so Santa could come.

 This is what Santa brought to Adaline. It is exactly what she asked for in her letter so she was really excited to see it when she came out in the morning to see the Christmas tree.

Adaline made a bee line for her giraffe

 Cory likes to give me present from different people in our lives that he thinks is funny. I must admit each time I see one I bust out laughing with what he came up with.

 Here is a gift to me from Barry Thompson in the ward... this is the guy we got a free gas stove from and then we sold it on KSL... Barry is a fun but interesting guy in the ward so it was really funny to get a present from him. Cory is a really funny guy!

 Here is Adaline's gift from Grandma and Grandpa Brewer. They got her the cutest little doll and she loves to play with her. She rattles and so Adaline loves to play with her.

 Adaline got lots of presents from Mommy and Daddy

Cory got some really good gifts from Adaline and me.

 Here is daddy helping Adaline open her first gift

As you can see we all are in new pajamas that we got for Christmas

 Cory got me 6 of my decorative plates for my china. It was a wonderful surprise and I love them.

 Adaline got a new Christmas dress from mommy and I even made her shawl to match her dress.

 Cory got some really great tools from Adaline and I 

 Adaline got some cloths from Mommy and Daddy but I think she was more interested in the bow

 Daddy got Adaline Princess utensils, plate, and sippy cup. Mommy got daddy some Hollister cologne

 Adaline got a winter blanket for church

Daddy got more tools

 Daddy got mommy really pretty red boots... I have been wanting a pair for so long and Cory found me a really great pair. I was so surprised to get them!

Cory got a really cool shirt from Adaline from In & Out Burger - Cory loves old muscle cars and that is what is on the shirt!

Mischa got me my Christmas bears and these beautiful bears are from New Zealand. They are so cute!

 Bridgette got our family "Bednobs and broomsticks" but Cory opened one and Adaline the other and some how we got two copies of the same movie, both of them were really shocked.

 Cory got a cool sign to put up in his garage. Cory loves the "Three Stooges".

 Then we got to open up our stocking that Santa left for all of us.

 Adaline got great things in her stocking, she got new leg warmers, tights for church, and Brave the movie.

Cory got me two really great movies... Better of Dead and the Pirate Movie...both from the 80's

Hillarious

 Mischa got me a Angel from New Zealand made out of shell and also a beautiful pin that I can wear made out of the same shell. I am really excited to wear it.

After we finished opening all of our gifts, we drove over to Grandma Kellersberger's to open gifts with them and eat breakfast. Adaline received a lot of toys from Grandma and Grandpa.

Here she is opening some of them

 Cory and I gave Grandma a picture of her parents wedding in a nice frame for her to display... She started to cry...aaahh!

 We gave Haley pictures in really pretty frames for her room so she would have pictures of each set of her grandparents on both sides of the family.

 Grandpa got a picture to display of his parents of their mission pictures

 Here is Adaline surrounded by all the toys Grandma got her.

 Colby got a set of pictures of his grandparent to decorate his apartment in SLC.

 Haley got Adaline a really cute set of overalls for her to wear on New Year Eve

Christmas was wonderful this year because of the addition of Adaline to our family. We really enjoyed watching her engage in all of the activities of the season. Cory and I hope that all of our family had a wonderful and memorable Christmas this year. We pray that all we have the true spirit of Christmas in the hearts in the new year to come.

December 23rd and 24th.... Christmas Eve!

On Sunday, December 23, around 5 pm, Cory, Adaline and I got on Skype with Vonda and Mischa, while we waited for the family in Arizona to get on and join us. During the wait Adaline opened Mischa's gift that she sent from New Zealand. Here you can see her holding her new gift. It is a really cute bee that gets pulled along and it wings move. Once Adaline starts walking it will be really cute to see her playing with it.

 

 She keeps trying to pull off the antenna as you can see here she has got a hold of it again!

Cory and I...so happy!

 Adaline playing with the left over Christmas Tree limbs that did not make it into the tree.

On Christmas Eve, Adaline, Cory, and I went over to Grandma and Grandpa Kellersberger's in American Fork. We ate a really yummy dinner of Chinese food. Then we had a little program were Haley played the music for us to sing "O Little Town of Bethlehem", then Cory read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and then we all expressed our feelings about the season and the true meaning of Christmas.

Haley playing the piano

 

 Then is was time for family picture before Cory, Adaline, and I headed home for Christmas Eve

Smile Everyone!

Writing Santa

Adaline wrote a Christmas wish list letter to Santa Claus and then we headed over to Salt Lake City to deliver it to the Believe in Santa Mail station in Macy's.

Here is Adaline dropping her letter into the mail box

Mommy and Adaline

Daddy and Little Girl

In getting into the Christmas spirit Cory and I have been reading a Christmas scripture, story, and sing at Christmas song each night with Adaline from an advent book I purchased at a Relief Society Charity Auction. It has been really fun to get into the Christmas spirit going and looking at lights, eating Christmas goodies, and each night reading these stories really help us to keep the true meaning of Christmas in our hearts and minds.

Here is Daddy reading to us a Christmas Story

Adaline, Cory, Haley, Randy, Colby, and I went up to SLC to the City Creek Mall to get pictures with Santa. Adaline was so cute getting her picture with Santa for the first time. She never cried and we got a really big smile out of her for her picture. Mrs. Santa Clause was there and she gave Adaline a "Twas the Night Before Christmas" Book to place her picture in.

 So Cute!

 

 Then we all got into the picture with Santa

 

Here is our family Christmas Card 2012