First Christmas

We had a great Christmas this year! We stayed home, took a very long nap, and just enjoyed the day without having any obligations or places to be. It was truly Deryk's and my Christmas wishes come true. Grace got some cute things for Christmas, and although she is not old enough to really get the whole present thing, I had a great time enjoying them for her. So this is what Gracie got for Christmas this year...Santa left this cute little horse for Gracie (Santa came early this year, we had it set up about a week before Christmas, so that we could see if Grace would like her Christmas present, She does, and because I was to impatient to wait for Christmas to give it her).
Grandma and Grandpa Simper gave Grace this sweet little doll, Grace loves to chew on it!
Deryk and I gave her this beatiful dress! Red is a great color for Grace!

And in Grace's stalking, was this cute bunny chew-toy, as you can see, it fullfills it's purpose nicely!

This is deffinately a smart child, after all the christmas morning fun was over and done with, Grace reached for the chocolate! Yep, that's going to be an addiction she'll fight with all her life, just like mommy!

He Did It! One More Semester Down!

Congrats to Deryk for completing his last final today!!

What a relief we're feeling here in the Barrett House as we can finaly put this semester behind us, and look forward to the semester ahead of us. I have to say, Deryk did a great job! This was a hard semester with a new baby in the home, he had to pull a lot of the heavy weight by working as many hours as possible and going to school full time, while I hung out at home with our Gracie. All I have to say is one big huge, very appreciative, respectful thanks to my sweet husband for giving me the gift of this semester to stay home and enjoy being a mommy for a short while, before I have to clutter my life with school, homework, work, and all that busy-ness. I have absolutely LOVED this time alone with my sweet baby and I'll treasure it always. I really am lucky--thanks Deryk and congrats on all you've been able to accomplish this semester! You're getting closer to the goal--I know we can do it together!

A Fun Christmas Tag

I got tagged by my sis, Rach, which is kind of good since I don't really have anything else to blog about, so thanks Rachy.
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends, wrapped for under our tree and gift bag for others, i'm the worst at wrapping presents, you'd think I'd be a whole lot better with all the practice I've had helping Mom and Dad wrap the mounds of presents they buy for eachother, the grandkids, and my siblings and thier spouses, but nope, I am the worlds worst!! In fact I don't think anyone can tell the difference between my wrapping and Dad's wrapping!
2. Real or artificial tree? Artificial, but I do miss having a real tree.
3. When do you put up the tree? Sometime in the week before Thanksgiving.
4. When do you take the tree down? Between Christmas and New years Day--when ever I decide I've had enough of it.
5. Do you like eggnog? Oh, Heck ya! Cut it with a little sprite and I'm the happiest woman on the Earth! And it's a must on Christmas Eve right before I head off to bed. Thanks to mom and dad--old habits die hard.
6. Your favorite Christmas gift as a child? I can't remeber if it was a Christmas gift or birthday, since they are so both together, the presents, in my mind, run together. But I wanted a rainbow brite so, so, so bad one year and I got it! I remember how stinking happy I was!
7. The hardest person to buy for? Mom and Dad, what do you get for the person who has everything???
9. Do you have a Nativity Scene? Yes, Deryk and I bought it together, it was the first Christmas ornament we both invested in together---ah...
10. Mail or e-mail Christmas cards? I always have the best intentions of sending cards, but they never get out or finished. this year we took a pictures for it, but I have yet to get it all together to send them.
11. What is the worst Christmas gift you ever received? I have two. Both are from office Christmas parties where we played the greed game, you know, were you choose to take someones gift or take one that hasn't been opened yet? Well I ended up with a set of coasters one year, and a spool of thread the next!
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story-of course. And I love A Miracle on 34th street, both the old and new versions.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas?Hum, this year it was the day after Thanksgiving-I pretty much finished that day too.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? No Way, but ask me about wedding gifts, we're still recycling them more than a year later.
15. Favorite thing to drink at Christmas? Egg Nog and Sprite mixed!
16. Lights on the Tree? Yep, Right now they are white, but I want to get some red lights when all the Christmas junk goes on sale after Christmas.
17. Favorite Christmas song? I have a ton of favorites, but to name a few, It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas, Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven, it reminds me of my friend Sarah Burnham and the fun Christmases we had in Twin Falls, Little Drummer Boy, which, by the way, Josh Groban has an absolutely Kickin' version of it. Oh Holy Night, and Anything the Oakridge boys sing, I owe that to my Pops and all the fun Christmas memories I have of my childhood.
18. Travel Christmas or stay home? Doesn't matter, I'm up for anything, as long as I'm with family.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Oh, no way, I repeat the first three to fill in for the rest of the poor forgotten reindeer
20. Angel or star on the tree? A sweet little Angel my mom bought for me when we stopped at Smith and Edwards on our way to see the Christmas concert on Temple square--another favorite tradition!
21. Open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas? Okay, I would totally love to open them on Christmas Eve, but Deryk and I don't have a lot of presents to open, so if we opened one on Christmas Eve, Christmas Morning would be a little boring and somewhat disapointing.
22. The most annoying thing about this time of year? Stress!! Now I know why Dad was such a scrooge, I can't imagine purchasing Christmas for 7 children, parents, siblings, neighbors, and such. My hats off to you Dad, I'm starting to get the picture and a little understanding. Thanks for being so generous when I know it was tough financialy, I never had a Christmas that I didn't get what I wanted.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? Peace! :) Okay, just to be with my family, and for Deryk to finally have one day in which he can relax and not have to worry about school, work, and finances.

Our Baby Girl Wears Blue

I absolutely love Gracie in the colors blue and green. this is one of my favorite outfits of hers. I know it is the social norm for baby boys to wear blue, but Gracie's eyes are so pretty and the blue and green emphasize just how beautiful they are. The only problem is that it causes some confusion. We get questions like, how old is HE, and what is HIS name. so to solve this problem I made our little Gracie a headband to wear with her blue shirts. I think it adds the perfect feminine touch, doesn't she look like a flower?