Still Christmas Around Here...

We celebrated our first Christmas in the new house, and although it was a little quiet with just the two of us, we had a really relaxing and enjoyable weekend. It was nice to just stay home together. Recently we have been super busy with work and church callings, so it felt like a vacation to stay home, haha. Kevin nicknamed our house "Meador Grande".

We didn't manage to get all the decorations out until December 11th...so I warned Kevin that all the decorations would stay out until January 11th to get the full effect. I love all things Christmas, and since we were gone the first weekend in December, we didn't get our tree until the following weekend. I also feel completely justified because the Latin folk keep their decorations out until the 6th of January for Three Kings Day.

For those curious few...that little critter is called a vicuna, and was a gift from Kimberly when she went to Peru. I thought he should grace us with his presence for the holidays. Doesn't he look cute by the pinceones, haha?
The beautiful carolers my very talented Grandma Stadtmueller made for me years ago.

Cali (the girl in the high-waisted red pants) hosted a holiday party that we attended. I couldn't find a funny sweater for myself, so I just opted for Christmas colors. But I did have green shoes on, so that's a little more fun, right?

We went to see The Nutcracker at the Ziff Opera House in downtown Miami. I hadn't seen the ballet for at least 10 years, so I was pretty excited. We (mostly me) enjoyed getting dressed up for something a little out of the ordinary.
Christmas Day we took a self-timer photo (to document the day of course), had Andre and Daleth for dinner, then were joined by more church friends for dessert and socializing.
Kevin's 30th birthday!!! Can you believe it?? I made creme brulee and allowed Kevin the honor of torching the vanilla sugar on top. We opted for 3 candles since ramekins are only so big!Like I said, I am still enjoying the holidays over here with my tree lights gleaming and a cup of cocoa on the coffee table. Only bad part is that Kevin is still at work (11 pm on Friday night) doing his year-end inventory. All I can say, is that he will be excited to be home for the weekend.

We have so much to be grateful for, most important being the birth of our Savior. I love the feelings associated with Christmas, the focus on family, and the generosity shown. Here's to a happy and healthy 2012!!