It's a Wonderful Life

I love year end lists like the ones that come out this time of year, so I'd thought I'd make one myself of my top 10 favorite things of 2008. In no particular order, well except the first one that really is the top! :) : 1. Wyatt being born. The whole experience of being pregnant (and not getting super sick like last time), a much better C section, and not being completely drugged up was so much better. Then in the end, I got an adorable sweet baby boy that has added immeasurably to the Nyholm family already. 2. Talking and playing with Jackson. This year was so much fun to finally hear what Jackson has been thinking this whole time. I love just having conversations with him, b/c I never know where they will lead. He's definitely my little buddy. 3/4. Seeing Derrick come home from his mission/ Our summer trip home. I love Derrick so much and enjoyed his letters with all their optimism and testimony while he was gone, but it was sooo great to get him back. With all 23 of ...

I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Ours was very nice and relaxing. I was sad not to be in CA, but it was fun to establish our own traditions the way we wanted to do them (however, next year I hope to be in CA!). We had such a great Christmas Eve: Yummy dinner, fun Christmas Eve program with nativity and carols, and Jackson and Wyatt got to open their Christmas PJs and their books. Christmas morning was a blast with Jackson absolutely overwhelmed (in a good way) with all the fun. Right at the end of our unwrapping, the power went out b/c we were in a huge snowstorm. Sadly, the caramel-apple french toast I had cooking in the oven was only half way done, so we had to throw it out :(. Jackson and Erik played out in the snow and I stayed cozy inside with Wyatt. We then had our friends, the Jensens, over for dinner (Luckily the power had come back on in the early afternoon so were able to prepare the food!) Anyway, it was such a fun day and I'm so glad Erik is taking the week off nex...

I can't believe Christmas is this week! I'm already sad its ending, but I guess that's what next years for, right? Anyway, this week we had some more Christmasy fun making gingerbread houses, watching Christmas movies, making our neighborhood Christmas gifts and taking them around, continuing our "Christmas themed scripture study" with Jackson (it's basically a countdown of scriptures about Christ using pictures I found in this month's Friend), playing in the snow, and lots of other fun things. I'm going to have to think of a lot of fun activities to fill my Jan. :) I am definitely one to eat treats lying around the house (this is not helping me with my quest to lose my baby weight by the way!). But for some reason, this gingerbread house does not tempt me. I think its cute and Jackson had a lot of fun making it, but it looks disgusting to eat! OK, this picture is not so cute with my pastiness, but Jackson took it and I was impressed with how centere...

Yay , it's Christmas time! I really didn't think I would care too much about all the fluffy stuff of Christmas this year since I just had a baby (well 7 weeks ago), but nothing could be further from the truth. This is definitely my favorite time of year and having a new little baby just makes it that much more special. I may be so tired my eyes are crossed, but at least I can look around at some pretty lights and listen to fun music while I'm trying to wake myself up! Here's our cute little Santa. My Mom started a tradition of having her kids take a picture of their baby's first Christmas in a Santa suit that she frames and uses in her decorations. I like the idea a lot, so now I have two little Santa pictures in Christmas frames on our mantle this year :) We've been making a lot Christmas cookies this year (especially once I found tubs of sugar cookie dough that just needs to be rolled out and cut!), and Jackson is definitely a fan. He loves rolling out the d...