baby's first christmas

were you dreaming of a white christmas?
we didn't even have to dream about it, cuz we were smack in the middle of it!
lucky little o got to spend his first christmas in a winter wonderland amongst adoring grandparents and aunts, uncles and cousins he'd never met.
this christmas:
i loved the sight of: snowflakes falling on chubby pink cheeks barely peeking out of a head to toe baby bundle. a beautifully lit tree standing tall next to a roaring fireplace. grandparents smitten by their 6 little grandchildren.
i loved the sound of: family togetherness via the infamous "rock band". a rich and sweet violin solo carrying christmas melodies all throughout the chapel. a baby boy discovering his voice.
i loved the smell of: hot wassail on the stovetop. christmas breakfast from all the way in the basement (enough to get me out of bed!)
i loved the taste of: gooey cinnamon caramels. soft molasses cookies. juicy clementines. sticky brown sugar bacon. shelly's slush. vanilla ice cream with homemade caramel sauce. buttery squash (calories don't count at christmas right?)
i loved the feel of: coming inside from the cold to a warm home. new thermal pj's. super soft socks. being surrounded by loved ones we've missed so much. cuddling up at night to stay warm. our first christmas as a family of three. knowing the true reason for the season and feeling so very blessed for all that we have!

WE HOPE YOU ALL HAD A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

love my beanie boy.

just chillin owey style. (always with the little prayer hands!)
this is one of the beanies i made last week. personally, i think it's really cute. the giant poof ball on top may be a little indulgent on my part (he may kill me when he's 17), but i just couldn't help myself!
so, we're off to wintry wyoming tomorrow bright and early. wishing you all the merriest of christmases and we'll be sure to post o's first christmas when we get back!

domesticated

anyone who knows me well knows that i fall a little short of "domestic goddess" status. don't like to cook, don't like to clean, pretty poor excuse for a housewife in general. i'm not exactly sure what has gotten into me the past few days, but this weekend i made dinner 3 nights in a row, baked and iced sugar cookies, and to top it all off, crocheted 3 beanies for little o (we ARE heading for the snow in a few days after all). by the end of the day yesterday clint was scratching his head wondering who the heck i was and what i did with his wife. not that he was complaining!

and here's a little sneak peak of our little christmas elf:



don't look at our pathetic fake tree.



you looked didn't you?

false alarm... :(

i knew it was too good to be true. after sleeping all night friday, o went back to waking up every 2 HOURS last night! what's the deal? that christmas miracle was a little short lived. boo hoo.

it's a christmas miracle!

last night, december 14th, 2006, OWEN DAVID ERICKSON SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!!
IT'S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!
(can you hear the angels singing? i can!!!)

christmas tag

TAGGED BY COUSIN AMANDA...
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I'd love to tie up pretty packages with beautiful wrapping paper and elegant bows, but who has time for all that?
2. Real tree or artificial? Love real trees, but our first Christmas together we bought a cheap artificial one that we have yet to get rid of. Clint promised me that next year we'll get a real one.
3. When do you put up the tree? As soon as we can. I'd be good with the day after Thanksgiving, but that doesn't always happen.
4. When do you take the tree down? January
5. Do you like eggnog? Not so much.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? I'm not sure about favorite, but the one I remember the most was a GIANT cabbage patch kid type doll.
7. Do you have a nativity scene?Yes. Not the prettiest one in the world, but it does it's job to remind us of the real reason for the season.
8. Hardest person to buy for? My dad. What do you get for the man who has everything?
9. Easiest person to buy for? Mique - I know she'll dig anything homemade or sentimental.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I honestly have no idea.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. Ours are coming I promise!
12. Favorite Christmas Movie? I really do like Christmas movies. My latest favorite is Elf, but I also love White Christmas, the new Miracle on 34th street and The Polar Express.
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Usually around Thanksgiving.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Not that I can remember
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Mom's cheese danish.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Probably O Holy Night. I love Silent Night too.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? This year we will be traveling to Wyoming for a white Christmas.
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer?Of course!
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I prefer a star. Right now we have a cowboy angel though.
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning. Tony and I are notorious for waking mom and dad up every few hours starting around 2 am asking if we can go downstairs yet. I still don't sleep well on Christmas Eve even though I'm now Santa!
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Frantic shopping malls and parking lots.
24. Do you buy gifts for your pets? No. Poor Diego.
25. Have you ever been Christmas caroling? Heck Yeah. I love caroling. My favorite time was as a freshman at BYU because we showed up at people's door with our whole ward singing - that's like 200 people!
26. Hot chocolate or hot apple cider? Apple cider of course!

I love Christmas because:
It is a good time to reflect on the things that are most important in life: friends, family, and the gift of our Savior.

blessed.

last sunday, december 2nd was owen's blessing. it was so fun to have friends and family in town (thank you so much to all who traveled near and far to be there) and to celebrate our beautiful little boy. i was a nervous wreck because usually o is pretty fussy at church - 11 am just isn't the best time - right when he starts getting tired for a nap. i was super worried that his dad would go to bless him and he would scream his head off. but, he was a champ. no crying whatsoever! i realized afterwards and after a huge sigh of relief that my stomach was totally in knots! i didn't realize how anxious i was! anyhow- afterwards my mom hosted a little luncheon (thanks again mom!) and we got more time to hang out with the fam. i of course didn't take any pictures, but with my sis and my father-in-law being there with their amazing cameras and skills, i didn't have to. here is some of what they captured:


dad with his baby boy




erickson 3- happy family!



so serious...


mendioroz grandkids: owen, julia, jonathan, & andrew






thumbsucker!


all tuckered out after his long day and happy to be held by grandpa!