Christmas In A Nutshell

Merry Christmas to Everyone! We had such a good holiday and hope you did too. We spent Christmas Eve with both of our families. My mom and the sibs stopped by our house on their way to Idaho.

Later that evening we went up to Brett's parents and exchanged presents with his side of the family.

Christmas day was just our little family. We had planned to drive up to Idaho, but after checking on the weather (which was horrible-especially by Malad) we opted to just stay home. I thought Macy would get a kick out of opening presents because of her minor paper obsession, but she didn't really want anything to do with it. She found one of those tree air fresheners for the car that I put in Brett's stocking and ended up playing with that all morning.

Wii Wish You A Merry Christmas

My in-laws got a Wii for Christmas this year...talk about entertainment! Here is Shannon (my mother-in-law) trying her hand at tennis.

Grandma Barb's Bean Dip

Oh fabulous bean dip, why do you exist?

Every year, I eat at least five times more than my share of you, and it is never enough.

You are fantastically delicious and dangerously addictive.

Love,

Amanda

Here is the recipe. Make at your own risk.

1 pound hamburger, browned

Put hamburger into crock pot with:

2 pounds Velveeta

3 cans pinto beans, drained

1 can (14.5 oz) stewed tomatoes

2 small cans green chilis

1/2 tsp. chili powder

Cook on high for two hours. Serve with tortilla chips or Ritz crackers.

Tale of the Missing Christmas Cards

Question: Why haven't I recieved my Christmas card from the Carters this year?

Short Answer: Because we're not sending them.

Long Answer: I really did plan on sending Christmas cards this year. It's been on my to-do list since early November. However, for various reasons (ie: school, work and a very energetic 11 month old) I never got around to making them, or even buying them for that matter. I know I don't really have an excuse, especially because I know there are a lot of people out there with lots more on their plate who manage to send cards every year. (These are usually the same people who make the cute, super crafty neighbor gifts every year. This year my neighbors got a roll of wrapping paper...I think I am officially the deadbeat neighbor on the block.) Anyways, that's why you won't be recieving a card from us this year.

Despite my slacking ways, we do want to wish all of our friends and family and very Merry Christmas. We hope your holiday is the best one yet!

Decking Those Halls

Since Christmas is pretty much the only holiday I have decorations for, I tend to get a little excited when I finally get everything put up. Here, for your viewing enjoyment, are a couple pictures of our festive home.

Every year we get the tree out, Brett gets so mad that we have a fake one. He is definitely a fan of the real ones, but I won the real tree vs. fake tree battle by explaining to him how much money we could save by having a fake tree. (Plus, I can't stand the smell of the real ones.)

We had to find a new place to hang our stockings this year since little Miss Macy is around. The only place we had that was out of her reach was on this little shelf in our kitchen. Macy's stocking is still in progress, so I will post some pictures of it when it is done (and maybe some instructions on how to make your own...they are seriously easy.)

These are my favorite decorations. For the past three Christmases, Brett has bought me a piece or two to add to the set. I love Willow Tree figurines. They are so simple, which I think is what makes them so unique.

21

Happy 21st Birthday to my sister Sarah. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful sister, who doubles as one of my dearest friends. Although we are pretty much polar opposites, we still have a great time when we are together. She is a gorgeous, talented, giving person and I am so grateful that she's my sis. Love you Sarah!

Just Another Reason...

...Why I Love My In-Laws

(Video side note: I was trying to get footage of all the Carter siblings celebrating during the Utah vs. BYU game, but what I ended up catching was ten times better.)