Christmas!

This Christmas was so special-- our first Christmas together! We enjoyed finding things for each other, attending family parties together, waking up Christmas morning, and feeling the Spirit at Church that day. We both have what we have always wanted-- each other! I'm falling more in love with Tyler each day, and he is so sweet to always tell me how happy he is and how lucky he is! So we didn't need anything this year since we have each other! Plus we had just opened many wedding shower gifts and presents from our reception! And to buy Christmas gifts for our family and each other-- we were blessed to have gift cards to use for a lot of that shopping!

We did fun things to celebrate the season-- we enjoyed the Festival of Trees with my mom, dad, Kylie (she danced there), and Christopher! By the way, HOW did my mom manage--once again-- to avoid being in these pictures? She was there! And she is so photogenic. I'll have to be more persistent. :)






We also enjoyed being downtown for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert with my parents! (Thanks to our friends Sara & J.P. for the tickets!)






It was fun to get a simple sewing machine from Target with the gift cards. And we found a great deal on suits at JCPenney, where I got a couple of gift cards, so I was able to get Tyler a suit and suitcoat for his gift! Tyler also surprised me with a fun Wii game, "ABBA dance mania" and we have had so much fun with that! A nice digital picture frame, a foot bath, and my favorite stocking stuffer treats were a few of his other surprises! This man is full of surprises, I tell you!

NO, the name on the stocking isn't announcing anything! But we wanted to write "Dad" and "Mom" on our stockings! :)

We really enjoyed spending time with our family for Christmas this year. We enjoyed a beautiful nativity with the nieces and nephews in my family, and even got to Skype with Laura! It was nice to open gifts, and have everyone say what they loved about each person as they opened a gift. Mom was so generous again, and it was awesome to see the quilt Julie had made for Janie! It was nice to feel the Spirit in singing the Christmas carols.












On Christmas Eve we enjoyed a big Thomas get together, where Tyler and I did a silly "Popcorn" musical number (lip sync) and threw popcorn balls out to everyone! Then Aunt Sara did a beautiful job on the Nativity program, singing songs, and reading narration of Christ's birth. She also gave us our BEAUTIFUL quilt she made for our wedding! Such time and detail, and we love it! She also did something extra special: she made a framed quilt piece and family quote for every household! We ended singing "Silent Night," the same song the grandkids all sang at Grandpa Thomas' funeral 16 years ago. Afterwards, Tyler said that he got such a special, wonderful feeling about our family as we sang this song. I'm so grateful he loves the family and enjoys being with them!!



Christmas Day, we enjoyed waking up together, our own little Kendrick family Christmas! We have been dreaming of this for years, and now we are living it! Tyler even videotaped our opening of the gifts! These pictures I have don't do that morning justice, but I'll do better next year! At church, we sang and I helped play the piano when the ward choir sang. We especially loved "Bell Carol of the Kings," "All for a Baby," and "The First Noel." We then headed to my parents' for a yummy Christmas breakfast! Tyler wrote a special card to my parents, thanking them, and we gave them a couple gifts. We exchanged gifts with Kelly's family, and I was amazed by the time and thought Kelly put into our gift, especially with how she hasn't felt well lately! We later went to Tyler's sister's for dinner with her family and Tyler's parents. They were overwhelmed by the gifts we gave them, and it was nice to be with them too! We are so blessed to have wonderful parents! And family!

Tyler and I also wrote letters to the Savior Christmas morning, telling him what gifts we want to give him this year. (This was a great idea from a mission companion-- thanks Katie!) I'm so grateful to be married to a man who loves the Lord so much and inspires me to strive to be more Christlike in all I do. I love him so much!!