the primary fiddle: Christmas and the New Year

We had a wonderful Christmas! Nick's parents came up to Athens and we spent the days cooking, relaxing and shopping around town. I felt bad that we didn't do more while they were here but I wasn't feeling well for a few of the days they were in town and I get easily tired now that I'm carrying around all this extra baby. We had a good time anyway and definitely ate some delicious food!

Our Christmas Eve dinner

Jesper & Vicki after dinner

In Denmark, they traditionally celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a big dinner and the opening of presents with family around the tree. Since the Wiese family is Danish, we celebrate on Christmas Eve, too. We made a stuffed pork tenderloin with an apple, sausage and kale stuffing, roasted fingerling potatoes, pan sauce and roasted brussel sprouts. It was so yummy!

Then, we opened presents!

This Duplo bunny has a story...

So, the bunny. This bunny is actually a little bag with handles and a zipper in his back so that you can carry things around in him. Nick had one exactly like this when he was a little boy and he carried it everywhere! The bunny eventually got burned when Nick left it on a lamp but was so loved that I have heard many stories about it since Nick & I have been married. Vicki & Jes found an original Duplo bunny online from the 1980's (when they were originally made) and gave it to Nick as a Christmas present so Alden would have his very own Duplo bunny to carry around. It is such a thoughtful gift and we're so excited to share this little part of Nick's childhood with our son! :)

opening their presents from us

two Gator blankets in Daddy & Son sizes :)

with the yogurt maker that I got him

my fantastic new diaper bag!

the aftermath :)

We were so fortunate this year to have so many family members send us such wonderful things! We definitely got much, much more than we expected and/or deserved. I was incredible happy to receive the Boba Wrap that I was pining over for baby from my Mom & Dad, the diaper bag I had picked out from Vicki & Jes and some other things that I wanted (like perfume, pajamas for after Alden gets here, some baking accessories and many other wonderful things). Nicholas got pretty much everything on his list and was so excited to get his new Kindle, yogurt maker and super awesome ladder for cleaning off the roof! We are so grateful to everyone who sent us a gift and if you haven't already gotten a thank you from us, it's in the mail! :)

talking with family in Oklahoma, Nebraska and Texas on FaceTime

surprising Grandma Hovland with her new iPad (over FaceTime)

On Christmas Day, we slept in late and got up just in time to start cooking :) The dogs got their Christmas presents and I talked to my family in Alabama on FaceTime. We made prime rib and mushroom gravy, pommes anna and green bean casserole. My husband is a fabulous cook!

my sweet family at my Nana's house in Alabama on Christmas Day

our first pommes anna: successful!

the delicious prime rib

all the boys with their Christmas bones

Overall, we had a wonderful holiday and are so happy Vicki & Jes could come spend time with us before the baby gets here! We were so thankful to be able to stay home and celebrate this year since traveling while 8 months pregnant can be stressful and so tiring, thank you for coming, y'all!

Our New Year's was spent in warm, comfy clothes relaxing on the couch after a delicious dinner of steak, German nuremberg sausages, curry sauce, asparagus, rice and sparkling chardonnay grape juice :)

We had a great time watching the New Year's celebrations on TV and lighting sparklers on the deck!