Cookies Galore

Back in August, I started volunteering on the Common Grounds Cafe team at church, and I've enjoyed it so much! I've met some really nice people, and I love making all the drinks and brewing coffee. This morning we had a wonderful brunch (thank you, Becky!) and a cookie exchange.
Nancy & Becky--they are both so nice and fun to work with. I've enjoyed getting to know them.
(The table looked so pretty. The centerpiece was a vase of silver, glittery sticks with glittery ornaments hanging from the branches.)
Here's (part of) the plate of cookies that I took. I forgot to take a pic when it was full. I made sugar cookies and toffee bars (Kelly, this is the recipe you gave me--yum!)Martha Ann & me posing at the drink station--I think it's cute that Martha Ann pretended to put syrup in a cup just for the picture. She's a lot of fun too. I guess I should have tried to look like I was doing something productive for the photo. :)
Becky provided a package of English muffins with an ornament attached for each volunteer. It was a neat gift, and I thought the basket looked pretty.

Cute

This is A eating her lunch today. I love her FOUR teeth, and I love to watch her little fingers work to pick up her food. She will eat anything (notice the green peas).

Gingerbread Cookie Party

This morning we had our playgroup over for a cookie decorating party. We ordered pizza and I made cinnamon-sugar cupcakes. Everyone brought candy, icing or sprinkles to use for the project--it looked like the game Candy Land in our dining room. There were eight bigger kids to decorate cookies plus four babies & seven moms! My sister and a college/Bible study friend are two of the moms...the other four I met through the Pokeno group that a former neighbor invited me to join in summer '04. They have become some of my dearest friends, and I'm very thankful for them! All of their kids are special to me too...they are such a sweet (and cute!) group of little guys & girls.

Here are some pictures from the fun day: Gingerbread cookies in the making. I used a recipe from a Kids' Williams -Sonoma cookbook. R gave each of his friends a clay gingerbread man ornament. We placed them at each child's place at the decorating table.Here are the cinnamon sugar cupcakes--quick & easy thing to make: bake one yellow cake mix (cupcakes), then dip in melted butter and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture (I don't really measure any of that). I think they're best warm.Stacy, Logan & Madelyn decorating cookies. Madelyn's outfit was so cute.
Olivia in a really cute Christmas dress.
The kids got bored with cookies and decided to go play...so the moms stepped up to the table to show their decorating skills.
Rhett taking pictures of his buddies.
Alexee liked to tackle the other babies--this is her cousin, Jeryn.
Alexee also liked to flirt with the older guys. Morgan, Lawson & Logan are going for a ride in the popular box toy.
Here are some of the kids working hard to create the perfect cookie!

My sister sent me this one of Jaiden...parties are fun but tiring! She's holding her bag of Christmas candy from Logan on their drive home! :)

Babysitting

Last night I kept my sister's sweet kids while she & Mario went to M's office Christmas dinner. The older two had so much fun playing, as you can tell from the picture above! It required a little extra planning (how to get up the stairs) carrying two babies and convincing R & J to follow me, but they all did great and we had a good time. It's cute how close R & J are...they look out for each other, and R is always sad when she has to go home. He was happy to find out last night that she would be back this morning for the cookie-decorating party!

Journey Into Space

Thank goodness we didn't throw away the "rocket ship" box a few months ago. Something made R think of it yesterday and he wanted to bring it back inside. A loved playing in it too (Bogart not-so-much). I thought they looked so cute in there together. I told Lane, "Who needs a Pack & Play when you have a large computer box around?". They played in this for probably 20 minutes this morning--enough time for me to actually put on make-up and straighten my hair! I don't bother straightening my hair most days, but I got it cut (quite a bit) yesterday so I was curious to see how short it looked when it was straight...I think I like it.

These pictures remind me of one of R's little books based on Psalm 139...we've read it hundreds of times...it's one of my favorites: "Where can I hide from You? If I journey into space You are there. If I sink to the bottom of the sea, You will find me there, too. That's because You are everywhere. Not even the darkness can hide me. To You, day time and night time are just the same..."

Christmas Card Photo

Christmas cards are one of my favorite things of the busy holiday season.  I finally dropped ours in the mail yesterday.  Here's the picture I used (thank goodness for digital photography...I took over 200 pictures to get ONE where they were both looking at the camera and smiling!):

My sweet little ones:  R, 3 1/2 and A, 10 months:

Merry Christmas!!!

A Happy Snowman

I did this painting for a Christmas gift this weekend. I thought he looked cheerful and could be displayed through January since it's not too Christmas-y. Rhett was helping with the modeling of it! :) I enjoy these painting projects (this is in acrylics, not oils like I really prefer, but oils are too time-consuming and messy for my life right now with small kids). I'd love to have a little home-based business...I keep telling myself I'll get it organized, but it never seems to get done.  If you're reading this and would ever like to "order" a painting, please e-mail me...that might give me the push I need to get something organized/started.  These are not fancy at all, but I think they're fun to decorate with, and it's a fun hobby for me.

Sunday Company

We were so excited that Mom & Dad came to visit this afternoon. Rhett usually doesn't want to get ready for church, but he didn't argue at all this morning because I told him that Mo & Granddad would be coming to our house after church. It was actually crazy warm (for December!) this afternoon, so we sat out on the deck for a long time visiting. Then we played in the playroom after Alexee woke up from a long nap, then we went to Mimi's Cafe for dinner before they had to leave town. It was such a fun day. We've lived here 6 months and this is the first time Dad has been to our house (only Mom's 2nd time, I think!)--Y'all need to come visit us more often--we loved having you here!!!

First Curl

I noticed today that A finally has a little curl in her hair behind her ear! :)

Ho Ho Ho!

This morning Rhett & Alexee were invited to their friend Kennedy's 4th annual "Meet Santa" party. Rhett had a blast--it was held at a gymnastics place, so he was able to run around and burn a lot of energy. He was a little shy with Santa at first, but he eventually told him that he'd like "Snuckers (Snickers candy bars), candy canes and suckers in his stocking...and a robot and a John Deere tractor that you can ride on". Alexee cried at first when I tried to stand by Santa, so we tricked her later and let S sneak in behind where we were sitting for a quick photo. Thank you to the Burketts for inviting us for a fun party (this is their family in the group photo below).

Community Group Christmas

Tonight was our Community Group Christmas party at Jim & Connie's house. They had their house decorated so pretty for the holidays--it looked like it should be featured in a magazine! We all brought finger foods--one salty, one sweet. We missed Charla & Jim (both sick) and Phillip (working). We played this hilarious game called "Animals" that Connie suggested. That's what we're doing in these crazy pictures above (Brad & Lane were both doing the "moose". Oh, and they were actually the two winners of the game, too!) I was laughing so hard! This is Connie in the first picture--she is such a dear, sweet friend. The second photo is of the CG girls, less our leaders, Connie (the photographer) and Charla. Lane and I are both very thankful for this wonderful group of friends. We wish you all a Merry Christmas!

"Jesus, me & my Christmas Tree"

This morning was R's first little Christmas program (his MDO class)! It was so cute. The title was "Jesus, me & my Christmas Tree", and they sang such cute songs. He's been practicing them at home, and when he would sing them here, he was very animated (almost to the point of being funny!). He toned it down a little for the actual program today, but I was proud that he did sing...most of the time. :) All the kids were asked to wear their Christmas PJs for the program. In this first picture, you can see R's hand up in the air, waving "hi, Dad!". You can see his face in the second photo (he's kind-of behind the nose of the girl in the red bow).

Homemade Clay Ornaments Recipe

Here is the recipe for the ornaments we made a few days ago:

1 cup cornstarch

1 lb. baking soda

1 1/2 c. water

1/4 c. cinnamon

Gradually add water to first two ingredients in a large saucepan.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally.  The mixture will get bubbly, then thicken.  Stir constantly then until the mixture forms a soft ball.  Remove from heat, turn clay onto plastic wrap, foil, cutting board, etc.  It will thicken more then.  When it's cool enough to handle, knead in 1/4 ground cinnamon.  Roll clay into 1/4" thickness, cut into shapes.  Poke hole for hanger (I didn't do this--I just hot glued a ribbon to mine).

Air dry or bake in oven at 300 for 30 minutes, then shut off oven and let cool for 1 hour. Continue to air dry until ornaments harden.

Christmas Questions

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? gift bags
2. Real tree or artificial? one of each at our house this year--see previous posts
3. When do you put up the tree? not until after Thanksgiving
4. When do you take the tree down? New Years day or a few days after
5. Do you like eggnog? it's okay
6. Favorite gift received as a child? Cabbage Patch Kid and Barbie McDonalds
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes
8. Hardest person to buy for? Lane...luckily we just do stocking stuff
9. Easiest person to buy for? myself!
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? ?
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail--I love Christmas cards
12.Favorite Christmas Movie? It's a Wonderful Life
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? later than I should every year
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? i don't think so?
15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? sweets
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear
17. Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Love to visit family during the holidays, but also love being at home Christmas morning (what we've done the last two years), cooking breakfast at home
19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? I doubt it
20. Angel on the tree top or a star? usually an angel. This year it's red glitter sticks & gold leafy stuff
21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas morning (as a child, we'd open one on C.Eve)
22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Shopping and trying to drive around town--it's crazy busy and miserable
23. What I love most about Christmas? being with family and friends

Douglas Fir

As of yesterday, I'd convinced myself not to bother with doing a second tree as I'd planned back before the holiday rush began. I'd been to Hobby Lobby, Garden Ridge and Wal-Mart and couldn't decide on an artificial tree that I liked well enough to buy--they're expensive--so I'd decided I'd just get an earlier start worrying with it next year. Then I was talking my friend Ali on the phone and she called me "Grinch" and told me that she'd go with me to just pick out a real, cut tree and help me decorate it! Well, I didn't want to make her do that, but she did give me the push I needed to go ahead and get a tree for downstairs. So I went to Home Depot last night after the kids went to bed and chose a Douglas Fir ($24) that smells wonderful! (It brought back memories of my first Christmas out of college when I lived alone in an apartment. I went to Home Depot after work (1999), and they helped me fit the tree inside my Tahoe. It was so exciting to decorate my own apartment that year!) The picture is really dark, but here I am in front of the house last night with the tree on top of the Tahoe. I added the lights and fun "sticks" to the top last night so that it would be ready for R to help me add ornaments today. He loved standing on his stool finding a place for each ornament. He'd ask about each one, and I'd tell him about where it came from, etc.

Christmas Crafts

I love Christmas crafts! Rhett stayed busy for a long time punching Christmas balls out of construction paper with one of my scrapbooking tools. He also loved using glue...he made all the glue dots himself and placed every ball just where he wanted it.

We made cinnamon clay ornaments this year. They are really easy and cute (and smell so good). Rhett did a good job cutting out the shapes this year. We made gingerbread men, angels, stockings, stars and a moose. We hot glued ribbon to them to use for hanging them. They look cute on the kids' playroom tree (I forgot to take a picture of their tree...I'll do that soon.)

Friend's Family Portrait

A friend of mine had her new twins' pictures made and a family portrait made by the photographer below. Take a look--they're really sweet (and my friend gets some free prints depending on how many comments are posted on the photographer's website, so help her out if you can!).

http://lisafeltsphotogrpahy.blogspot.com/2007/12/and-babies-make-4.html

Ten Months Old

This sweet doll will be ten months old tomorrow, December 2nd. She's saying "Momma", which makes my heart happy every time I hear it! She has 3 teeth now...a top tooth is just barely visible through her gums as of today. She's crawling everywhere, standing alone for several seconds and crawling up the stairs. It's hard to believe her first birthday is just around the corner.

So far behind!

Tomorrow, 12/2, it will have been one year since my baby shower for Alexee! And I just now got around to doing the scrapbook page...I finished it tonight! Sad. Way back when, I used to keep up almost per event with R's scrapbook, but I guess that's just the reality of being busy with two children. I'll get caught up someday. Until then, I'm having to learn to "let it go". Anyway, it was fun to look at the pictures, remember that special day and put a page together. It was such a wonderful, fun baby shower--I loved everything about it: the friends & family who celebrated with me, the cute cute cute invitation (pictured here), the delicious food, all the sweet, girlie pink stuff that we received...I had no idea how much fun girl clothes/accessories would be! What a fun memory!

In preparation for spring

I don't have much of my Christmas shopping done at all...I should have tried to tackle some of that today...but instead, R and I planted tulip bulbs in the front flower bed. This is a picture of some of them in bloom last spring. Since I thought we might move, I dug them all up after they bloomed and stored them in a bag for re-planting at this house. I get so excited every year when I see the first piece of green popping up through the dirt! I wish I could remember what variety these are--I'd buy a ton more--they have a huge bloom and they're the prettiest color! This was a lot more fun that fighting the crazed Christmas shoppers today.