Christmas Memories

 Well once again we somehow managed to make the nice list...smile.  After weeks of anticipation and "Christmassy" type outings and activities it was finally time for the big day!  I can't remember if we've done this in the past and who knows what we'll do next year but we were feeling a bit ancy to get started so we opened one special gift on Christmas Eve.  Thank you Grandma Gene for the family Christmas money.  The kids got a new game and they love it! 

Then we got busy preparing Santa his usual snacks of cookies and milk and carrots for the reindeer. 

This is a picture of the tree after the kids went to bed with the "Santa" presents added...

The stockings were filled...

 And finally about 7ish we all woke up and started the fun!

We had been at Target recently and both kids mentioned they "needed" monster trucks.  Santa must've been listening!

The new story readers are from Mom and Dad.  I am so glad we got them as both kids love the stories that they can now listen to independently!

And I was so pleased that they had the Super Hero stories available since I have trouble pronouncing all the names of the crazy characters anyway.   I prefer Arthur and the Bearenstain Bears.

They got reading right away!

Sister gave Best some cufflinks.  I love this picture.  They are so sweet to each other.

And Santa surprised her with some Style My Hair ponies.  We have had fun brushing and braiding their hair.

And of course...more Transformers.  This guy is called Bumblebee and right after this picture Peanut looked kind of disappointed so I asked, "Was that not one you particularly wanted?"  His response was, "No I really wanted it I just don't like to have to wait so long for it to be opened."  Ha!  He had only had the wrapping paper off for about 2 minutes!

The gift below is a tabletop baseball game.  Peanut was so excited to give it to his Dad.  He had a hard time not unwrapping it early himself!

Sister got her first big girl Barbies...

And thank you so much to Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Chuck for the fun gifts! Daniel Tiger's trolley moves and sings songs and Peanut loves anything he can build!

Santa did good this year with gifts of Legos and tea party supplies. 

Best needed some new luggage for hockey and business trips so we got him a set of "spinners."  He said he'd be happy to share them for our trips down South, thanks Best!

It's much too cold for gardening right now...that is unless you have an Aero Garden!  Best knew I was excited to get growing and found this nifty planter.  We've already got basil and dill sprouting!

The kids picked out some slippers for me.  I needed some that I could wear into the garage and on the rare occasion I have to take the trash out.  (Thanks to Best for mostly taking care of that cold job!)

I love these guys.  I'm thankful for 8 Christmases with Best, 6 with Peanut, and 3 with Sis.

 

After our little family Christmas at home we headed over to Gammie and Papa's house for more food and fun.  Thanks to my sweet in laws for the new pillows!

Aunt Kiki and the kids picked some great gifts for us this year.  Sis and Peanut have had lots of fun dressing these dolls in various fashions.

And we've all had some target practice in the basement with the new bow set that includes glow in the dark arrows!

I think Gammie has been itching to buy Sister an American Girl doll since the day she was born. Smile.  This was the perfect year for her to get her "Bitty Baby" and lots of fun clothes and accessories.  Thank you Gammie and Papa.

 

And boy was Peanut over the moon when he opened Swamp Police set from Gammie and Papa.  Peanut is so incredibly fast at putting these sets together now he had it done in one day! 

 Thank you to Aunt Mimi for the microscope and fun new book/game combo "Yeti in my Spaghetti"!  Such perfect gifts for this age and I love to play games with the kids!

The princess serving tea... 

First lego set complete...

Christmas is such a fun time.  Presents are exciting and when they are little it's just so entertaining to experience the Santa magic along with them.  We really did have so much fun between exhibits, Santa visits, crafts, stories, games, baking and lots of singing!  Now here's to keeping the fun going in the new year!  Happy 2017 friends and family!

Merry Christmas 2016!

 

 Just wanted to share a few pictures we took last week when we had plenty of snow but it got all the way up to 40 degrees!  That's downright balmy this time of year don'tcha know? Smile.

 Peanut's comment was "After all these pictures we definitely deserve a treat at the mall!"  And they did.  And they got several.

 

Merry Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family.  We love you!

'Twas the Night...

 

 It's the night before Christmas and almost everybody is sleeping...well, maybe one of us is.  I'm left tired but happy, thinking back on the month and all that we've seen and done.  We've made snowman decorations and peppermint bark for teachers and neighbors...

 

We made some new ornaments for our tree...

 

We made a gingerbread house and lots of cookies...

And we've had lots of fun with our scout elf "Jack" who shows up somewhere new each day and leaves us treats of all sorts...
 He was so inspired by our gingerbread house that he made one of his own and hid some chocolate Santas inside! 

 A new tradition this year was that he left lego pieces each day for the kids to assemble their own sets...

 here is Sisters.   Peanut got a police boat and crook complete with handcuffs but it is constantly in use and not available for photographing...smile.

 We gave to charity and bought presents for a family in need.  The kids are so sweet to want to share.

           We've played games...


             spent time with good friends and indulged in some holiday treats...

And finally, today on Christmas Eve, we went sledding, watched Polar Express and ate our gingerbread house, took naps, read books,

 

...and even got to open one of our gifts early!  Thank you Grandma Gene for our Christmas money.  We got the kids a new game from you and they really like it. 

So now, I guess Best and I will finish our Santa-ly duties... We have cookies to eat you know, ha ha. 

Good night, Sleep tight, and Merry Christmas!

Gingerbread and History

 

A few weeks ago we decided to make some gingerbread cookies from scratch.  Very typical of me I just started mixing before realizing that I was out of nutmeg...well let me tell you we just used cloves (a bit less) and plenty of ginger and molasses and they turned out delish!

The marshmallow Sis is eating was about a millimeter away from the cookie before she reconsidered and popped it into her mouth. 

It all ended up devoured eventually! 

Both kids wanted to decorate cookies especially for Best and he was so appreciative when he got them.  We were missing him as he was away at a hockey tournament that weekend.  Thanks Best for always being so "impressed" with their creations, they love the look on your face. Smile.

Our other Christmas activity that weekend was our annual trip to the Landing for "Folkways of the Holiday".  It is one of my favorite places and the Christmas celebration is one I never hope to miss!

 

It was pretty cold that day but we stayed warm with some hot cocoa and "ebelskievers" as recommended by Santa.  Peanut said they were a little too sweet for his taste but Sis gobbled hers right up!

 

Of all the houses in the village the bankers house is a favorite of mine.  It's furnished as a rich man would've lived and there are always fun antique toys to tinker with.

 

In one of the other houses the kids got to visit with a woman making roll out cookies and make Christmas cards.  The volunteers that "inhabit" the houses on these living history weekends are so knowledgeable about the time periods they represent. The kids always have plenty of questions for them and we all learn a thing or two!

I loved seeing the old fashioned trees.  Not sure how I'd feel about candles on the branches but  the ornaments were so quaint...

The community sing a long is another favorite of mine but wasn't scheduled until the next weekend (forecasted for a high of -8!) so I was a bit sad to miss it.  However, the duo here was friendly and we had lots of fun singing carols with them

and Santa!  Sis moved from her seat next to me to go sit by him.

And then we got this wonderful picture with him in the gazebo.  It wasn't busy at all the day we were there and so the kids had lots of chances to visit with him.  At one point Peanut told me that he knew he was the real Santa because he got really close to his beard and it was real.  He was pretty great and had a never ending supply of candy canes.

Hope your holiday season is jolly and you're staying warm with those you love!