Cousins

My kiddos really look forward to seeing their second cousin Zac whenever they can. The picture doesn't reflect the Christmas joy!

Poor Elf

Christmas prep

Yaz and I were given a bazillion mason jars and so we went to work thinking of awesome Christmas presents. Having confessed to never making the cookies in the jar we tried to branch out. We concocted salted caramel hot chocolate, caramel whiskey sauce, bacon salt, peppermint vodka, and some jars filled with Hershey kisses and m and m's. Plus we had an awesome time together!!!

Icelandic garb

Sporting an awesome international outfit.

Parade!

Noah's got a new beau. She is a neighbor of ours and we went to see her dance in the downingtown Christmas parade. Here they are together sweet as can be.

Today's wild dress up

For your enjoyment.

Family Pics Winter 2012

I had a $16 groupon for Picture People that was about to expire so I decided we should go and grab a Christmas photo. Turns out we loved them all! Our little girl who has NEVER cooperated with a photographer decided she was a super model and couldn't keep her hands off her hips. It was pretty funny!!! We loved them all!

Christmas Tree

Due to my extreme desire to be thrifty we have never gone to a farm to cut our tree down. We've been happy with our $20 lot trees and they have always held up well. This year Noah really wanted to have a huge tree like his aunt and so we budgeted for a more expensive tree. And then, our neighbors told us about a place called Bernard's Tree Farm in Honey Brook where EVERY tree is $35. They provide the saws and haul it and bail it for you! We were so excited!

Of course we knew Maeve would struggle to walk through the hills to choose but after some initial fussiness she warmed up.  

Noah was so excited and believed every tree was the right one.  Finally he did find a great tree.  My lumberjack husband was prepared and cut it down in about 3 minutes. 

Up on the tree, ready to go!!!!

And here it is in our family room... a little over 16 feet tall!!!! We love it!!!

Thanksgiving 2012

We had a perfect Thanksgiving Day this year.  It seems the older we get the less of a fiasco the holiday is!!!  I remember our first one and I think everything was ready an hour late.  My brother came early to make his cheesecake and the kids helped him by sneezing in the batter and eating the nuts that he was going to use. I think they loved it!

This year all 15 of us were able to sit around one table (the farmhouse table Paul made) which made me REALLY happy.  I loved having everyone together.

I had a blast making some little things from Pinterest for my guests.  These are cornucopia treats made from ice cream cones.  We set up the steamer and put the cones in the top tray.  That allowed us to bend and curl them and then as they dried they became solid again.  We filled them with yummy M and M's.

We also made pilgrim hats out of Reese Cups and Fudge striped cookies.

I filled some candle holders with corn to add to the ambience.  Of course everyone tried to pop some of the corn in the flames but it didn't work.

The kids got a Thanksgiving Mad Lib.

And everyone got a VERY corny (hee hee) joke.

The kids decorated by making a turkey of all of the people coming that they were thankful for.  Noah wanted to add Uncle Bob so he put him on the turkey.  After he added him he asked me if he had an Uncle Bob.  I told him he had two Uncle Bob's but neither one was coming to Thanksgiving but he insisted on putting him on the turkey.

The kids and I made these adorable 2X4 Turkeys to give out as favors.  Paul cut the wood, the neck is from a paint stirrer and the feathers are popsicle sticks.  We had all of the pieces in house and I think they are wonderful!

Paul's mom greeted us with a new Scentsy that lit up the occasion.

And we all remembered to GIVE THANKS!!!  God has blessed us so greatly and we couldn't be more grateful.