Christmas card 2010

Front:

Back:


Inside:

This turned out better than I thought!

I am grateful that the kids will let me do pictures of them, even though it is not their favorite thing to do. But I hope they will be glad in the long run.

Christmas Eve

What a fun day we had with our familee on Christmas Eve

with this year being together.

Here are some of the highlights:

...watched a slideshow from our Christmas pj photoshot

(we did that in Oct, since Brett and Bree were not planning to be here for Christmas.

I have not yet figured out how to put that on my blog.)

...had a bubble gum blowing contest

Hula Hooping!

...had a gift auction for the adults.

I bought 8 boy gifts and 8 girls gifts. Each person was given $50 in Santa bucks. Chad auctioned the item off. Each couple could combine their money to help each get what they wanted. It was just fun!

The gift cards were the most popular with PF Changs going to the highest amount.

Some of the items were gloves, necklaces, headbands, a golf certificate, movie certificate and other restaurant gift cards.

At the end, there was a mystery gift that was wrapped. It was a church book that Kenny got but Trent wanted it so they made a trade. It was just fun (did I already say that!) I loved it because it was a surprise and something different.

I will definitely do it again and am already making notes of gift ideas!

...had a wonderful steak dinner with brushetta, twice baked potatoes, salad,

creamed corn and raspberry bread pudding.

So yummy!

...after dinner we opened white elephant gifts of snowman poop, and inflatable woman (who doesn't whine and can meet all your needs!), large women underwear with our familee name on and, the best....Trent's creation of a lap top case made with men's underwear with a masking tape handle!

(We sound like a sick familee!)

Check it out!

...a talent show by the kids.

This picture is of them singing "...the babies on the bus go waa, waa, waa..."

Love there actions and faces.

After the song was over, Bennett grab Llayton and Ella to give them a big hug.

That must have ticked Llayton off!

...then, of course, we had gifts.

The most popular gift with the babies was Bennett's shopping cart. Someone was playing with it the entire night. There were even a few fights over it.

...money really does grow on trees! (Just on Christmas Eve.)

For our gifts this year, we gave each adult a small gift they wanted. Then with the rest of the allotted money, we got cash in $10's and $5's and pinned them onto the trees and bushes in the back yard. Each bill was marked with their initials so that everyone got their right amount.

Amara was not feeling well that day. Trent brought her outside with Chad and I while we put the money on the trees. I gave him a stack of money to hide. It was Kenny's money. I didn't realize what he was doing - not hanging it on any trees.

When we all finished, Kenny only found a small portion of his money.

All the money was off the trees.

Finally, Trent confess to hiding it under the rocks, in the dog house and other areas that he would never guess. Kenny ended up being $10.00 short. We never did find that last $10.00. I wonder if the landscapers will some day!

Those boys all make me laugh, the silly things they do, and the fun

they have with each other.

It was a wonderful day and turned out as I had hoped, other than Amara not feeling well. I loved the things that I had planned to do and it is always just fun being together. It's loud! It's chaos! But, it's just fun. I like fun. I like the element of surprise. I love giving the gifts. Chad is always good to go along with my goofy ideas. I love when I am prepared and ready - that is why I always start so early. (Though sometimes I drive myself crazy!)

By having our activities on Christmas Eve, it left the next day open for them to spend with their individual familee, their in-laws, and then dinner at my moms.

I love Chad, love the kids, love their spouses, love those babies

and loved the holiday!

Thanks for the fun memory!

Santa came!

This is one of my favorite nights of the season...

a Santa visit after the nativity play.

The Kennedy cousins gather together to act out the Nativity play

(pictures in another post),

then Santa comes!

Llayton didn't really care for him and other than Joseph, Tom's baby,

all the other kids did great.

Bennett was set on telling Santa he wanted a trash truck (from Toy Story 3). Thankfully, he got one.

It is a wild, noisy, loud evening! But just so fun!

Nativity Play

Take a dozen or more little ones

(5 two-year olds), dress them up as shepherds, animals,

wisemen, Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus and you have,

well, entertainment!

Besides just being so darn cute all dressed up, they say and do the cutest things.

Drew, being the donkey, carried Ella (Mary) in on his back. When he stopped to let her off, she tumbled to the ground. I am not sure if she just lose her balance or if he tipped her off! She was a good sport and everyone just laughed.

Then, Caiden (baby Jesus) was sitting in the cradle so content, when, he just tipped a bit and rolled right out! He never cried or made a sound. It was hilarious! We had to stop the play to recompose, the actors as well as ourselves!

Thankfully Brett was videoing the play and he was able to capture it.

First Christmas

Just love this cute container I picked up for holiday decorations

(with the idea of using it for baby photo shoots!)

Caiden was the perfect fit!

These cute pj's were what Llayton wore his last year for Christmas.

Love that smile!

Caiden has this cute little smile and, on occasion, he smiles what we call the 'turtle smile'. He pulls his front lip over

his gums, grins, and gets this shy little look.

He is just a happy little guy! (And just a little chubby.)

Hillsboro Hayride

Each year right before Christmas, Hillsboro Heights has their annual Hayride.

A team of two horses pulls a long wagon and travels through the neighborhood, stopping at houses for hotdogs, popcorn, crafts, hot chocolate and a Santa visit.

At the Santa visit, they were giving out hats. He loves hats! And scarves!

Bennett was the only one this year who was able to go. Just Bennett and I. When we weren't on the hayride, I pulled him in the little red wagon (a great gift for grandparents!) around the neighborhood. He especially likes our guard at the gate, Arleen, so we had to make a visit to see her.

(She sort of likes him as well!)

And even though it was raining, it wasn't a bother to Bennett.

Treats for the holidays

I wanted a quick, easy, yummy holiday treat to give out this year. Last year Bree, Sesily and I made a wonderful assortment of chocolates which were so good but very labor intensive. I needed something easier this year.

So Lana and I made carmel & chocolate covered pretzels. They were so good.

We used the carmel recipe from Candy Krauseman's recipe book 'Sunrise to Sunset'.

The chocolate was Wilton's. Toppings were peppermint candies, toffee chips,

crushed oreos, toasted pecans, coconut and colored candy toppings.

Wrapped in pretzel bags, tied with a bow - success!

Candy Cane Cookies

These were my new 'favorite' cookie of the season! Thank you to 'recipegirl.com' for sharing.

CANDY CANE KISS COOKIES
www.RecipeGirl.com

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1¼ cups butter, at room temperature
1 tsp peppermint extract, optional
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1/2 cup finely chopped Candy Cane flavored Hershey’s Kisses
granulated sugar
additional, unwrapped Candy Cane Kisses- about 30

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Make room in either refrigerator or freezer for your cookie sheet.

2. In large mixer bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter, extracts and egg. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until creamy (2-3 minutes). In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to wet mixture and beat, scraping bowl often until well blended (1-2 minutes). The mixture will be a bit crumbly. Stir in chopped Kisses.

3. Shape dough into ¾-inch to 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a Candy Cane Kiss in the center of each cookie. They’ll crack a little around the edges, so just use your fingers to kind of hold the cookie together while you set the kiss inside. Put cookie sheet (with cookies) immediately into the freezer (preferred) or refrigerator so that the Kisses will set quickly. As soon as you press them into the cookie, they will begin to soften… so if you can get them into the freezer then they will keep their Kiss shape.

4. Store in a covered container- at room temperature for up to a week. In the freezer they should be ok for a couple of weeks.

Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen

Tips:
*The addition of peppermint extract is completely optional. The cookie gets plenty of peppermint flavor from the addition of the chopped kisses, but if you’d like it really minty then go ahead and add the peppermint extract.
*I’ve spotted these Kisses at Target and CVS Pharmacy.

Read more: http://www.recipegirl.com/2008/08/08/candy-cane-kiss-cookies/#ixzz19MbDMHoX

On the First day of Christmas

I have no picture with this post but just an entry.

Yesterday, Chad, Lana Tyson, Trent and his family as well as myself went downtown to where the homeless are. We had about 20 individual bags with hats, gloves, and socks to hand out. (We collected the supplies at our familee pie night.)

It was an experience. We just stopped the car in the street, stayed in the car and handed the bags out the window. When they see you giving out things, they start to swarm your car and reach for anything you will give them. It didn't take long to hand out our few bags. I was in Trent's car, and looked back to Chad and Lana. I bet there were 40 people huddled around his car.

I think we will try to do things a bit differently. That made me feel a bit uncomfortable. There are plenty of people on the outer edge of the area. I think we will pick and choose who to give to.

But...I do think it is a good experience for Cohen and Ella to see.

(Though Ella slept through it.)

Laughing all the way

I just had this craving to knit a hat for Caiden since he is in the snow now. Babies can get away with wearing goofy hats that are handmade!

I found this pattern, Bree gave her approval so I was happy. It took several times to get it right. I just could not help 'laughing all the way' while I was making this. It just is so cute but poor Caiden, who has to wear this hat because his mamma made it!

It made me think of Ralphy on The Christmas Story who opens the present from, hmmm, his aunt? I think it is a rabbit suit. The mother loves it and Ralphy and his Dad hate it. They simply have to tolerate it.

Thanks goodness Caiden isn't any older. He won't know what a goof he will look like. But he will be so cute.

Thank you Bree, for ...simply tolerating it!