more Christmas

you know you are officially OLD when you have to start having the family Christmas parties at your house.  how did this happen?  i don't mind, i love it actually.  its just that grown ups are in charge of that kind of thing.  my birth certificate claims im 30, but at what point do you start to feel like a grown-up? like all the 30 year olds seemed when i was 15?  because im not there yet. none the less we all gathered in our little house for Christmas Eve...and it was great.  I didn't burn the ham, but i did forget to put the glaze on it.  luckily i smothered it in honey and brown sugar in the beginning.  i don't think anyone noticed. it was still good.  the best part is all the fixins that the "old" people bring anyway.

im so thankful for all of them.  one day when your 30, you realize what a huge blessing we have in the special people we call family.

my 93 year old Nanny who has a serious addiction to angry birds! hilarious.

we look like mature grown-ups right?

yeah, i think so too.

the letter that Presley took to the mall and put in the mailbox for Santa this year consisted of pictures she drew of the things she wanted.  the pink retro refrigerator from pottery barn that while looking through the catalog we received in the mail, she realized she had the stove and sink but was missing this crucial part to the set. we didn't think she would miss it but nothing gets by her.  all of the rest of the drawings were of stuffed animals (specifically a deer and a bear, which she got of course).  she is the only kid i know that really plays with stuffed animals.  they all have names and she has quite an imagination.  its fun to watch her pretend. she got a ybike, "the big Lotso" and several other things but her favorite was the basketball goal that Lucas insisted we get her.  i was sure he really wanted it for himself but Santa brought it anyway.  and go figure it was her fav.

we dont wrap anything that Santa brings. he brings all of the big stuff and its layed out unwrapped.  all of the wrapped presents under the tree are from mommy and daddy.  this is how it was for my sister and i.  is this how you do it?  its always interesting to me to hear the different versions of Santa displays.

last year the ONLY thing she asked for was "for Rudolph to come in her room and give me a kiss and some reindeer cookies".  so she woke up with a red smear on her cheek where Rudolph kissed her and a trail of reindeer dust (confetti) leading up the stairs into her room with a bag of reindeer cookies.  she LOOOOOVED it!  so at the last minute this year she mentioned "i know Rudolph is coming in my room again this year" with a big grin on her face.  she came into our room on Christmas morning with a handful of dust and a little bag with a Rudolph ornament he left her, and whispered "mommy wake up, i think Rudolph was in my room".  so sweet, so worth the effort.

a special thanks to theses guys

Merry Christmas sweet girls

we made Christmas Bark

recipe:

line baking pan with parchment paper and a single layer of saltines.

melt 2 sticks of butter in the microwave and stir in 1/2cup of brown sugar.

pour that mixture over saltines and put in oven at 350 for 15 minutes.

top with chocolate chips and put back in for 2 minutes.

smooth chocolate with a spoon and add sprinkles, nuts ect.

VERY YUMMY

we also made gingerbread men

recipe:

see Betty Crocker gingerbread box mix

:)

also VERY YUMMY

we take special care to remind Presley that, in her words, "Jesus put Santa in charge of giving presents to little children to remind them of the gift He gave us".  that the reason we celebrate is because God sent a baby named Jesus, who would one day grow up and sacrifice himself, the Lamb of God, pure and blameless, so that we can one day be with Him again in paradise.

love this picture

Happy Birthday Jesus!