I was so HAPPY to have family come and stay with us for the holidays. We thought that just my parents would be here, but were thrilled to have some of my siblings as well!
Then as each little group left I would get SAD. Yesterday Kristy and Ryan took their seven kids back to Tennessee and I REALLY got SAD!
I am officially depressed now!
Ash made her own Christmas tree for her room…
And then she made the cutest reindeer during her class party….
Then the girls and I made a slew of these ornaments to go on teacher gift cards and to go with various friend and neighbor gifts…
I helped with a brunch for the women in our church. Our theme was “brown paper packages tied up with string”. It turned out really cute. I also did a cookie exchange. I thought that these cute peanut butter kiss cookies turned into reindeer cookies would be fun, until I had made the 50th cookie and was sick of looking at them. Once again my family came to my rescue and helped me.
Ash made a cute letter to Santa. I have saved these Santa letters over the years and can’t wait to make a little book of all of them.
Jerrica had a Polar Express party at school. She was so excited to go in her PJ’s.
Jerra and I also made a count down chain. She LOVED count downs this month. She had to be the one that moved Mary and Joseph each day. She also freaked out if someone woke up and opened the little present for the wooden soda box. She LOVES count downs.
Nathan had a Christmas choir concert and quite a few indoor soccer games this month.
Mix in a few other Christmas parties, gift exchanges, plates of goodies, and lots of sweet Christmas cards which ALL made our month special!
We put together four big houses and three little houses. We then spread out the candy, some in cute white dishes and then a slew of old Halloween candy on cookie sheets. We also added sugar cones for trees, square pretzels for windows, and little gingerbread people to add to their scenes. The kids worked and ate on these for HOURS! Then Grandma and Grandpa came in, to judge the various teams’ houses.
I thought Thomas’ little mini marshmallow snowman was so cute!
Grandma and Grandpa were the judges. They loved Karley and Rebecca’s sassy snowman and Starburst chimney.
They loved Ashley and Sydney’s pretzel windows with M&M shutters, Nerd shingles, and their Rudolph reindeer made of toothpicks, red gumdrops, and tootsie rolls.
Shelby and Kaylee rocked their landscape with a licorice sidewalk, gumdrop lawn and awesome Christmas tree.
They even had a Santa going down the chimney AND Rudolph making an appearance.
These three created a perfectly shingled roof with Sweet Tarts and candy balls around the edges. I do believe they ate more than the put on.
It was seriously HOURS of laughing and creating!
Today was a snow day for the kids. The boys were sad they didn’t have school because they wanted to finish their finals that they have been studying like crazy for. The girls have been sick, so I was grateful for another day of rest for them. It’s funny how Motrin makes them all better, and then as it starts to wear off their eyes turn sad and glazed, their fevers rage and all they want is to snuggle with me.
We did snuggle and watch a couple of movies. We also made the cutest little Shinky Dinks that a sweet friend had sent to us. Rebecca added a link to one of hers to take to Neely for her charm bracelet. Ash made one into a necklace.
It’s always so fascinating to watch how they shrink. Thanks again Katherine for the fun!
We also decided to bake cut out cookies. Of course the girls always fight over who is going to roll out the cookies, who is going to use what sprinkles and what cookie cutters, and I’m always fighting with them to quit eating the dough!
I saw ALL of the hands leaning over each other and couldn’t resist making them squish together for a picture. They all look Motrin’ed up. I should have taken another picture later on in the evening when their eyes were all glazed over with fever.
See all of the hands in each other’s way….
It was definitely a cold day, yet I was quite warm snuggling with all of my sickies!
