Sunday, December 29, 2013

Christmas Cooking Baking - 2013

Every Christmas season, our family makes sure to fulfill our tradition of baking Christmas cookies together.  You truly do NOT have to ask Darren twice to do this. It's probably one of his favorite, if not his favorite tradition.  This year, Darren even got on pinterest and started looking up cookie recipes.  LOL!
We ALWAYS bake sugar cookies for Santa and allow the kids to decorate them over kill them with candy! 
There's my girl cutting out her first cookie.
Here… Daddy is getting annoyed with the warm dough sticking to the counter.
Jax is the greatest when he's in the kitchen. The next Chef Ramsey, maybe?
Being goofy with daddy!
"Hammer time"!! Hammering candy canes.
Our cookies after baking!
Darren and I usually bake a few recipes that look delicious, on top of the traditional sugar cookies.  This year, Darren and I chose to make Egg Nog Oreo Cookie Truffles & Insanely Delicious Turtle Cookies.  Let me know if you'd like the recipes. They both were fabulous. 
We waited a few days to decorate the sugar cookies because we had a Christmas party to go to, the night we started baking.  The cookies had to cool off and it was just as well because you know how children's attention spans don't last long.
They were so excited to decorate Santa's cookies.
And taste test them!
This was a cookie Darren decorated.  I thought it was comical.
The finished product!
I am so thankful for the traditions Darren and I have created with our children so far. The kids always talk about the years past traditions and reminisce on them already. It's a beautiful sound to my ears knowing that our traditions are enjoyed, valued, and cherished.  There were a ton of photos taken.  If you care to view them all, double click on the album below.

Glenvar High School Christmas Choir Show

Tyson went on a field trip a few weeks back to see the Glenvar Middle/High School choir perform.  Ty loved the show so much, that he asked if we could all go as a family.  So we did! We joined the Shaffer family that night as we were serenaded.  
We knew several people in the choir: Sam (right) and Jake (second to the right below) are our pastor's sons. 
 Makenna (below, middle)
 The choir changed outfits a ton! 
I thought they all looked so spiffy!
The oldest choir, in particular, did a fantastic job!
Breaking it down!
It was an enjoyable night filled with wonderful Christmas tunes!

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Fort Lewis Classroom Christmas Party

Two cute elves,
 Came to their brother's school, to celebrate "Christmas hat day"
 Along with momma elf!
 Together...
 We came bearing gifts and helping the class make a Christmas craft.
 It was a pretty hectic party!
 Especially with the addition of these two little boogers.
 But I think Tyson enjoyed having them present.

Fun Frogs, Christmas Preschool Program

On the last day of preschool, before Winter break, Lilah and Jax's school had a Christmas program.  
These two, little, cuties were all decked out, ready to sing loud for Jesus.
Mrs. Donna had warned me that if L&J didn't participate, the class performance would crumble.  LOL! So I bribed them, just a little, but a toy from Wal-mart if they did a great job!
They did really great! I can't wait to figure out how to upload a video, from my new camera.  Until then, you'll just have to trust me.  
I snapped this photo for my girlfriend, Erin.  Her son, Mason, (below), was in another class performing. He chose to just stand there.  LOL!
As a special treat, I allowed Tyson to sneak out of school an 1.5 early, to watch his twin siblings.
Jax with his buddy, classmate, JACK!
It's hard to believe these "babies" are almost done with preschool and onto kindergarten.