Making Chrstmas cookies with Mom

Every year I love to make Christmas cookies for friends, family and neighbors. This year was no different except I had a little girl that wanted to help. Hey, thought I, she needs to learn she will be a mommy herself one day.

Donning an apron she looked too cute for words, and was so happy to be helping. My little cheeser.


Jordan had a little trouble with my big rolling pin, and frankly I didn't want to share, I had work to do. Luckily I remembered that a wonderful aunt had sent her a pint sized rolling pin with some other baking supplies. Getting it out was a great thing. It was just her size, kept her out of my hair and let her be creative in the rolling and cutting of sugar cookies.


See how happy she is. I love the flour on her face. Like mother, like daughter.









Cooking is a serious business. In the end Jordan was so proud of her hard work. She beamed as she showed Daddy when he came home from work.

Picking the perfect Christmas tree

We have a tradition in our family. The day after Thanksgiving we go and pick out our Christmas tree, bring it home and start the Christmas season. We love being together as a family, trudging around through clumps of grass and tree stumps looking for the perfect tree that will accent our home and be the center of attention.










This year, we were lucky. We found it within 5-10 minutes. Maybe it was because the tree was right there looking perfect, or maybe it was because it was so blasted cold out and we just wanted to get back to where it was warm! Either way, here we are looking around, pointing it out and checking to make sure it did not have to many dead needles in the center.

When we find the tree we are so overjoyed that the love must be spread. See us sharing the love, giving the tree a hug? Or maybe we are just being silly waiting for Lee to come back with the chainsaw.

















Looking cute is a requirement because I will snap your picture and blog it........eventually.

The nice man at the tree farm cuts it down and helps us load it each year. By the way, we have been getting our trees there since 2001. Spencer's first trip was when he was only 4 weeks old and maybe close to seven pounds. boy we bundled him up GOOD.
















Taking the hayride back is always fun. We like to sing Christmas carols.

Try to keep warm under the blankets.

Or if you are a crazy 5 year old, surf the hayride.












They do a great job of shaking out the dead needles.














When we bring it home, Lee sets it up, then I put all 500 million lights on it. This year we had to go with colored lights because the white ones seemed to have gotten lost in the move. Drats!








We put the "polar express" train under the tree this year. The kids loved it.

Unfortunately, I was too sick and too tired this year. So I did not put even half the bulbs on the tree, so it is not as pretty as normal. In fact I was very disappointed with it, but that is my fault not he tree's. It served us well and did look beautiful all lit up at night. Much better than this awful pictures shows.

Here are the kids Christmas eve night after they opened their one present each. We gave them the cutest plaid Disney Jammie's. I threw these in because they are just so gosh darn cute! However, you can see the tree behind with some of our special ornaments.











I love Christmas, I love the feelings I get at Christmas and giving gifts to those I love.





I have to say that I am so thankful for God and for Him giving us the best gift of all His son Jesus Christ.

One Long, Lazy Cat

Our Callie.....What can I say. Here she is on the bed being lazy, looking at me as if to say " You have disturbed my nap." We have since had to give her away because of an evil bad tempered neighbor, and I miss her terribly. I do however have lots of good memories and can go visit her out in the country. That is, if she is not out catching mice.......or napping.

And by the way, here is Callie being lazy sunning herself in the front upstairs window.