Christmas eve

I have taken quite a blogging holiday. We have been so busy with my inlaws here and all of the christmas festivities that I have not been on line much. So I am going to start with xmas eve. We have a fairly new tradition of having my Dad, stepmom (Trish) and brother Jake over for dinner. I really like it cuz I dont usually get to see them much over xmas. I get to cook all day long and I really love it. This year was a very yummy year. But my dad couldnt come which was a really big bummer. I LOVE my dad and am a bit of a daddys girl, so I was sad that he couldnt come (he had a bad back). Thankfully, Trish and Jake still came for the dinner. We had so much yummy food. Roasted red pepper dip and cheeses from Trader Joes...if you have never had cambazola cheese before, you need to leave the computer right now and go out and buy some. It is amazingly delish.

We then had a salad course with apple cider dressing.

Our main course was a slow cooked ham that Loren used about 5 different recipes to make in the crockpot. It was awesome, but he doesnt know how he did it! Then cauliflower gratin http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1853962
and Paula deens corn cassarole http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/corn-casserole-recipe/index.html
and yorkshire pudding with sage and bacon and last but not least mashed potatoes...Oh yeah, and then christmas cookies...I am still full.

Merry Christmas!

More later, we have been so busy. The boys (and us) have had a wonderful and blessed day. L's mom and dad are here visiting for the week so we have a lot going on. I hope everyone has had a wonderful christmas and not too much snow!
Peace

xmas party 1

Jacks best friend and Jacks best friends mom.

















d Jacks favorite race car hat.














the boys playing their favorite game of being run over by a giant purple ball. All the boys screamed with delight as L bounced the ball off of them and they would fall down.

xmas party 2

Here are the Dads eating at the kiddy table, just like they used to do.














Here is a beautiful gingerbread house that Ryans mom made! The boys (and adults) couldnt wait to start eating it! Pretty and yummy!







Birthday cupcakes

Busy, busy, busy

This has been quite a week. Trying to finish up xmas shopping, start wrapping, getting gifts ready for work today, baking gifts, loren working late one day, it has been a hectic week. And I am not done yet!!

I will soon be posting pictures of a very fun xmas party we went to last Saturday at Uncle Bill and Auntie Kates. It was the third annual "kid" party. It used to be that we were the kids (me, L, Kates 2 sons and their wifes) but now it is all about the next generation. Jack, his best bud Ryan (Kates grandson), Luke and now Kenzie (Kate's granddaughter). Crazy kids every where. The first year was just Jack and Ryan but I was pregnant with Luke, but we were not telling anyone yet, so i dumped my wine down the bathroom sink to not look suspicious. The next year Luke was added to the mix, but at 4 months old he was not very mobile. This year all boys and a few dads were super rambunctious. Kenzie is just adorable at 10 months and next year will be in the mix with the boys.

New best friend

I woke up this saturday morning to find Jack on the couch watching Bob the Builder. A show that he can watch many, many, many times and he requests it every morning now.

I was amazed to find the cat lying on Jack. He was pretty proud that the kitty wanted to lay on him.

After 3 years of being roughly petted, tail pulled, hair yanked out...T likes to hang out with Jack.

The cat also likes to sleep on Jack bed, tho not when Jack is in it.

Who's the man

This morning I took Jack to school on my way to work. He always has to have toast cut into soldiers in a baggy to eat in the car on the way to any place he goes in the morning. He is a boy of many habits. As we were pulling out he asked (as he always asks) "butter on it?" I said "yes, butter is on it. Lots of butter. Daddy makes good toast." With out missing a beat Jack says back "daddy a good man". I agreed with him and totally cracked up.

Edited to say that I realized today that it is "Daddy is a good guy" not man, but guy!