Aunt Phyllis' Poppy Seed Bread

So I made a double batch of my aunts yummy bread receipe on Christmas Eve. I stepped away from the kitchen for a minute and this is what I returned to. Apparently Ethan felt the need to tweek with the receipe, he dumped the entire bottle of Vanilla into the mixing bowl. They also both flung their fair share of flour. Ethan said "baby powder on my pants mommy". And Eric well is that face guilty or what?!

Shepherds Dinner

So I have to thank our friends the Spence family for this new tradition they shared with us. Our 1st annual Shepherds dinner. A night where we dress like shepherds and eat soup and broken bread as they would have. Suppose to be by candle light, but anyone who knows my boys would know why I opted for dimmed lights. We made Jenny Flakes delicious Loaded baked potato soup, love it! And I had the cutest little shepherd family. We spoke with the kids about how life and times were different in the days of Christ. Elizabeth wasn't wild about the artisin breads we had, but we had to stick with the theme.

12 Days of Christmas

Okay so I tried hard but I couldn't let this one go unmentioned.since this is our family journal I had to share one of our higlights of Christmas. We were spoiled and got the 12 days of Christmas from two different anonymous sources.I didn't want either one to be disappointed to find out someone else was also doing it. But it was so much fun. The kids absolutely looked forward to each surprise. Ethan would open the front door by himself numerous times a day "present mommy?" and when he would actually catch one he'd be thrilled. One of the givers brougt them all in stacking boxes. The kids had fun watching the tower grow until it touched the ceiling from where we had set it. We got delicious goodies, fun games, and sweet gifts. If anyone knows the box giver, where are those cereal boxes from? One night we got milk chugs, and here are all three kids drinking from one together. It was too cute! Thank you guys sooo much we loved it all!!!!

Packages Have Arrived

So I have to say that I love getting something fun in the mail. it was the day after Elizabeth's birthday and we just got in from some errands. Andrew was listening to the messages, and FedEx left one saying there were packages in our yard. Elizabeth ran out back and Elizabeth just about lost her mind. Everyones Christmas packages had arrived at once! It was so fun, this heap of boxes in the yard. The kids all heleped carry them in under the tree. Elizabeth kept saying "I am in love with December!" Thanks everyone!

Elizabeth's seven!!

I can't believe that little elizabeth is already seven years old. The time has gone by so quicly.I recall so much over the past years as if it were yesterday. She was born 10 days early. And we had the entire family taking over the waiting rooms at the hospital until 3 in the morning when she was born. That conehead was awful! I remember her little eyes looking all over the place when I finally held her all bundled up in her little blanket. Her daddy held her first, and stood for a couple of minutes in the room completely enamored with her, until I eventually asked to see her too. She really has grown up this past year. It must be the big sister in her. She is a huge help! She loves;
animals animals and more animals
cooking
baking
drawing
crafts
throwing parties
riding her bike
swimming
hannah montanah
singing
organizing
and funny enough hgtv and the food network!
She cracks me up
She misses her family tons. And loves whenever anyone comes to visit.
Happy birthday googley bear, monkey, merica, goose, bedonkeydonk, lizzy, sissy, aka Elizabeth!

Primary Christmas Party

Before Elizabeth's party we went to the church and had doughnuts with Santa. the kids got to make an ornament of the baby Jesus, and see Santa. My kids took their lists, as they do every year. Santa was up on the stage with Mrs. Claus. Ethan ran in ahead of all of us, up to the stage and stood their reaching as high as he could to get his list up tp Santa. He lists the same four items whenever you ask him. Ball, choo choo, helicopter, and hairpain(airplane)it's too cute. Love the needs of a two year old boy.Oh and Eric's sad face, well that's when to donut was gone.

I know this is a ton of pictures but hey these girls know how to party! What was I to cut out? We went to the children's museum in pheonix to celebrate Elizabeth's 7th birthday last Saturday. Don't worry you don't have to hear my emotional post until her real birthday Thursday, stay tuned. We had a great time, and hit up Mcdonalds on the way home. I loved it, the easiest party I ever threw!

 

This is a picture from Erics birthday party. That's my grandma who we call "Mimi", and my mom. They flew out that weekend. I miss Mimi a ton. She and I have always been very close. I don't call her very often because i know her hearing aids just squeel when she's on the phone. When I was a little girl she use to let me spend the night at her house all the tie. She made me feel special and important. She is who I named Elizabeth after. Because I think she is amazing. I think about how it freaks us out to have the world changing so drastically around us. But then she tells me of the things she's seen in her days, and it's crazy! Anyway Love you Mimi.

Elizabeth had an assignment at school to draw a picture of something she liked to do. Then write whether she did it in the morning afternoon or evening. I laughed so hard when I saw her picture.
A perfectly detailed tv and next to it her laying on the couch next to the window and the word afternoon. Seriously,
Of all the things we ever do!

 

So here's Thanksgiving in a nutshell. Ethan stayed sick until Friday. Everyone that had planned on coming, except the Miller's still came out. I was so nervous that everyone was going to get sick. And of course they did. We made it through Thanksgiving with only th two boys sick. But then Andrew and I spent a day sick, Rebecca was out for two days, and Jenna and JoAnna caught it Sunday. It was horrible. They were all good sports about it. I felt soooooooooo BBBAAAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!! But as we alsways do we still managed to have a good time. We all pitched in to make Thanksgiving dinner. Elizabeth is very protective of her "secret receipe" the mashed potatoes. She won't let anyone in the kitchen while we make it. She swears they're out to get the receipe. We also put up the christmas decorations with everyone here. I am still trying to get use to the fake tree. This is our first year with one. And everyone knows I am a firm believer in fresh trees. But oh well. Eric was so amazed when he got up from his nap and saw the ornaments all over the tree. It was so cute. He's getting better about yanking them off, but I do rehang quite a few daily.