Cookie Making

Since Santa doesn't like store bought cookies we spent Christmas eve baking and decorating cookies for him.

Grace and I took care of the baking while Daddy was at work. She helped me at first but soon wanted her own piece of dough which she rolled, squished and cut for at least 45 minutes.





Once Daddy got home from work we decorated our cookies. Grace lost interest in putting sprinkles on the cookies that we would frost and then spent a lot of time dumping sprinkles from one bowl to the other.



We let her have the bottle of frosting and she was all about decorating cookies again. I think the cookies she frosted were the most beautiful.







I'm not sure who had more fun decorating. I almost think it was Mommy and Daddy, but I'm not sure.



We had so much fun that I thought we should decorate cookies for all holidays. Now where do I find Washington and Lincoln cookie cutters??

Gingerbread Houses!

Last weekend Jen, Ian and Allison braved the snowy weather to join us in making gingerbread houses.



You may be interested to know that very little candy was eaten during this project. I think I caught Grace eating one gummy circle.





Grace kind of lost interest in decorating, but Ian stayed focus and made sure just about every spot had some candy.

Family Portrait

In Mexico we had a photographer come to do a family portrait. He was a super nice guy and took some great photos of my whole family and each of our indiviual families.



Here's everybody.



Here's a slide show of a few of my favorites.



If you would like to check out the whole album:
www.pictage.com/595560

Christmas Party

Due to our lack of power this past weekend Grace and I head to Grandma's house on Friday. Daddy joined us on Saturday afternoon to get warm and come with use to a Christmas Party with Santa.

Grace helped Grandma decorate her Christmas tree.



Mini Santa was the hit of the party.



He makes a find center piece as well.



Santa brought presents for all the boys and girls. Grace would not sit on Santa's lap, but Spencer didn't mind. In case you were wondering I was informed but Nolan, the authority on Santa, that although this Santa's beard is real he is not the real Santa.



Grace loved the present Santa gave her.



But I think she liked Gray's a little better.

Ice Storm

It's amazing how a little rain, well a lot of rain can make such a mess. There are a few pictures from last Friday morning. It sure was a mess around here, but it was really pretty.





My poor tree.

Christmas Card Time!

I've been trying to not obsess over getting the perfect Christmas card picture. I obsessed over it last year. I don't why, but I did. Maybe its because I cheated Grace's first Christmas by going to The Picture People.

I woke up this morning and saw the snow I knew it was the day. I think we got a good one, but you'll have to wait for your card to see it. Here are some that didn't make the cut.





After Grace's photo shoot we came inside to work on making decorations for our artifical Christmas tree. We're going to have two this year. The real tree we're going to put up in a few weeks with hopefully the help of our friends Jen, Russ, Ian and Allison. My plan for the artifical one was for Grace to make things for it. Our project was a whole family effort and I think we made a few cute decorations. Grace sure loves to glue things together!



A message from Grace:
aBZGHYDHUDKJKDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDMMMODLMDDDDDDDDDDDD.l/.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy belated Turkey Day! We went to Grandma Gail's house for a Turkey party, or a least that's house I explained it to Grace. That seemed to quite her continual request to go Trick-or-Treating.

Grace loves to play Grandma's piano.



Grace probably ate about two thirds of that turkey leg.



Such a silly! Grace walked around with that stool on her head for easily 5 minutes asking me if I liked her hat.



Grace's Christmas List:
http://www.kaboodle.com/kellykins/graces-list.html

Trip to Mexico

We spent a great week in Mexico with my family. The weather was great, the house we stayed in was beautiful and it was so much fun to watch Grace play with her cousins!!