Merry Christmas!

Another year of GREAT family photos taken by Olivia Wagner!

My photog friend found this card template for me. I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! Of course, it helps to have fabulous photos to add to it!

A Christmas Program

Louie had his Christmas program at school. It was the kids 6 minutes of fame.
He was the only kid sitting patiently in his chair waiting to start.

The little girl sitting next to him sat for a few minutes, but shortly after the program started, it was all over for her.


The first song was "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" and it was really cute.

"and if you ever saw him...."

"Reindeer...."

After the show, Santa showed up and gave each of the kids a present. a few of the kids were terrified of Santa, but not our kids!

Look who is front and center...

Cookie Decorating and a gingerbread house....

Saturday, we had our annual St. Kate's cookie decorating party out at Carol and George's house in Mendota Heights. It was lots of fun! Carol made some really good gingerbread kids and Emily and I made some sugar cookie cut-outs. Here's all the kids lined up at the counter, getting the sugar on....We really missed Bailey and Dennis that morning. Bailey had a bad cold and didn't feel well. Hopefully, we can see her soon. Emily really missed her and has been asking about her since than.

All the kids worked really hard on their cookies and everytime I turned around, Emily was eating the cookies that she just finished decorating.

Here's Luke, he's a cute little peanut....

and his big brother, Ben. Ben did an awesome job decorating. He was working so hard

Luke, he didn't decorate too many cookies, he was too busy hamming it up for the camera....

Then, we started on the gingerbread house that Emily got for her birthday. It turned out great...
Then, Emily took a break and ate another cookie.

Here's the tray of cookies that we decorated....they look so pretty.

Tina did a great job with the frosting in the pastry decorating thing. It worked out great!

and the finished product....isn't it lovely? Emily and Louie love it!

The Snowy Day

After I got home from some meetings today, Emily and Louie went outside to play in the fresh snow, they could hardly wait to run around and make tracks. Both wanted a snowman, but there's not enough snow for that.
But they did have fun running and running.....

and running.....

Ted thought about coming outside to play, but he wimped out after about 30 seconds. He was just fine sitting in his normal spot, keeping an ee on his rock....watching for rabbits.

Our house, all decorated for Christmas.

Then we came in and and I made their new favorite thing for dinner, Simple Sesame Noodles, only when I make it, I cook some chicken breast and broccoli with it. Louie usually eats ALL the broccoli that is in the bowl, then the chicken and then he eats all of his "twisty noodles."

After dinner, we made our sugar cut-outs for Saturdays decorating extravaganza. Emily helped roll out the dough and she did a fine job!

She was a great little roller. Now, if only I could successfully put a pan of cookies in the oven and remember to set the timer! Some of them got a little brown...but don't tell anyone!

Fifth Birthday

Emily turned 5 yesterday and we had a birthday party yesterday with all her Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and Grandparents. I'm Five!

She was telling everyone that she "Loves her special aquarium cake." And she LOVED it! It was awesome looking and really delicious! it had raspberry filling! YUMMY!
She blew out her candles and talked all about the sea creatures that were on the cake.



Emily very carefully read each of the cards. Dan asked her what each card said, "Happy Birthday, Emily"

She got this very cute frog pillow that is so soft and comfortable! It was a very froggy birthday!


She got a really cute tutu and fairy wand. She loves her tutu as well.


It was a really fun birthday for Emily, she received some wonderful birthday gifts from everyone: a fleece blanket, a gingerbread house, some books, cute clothes, socks and undies, play doh, an ATM bank, puzzles and a clock.... there will be more on the clock later!

Max and Ruby

Emily is turning 5 on Sunday! I can't believe it's been 5 years, but that's a whole different post. She got a very special present delivered from the Fed Ex man today....introducing Max and Ruby (or Roovy, as Emily pronounces it)

When I walked in the door from work they were both standing on chairs at the kitchen counter watching their new friends....Emily's wanted a fish of some kind for a really long time. Actually, she has wanted on for over a year, we fish sit for Claire's goldfish, Chloe and Emily's been hooked ever since.

The Florida Jansen's sent Emily a Frog-o-Sphere for her birthday this year and it couldn't have arrived at a better time! She is in LOVE with her two frogs....so much so, that she wanted to take them to bed with her.

Thanks Uncle Mark, Auntie Stacy, Jared, Drew and Justin! We love our new Max and Ruby

it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

We put up our Christmas tree on Saturday night, after the kids went to bed. Emily couldn't wait until Sunday morning to see it. Pretty soon, both Emily and Louie were sitting on the couch looking at the tree.


Then on Sunday morning, they go to put their own ornaments on the tree. For being 5 and 3, our kids have quite a few ornaments. I love that they do.

So, the kids would pick out the ornament out of the box and then Dan would help hang it on the tree.
They both were very careful with their ornaments and asked a lot of questions about where each one came from.

Then, when we were done putting the ornaments on, we tried out the cool Christmas glasses. I bought these many years ago at a hardware store in Kansas City. My sister and I went to visit my brother, when he was living there. We all had on the glasses and drove through Country Club Plaza with these on.
They are like 3D glasses, but every light on the tree has *jingle* or something like that around it. Very cool glasses! I love them!
The kids think they are very cool!




Now, we just need to get the rest of the decorating done. Auntie M is coming over on Friday night for our marathon night of cookie baking!