Christmas Party!

Last year Sara Knight and I threw a fun Christmas party/playgroup and it was such a hit, we decided to do it again this year! We invited all the kids in the ward to come and play for a few hours one morning at the Church building at the start of the school's Christmas break. There was a great turn-out and everyone had a fun time!

The kids had several activities they could do. We had cookies to decorate, ornaments kids could paint and fill with tiny charms and tinsel, homemade play-dough, scooters, a bounce house and tons of little gingerbread houses. Lily really enjoyed decorating her gingerbread house.

Amy and Derek came, and so did Laura and her family! I love that we live close enough to visit!

Decorating Christmas cookies before most people arrived:

Our neighbor friends came, too! Sydney and Lily were born one day apart and love to play at each other's houses. It was fun having Sydney and her family there!

It was potluck so everyone brought lunch items to share. Cole had fun constructing crazy kabobs out of the finger food.

Jude and Mason were thick as thieves as usual. Love these cousins!

Baby Cassidy is getting so big!

Amy and Derek came back to the house to hang out for the day after helping clean up. It was fun to have them! Lance was excited to do perler beads with the master (Amy), and the other kids insisted on joining in.

Thanks for coming!

December happenings--friends, gingerbread houses, and a temple trip

December always seems to be one of the busiest months of the year, but we did manage to slow down a bit and have some fun around the craziness.

We are lucky to live close to a handful of friends. Jude and Cole love playing with the Sawyers who live just down the street from us.

One day George and I and the girls got to build gingerbread houses with Cole at school! It was so cute watching these 5 and 6-year olds decorating their houses.

Mrs. Coleman was sweet and gave Lily and extra house.

She and Daddy worked hard! 

As usual, Cole had an exact idea of how he wanted his house to look and he jumped right in.

(We were headed to the gym right after, which is why I'm dressed like this in the middle of December.)

It looks so good, Cole!

I love this little gingerbread girl he created. 

"My gingerbread girl is hapy at the bech. She likes the bech."

Lance was able to attend his first temple trip with our ward from Charlottesville! He was already up in Vienna, so Scott was able to chaperone the trip with him. 

A great group of youth!

And this crazy lady keeps us on our toes with her Dr. Jeckel/Mr. Hyde personality. She can be so sweet and kind and fun, and then turn around and completely lose it in anger and frustration. We are still trying to figure out how to parent this little person, building her strengths but not giving in to her weaknesses. Of all the kids, she is able to push our buttons the hardest and fastest, but also completely capable of melting our hearts. She is creative, feisty, fiery, and insane and couldn't possibly love her more!

Heaven help us when she becomes a teenager!

Christmas cookies!

It wouldn't be a proper start to the Christmas season without some Christmas sugar cookies.

Seriously, the kids all LOVE decorating these and ask about them almost every day. I have to admit I'm a little less enthusiastic about making them, but I couldn't possibly say no to these cute faces!

So many helpers...

They all take the decorating very seriously. It's been fun to see their creativity develop over the years. Jude and Lance are both excellent and if Cole would stop licking his, they'd look great too!

Lily's artistic side is slowing making an appearance, too! She concentrates hard--it's cute watching her be so careful.

This girl just wanted to eat the frosting.

Jude's cookies:

Cole's cookies:

Dad even got to decorate some before heading to work!