Christmas- One Big Party

So our Christmas started out on the 23rd. My sisters came into town and we had a mini family Christmas dinner before the boys and I left to Arizona. Giving my family a chance to give the boys their Christmas presents and giving me my new camera!! One of the best gifts of the night was the crossbow that Noah and Nick gave to Taylor. The entire night everyone kept playing with it. Josh being the best shot asked me if we could play William Tell, but with a coke can. Of course since it is just suction darts I couldn't say no.

Christmas Eve we went to a Christmas party at Collin's cousins house. Stacey and George are so wonderful they even got Santa to come bring presents to the kids! Nick stood in on almost every santa picture taken. And all the little girls there were so smitten with Riley, she was the hit of the party (after Santa of course). 

Christmas morning Collin's family came over to our house for presents. Noah was so excited to open presents he sat in front of the tree just watching it. Until it was time to open presents of course! Nick and Noah just wanted to play with their old toys and the Hot Wheels Set that Santa left out for them.

Noah got these really cool drinking glasses from Aunt Cathy, I love how something so simple brings so much joy to a child's life.

Then Nana Nelson came over with some gifts for the boys just after lunch time, and then for dinner we all met at Courtney's house for you guessed it MORE PRESENTS!!! 

Sunday morning we went out to my aunt Gretchen's house for a yummy breakfast with Michelle, Dana, Tracy and Zef (Michelle's Grandpa). Tracy had a special surprise sent from my dad. A replica of his dog Frank. The real Frank wasn't quite sure what to make of the metal dog, but everyone else loved metal Frank.

 Nick likes to look pretty once in awhile

Then that night we had a Birthday/Christmas dinner for Noah with Collins extended family. 

Can you see Noah just digging in!

And of course we had to have one last party for Uncle Spencer's Birthday! 

That's a twenty on his cake. Two candles and a Zero. lol

We had so much fun in Arizona, the boys loved being able to see their dad and all of that family and most especially Bonnie! She has been missed so much while we have been in Vegas by one little boy who NEVER let her leave his side. 

One Lucky Duck!

So I am very lucky this holiday season! Not only did we have a great Christmas down in Arizona but I won TWO (count them 1, 2) Holiday giveaways! Go ME!! First from  Some What Simple, with her Christmas Giveaway. 12 days, 78 prizes. Thank you Steph and also Lil Stein Styles for my $30 to your shop!

And from The Creative Goddess for her Birthday Giveaway, I won a Hodge Podge of Mod Podge! I can't wait to get this and get Mod Podging! Thanks Amy for Mod Podge Rocks for introducing me to this wonderful blog!

12 Days Of Christmas

I recently found out that the 12 Days Of Christmas is NOT just a fun song, and a way to con more presents out of the month of December! It is a song about Christ; and how the Christians of olden days would help remember him with out being persecuted. So they came up with this clever little song.

The song starts out with the first day of Christmas my True Love gave to Me. 

True Love being God and Me being every christian. 

A Partridge in a Pear Tree = Jesus

Two Turtle Doves = The Old and New Testaments

Three French Hens = Faith Hope and Love

Four Calling Birds = the 4 Gospels (Matthew Mark Luke and John- their books not the people)

Five Golden Rings = The First 5 books of the Old Testament or Hebrew Torah (which is Hebrew Law)

Six Geese A Laying = 6 days of creation

Seven Swans A Swimming = 7 Gifts of the Holy Spirit

                                          Prophecy, Ministry, Teaching,  Exhortation, Giving , Leading, Compassion

Eight Maids of Milking = the 8 Beatitudes 

                                      Blessed are the poor in Spirit; for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

                                      Blessed are the meek; for they shall possess the Land.

                                      Blessed are they who mourn; for they shall be comforted.

                                      Blessed are they that hunger & thirst after justice; for they shall have their fill.

                                      Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.

                                      Blessed are the clean of heart; for they shall see God.

                                      Blessed are the Peace Makers; for they shall be called the children of God.

                                      Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice sake; for theirs is the Kingdom                                         

                                                      of Heaven.

Nine Ladies Dancing = The Fruits of the Holy Ghost (Gal 5:22) 

               Love, Joy, Peace, Long-suffering, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-control.

Ten Lords A Leaping = Ten Commandments

Eleven Pipers Piping = 11 Faithful apostles

Twelve Drummers Drumming = 12 Points of the Apostles Creed

             1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 

             2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

             3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 

             4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell     

                        [the grave]. 

             5) On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the 

                      Father. 

             6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 

             7) I believe in the Holy Spirit,

             8) the holy catholic Church,

             9) the communion of saints, 

           10) the forgiveness of sins, 

           11) the resurrection of the body, 

           12) and life everlasting.

I did find this great site that gave a little meaning along with some scripture that talks more about each day of the Twelve Days of Christmas.  By Dennis Bratcher

I hope that you found this as interesting as I did.

Melted Snowman Cookies

This just might be one of my new favorite winter cookies! I love how cute these cookies turned out. I got the recipes and ideas from Smashed Peas and Carrots.

Sugar Cookies

1/3 cup cold butter

1/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups all purpose flour

Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer for about 30 seconds on high speed.  Add in sugar, baking powder and a dash of salt.  Beat until combined.  Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing.  Add in the flour 1/2 cup at a time, you may need to hand stir the remaining 1/2 cup.  Lightly flour your rolling surface and place half your dough on top.  Flip your dough a few times to get it nicely coated with flour.  Flour your rolling pin and then roll out your dough 1/8 to 1/4 inch in thickness and cut your shapes.  Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes or just until the cookies edge is firm and the bottom of the cookie is a very light golden brown.  Cool on a rack and ice!!

Sugar Cookie Icing

1 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 tsp corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla or almond!)

Add your powdered sugar to a medium sized bowl and to that bowl add your milk and your corn syrup.  Mix well.  Then add your extract and slowly add more milk and corn syrup until you get the consistency you prefer.  More runny for flooding or more thick for well, a more thick icing!

For the snowman- put the big marshmallows in the microwave for 25 secs. Then add to top of cookie and decorate with sprinkles

TIP: Spray hands with pam for easier handling of the partial melted mellows

Noah had to finish his dinner before he was allowed one

Now the boys are singing Once There Was A Snowman

SOOO GOOOODDDD!!!!!!

Keeping Christ In Christmas

Growing up my Grandma Zobrist would always give the grandkids, 12 days of christmas presents. The last one always being pajamas to wear christmas eve. As we have grown up and she passed away the only part of that tradition that my family has carried on is giving pajamas on christmas eve. And that is usually the only present that we were allowed to open.
I LOVE the idea of the 12 days of christmas, but I have noticed that each year it is harder and harder to keep christ in christmas. I so easily get so caught up in shopping, baking, wrapping, the parties that I forget about christ. The whole reason that we EVEN have christmas!
So in church this past week we were talking about ways that we can help keep Christ in Christmas and one lady said she has a friend that every night leading up to christmas her family sings a song and reads a scripture about Christ. I decided, that is what I want to do with my kids. What a great way to help bring the spirit of Christ into your house each and everyday!
Unfortunately I coud not find a site or any place on-line that already had picked out scriptures and songs to go together for such an occasion. So this is my make-shift list, which I am sure as the years go on will be updated and fixed into something much much better. And these are not in any particular order yet. One day (prob next year) I will get that fixed too.
If you have any thoughts on songs with scriptures please let me know!

1. Luke 2:15-16 with Little Town Of Bethlehem

2. Helaman 14: 4-6 Beautiful Star Of Bethlehem

3. Matt 11:11 We Three Kings

4. Luke 2: 9-12 Angels We Have Heard On High

5. Luke 2:7 What Child Is This

6. Matt 1: 20-25 Josephs Song (Michael Card)

7. Isaiah 7:14 Mary Did You Know

8. Luke 2: 8-11 Do You Hear What I Hear

9. Luke 2:4 Little Donkey, Little Donkey

10. Helaman 14:4 O Holy Night

11. Alma 7:10 Mary Sweet Mary

12. 2 Nephi 19:6 Silent Night

Magic Christmas Tree

One of my favorite christmas memories growing up was the magic christmas tree.

Every year my dad would choose one lucky child to be the very special picker of the magic christmas tree seed. He would have a variety of cool seeds he found; ranging from avocado to olive to whatever else he thought would work. We would all go out as a family, bury the seed go back in for a movie and treat and right before bed we would check on our tree to see if it had grown, and guess what within hours it had! And then when we would wake up in the morning a full grown christmas tree would be there waiting for us to bring inside and decorate. (we never noticed that the tree didn't have any roots or the fact that my dad could easily pick it up or that the tree sometimes would be leaning on the side of the house to keep from falling down.

Anyways, so when I had Noah, i vowed that my son would get to know the pleasure of the magic christmas tree. So tonight, we went on a seed hunt. We walked all over Grandma Shells front yard looking for that special seed. And Noah found it sitting right next to the clay turtle named Shelly. Noah was so excited that he found one, Nick was excited that Noah was excited. Then we went out back, dug a hole and planted our special seed and then gave it some water and a little kiss. (You have to kiss the tree/seed to make it grow) 

We went inside, made a cake, had a picnic dinner and watched All Dogs Go To Heaven: A Christmas Carol. And when Noah went out to check on the seed, sure enough it had started to grow. Then again we check the seed after baths and scriptures and it was even taller!!