Christmas

I love Christmas time! Since David and I have been married we have always bought a real Christmas tree and this year was no exception. We picked one out from a tree lot that I highly recommend (they always have great trees) and decorated it while watching Christmas Vacation. Callie always has to take a picture wearing her favorite antlers and collar in front of the tree. 

This is how she really feels about it! 

I love watching Christmas movies. This year I was able to watch a bunch of Christmas movies because we had a week off before Christmas- It was awesome! I love baking cookies. For the past 4 years, a group of friends have done a cookie exchange. I have to say this year was some of the best cookies! Which is great since I am pregnant and like sweets more than I used too! 

I love spending time with family. It's nice because for the past two years we have been able to spend 2 days with our families. This way we aren't having to leave one family to get to the other- each family has one day. We had a great time at both families! This year was our last Christmas without a baby and I am sure will be very different than our future Christmases to come. Usually I am very melancholy the day after Christmas because I look forward to it so much and then it is over, but this year I was not sad. We have such exciting things coming up: baby showers, getting her room ready, and having a daughter, that I had so much to look forward too that I wasn't sad Christmas was over. Plus David had time off work so we had a lazy day together and then the next day went to the movies and dinner. It was nice getting to spend so much time together- just the two of us (insert heart and smiley face!). 

Sister in laws

 My family (for another few months until we add a baby girl!)

Family 

Playing Guesstures 

Baby girl got some presents too! We also got some more packs of diapers but I figured we didn't need to see all those! It's funny the gifts you get excited about when you get older- who knew diapers would be so exciting! 

Candy Making Weekend

We have had another successful candy making weekend with family! It is a family tradition for the girls to get together to make candy recipes that have been passed down from my grandmothers family. We have tried our own recipes but the best are the ones that have been passed down! It was neat because we had 4 generations helping to make candy this year. We always have a great time baking, laughing, and telling stories.

Wonderful Christmas Break

Well Christmas break has come to a close but it was a wonderful break. It was one of the most relaxing breaks I have ever had. It was shorter than what we normally have so I didn't plan as much. I read 2 books and started a 3rd. I slept in and stayed in my pajamas for way longer than I probably should have. I got caught up on all my DVR shows that have been sitting there forever waiting to be watched. I also spent time with family and friends (the more important part of break)! This year for Christmas we spent one day with each family which was awesome because we could really enjoy Christmas. We didn't have to rush and were able to really enjoy being with both sides of the family. Here are some pictures highlighting my great break!

3rd Cookie Exchange with the girls

Christmas Eve with my in-laws

Christmas with my family

 My hubby and I

Callie playing in the park

Taking pictures of Callie with my new camera

New Years Eve

Christmas Candy Making

Every year my Grandma, aunts, cousins, mom, and myself meet to make homemade candy. It is the start to the Christmas season! My cousins and I are getting better at learning how to do it on our own. This year I took pictures of each candy and wrote down the recipes to make a book. It is a 3 day event- 2 days making candy and 1 day boxing it. We all take some home, give it away, and eat it at Christmas. This year we tried some new types of candies.We spent the days and nights laughing- one night we were laughing so hard we were in tears. Aunt Jan brought old pictures, which was fun to look through. We had 4 generations making candy, quite a neat family tradition. 

Christmas Break

I LOVE Christmas break! I have had a wonderful Christmas break thus far. I spent the day baking on Saturday and Monday. I even made my own royal icing! I piped the cookie with thick royal icing and then flooded the piping with a thinner royal icing. I only had 5 cookies like that though because it took forever! I then went to the store and bought already made icing to ice and decorate the rest of the cookies. I was proud of myself for making my own icing though! On Sunday I had a cookie exchange with some friends and got some wonderful cookies. We made a craft from Pintrest- I ran out of buttons so I will finish the project later and post pictures of my first Pintrest craft! on Tuesday night David and I went to the UK game with some friends and had a great time! It is always fun going to a game at Rupp! I have had a chance to sleep in, read, and scrapbook. The house is clean, laundry is caught up, and life is good!!! I really love my job but I really love the break!

Candy Making

This past weekend my mom and I went to my aunts house to make cookies and candy. It is a family tradition and 4 generations have participated in this tradition. My grandma passed the recipes to my aunts and they are passing them to us( first cousins) and the 2nd cousins. We melt the chocolate and then put it in a mold, adding different things for fillings, freeze it, remove it, and then put it in wrappers. My cousins and I decorate the mint chocolate candy using green and milk chocolate creating bows and ribbon. This year we made: peanut butter cups, chocolate cream, opera cream( this one takes forever but we perfected the process), chocolate raisins, chocolate nuts, chocolate with cherries, mint chocolate, white chocolate crunch with mint, suckers, and chocolate covered pretzels. It was so much fun making all this candy! It is a great way to start to Christmas season!

Me, mom, grandma, and Aunt Cindy

Mom and Grandma

My cousins Randi, Tiffany, and Maddie

My cousins cute baby with Taters the dog. She kept feeding Taters her cheese puffs, very cute!