That Festive Time of Year

As I wrap up our year I've looked back and have seen all the time we've spent with our Family and Friends, but the Holiday's are always my favorite part.  I love all of the parties.  I appreciate the effort everyone makes to get together and spend time. I wish we did it more often.

Thanksgiving-
This year we had a quiet Thanksgiving at home with our little family and Challis' housemate John. The kids like to spend Thanksgiving at home, so they can lounge in PJ's, watch football and eat their favorite foods prepared in our traditional way. I on the other hand would love to go anywhere where anyone else is willing to to all the work and cook. Although, I have to admit it's nice to have our family recipes at the table. If you got a Christmas Card from us, you'll recognize the picture below of our family. I believe I said it represented the "true" us, and it does. Challis out on his own alone at one end. Corbin bridging from adolescence to adulthood. Me clinging close to Channy my last little bird in the nest, and Rick up higher than us all; head of the house. He'd tell you, "They just never leave any room for me."

 Brothers will be brothers, and whenever they get together....there is always this...

 There were some peaceful moments too.

We all enjoyed our time together, but it didn't last long and Rick was off to stand in line for Black Friday at Best Buy, and it was freezing! Corbin joined him out in the cold dark night, so we could all have Christmas gifts for...less. Corbin did set his snowboarding pants on fire though, so the overall cost wasn't so much less in the end, but I'm sure it's a night neither one of them will soon forget. *smile*

Cookie Party-
I always say I make cookies ONCE a year, but the truth is, I always have help. Our annual Cookie Party was so much fun. My niece Kylie is the most dedicated cookie maker there is. When you give that girl a task....she sees it to the bitter end.  She loves to make cookies too. She put out more cookies than any other person at the party. She is not only creative, she is responsible, helpful and patient. 

 Here Ky is helping her sister.

 My niece Rylie on the other hand is out and out TROUBLE. She's 2.  She's messy, loud and mischievous. Mostly she enjoyed eating cookie dough. She is our only little one, and she makes everything more hectic and more fun all at the same time. 

My nephew Bowen is an artist. He is a cookie creator, not just a decorator.  He has some of the best ideas, and while he doesn't put out quantities of cookies, he puts out quality cookies. The boy makes a cookie you can be proud of.

Challis and Melissa joined in our little party.  It's apparently the first cookie party that Mellisa has attended in the 5 1/2 years she's dated Challis.  She said, "There sure are a lot of cookies.  Do they last you the whole year or something?" No wonder she's so skinny. She's be shocked to know I ate most of them by the end of the week. :)

C

Channy doesn't put out many cookies at all. Mostly she hides.  She's to cool for cookies. It's her age. But I caught her here and there.

Corbin and Morgan were there too. Morgan should be a professional cookie artiest. They were so beautiful you could hang them. Corbin's, golf coarse,  cookie became the most copied.

My sister Kristi and her Husband Anson came to help out and make a few cookies of their own.

Grandma and Grandpa Dorman came and supervised cookie making as well.

Rick and I are always happy for everyone to come. And once again we had a wonderful time.

Christmas Dinner Party-

This was our first Christmas Dinner Party and I hope that we'll do it again. My sister Jennie and her family came along with her mom and step dad. My nephew Chance came over for the first time. My mom got to meet Jennie's mom Patty for the first time, and Jennie got to meet my sister Kristi. We had a delicious meal.

Then we played games.  I always love a good party game, and everyone is always a good sport to join in.

We played Guess What I Am For Christmas. I was surprised there were not duplicates. It was such fun, and my mom won. Above Steve, my mom and Kristi.

Patty and Jennie

Rick, Patty's husband, doing dishes. Do all men named Rick do dishes????

Me explaining all the rules.

Corbin and Morgan

Kyilee, Chantel, Corbin and Morgan

Jennie's family got us Just Dance, and we danced the night away.  Corbin and Challis take each other on. Corbin can shake it, so he won.

Our favorite head to head of the night. Troy Vs. Rick...Ummm, wrong hand Troy. I guess that's why he lost.

We even got Chance to shake it against Kyilee.

Thanks to everyone that came we really enjoyed your company.

Christmas EVE-

Christmas Eve we always open our new PJ's. We love new PJ's.

   The Kids, Challis, Chantel, and Corbin. Channy is holding her first Christmas gift from a boy.

My PJ's were soft and warm. I love Christmas Eve.  I always got new PJ's every Christmas as a little girl. There is just something special about new jammies.

This is one of my first Christmas' and I'm willing to bet my grandmother made my new nightgown. She sewed a lot of my Christmas PJ's. I looked so forward to opening them every Christmas Eve. It's the one tradition I really hope my children use in their families when they have families of their own.

Rick Showing off his new PJ's.

We play games Christmas Eve too.

And lastly Rick and I watched the Kids play Just Dance.

Then we went to bed to wait for Santa.

Christmas Day-

We always have so many things to be grateful for on Christmas Day, Friends, Family, and all the special gifts they have given us. Thank You! Each and everyone. We have enjoyed them all.

  

After we open our gifts we have family and friends over for a yummy Brunch.  It's our favorite part of the day. Some people love the Egg and Sausage Casserole, But Corbin and I love the French Toast Casserole with Vanilla Syrup. Needless to say I gained 4lbs over the Holidays. Every pound was worth it. :) But most of all we love the people that share our table on Christmas Morning.

WE hope your holidays were filled with as much love and joy as ours. Merry Christmas ALL!

Cookie Party

Every year my mother's grandchildren gather at my house to roll out, bake, frost, decorate, lick their fingers, and eat pizza.  It's an event that I look forward to every year when we all gather and enjoy CHAOS!  But, it really is an enjoyable chaos.  There's always one kid that seems to enjoy the cookie party more than any other, and that's our Kylee.  She is a little Martha Stewart.  I hope she never looses her love of baking because it's so darn cute.  She'd roll, and cut, and roll, and cut, and Rick would stand by the oven alternating batches in, and batches out. At one point Kylee looked over at me and said, "I could make a million cookies."  And according to Rick, she did.

Kylee (my sister Star's daughter)

And after she baked, she frosted and decorated.  She is an awesome decorator.  She worked so hard, and finally she looked and me and said, "Man those look so delicious.  Could I eat this one?  I made it."  And I said, "Kylee, you can eat any cookie you'd like.  After all, you made almost all of them."  It was so darn cute.  I wish I could freeze her at this age forever.

Little Rylie kept everyone busy, especially my mom. She really enjoyed eating the cookie dough. Grandpa had to take it away so she wouldn't get sick.

Grandma had to hold her most of the time after that because she was so fussy.

But, she did frost a cookie too.

Bowen has quite a cookie decorating talent.  He's very artistic. He promised to bring his violin next year and play some Christmas music for us, and I'm holding him to it.

 Bowen (my sister Kristi's son)

Channy baked all day long with me.  She even made some of the cookie dough.  She loved having her grandpa here.She made a Dallas Cowboy cookie.

Chantel

Grandpa Dorman

Corbin and Challis made very few cookies, but we were glad they came to hang out.

 Corbin

Challis

Kristi and Anson were at the party also.  We are always happy for them to come and bake with us.

Anson and Kristi

In the end we have yummy Christmas cookies that I will eat for the next 5 days straight, and then run off for the next 3 months.  Seems worth it at the moment, but not so much in January. :)

Rick and I enjoy it most after all the flour is off the floor and the frosting is off the chairs and we can reflect back on our memories.

We wish you ALL a Very Merry Christmas!