Merry Christmas...

We would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas...

We have had another great year...full of many good memories...and great family times. We are truly a happy and contented little family...we appreciate all the little things and events in life...all those little moments warm my heart. Our little family grew a little bit bigger this year with the arrival of James Hawthorne...a perfect little man...who is on a mission to grow, grow, grow! Elsie is still just as independent and free as ever...she keeps up laughing with the crazy things she comes up with!
As I look back on this year I think, "wow!" We have had a very full year for sure...Elsie had a broken leg, our house and car were broken into, I was on bedrest for 3 months, Jon had a tick disease, we welcomed a new baby, a trip to the zoo, a couple road trips...a full life...a wonderful and exciting life. Jon and I feel very blessed and thankful...we have had an amazing year and can't wait to see what next year will bring...

Christmas PJ's...

Every year we have to buy Christmas pajamas for the kids...we open gifts Christmas morning in our pajamas...and we have to look festive!
We tried to get a few pictures of the kids wearing the new pajamas in front of the Christmas tree...Frosty the Snowman was on TV so Elsie was not into having her picture taken!

James was happy to sitting up by the tree...

After sitting up for a while the little man tipped over partially under the Christmas tree...we let him play for a while under the the tree...he was so contented to reach the branches and babble away to the tree...thank goodness it is a fake tree or I am sure the whole thing would have fallen over on him!

Krumkaka...

Last weekend I made some Krumkaka cookies for the first time...my grandma forgot her press at my parents house a couple years ago...so I decided to try it out. If you read this grandma...you will have to fight me for the press...I loved making the Krumkaka!
I think it took me all afternoon to make these cookies...one at a time on the stove top...but it was worth it...so light and yummy!

Getting Ready...

We always like to use fun seasonal cups to drink our water from...we found this fun snowman cup at the dollar store...and Elsie has been using it every day since...
At this time of the year I like to post about all the little things we do...Elsie loves to look at previous Christmas memories I have posted about...so this will be fun little memory...

Cousins...

While we were celebrating Christmas with Grandma B. we got a few pictures of the grandchildren in front of the Christmas tree...it was just a little tricky to get them all to sit still, be happy, look at the camera and smile! These were the best 3 photos...
Elsie was just happy to be holding the baby...she is such a baby lover!

3 boys...one girl...Elise is the only girl cousin in Jon's family and in my family...someone better start having girls to even things out a bit!

Christmas with Grandma B.

On Saturday evening we celebrated Christmas with Grandma B. Every year we go to the Winter Wonderland of Lights...the kids both loved it! James did fall asleep about half ways through the wonderland...but Elsie was all wide eyed and excited! She had been looking forward to seeing the Wonderland all week!
After the Wonderland we opened gifts...Elsie was very excited to open a little piano/keyboard! She loves this toy...she has been playing us music ever since she open it up!

James was a little over whelmed by everything...but he was quite happy while chewing on the wrapping paper...I think he is working on a few more teeth...so all he wanted to do was chew, chew, chew!

I think James loves the piano just as much a Elsie does! He loves to sit up with the piano on his lap and hit at the keys...and chew on the microphone...

This year Grandma B. had a little train around the Christmas tree...and the kids loved watching it go around and around...

Even James enjoyed sitting with Daddy and watching the train go around and around...until he decided he would rather eat the train than just watch it...

We went back over to Grandma B.'s house on Sunday for a late breakfast...Elsie loves a big breakfast on the weekends...French toast, hash browns, sausages...so yummy...especially when you can eat in the living room on a special table while watching cartoons!

I think the highlight of the day for Elsie was playing with her cousin...they had so much fun...jumping on the bed, jumping off the couch, playing with the musical instruments, painting fingernails...fun little memories...What a fun Christmas weekend...

Cupcakes...

This past weekend Jon and the kids made cupcakes to bring to Christmas at Grandma B's house...
James was just happy to be sitting on Daddy's lap...he looks so happy! He is becoming quite a Daddy's boy...

The finished cupcake...after frosting the cupcake we rolled it in crushed candy cane...they tasted super yummy...and a big hit with the kids...even if all they ate was the topping!

A Little Tree...

Elsie has a little pink Christmas tree in her bedroom...and she is so proud of the little tree. A couple weeks ago she picked out some tiny bulbs to hang on the tree...and we tied a big pink bow on the top for a topper...Such a special little memory for her...

Cookies...

A couple weeks ago Elsie and I made a couple batches of cookies...Spritz, Peanut Blossoms, Thumbprint and Krumkaka...all gluten, dairy and peanut free. Most of the cookies have all been eaten...so it is on our agenda to try and more before Christmas...
After our first batch of Spritz cookies we ran out of sprinkles and had to get more...I love the way Elsie decorates cookies...

While decorating the cookies I was watching Elsie sneak little finger-fulls of the sprinkles...she assured me she wasn't eating any...

One look at that sweet little smile tells me I was correct and a little snitching was going on...but I guess that is just part of making cookies! (looks like someone was also into mommy's eye makeup!)

Embrace the Camera...

I skipped last week's Embrace the Camera...so you would have thought in 2 weeks time I would have some kind of picture of my children with Jon or I...but I guess not!So last night I was trying to come up with a picture to use and finally had to take some...I finally settled on some boring self portraits taken through the dining room mirror...
James just wanted to eat the camera...most of the pictures we took did not turn out because of little baby fingers on the lens...such special pictures...even the ones with the fingers in way...

Elsie Jane...

Last week while the kids were playing on the backdrop I was able to snap some pictures of Elsie...a makeshift photo shoot! She is wearing clothes I would normally never pick out and he hair is more than a little funky...but these pictures have totally captured Elsie and her free spirit...The picture below is my favorite...so typical of Elsie to use the bench as a frame when others would see it only as something to sit on...this girl knows how to think outside the box already...my hope is that she will never lose that...

This girl is my sidekick...we do everything together...
She can drive my crazy at times...

Sometimes I get exasperated with her dramatic ways and free spirit...

Then I take a deep breath and realize the there are important things in life than arguing about which shirt to wear...

It is far more important that she feels secure with who she is...I want her to listen her creative being and have the creativity and boldness to express herself however she wants...

Elsie is a pretty special girl who does things her own way...

The photo below is the typical "don't mess with me, I am ticked off" face...you will know when you have crossed the line with Elsie because she will give you "the look"...she can hold her own for sure...but I guess you have to in a big family!

As soon as "the look" is gone she is all happy with her sunny disposition back...I prefer the sunny face the best!

A perfectly happy little girl...who says she not just 3...but rather almost 4...(Her b-day is November!) She is trying her hardest to catch up in age to her beloved Auntie Em who is 8...I keep telling her to slow down and enjoy being 3 because I don't want my baby girl to grow up! She thinks I am ridiculous...

5 Month Old Boy...

This little man is getting so big...5 months old already...where has the time gone!? Last week I did a little photo shoot of James...the lighting was perfect and the little man was perfectly happy...especially when Grammie is hootin' and hollerin' behind me so the little man would look in the right direction and smile...thanks mom!
I love, love, love the outfit James is wearing...I bought those little levi's with holes in the knees at a garage sale last summer with a photo shoot in mind...they look so boyish! The tie was a long one I bought at Goodwill for around $1...I just cut the end off and used some fabric glue to glue the edges together. Cute out fit and a good price!

Such a happy and contented boy...and oh so busy!

Just like his daddy in this picture...trying to pull the tie off...

Every boy needs a good pair of Levi's with a few holes in the knees...

He loves this noisy Cookie Monster toy...I cannot stand that darn toy...but it makes him happy every time he sees it...I guess it is worth it...

No photo shoot is complete with plenty of photos of the toes...

His perfect little baby hair...he had quite a bit of black hair when he was first born...then he lost most of it and new fuzzy hair was growing in. Now he is losing most of it on the top again...he is keeping the hair on the back and sides...pretty soon he will look like an old man! But a very cute old man...

Sleeping so peacefully...so angelic...

Nap time...love the bright orange cloth diaper sticking out...