Cookie Decorating Day!

Our annual Christmas cookie decorating took place today on New Year's Eve.  We normally do this before Christmas, but due to having all our windows replaced, we had to postpone the event until after the work was complete - and consequently after the Christmas holiday.  But we still had a great time together!

Before Laura and the kiddos showed up mid-morning, we found our supplies and set up shop.

We spent the morning decorating cookies with icing and sprinkles.  This is something the kids always really enjoy!  It is fun for us adults to watch them be creative and see how much they've grown in ability in a year's time.

Essie is becoming quite the decorator!

Benjamin spent a long time on each of his cookies.  He is very meticulous in his work!

Sarah quietly makes her creations all by herself.

This was Hannah's first year to fully participate, and she thoroughly enjoyed herself from decorating to eating the tasty treats along the way. :)

And we can't forget Grace!  She watched the activities from her high chair while munching on her Puffs.

Here is the fruit of our morning's labors:

After lunch, we set about making chocolate-covered pretzels.  Yes, they aren't cookies, but they use a similar ingredient: sprinkles.

After completing our creations, we had a grand mess in the kitchen!  We were literally treading on sprinkles all over the place.  We tried to get a picture, but it really doesn't do it justice.  You would have had to have been here yourself and feel the sprinkles on the bottom of your feet.

It was a very fun day with lots of special memories!

A Merry Christmas!

God blessed us with a wonderful Christmas together this year!  It was a quiet, enjoyable day filled with smiles, laughter, good food, and family fellowship.

While waiting for the Tuner clan to arrive early that afternoon, we made some dinner preparations and went to work on a puzzle.  Dad went about re-hanging some of our mini-blinds.

Here are other pictures from the day:

All ready to open presents!!!

On Tuesday, Kathy and I spent part of the day baking some of our favorite Christmas cookies: candy cane and gingerbread.  So on Christmas day, we had an array of desserts to choose from following our dinner.  

We concluded the day together by playing two rounds of Scotland Yard.  

It was a lovely family day before the beginning of packed schedules and everyone going their separate ways.  Now for one more week of "calm before the storm". 

It's starting to feel like Christmas...

It has been all-around different for us this holiday season.  Because the installation of new windows and doors have turned our house inside-out and altered traditional Christmas activities and plans, things just haven't felt the same.  This past weekend, though, a couple of us were itching to do some holiday baking, so even though there was a mess around us, we hit the kitchen determined to have some fun!

One of the items baked was Linzer cookies.  We hadn't touched this recipe in several years.  It's a several step process, but the end of product is both beautiful and tasty!

Cut-out and ready to be baked!

Cooling and waiting for the filling.

The final product!

We are looking forward to spending time together as a family the next couple of weeks while there's a break in both school and work obligations.  And for an update on the windows:  the project was completed today!!!  So good-bye to disorder and a cold house…

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!  May you have a joyous time celebrating the salvation given to us through the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christmas Decorating???

Well, this past weekend, we began the process of preparing for the installation of our new windows, which will begin tomorrow morning and be completed by December 23.  We spent all of Saturday taking down window treatments (blinds and curtains), writing down measurements, labeling all the individual parts, washing curtains, covering the windows with paper, and making lists of what needed to be packed and moved in each room.  Doing this for thirteen windows took a full day's work, but thankfully we didn't run into too many glitches along the way.

As we went from room to room dismantling everything, I couldn't help but laugh.  What a lovely way to decorate for the holidays!  We joked about drawing winter scenes or something Christmasy on our paper window coverings since we could no longer look outdoors or put up our usual indoor Christmas lights, candles, and ribbon.  Rather than enjoying tradition we are making new family memories this year!  And of course, I just had to snap a few pictures as we worked to document the occasion.

Upon completing our project around 5pm, we immediately set to work pulling together final preparations for Dad's birthday dinner.  Although his birthday was last Thursday, we postponed the family celebration until Saturday when Ben, Laura, and all the kiddos could join us.  It was a yummy meal:  Mom's homemade spaghetti, salad with homemade croutons, garlic bread (albeit a little burned since we forgot it was in the oven!), and veggies with dill dip - all of Dad's favorites!

Due to being so busy, Laura graciously offered to bake Dad's birthday dessert.  Since Dad loves gingerbread, we often make a giant gingerbread man for him.  Time didn't allow for pipping around the edges with white icing or adding a few candies for color, but it was still enjoyed by all.

Yes, we were a little short on candles so had to resort to using duck candles. :)  Such is life right now…can't quite keep up with all the little details.

Both Hannah and Sarah wanted to sit in Grandpa's lap while eating their dessert.  It made for a tight fit but it worked!

Back to packing up pictures and moving furniture in preparation for tomorrow's work.  We'll all be glad when this is over and we can look out of our windows again!