Christmas Eve!

Christmas is over and since then I've been taking it pretty easy, trying to get the house back in order.  I'm not taking my decorations down until after the first of the year though.  I'd like to enjoy them a little longer.

Ben and Cameron came over for dinner on Christmas Eve.  Ben cooked some delicious steaks on the grill.  His supervisor is looking on!

After dinner we made reindeer food.  A little bit of oatmeal...

Then add some more!

Add some colored sugars.

What the heck...just add it all!

Taste it to be sure it's good!

He sprinkled it on their front yard.

I hope the reindeer liked it better than Cameron did!

Time with the Boys Too!

Cameron and Harrison came over yesterday afternoon and then spent the night with us.  The afternoon was spent playing outside which was followed by hot cocoa!

And a few games of Yahtzee.

Cameron cozied up in a warm blanket after his shower.

Harrison had to leave early this morning to go for a routine doctor checkup but Cameron has spent the day here. 

We wrapped a present for his dad.

And we're about to make cookies!

Time with Emma Taylor

I don't get to spend one-on-one time with Emma Taylor very often so when she called on Friday and asked me to take her to TJMaxx, I was delighted to do it. She had something specific she wanted to buy at TJM.  She wanted a makeup organizer.  The one she had her eye on was gone but she did find two pieces that she thought would work for her so we bought them.

After a bite of lunch at Newk's, we decided to paint Christmas ornaments.  Nothing like waiting until the last minute!  They still had a good selection of ornaments and she picked out an angel.

It's going to be darling after it's fired!

This girl is the selfie queen.  I just don't have the hang of it!

After painting, we stopped by Starbucks.  We got the cutest ornament there.

And an iced mocha.

She's so fun to spend time with!

Saturday night we had dinner with good friends at the Mexican restaurant in Fulton. 

It was over 70 degrees on Saturday but that night it stormed and was very windy.  Sunday morning it was in the twenties and sleeting!  Such weird weather!  Sure hope our northern friends are keeping warm!

Cameron and Ben stopped by on Sunday.  My little Christmas helper!

Looking at old Christmas scrapbooks.

He's looking at a scrapbook from 2011.  It's fun to look back and see how little the kids were.  The preacher this morning asked how many of us could remember what we got for Christmas 3 years ago so Cameron wanted to look at a book to see what his presents were back then. 

Heather and Randy stopped by too to pick up some treats.  They have already gone through one tin of pecan brittle and asked for a refill! 

The kids are off school this week so after grocery shopping this morning, I picked Cameron up to spend the afternoon with me.  He's having a lazy day so he put on clean pajamas after taking his shower this morning and is spending the day inside.  After all, it's cold!  I think I'm going to have a pajama day once Christmas is over!

Hope your Christmas preparations are going well!

A movie and shopping

I picked the boys up after school on Wednesday and took them to the mall shopping.  Cameron needed to get a Christmas gift for his dad and Harrison needed to get a gift for his mom. 

We made a quick stop in Kroger for a Denver Broncos crock pot that Cameron swears his dad wants.  I know Ben wanted a crock pot but I'm not sure about the Denver Bronco edition, but that's what he's getting! 

I can't say much about what Harrison is getting his mom because she might be reading this blog!  Neither of the boys are much for shopping!

So we decided to go to the movie.

Then dinner in the food court at the mall and ice cream!  That's what makes shopping fun!

This cute little Santa belongs to my niece Kaydee and is Karen's grandson.

Looks like Santa has lost some weight!  Isn't he the cutest?!

Have a great weekend.  More baking is on my agenda!

Cotton Plant

Ben and I took the boys to Cotton Plant on Saturday evening.  The boys had been asking to go.  It was a cold night but we were bundled up!

There is every inflatable imaginable and you follow the well-lit paths to see every one of them!

We had to make a cocoa stop! 

This tree turned from red to green.  It was really pretty.

It was a fun evening with the boys. 

There is no charge to go through Cotton Plant, though they take donations.  We went fairly early and when we left traffic was backed way up waiting to get in! 

We stopped in New Albany for dinner at the Mexican restaurant. 

Today was my friend Marie's birthday.  Several of us took her to lunch at Sweet Tea and Biscuits, one of our favorite places.  Marie, me, Betty, Paula and Sharon. 

Fun times with good friends!!

Baking Day!

Emma Taylor came over Saturday morning for our annual baking day.  We've been doing it for several years and I'll do it as long as she's interested.  The boys lost interest long ago!

Aprons on and ready to go!  She took this selfie for us.

She always likes making the Spritz.  The cookie gun is so much fun!

Packing up the cookies.

We also made these chocolate oatmeal cookies.  They really aren't cookies but are cooked on the stove.  Really good though!

She stopped for a little break and cocoa with lots and lots of whipped cream and a peppermint stick.

We made Pretzel Treats, of course.

And Gingerbread Snaps.

And we called it a day!  She packed up cookies for her family and Ben and Cameron but left a few for us!! 

Emma Taylor really is a big help in the kitchen.  Such good experience for her and I sure do enjoy spending time with her!

Doesn't she look adorable in her new glasses?  I rarely get to see her wearing them as usually she only wears them at school.  I love them!

My brother-in-law is doing great!  So thankful for answered prayers.  He is in rehab now and is progressing well. 

I will be going to Birmingham tonight with my sister Karen and niece Paige.  Paige is having foot surgery tomorrow on a bunion on her foot.  This is a re-surgery as she had surgery on both feet when she was in high school and one is again giving her problems.  Please keep her in your prayers tomorrow.  Hopefully they will send her home after the surgery if everything goes as planned! 

Sure hoping my niece Amy has a wonderful birthday today.  Knowing Amy, I'm sure she's got something fantastically fun planned!

Let the Baking Begin!

Doug left Wednesday going to Indianapolis with two buddies for the PRI Show  (Performance Racing Industry).  I didn't go with them for obvious reasons!  Doug's good friend D.W. was being honored for being the first place points winner in his racing division...or something like that.  At any rate, it is an honor for D.W. and Doug wanted to be there.  So it seemed like a good time to begin my Christmas baking. 

I baked banana bread on Tuesday mainly because I had bananas that needed to be used or thrown away.  I really hate to throw bananas away when they make delicious bread!  I gave the bread to Heather and Ben for their enjoyment.

I spent the entire day today in the kitchen making pecan brittle.  I always make a big tin and send it to work with Ben.  He said the other employees start asking about it before Thanksgiving.  So I have to make a lot. 

I had a couple of mishaps and had to throw two batches away.  That's what happens when I try to do too many things at one time!! 

And I put a VERY hot glass measuring bowl into just slightly warm water and this is what happens!

It shattered the minute it hit the water...ugh!  I should have known better!

I also made Spicy Pretzels which I'll also send to work with Ben.

My tree is finally up and decorated as much as it's going to get decorated.  I have a love/hate relationship with pre-lit trees.  Every year it seems another strand of lights goes out.  Doug has already added several stands.  I'm just going with it the way it is!

Bought a new hat for the tree topper this year.

I decided to decorate the pots on my front porch.  Usually they have dead plants leftover from the summer or nothing but dirt.  These look a whole lot better!  The pots usually sit further away from the door but I had to move them back because we had rain and it ruined the fake red berries in the front...oops!

All of this is fake greenery and berries except for the cedar in the back which I cut off the neighbor's trees.  They'll never miss it and it hangs over onto our property anyway!

Emma Taylor is coming over tomorrow to do our annual baking.  I know she wants to make Spritz cookies.  She loves that cookie gun!!

Have a good weekend!