December Randoms 2011

 All 6 cousins (in 2nd grade) together after school... gettin' crazy.

 Dave & Syd's traditional gingerbread house party!

Ellie is still earning awards in school. Here she is at the winter awards assembly. 

 Mondays are our favorite day around here, when I don't work. Or Fridays, when I am done working!

This must have been one of those fun days. PaRtY!!

 Grandma Riggs b.day/Christmas party. 

Our 4 generations picture.

Cummard's Progressive 2011

One of my most favorite traditions is PROGRESSIVE dinner.

 We all met at Dave & Cheryl's (the parents) to load up for the hay ride. 

(We came back & they had rice pudding at the end.)

  Jon & Summer's 

(cheese ball)

 Davy & Syd's

(Burrito bar- with favorite ingredients from all around town)

 Parker & Kanoe's

(chocolate chip cookies & milk)

 Steve & Crystal's

(caesar salad & something so fancy I don't remember the name)

 {Side note: Ellie is really into posing & making ridiculous faces right now. Gotta love that.}

This year, we served spinach/artichoke dip & hot cocoa with spoons dipped in white chocolate at our house.

 That is one fancy kitchen! 

"Our Someday House"

Elsie's First Christmas

 This was our first year with ELSIE. 

Elsie was named by Ellie last Christmas. She is a girl. We made her a skirt, flower & added her "e" to her outfit. She felt much girlier after the make over!

 I forgot to take more pictures of her appearances each morning, but here are a few of our favorites.

Above: Making a snow angel (mess) & proudly writing her name in it.

Below: Ellie's note to Elsie, along with a snack.

 One morning Ellie woke up, found Elsie, saw her note, laughed at Elsie's nose.... and then Ellie looked in the mirror. Her look was priceless! Elsie painted red RUDOLPH noses on both of them in the night! Ellie decided to sport that look all day.

This note is being slipped in on this post, since it is Christmas. I am not sure if it was for Lance & I or Santa. 

I love it. Ellie is 7 this year. Obviously, she does a lot of service! 

These 4, aka: the QTME gang; Quincy, Taryn, Molly, Ellie are always together. One night at a sleep over at our house, the girls tried to STAY UP ALL NIGHT. They wanted to watch the elf move. Once we googled that idea- we found out the elf will not move if kids aren't sleeping- just like Santa.

After mom (me) getting upset & turning off every light & movie down/off & after 1 am, somehow these girls finally fell asleep.....

 Elsie had something to say about that:

 Christmas Eve she wrote Ellie a nicer note to say she's had a good time, but is really tired from going back & forth so much. She needed to rest for a whole 11 months. She also told Ellie that she saw Santa eat some cookies! She watched us enjoy our Christmas by our tree, and then disappeared that night. 

She has brought such excitement every day of December. We will miss Elsie until next year.

Zoo Lights

 For our work party this year, my boss provided everyone with dinner & then a trip to see zoo lights.

 Ellie loved everything. Esp. riding the camel!

 My boss, Mike & his wife Sherry.

Christmas Kid's Craft Class

Last Kid's Craft Class of 2011 was so much fun.

We made JOY banners, chain links, & cotton ball Santa pictures.

To eat, we made reindeer & snowman donuts, and hot cocoa with a large marshmallow on a peppermint stick.

It was filled with crafts & snacks & fun kids!

Speaking of CRAFT groups...

The adult craft group I am in was also at my house/my turn to come up with the craft in December.

Banners it was. They were all a little different. All of them turned out really cute. BE MERRY!

I printed a 5x7 of the Christmas printable I made for everyone in our craft group.

If you like it, feel free to use it!

Decorating for the Holidays

I am thankful for the chance I get to help others decorate for the Holidays.

Above & below: Alma Goodman's (my aunt) 

"SWEET CHRISTMAS".

Two reasons to post these pictures:

1) I can remember things for next time, & 

2) to share with anyone who cares to look.

"Our Someday House":

Too bad my new "be merry" banner is really hard to see there.

We made the JOY banners at our craft class, but I had Ellie add 2 L's to ours to make it JOLLY.

This was just added this year. We had most of the stuff to make this advent since last year. Finally in November, some of us got together & put it together. They all ended up different. Ellie has loved pulling out a tag each day & reading things like "Progressive dinner", "Caroling", "Zoo Lights", etc.! If nothing was planned it would say things like "eat a peppermint treat", "Do a secret service", etc.

Our homemade ADVENT Calendar 2011:

I guess I was getting ready for my Kid's Craft Class...

Christmas Eve:

Home of Vicki Sherwood (my parents house):

aka: "PotteryBarn style"

Her b.day is in November. So many people love to give her Christmas decor, so she has quite the collection.

Yes, she made both of those cute quits.

USA YOUTH FITNESS CENTER:

(Where I coach kids gymnastics.)

My boss was so excited for his new reindeer. BIG reindeer, as you can see.

 It didn't fit where he had in mind. LUCKILY, he saw this cute Santa picture that did fit perfectly.

(Not pictures is all the ornaments hanging from the ceiling that take the longest time.)

The Home of Mary Riggs. (my g.ma)

I am grateful for this "talent" (if that's what it is). It helps me make it thru Christmas time! ;)