Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Um - Just About the Best Cookie Swap EVAHHH!!!

Ladies - we've outdone ourselves this year!!

Sunday, my gal-pals and i had our annual Christmas Cookie Swap party, which i hosted at our house. Each of us bakes a decent sized batch of our favorite cookies and then we lay them out on the table and go around and gather our own big assortment for the holidays. No two were alike and we had a TON to choose from and everything looked

amazing! The pics don't do them justice. This year, instead of baking 2 BIG batches, I chose to bake about 4-5 regular size batches. I had aspirations of baking a bunch of my favorites from my cookie books, but ended up tweaking and having fun with a few different 'packaged' mixes.

I doctored up a chocolate chip one by adding Heath bar morsels, peanuts and cranberries (YUM!). Ron, Sam and I cut out gingerbreads and i iced them with white icing (each gal got a big gingerbread lady!). Pam made little "hamburgers" which Sam is, of course, enamored with. Just really really awesome. The 'sad' part is that our family (including Shirley AND Tommy) are PLOWING thru the stash. It's just way too easy to reach for a cookie or two (or 4 or 5) when you've got a hankerin'. I'll probably be baking again before Christmas, especially to give to the teachers at Sam's school.

Happy Yummy Holidays, y'all!

Christmas is a-Comin'...

Today we had a GREAT day! Jam packed and just really fun.

Ron and i started off at Wegmans, both of us working (Shirley had the kiddos). I was in sign shop and Ron was playin' Santa. I passed on playing Mrs. Clause this year due to my belly size and the non-accomodation of such conditions in said costume! ;-) A cute gal from Bakery helped Ron and I heard they had a GREAT turnout. Ron makes for an AWESOME Santa. Maybe someday he'll have a real white beard and be "that guy" that everyone knows plays Santa in December.

At noon, we both left and came home to gather Sam and go pick out our Christmas tree! We've got a little place we really dig right outside Addison called Towner Tree Farm. We love 'em cuz they've got a pile of cut trees right up our budget alley: $6.99 baby. And they really aren't THAT BAD. It's not like they are dead or completely missing limbs. They might not be as full or as big. And quite frankly, that is the perfect

tree to me. How can you pack on the ornaments on a DENSE tree? We actually lucked out in finding one that specifically works on our space constrictions - it's "flat"ish. So we're able to push it up against our video stash wall and out of the way of walking space. We also have Tommy to consider. He's not quite walking but certainly inquisitive at pulling up. No dangly ornaments at the bottom (tree is on a table) and SO FAR, as i type this, he's shown little interest in its existence. Phew. I recall Sam being the same way. I like it.

So we spent the afternoon decorating the tree (and 40 min trying to salvage a string of lights i knew worked when i put them away last year. Dont'cha hate that??). Dad came over and he and Shirley watched the Army-Navy football game (around me bending over and getting in their way). The tree just looks so cute. There is just something about a lit Christmas tree at night, lights dimmed - - i get lost in it like staring into a fireplace (which we don't have, or i'd do that too). I think its getting the tree up and decorated that i might most enjoy about Christmastime. Well, that, and watching Sam on Christmas morning. Which this year will be even more exciting than last, 'cuz this year he really gets the whole Santa thing. He's very excited to leave cookies and a note about cold milk in the fridge and often he names random things that he's also going to leave with Santa 'cuz he wants to share. Love my bugger.

Ron fried up some fish and crinkle cut fries (artery cloggin' goodness) and topped it off with a pecan pie for dessert. Sam and Thom enjoyed a purple bubble bath together and by 8:30 both boys were down and the evening had settled down.

Here's to family love and fun for the holidays. I'm so very blessed.

Christmas Fun with Lights! A LOT OF THEM!

Check out this place in Southport. A gentleman named William Cahill owns this house and went nuts with lights and music! It's quite the sight! Ron, Sam, Thom and i took a drive out tonight, with a picnic dinner that Ron packed (!), and sat for about 10 minutes gawking and enjoying! Mr. Cahill even has his own radio station dedicated to the music that is synchronized with the blinking and flashing! We had fun. I think it's definitely worth the drive out there to smile and think "wow!... someone's serious about this stuff!"

Lap Time with Pop-Pop

Sparkle in Corning, NY

Well, we had a great time last Saturday. My camera's batteries crapped out on me right at the beginning of the evening - totally my fault for not bringing spares - but i did manage to get in a couple good shots. Sam was being SO GOOD and cooperative with the large masses of people, by holding on to the stroller the whole time; unfortunately, Ron had to work that night. I brought a couple snacks, being that we left the house right around dinner time to head down. We took a few minutes to sit and eat a couple hot dogs and feed Thom little shortbread cookies. He was definitely the most bundled of the three of us (as you can see!). Sam had a great time watching snowboard/ski demos outside Bergers, peeking at REAL reindeer and spotting balloons accidentally floating away into the night air (i swear one of them was the size of a pinhead!). It was chilly, but we were geared up. Nice time.