Christmas Eve 2014

This year Christmas Eve I really implemented all the traditions that I want to continue with Shelby throughout the years.

We started out with making breakfast and Shelby helped out with the muffins.

 Everyone jokes about me having her in the kitchen all the time, but honestly, I enjoy and she does too.

She LOVES to help out and it keeps her busy and I'm hoping she grows up enjoying to cook just as much as we do.

My parents came in the night before so they joined in on the fun!

 After breakfast we started on cookies for Santa Claus or 'Ho-Ho Claus' as Shelby likes to refer to him.

First cookies were gingerbread men.

We used the Better Crocker pouch mix and it was great and made it pretty easy.

 Look at that excitement!

HAHA!

 While we got everything ready to decorate them, Shelby was the official 'cookie tester'.

 About the time that we started our sugar cookies and decorating the gingerbread men, my MIL and FIL stopped by.

So great to have both grandmas there.

 Shelby got to show Grammy her skills.

 Such a fun morning making memories and creating traditions.

Can't wait to do it again!

 After a long nap for Shelby we went to the 3pm candlelight service at our church.

The weather was terrible, but the service inside was beautiful.

 After church we headed home and let Shelby open a couple of gifts.

One from her friend Dylan in San Francisco and one from us.

This too, was a tradition I grew up with.

 Gorgeous cashmere hat and gloves!

 In trying to keep with Shelby's 7pm bedtime, she didn't do dinner with us.

We knew our timing was going to be off, so we spent time together watching Charlie Brown, tracking Santa and putting out Cheerwine and cookies for the big man in the red suit!

 I love setting a formal table and having a 'dinner party'.

I prepared a potato gratin with rosemary crust that I want to try again, but remember to thaw the pie crust a bit more. 

Oh, what I would do for a double oven too.

I had to cook it in our toaster oven because Brad had ours tied up with the roast.

 Roast, asparagus with mushrooms and bacon, and the gratin all out of the Southern Living Christmas Cookbook.

 After dinner, to the basement we all went to prep for Santa!!

Deets on that tomorrow!

Hope you all had a great holiday!

GiGi's Coming to Town

We had a fabulous Christmas and I'll be recapping all of it over the next few days but for now I wanted to share a cute video of Shelby that I took on December 23rd when my parents got to town.

Check out not only Shelby's excitement, but Buddy's too!

After a quick bite to eat, we braved the rain and headed out to see Christmas lights.

 A fun start to a great couple of days! 

More tomorrow!

Holiday Family Fun

Aside from all the parties we've been to this year, there has also been a lot of fun family things we've accomplished.

Granted, there is a list of things we DIDN'T do this year, that will totally be first on our list next year, but even so.

In my last post I mentioned we were going to see the lights at the Speedway.

Well, traffic was awful and after waiting 30-minutes we bailed.

We'll try next year.

As for what else has been going on?

Well, for starters, a lot of fun in the kitchen.

My MIL bought Shelby a rice crispy snowman kit and we tried that on Sunday.

It was fun, but I had a Mommy fail moment and read the directions wrong for the icing so they didn't turn out like they were suppose too.

Even so, we had a great time!

 

 This morning we were back in the kitchen making some more graham cracker toffee just to have something sweet around.

Shelby ADORES helping out.

This tower Brad made is truly the best thing ever.

Then after an 'attempted' nap, we met Daddy in Uptown for lunch and to check out the holiday attractions.

Decorations at the Ritz Carlton was the first stop.

 Shelby WAS not into pictures at all.

Must have been the lack of a nap!!!

 Second stop was to listen to the Bearstein Orchestra in Founder's Hall.

It was packed today!

Everyone had the same idea.

 She loved it!

 I'm delayed in posting the Christmas party from Shelby's school.

It was nothing major for her age but still fun and I got there in time to be able to help and act as a 'room mom' for the first time ever!

HA!

It's the little things.

 Tonight, we're going to attempt to see lights around Charlotte.

The weather is terrible, but Shelby is FINALLY napping, so I'm hoping she'll be in a good mood and it will be a success.

Merry Christmas to you all!