Christmas with Family

 We were able to spend Christmas with my family in LA and of course we had a wonderful time.  Miss Piper asked Santa for a fishing pole and Mobigo and he brought both.  She is one happy girl.

 I received a Kindle Fire and Love it, Thank you Mom and Dad.

 Waiting to open presents, we had lots and lots to open.

 Love these two girls.

 NeeNee, Grumpy and their Princess

 The girls and their electronics!

Happy New Year from our crazy LSU(and Hawkeye) loving family.  May everyone have a blessed New Year and may LSU beat Alabama. :)

Joy's of Christmas - Day 24

 Sprinkling reindeer food on the lawn,  this little girl is very excited for Santa to get here.

Coke and Oreo's that is what Piper said Santa likes.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 23

Bif the purple bear has hung on my parents trees ever since I can remember, my Dad made him out of ceramic in about 1981.  Every year he hangs front and center,  we all love Bif.  Don't you just love ornaments with a story. 

Joy's of Christmas - Day 22

There is no place like home for Christmas.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 21

Finally on our way to Louisiana, she has been living for this day.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 20

The presents are packed, we are officially headed to NeeNee and Grumpy's.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 19

This is the way to read your Christmas books, Dad makes a great chair.  The title is very fitting "I Can't Wait Until Christmas." 

Joy's of Christmas - Day 18

 I believe she is just the cutest Mary I have ever seen.

 While waiting to walk up front and be Mary, Piper turned to me and said "I am ready to be married."   Silly girl.

They kept patting the baby and pushing it into the straw, I guess they wanted him to be warm and comfortable.  They did so good and were cute having tug of war with straw and making funny faces at each other.  I still can not believe my little girl was old enough to be Mary.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 17

Just waiting to decorate my new front porch, some day I will have one.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 16

Love my dinning room chandelier with little red reindeer and greenery and my new burlap curtains(Thanks Mom).

Joy's of Christmas - Day 15

 OH, please tell me I am not the only one who hates gift bags and mismatched paper.  I am very particular about my Christmas wrapping paper, ribbon and tags.  I guess if I waited until Christmas Eve to wrap the gifts it would not make any difference about the paper but since I wrap as I buy I like it to be just as nice as the gifts inside.   Please tell me I am not the only one like this. :) 

To get those packages looking so pretty I had to hire some creative little elves to help me.  They like wrinkles paper and lots & lots of tape.   And the also wrap a "gift" and immediately open it again.  It is very entertaining for them, Yeah!

Can you ever have too many sprinkles?

Joy's of Christmas - Day 13

Piano in place of a mantel.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 12

 Gingerbread House Fun

Joy's of Christmas - Day 11

Seeing this kinda makes you wonder what the animals thought when they looked in their manger and saw a tiny human laying there.  I read "The Crippled Lamb" by Max Lucado  to my junior children, it gives just a little glimpse at what this animals must have thought. I am so glad they were willing to share their shelter and manger with a tiny new born KING.

Christmas Party-Part 2

 I made bags of Reindeer Noses to give to the guest as they left, as you will see in the bottom photo(sorry they got out of order).  I also made Magic Reindeer Food more the kiddos to sprinkle on the lawn on Christmas Eve.

 We had a few photo props which the kids enjoyed, very much.  And yes that is Miss Payton (many of you readers will remember her.)

 Miss Piper found someone willing to read to her, Thanks Sabrina, so glad you and Danny came.

Christmas Party Fun! Part 1

 We hosted our first Christmas Open House Friday night and we had a great time.  The above photo is what you would have seen when you came in the front door, so come on in and enjoy the photo's of the party.  Sure with I could have invited my blog readers to the party.

 Food, Food, Food,  I fixed way too much food.  But it was yummy and know one when away hungry.

 Meatballs, Meat and Cheese tray, Toritilla pinwheels, Mini cheeseballs, Veggies and dip and crackers, now for the desserts, Turtles, Chocolate cake pops, Oreo truffles, Peppermint bark, Dipped pretzels, Peanut butter blossoms and Mini cheesecakes.   The food was wonderful even if I made most of it myself.  :)

 The choice of drinks included, Sweet Tea, H2O, Hot Apple Cider, Eggnog and Sparkling Grape Juice.

 Another shot of the desserts.  

We also had a candy bar, the kids loved it.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 10

I love my family - Merry Christmas from our house to yours.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 9

Christmas party fun...we had a great time.

More pictures of the party to come.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 8

 Little Miss Piper enjoying Mom's first attempt at making cake pops.  Piper and Daddy say "Yummy."

Don't these look good?  We are having a party at our house Friday night and this is just one of the many yummy things I have been making. Pictures of the rest of the party coming whenever I get a chance.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 7

O' Christmas Tree.  Not the greatest photo of the tree but I am still trying to figure this new camera out,  my but this thing has a lot of settings.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 6

 The first snow of the year is always so exciting.  We woke up to a light snow and Piper immediately wanted to go play in it.  Love the photo above of her clapping for joy because of the snow.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 5

Loving her fishing game from "Uncle" Jim

Joy's of Christmas - Day 4

Piper sure enjoys being with her cousins Jordyn and Rylie, their ages are Piper(almost 3), Jordyn(3), Rylie(2).  Their close ages make them so fun!

Joy's of Christmas - Day 3

I am loving the sign I made, I found it on Pinterest (don't you just love that site).  An old picture from Goodwill, red spray paint, chalkboard paint and Ta-Da!    Now I am off to have a fun evening with my family, love this time of year.

Joy's of Christmas - Day 2

Princess Piper enjoyed the Oreo Truffles Mommy made,  they were yummy.

Finished Object Friday~Advent Bags

 I have always thought Advent calendars were such a neat idea and now that we have a little one I knew I had to do one.  After much looking on Pintrest (very addicting), I used ideas I had found and added a little of my own creativity.  I cut burlap into the size bags I wanted and stitched them up, leaving the top open.

I then hung them on red ric-rac from the stair rail in our kitchen.  My husband walked in one night and said "they are too plain" and thus the embellishments.  They are so cute now!  Piper is enjoying opening them, so have treats inside, others have note with an activity we are going to do.  
So what have you been making lately?  Link up with Chari  for her Finished Object Friday party.