green family

My college friend DeAun now lives in the Seattle area, but by amazing coincidence some of her family moved to Tallahasee and I got to see her when she came to visit them. She is one of those friends who is so easy to be with, it's as if a decade hasn't passed since college graduation. I love friends like that.

I think we might be living parallel lives in opposite parts of the country, with a baby and a preschooler and days filled with diapers, feedings, naps, and trips to the library and park. (Luke's blue eyes! Beautiful!)

Meg was delighted to have Logan to play with. After they left she kept asking, "where are the little boys?"

christmas '09 (in 10 memories)

1. Christmas cookie decorating.

2. Someone's funny haircut. Not naming names.
3. Fierce yo-yo competition.
4. Meg dancing like crazy during the Christmas Eve church service.
5. Singing carols around the piano.

6. IMAX safari movie (too scary for some).
7. Watching National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Twice.
8. Guitar Hero.
9. Santa Sleigh-tinis. (mmm!)
10. 9 sweet kids and lots of love.

christmas '09

Christmas gets even better when you have your own little family to make memories with.

We got to spend ours with our family in Atlanta - all in all there were 8 adults and 9 kids all in one house!

Not one person got sick. A true Christmas miracle.

Meg opens her presents S-L-O-W-L-Y.

And sweet Katie is 7 months old already. I think she is storing up nuts for the winter in those cheeks.

[Thank you, Christie, for the pictures!!]

christmas cookies

I went to a Christmas cookie exchange with some girlfriends and came home with a new favorite. My friend Jessica R. made these and they were so good! I attempted to make them "Christmas-y" by adding red food coloring (Can't tell? Neither can I.) and 1/2 t. mint extract in the icing.

Here's the recipe (thank you Jessica R.!):
CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

2 packages devil's food cake mix
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup vegetable oil

1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine softened
3 to 4 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Red and/or green food coloring, optional

In a mixing bowl, beat cake mixes, eggs and oil. (batter will be very stiff) Roll in 1 inch balls; place on ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes or until a slight indentation remains when lightly touched. Cool.

In another mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; mix until smooth.
If desired, tint with food coloring. Spread on bottom of half of the cookies. Top with remaining half of cookies.
Yield: 4 dozen

the thinga-majig

I have no idea what this thing is called, but I really like it.

I can't knit or crochet so this is an easy alternative. I've been calling it a "hand loom" because that's sort of how it works. Just take the bottom thread and pull it up over the nail and on top of the top thread.

While I hate to disappoint those of you who badly want a scarf for Christmas, this scarf will not be finished in 2009.

crayon storage

Every time Meg sits down to color she ends up doing this...

...instead of actually coloring.

It takes a lot of quiet time to stuff all those crayons in there so I'm fine with it.

japanese maple

Christmastime in North Florida means it's time to rake.

I think this is a Japanese Magnolia in our backyard. You can't see it out of any of our windows so it has gone unappreciated the past 3 years. It is unbelievably bright red...I couldn't do it justice with my poor camerawork. (UPDATE: thanks to all the people who informed me this is NOT a Japanese Magnolia but a Japanese MAPLE. You guys have eagle eyes!)