Visit from Santa

Santa dropped by for a visit this weekend... Ginny wasn't too sure about him at first but eventually warmed up to the idea after he shared some of his cookies :) Pretty nice old elf after all!

Making Christmas cookies!

Our kitchen has been a busy place the last few weeks- we've been cranking out cookies like nobody's business! Ginny has been a big help, of course :)

The trays this year had rocky road (my grandma's recipe), pecan pie cookies (a new family favorite, from the food blog Annie's Eats), linzer cookies with our homemade strawberry jam (berries from at the farmstand when we picked our raspberries this summer with Jennine), snowball cookies, fudge (also my grandma's recipe), springerle anise cookies, and Hello Dolly Bars. In the middle- Trader Joe's English Toffee, or if you have pooches, peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats.

Cookie Trays ready for delivery!

Happy Yummy Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

A very special box arrived in the mail last week, with the first gift of Christmas... Meredith's stocking! Grandma Annie, with some help from Aunt Jamie, custom-made a stocking for Todd, Ginny, and now Meredith as they entered our family. The Christmas bell is a beautiful pick for Meredith!



The stockings are hung by the chimney with care....

A little Santa Lucia doll tucked up on one of our shelves, from one of my favorite etsy shops (Armadillo Dreams,with beautiful handpainted wooden toys)

The Little People Nativity set has been a big hit. The wise men are travelling from far away (the kitchen bookshelf) and shepherd is keeping his flocks by night (in the hallway).

Reading a christmas story! Ginny lets us know when she wants to be tucked in with a blanket by asking for "night-night"

Watching a little Curious George, rocking the reindeer antlers!

Meredith in her Santa hat

The girls ready to go visit baby Emma, Jessica & Travis's little girl born just a few days ago

 (thanks to Brook for the Christmas outfits!)

We are happy to be getting ready for our first Christmas in our new house, with our two sweet babes. Every day is pretty sweet right now!

Awesomest family photo of all time!

It's really hard to get everybody looking good in a picture. But not hard at all to get everybody looking goofy/terrible/squirmy!

Enjoy!

Fall Happenings

A recent Meredith picture to start us off! She is gaining weight like a little sumo-in-training, and is over 10 lbs as of her 6 week checkup.

 

 

Ginny has discovered the power of a stepstool, and now she can access all sorts of new and dangerous places, like the counter tops. We have dubbed her stool "Ginny's weapon of mass destruction" because of the chaos she makes with it.

 

Ginny dotes on her sister and is alwas stopping by for a visit. Especially when Meredith is snoozing :)

 

My cousin got married in Boise over Thanksgiving weekend, and this picture is my grandma with all five of her great-grand kids. It was pretty awesome to have all of them together for the holiday!

 

Granny Annie & Ginny at Thanksgiving dinner. Ginny is wearing a little dress that my grandma sewed for me for my first Christmas. I loved watching Ginny run around in that outfit! 

 

Uncle John supervising Meredith's nap!

 

Oh boy! Penguins knitted just for us from Aunt Nancy!

 

Meredith all dolled up for the wedding

 

Bundled up for errands

 

Meredith's first bridal shower! Mostly, she slept through it...

 

Family picture from the wedding.