A BBQ Card and Recent Holiday Photos

How have your holidays been?  I hope just perfect!   Ours couldn't have been more perfect. It was so great having EVERYONE home for Christmas!  I'll share some photos (warning: this post is FULL of photos), but before I do, I have another card to share that I made with the December Stamp of the Month.  If you haven't been following me all month, be sure to scroll back through my December posts to see lots more cards made with this awesome set.

Also, there are 3 (yep! 1,2,3!) specials in December and there are still a few days to be able to take advantage of all 3. Yesterday's post spells them all out for you. I hope you'll read it if you haven't yet.  Hint:  Spend $65 and get $112.90 in products! You can take advantage of all 3 on my website. December is drawing to a close so be sure to take advantage of them soon!

 

Now, on to some of my favorite Christmas memories from this year. Most of these photos are from Christmas Eve. I think I love it more than Christmas day.  Our family has some fun Christmas Eve traditions. We made sugar cookies and frost them. We have a dinner of homemade chicken-noodle soup and breadsticks, we do a spiritual family night and the we open one gift (pajamas, of course).  This year, we spent Christmas Eve at my parents' home with my sisters and their families. It was even more fun with all of these people!

Daci and I baking the cookies at my house

Sour cream sugar cookies: our family favorite.

You can find my sour cream sugar cookie and frosting recipe here. 

My mom, Nedra and sister, Andrea

My dad, LeRoy..stirring the soup (and a bit surprised by my photo)

Daci and Daysha being their silly selves

Easton, Kori and Dawson frosting their cookies

Dan-the-Man...eating the cookies. I think he slapped some frosting on and didn't even bother to decorate that one! :)

Frosting cookies with cousins (in Santa hats)

Daci frosting her cookies

Tannon getting serious about his cookie

Some of our finished masterpieces. 

We even had a cookie contest this year. Everyone made a cookie for the contest and Grandpa and Grandma Overstreet (my parents) judged. Here is Kori with her cookie for the contest.

Kori and Rick enjoying some alone time on the couch while they had plenty of babysitters for Daci and the twins

Daci concentrating very hard on the cookie she is decorating

Daci and I during cookie decorating time

Christmas Eve dinner after cookie decorating

Tannon and Dawson just chillin'

Street found some toys

After dinner, getting ready for our spiritual family night

Time for Christmas Eve presents!

We go youngest to oldest for this tradition. Street went first (since he is the youngest by 9 minutes)

Livvi was next.  The little ones got books with their pj's.

Then Daci

Dawson opening his

Tannon laughing at someone. Hmmmm. This year we got our boys sweat pants and t-shirts for their Christmas Eve pj's.  They are just not pj wearers so much anymore. They loved that!

Daysha with her jammies.  Kori and I love silky jammies so we got Daysha some this year. When she opened them she exclaimed, "My first pair of silky jammies!" Welcome to the silky jammie club, Daysh!

Easton with his pj's

Rick with his

Rick and Street celebrating in their new pj's

Here are a couple photos from Christmas morning. I am so bad at remembering to take Christmas morning photos. It just gets so busy and I find myself in the moment and forget to pick up the camera. I took quite a few this year though.  Even with all of that I forgot to take photos of our traditional Christmas morning breakfast. Ugh!  We have German Pancakes, fruit and yogurt, sausage and bacon, and Pedersen slush (recipe here).  Next time I make German Pancakes, I'll try to remember to take a photo and share the recipe with you.  One year I might just remember to take photos of everything. Odds are probably not.

Christmas morning: Tannon really was much more excited than it appears with his new Beats by Dr. Dre

Dan-the-Man and his brand, new hunting shirt

Yes, Dawson has a thing for Transformers.  Thanks to Tannon for helping me get this shirt made for Dawson.

My sister, Andrea gave me a penguin blanket.  I have collected penguins since 5th grade. I was pretty excited about this!

I hope your holidays were merry and bright!