Celebrating with Snowmen

Tonight Debby, Jeff, and Avonlea are staying with us before traveling to Minnesota tomorrow, so this evening we had a little Christmas celebration with them.  The kids made snowmen pizzas, opened gifts, and ran around the house like mad children because they were so happy to see each other and officially break the Christmas celebrating seal.  The parents ran around the house like crazy people in celebration of having the next sixteen days off of work! 

Kitchen Happenings

This is what's been baking in our kitchen this week.

Jon seriously makes the BEST key lime cups out there.  I love it when he puts on his chef's hat--usually once a year at Christmas--and struts his baking skills.  YUM!

Jon's Key Lime Cups
 Crust:
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup melted butter
2 Tbsp. sugar
"touch" of maple flavoring
"a bit" of vanilla
Distribute evenly in muffin tin with liners.  Press graham cracker crust firmly down and bake for 6 minutes at 325 degrees.
 Filling:
3 egg yolks
1 14 oz can condensed milk
1/2 cup key lime juice
Distribute filling to all cups and bake for 8 minutes at 325 degrees
Garnish with whipped cream with a "dash" of extra lime juice and lime zest. 
Yield:  12 cups

Let's face it, cake is cake.  What really separates the men from the boys in these cupcakes is the icing.  I think my kids could each eat a gallon of it.  And, I'm pretty sure their mama could, too.  YUM, again!

So Bad, But So Good Buttercream Icing
3 sticks of butter, softened
2 lbs. bag of powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup of half and half (you could also just use whole milk)
sprinkle of salt

Mix it all together (with your big mixer, of course), and frost that cake.

Batboys Live!

Gotham City, Batmobiles, fight scenes, nasty villains, and black capes flying through the air just in time to save the day--all the things that fill the imaginations of little boys.  Liam and his buddies Wyatt and Jaden experienced it all today at Batman Live!  And the moms even liked it, too.  :)

 

Angel Breakfast

This morning we attended the Angel Breakfast at Jenni and Jeremy's church, Frisco Bible.  The food was yummy, the speaker's message about the significance of traditions and advent ideas was meaningful, and the kids had fun being with their cousins.  It was refreshing to start a busy Christmas-season Saturday with our hearts and minds focused the ultimate gift, Jesus.

 



Sharing Cookies with Friends

Every year when December book club rolls around, it always means one thing--our cookie exchange.  Tonight, everyone brought something unique and yummy.  Thanks for a fun night, ladies!

Jedi Tree

Liam has his very own Christmas tree this year in his bedroom.  But it's not just any tree; it's a Star Wars tree.  He loves it.  His Daddy loves it, too.  All the ornaments are from Jon's "bachelor" tree when he was a single dude living in an apartment.  Now he gets to pass down the Star Wars love to his little guy in yet another way. 

Staying Warm

The cold front hit Dallas on Sunday afternoon...and our downstairs furnace, on our main level, stopped working.  Bummer.  Help is on the way tomorrow, but until then, it'll remain in the 60's on our main floor.  Brrr.  The good news is that the upstairs unit is working well.  So, after the kids had baths last night, they piled into our bed to watch The Santa Clause.  We need to do this more often...Not have a broken furnace, but to snuggle together in a soft, fluffy bed and watch sweet little movies.

 

Santa, Baby.

No tears this year when the kids visited Santa.  Liam and Ellery have been ready to sit on Santa's lap since July, but Marin is a different story.  She started to get cling, and I could feel her panic swell as we approached him, but the three little words that I whispered in her ear turned her fear into eager anticipation.  "He has candy."  And that's all it took for a successful visit with Santa.

What Boys Do

Jon and his friend Toby took Liam and Landon go-cart riding on Saturday.  Liam had so much fun, and when I asked if he wanted to go again sometime, he replied with a shrug of the shoulders, "Sure.  It's what boys do while the girls are shopping."  Glad he has learned this lesson early in life.  ;)