a seat at the table: holly and jolly.

Leading up to the celebration of Jesus' birthday, this year our family did the Jesse Tree for the first time. Sadly, I didn't take a picture of our little tree but you can read more about it here. That link will take you to something very similar to what we did. It honestly made Christmas a joyous anticipation... a beautiful awaiting of our Salvation in bodily form... the supernatural birth of Jesus Christ. I am already excited to read through it again next year and hang leaves on our tree each day of December.

Another first in our household was Peanut losing two teeth. Whoa. Talk about growing up overnight. The big tooth was already pushing its way through, and then the second one came out a day or two later. I'm not ready for her to look any older than she already does!

The next two bath pictures are almost identical, yet taken a couple days apart, the first by me and the second by K. He didn't know I had taken the first until he texted me his and I return texted mine back. Funny.

Our little Thai baby is picking up new things each day. I didn't know she could count past five until she counted to ten one day! Then on video here she counts past ten. It is amazing how quickly she is becoming fluent in English, all the while inserting her silly humor.

Since we already made my mom's sugar cookies, it was time to make K's family tradition: Danish vanilla cookies. These are super duper fun (insert sarcasm) because you get to sprinkle them twice. Once with cinnamon and sugar. A second round of colored sugar sprinkles. This makes for gritty floors not only on baking day but every single day thereafter, and even a couple more past the point the cookie jar is empty. Good times. ...but full of tradition, right?

The only reason I add the next picture is because Buddy is rightly named so. He asked - in true Buddy the Elf form - for syrup to dip his turkey and cheese. Mind you, he's never seen the movie Elf so I am not sure where he got that idea.

Kids Christmas party at K's work.

One day the kids asked for a clubhouse like Fancy Nancy and it got me thinking. What better to do with a lot of unused space in the bottom of the girls' closet? Great idea, kiddos. Buddy helped me clear the area, and I got to sewing.

Here's what we came up with:

These are similar views you'd have out our windows in Vegas... sand and more sand with a patch of grass. Sometimes astroturf but in our case the old fashioned kind. A palm tree or two and maybe a cloud. It's generally clear skies, which makes for a beautiful view of airplanes from the Air Force base. The sound of freedom!

Look a little to the left and you'll see Mt Charleston, usually with a little or lot of snow, even in the summer. Tack these "windows" to the wall and you've got a Vegas-style clubhouse. Perfect for my three.