Cookie decorating

Brenna and I decorated cookies this year for Santa and just had so much fun.

Here is a pic of my "Brown Eyed Girl" (which by the way Brenna thinks that song says, "Brenna Girl" which I just love!)


Getting our supplies ready! Alot of our toppings came from cooking kits that Grandma Bev had given the kids.







Aren't her little fingers adorable?




Santa was in for a sugar rush that night!

Put on your yarmulke, here comes Chanukah

Zack had great grandparents who were Jews from Poland who came to the US as young adults. I love learning about other cultures and family history so it has been a real blessing that we get to learn more about the Jewish culture with my in laws. My mother in law does a great job of incorporating some traditions throughout the year for some of the Jewish holidays. I love the kids getting to participate in something unique about their ancestory.


Here is Brenna helping me make a honey cake. This recipe is from Zack's great grandma. I believe it is traditional for Rosh Hashana, but is eaten at other holidays as well.


Grandma Bev roasting the chickens


Latkes. Yum. Latkes are potato pancakes.


Cooked apples. Double yum.


A chanukah feast my friends. Delicious. This is challa (jewish bread, pronounced hallah), roasted chicken, sweet glazed carrots, latkes and cooked apples.


Here are the kids enjoying the meal. You can tell that Gavin is really enjoying it by the mess that he has all over his face!


Bev helping the kids light the candles. It was the first night. There is a prayer that is said while lighting the candles and Bev has the kids repeat after her. Isn't this a great tradition for the kids to take part in? It is something I think they will have many memories of as they get older.



Trying to say the prayer in Hebrew!


This is a youtube video of another kid learning the prayer! I thought this was pretty cute.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qf6JQdO8PE

Grandma Shirley. Her parents were the immigrants from Poland.


It is also traditional to play dreidel at Chanukah but Gavin forgot to bring his! I had bought him one last year that he got to paint on. We will have to remember for next year.

Union Station

My mom and dad took the kids up to KC for a fun day a few weeks ago.



Seeing the minature train




Having fun at the Lincoln exhibit


Such a beautiful building!

2nd grade music program

Gavin had his 2nd grade music program in December.


Playing the xylophone.


Grandma Bev


Grandma Shirley


One of his good buddies


Another good buddy

Rebels!

I found Gavin sleeping with a flag from Ireland the other day. This flag is for the Cork Rebels, the home team of our dear friends. He shows his allegiance proudly!

The new kitty

This is Bev and Gene's new kitty. She is very cute!

Sunset

We are blessed by living at the edge of town and have had some gorgeous evening skies in the last few weeks! This is not a good picture, but it at least captures a bit of what we saw one evening.

Aunt Sumre

Brenna loves her Aunt Sumre!




She is loved.

Friends

Gavin and his friend Odie at the Lakes.


They are good buds.

I didn't forget the blog!

Sorry for my delay in blogging. My laptop has been out of commission and I just got it back today!

I have a lot of blogging to catch up on!

Christmas Traditions

Grandma Bev has helped carry on a great tradition in our family of making Gingerbread houses with the kids. The kids absolutely adore it. Bev makes this from *scratch* as well!

Here is Grandma Bev mixing up different colors of frostings.



The kids had all different kinds of candies and things to use to decorate their houses.




Brenna decorating her house.


The finished projects.

Pear Bread

I had several pears from the farm to use up, so I did some searching for recipes. I found a great recipe for pear bread.

It turned out very good and the kids loved it. Very much like a zucchini bread, dense and moist.


The kids seriously went crazy over it. The recipe made two loaves so I froze one. We ended up thawing it and eating it the next week!

Here is my little ballerina enjoying her favorite thing that week!


Pear Bread

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups peeled, cored and finely chopped pears
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts (I didn't add)


DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; stir into the egg mixture just until moistened. Toss pears with lemon juice. Stir pears and walnuts into batter (batter will be thick). Spoon into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

I haven't been to the eye doctor in 10 years....

And when I do, she tells me to wear glasses!

Apparently I have astigmatisim and am far sighted. These are my new frames!

Chef Gavin

Gavin is always wanting to create new recipes. Tonight he was banging around in the kitchen trying to create something new. I went in and he had mixed together all kinds of things and was trying to make a cake. He had a bowl full of milk, sugar, honey, baking cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg...etc etc.

So he comes in and wants to bake this concoction. I asked if he had added flour? No. Eggs? No. Baking powder? No. So I went in. I dumped enough flour in the milk mixture to make it as thick as cake batter. Next I told Gavin to get eggs. "How many?" I don't know, lets try one. (I really just didn't want to waste any more eggs on this experiment). Next I sprinkled in some baking powder. We ended up putting them in ramekins and baked them at 350 for 20 min or so.

They actually worked!!! And tasted pretty good! We had leftover whipped cream, so we put some of that on the top. Gavin of course was over the moon!

Christmas Parade

Brenna got to be in the Christmas Parade this year which was fun. Her preschool had a float. Since daddy signed her up, daddy got to ride!

Here is Gavin under a quilt staying warm before it started!


Here is Sumre. Cory and her shut down the bar to come over and watch. It is so nice having her home!! I picked this particular shot because it looks like everything is on fire. I got a new camera and was trying to use the night vision! Still learning obviously....



Daddy and Brenna going by....


And Santa of course!

Thanksgiving

Isn't Thanksgiving a great holiday? We had a great "Thanksgiving Week" this year. Thursday was dinner with Zack's extended family. Friday was with my family and Sunday was with Zack's immediate family. It was great.





Gavin enjoying the new Ipod that Aunt Megan got him and loaded for him!



Cute Brenna.....