Cookie Decorating Party (better late than never!)

This year we had our second annual cookie decorating party! Last year it was just me, Pres, Meggo, and Layla! This year it grew by about 20 more people...that's a LOT of cookies!!!!!! It was tons of fun and something we will continue to do each year. Let's start off with the prep pictures!

First we made all of the cookies! Pete and I were ready bake until we never wanted to see another cookie again and we let Pres stay up late to help us. We gave him is own batch of dough to do whatever he wanted with and he had a great time!








Next the wonderful party itself! As usual my girlie's Meggo and Melissa were there to help get everything set out and make sure all was ready! Then everyone began to arrive! We had so many kids that my house felt like a zoo for a bit! I loved every minute of it and can't believe how well all of the little ones play together! The kids did really well with the cookies and all of them ate enough icing to be on a sugar high until next Christmas!

Here are some pictures of the Santa Chef hats (all of the adults were awesome to wear them) and the festivities!

A good Christmas

We had a wonderful Christmas here in Alabama. Pres woke up at about 4am and we brought him in bed with us. He slept in until 8:30am! I got up and made Pete his requested breakfast of biscuits and gravy or as he told my dad on the phone CANNED biscuits and PACKAGE gravy...guess who will be making his own breakfast from now on...yup that's right...PETE...the same guy who won't be living down that conversation for many years to come!

Despite the canned biscuits (which by the way were Pillsbury grands) the morning was tons of fun. Pres didn't quite get the whole concept yet and was so excited with the first toy that he opened that he walked away with it and played with it for hours! Pete and I had to open the rest of his gifts for him and show him his new toys. He responded to each one with a "wow!" and was so excited for them all that Pete and I felt like the best parents in the world. Pete wrote me funny messages on all of my presents so I had the best time reading them all. I love that my hubby knows that the cute little sayings mean more to me than some silly bow!

In all, it was such a nice and relaxing day followed by a yummy nontraditional homemade Thai dinner. (we can blame that one on the pregnancy!)

The new Bean was pretty active all day and responded with lots of somersaults at big brother's squeals and noises throughout the day!

I wish you all the same wonderful day that we had and hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years!!!!

Here are some pics from our day:

Making cookies with daddy. We couldn't let daddy miss out on the cookie making this year.






The gifts before they were all opened.




The first toy Pres opened. He was so excited with it that he wouldn't open any other presents!





His Thomas the Tank Engine bath kit was a huge hit! He loves that Thomas has water coming out of him now!




The spoils of all the gifts!



Our very yummy but nontraditional dinner!

Christmas Tradition

This Friday before Pete came home I introduced Pres to a wonderful tradition we have here in the Dean household...Grandma Blanchard's annual cookie box! It is always filled with lots of yummy Christmas cookies but most importantly it has the creme De la creme of sweets...MAGIC BARS!!!! These hardly last long in our house and are something we look forward to every year. You see, Susan (Grandma Blanchard) sends us a personalized magic bar concoction. It is always with yummy different treats on top and always so good you can't stop at one!

Needless to say I waited about 2 seconds before I opened the box, carelessly put the other cookies on a tray and immediately opened the magic bars! Pres had been playing at his water table so he was already in his swim trunks (it was 78 degrees here) so I decided to grab two magic bars, go on the porch and introduce my son to this wonderful tradition of pigging out on Grandma Blanchard's cookies.

Here's the tentative taste...


Yep...liked his first bite...now he's run away from me to make sure that I don't take it away! He's waving at our mail woman and telling her "COO-KA" (cookie)


This might not look like anything, but as his mother I knew right away what he was thinking, let me interpret: "Can I put it ALL in my mouth?"


I knew the answer to that question as well...yes he can and he did!




After eating the whole half in two bites he came running at me full force for the other half I had in my hands. In his sugar high frenzy of grabbing for it, he smeared my camera with all kinds of sticky goo from the magic bar (and if he or I could have licked it off we probably would have LOL!). Look at his mouth!


Thank you Grandma Blanchard for the yummy cookies! Here's a picture of the cookies and the note attached. Just so you know, I thought they looked like pure gold!

Cookie Making Party and a trip to see Daddy!

Sunday was a big day for Pres and I. We got to not only spend a few hours with Pete, but we had some new friends over to decorate cookies with us.

Pete is doing great and he looked fantastic. I forgot my camera so there's no pictures...but that's probably a good thing. Pete in his whole Class B uniform with his long black trench coat buckled up plus beret is too much to look at and not mock. Needless to say I didn't know whether to hug him or to raise my hand and "Hail, Hitler" at him. Pres was super excited to see his daddy and the whole visit went very well. The Wings Chapel had such a nice set up for us WOC families with cookies, drinks, and coffee. It was a wonderful time although I didn't do any listening to the sermon (sorry chaplain but you were not as important as talking to my hubby!)

After we left Pete we came home to get ready for our cookie party!

Here Pres is helping me make the cookies!



Look at these cute flour toes! I can't get over them!



Here he is tasting the dough. I think it was a hit.






Some of the finished product.



We had Santa Chef hats that the kids made and lots of yummy candy and icing to decorate the cookies.






These last pictures I got from Megan's blog! I didn't take any of Pres decorating and of the Santa hats! I hope you don't mind Megan. The little cutie under the hat is her daughter and let me tell you she REALLY makes me want to have a girl!!!! So sweet!

Here are the pics of Pres' finished cookies! He actually decorated them and had fun with the sprinkles. He took a bite out of each of his cookies before decorating them, but it was so cute to see him get involved in the activity!





Thank you to Megan and Jodie for sharing this with us plus all of the kiddos! It was tons of fun!!!!

Christmas has finally come to the Alabama Deans!

So...we are back and have had terrible weather here in New Brockton. It has rained and rained for days and there have been such strong wind gusts that there are trees over all around here. My backyard looks like a marsh but...we finally are beginning to look a little like Christmas! My parents came back up with me for a day and helped to decorate and hang lights outside (thank you Dad!). It looks so pretty even with the rain and some minor wind damage to my poinsettias from the stupid storms. Here are some pics of what Christmas looks like at our house.

First off, here's what my backyard looks like...YUCK!




This is the smashed part of the fence from the tree falling into it! It's hard to see the tree, but I think you can get the idea!





This is the outside of the house. I took this quickly between the downpours we've been having.




This is my front porch. It is my favorite part. Thank you to my dad again for putting together the rocking chairs for me and making sure it looked good not once, but twice after the wind last night ripped apart all of his hard work from the day before.



Finally...the piece de la resistance...my tree!!!! BIG thanks to my mom for making all of the bows for me!






Here's a quick pic of Pres. I was trying to get him in the Christmas tree ones but he kept running away and giggling! He's such a silly goose. I caught him mid run in this pic!



I should probably share why he is without his pants because it is funny. While I was taking a picture of the marshland aka our backyard, he decided to go running around in the mud!

Here's our stockings. One for me, Pete, Pres, and the Bean.






Last but certainly not least, the reason we celebrate the season. Here's my manger scene. I absolutely love it!




That's all for now. I should be doing my homework, but will have to get to that when Pres is sleeping. On Sunday I get to see Pete for church! I can't wait and am going to try and sneak some pics of him.

Merry Christmas!