Annual Christmas Candy Making Day!

This year I told myself I was going to take it easy and only do a few simple things for my Christmas candy.....{yeah right!}

peppermint bark and marshmallow chocolate fudge....

peanut butter cups and the ever so famous peanut butter ritz cracker sandwiches covered in milk chocolate...

lots of chocolate covered pretzels too....and not pictured are the Moose Munch popcorn mix, hot chocolate stirring spoons, and Red Velvet Whoopie Pies. {Can you hear my thighs getting bigger?}

I have done this annual Christmas Candy making day for almost 10 years. I think I started doing it the year that Landon turned 1 year old. I haven't missed a year since. There was one year where I had to do it solo, but the rest of the years I was able to do it with family or friends. I have never had the same group two years in a row though. I love the new recipe ideas that people bring with them each year and it is so much fun to spend the day with such fun people. I wish I had taken more pictures this year, but I'm pretty sure my hands were coated in chocolate for about 7 hours straight. I did get this cute picture just before the chocolating began.....

This is Mackenzee and Hannah after they frosted a few cookies. We were waiting for the rest of the group to get to my house and the girls were dying to "help" in the kitchen. Don't you just love how they decided that the frosting was just better straight out of the jar? I caught them double dipping their knives in the frosting container. Can you say sugar high?

Thanks so much Ellen and Montay for your ideas and for your willingness to get crazy in the kitchen with me. I hope the mounds of chocolate you took home made it worth it! :0) See you next year!

My Pablo Picasso's

I thought it would be fun and super cute for the kids to create their own artwork to hang on their bedroom walls. So, I went out and bought some canvases and paint and let them get creative. I told them they could paint whatever they wanted...
Landon painted a picture of Spiderman swinging through the sky...

Mackenzee went a bit more abstract with hers :0)

They had so much fun and it was fun to watch them do it. I think their favorite part was when I hung the pictures on their bedroom walls. :0)

Landon's Recorder Concert

Landon had his Christmas Recorder Concert his last week of school before Christmas break. Jaysen and I were able to make it even though the concert was in the middle of the morning on a school day. I love that my son is having fun with music, I just wish those dang recorders weren't so loud and squeaky. Maybe honky is a better word for the noise. I don't know. Oh well! They all played well for Mr. Gibson and it was fun to see Landon play his songs from memory with all of his friends.

Good job Landon!

Landon's 10th Birthday Party

Yes, that's right....my son is now a full decade old. Double Digits. I'm not sure how I feel able that. :0)

We always celebrate his birthday a little bit earlier in the month because it makes it easier for his friends to make it to the pary. This year we changed things up a bit, though. Instead of the ginormous party, Landon and I decided we would order pizza, and have pizza and cake and ice cream at home and then go to the movies. He was allowed to pick a couple of friends to go with him.

Landon ended up getting a RipStick from us for his birthday....

and a puzzle and frizbee from his friend, and a Wii game from another friend.

Here we are at the theater waiting for the movie to begin. We went to see Planet 51. I hope the boys enjoyed it.

Happy Birthday Landon! We love you so much and can't believe how big you have gotten. Thanks for being such a good kid!

Landon's Christmas Play

Landon was able to participate in the ward Christmas play this year. His character was named Jesse, and he was the best friend of a kid named Nathan.

Nathan and Jesse were shepherds back in the time of Jesus' birth. {Insert a big thanks to Nana and Papa for help with the costume!}

Landon's friend Reese played the part of Nathan. Landon woke Reese up from sleeping and dragged him out of bed to help tend the flocks of sheep. Of course, the angels told them to go and see baby Jesus, which they did.

The gym was set up so beautifully and the characters did such a good job. Landon remembered all of his lines and said them prefectly. I know he was inwardly dying because of his fear of getting up in front of people, but he did wonderfully.

Bad shot here....but here is the entire cast taking their final bow for the evening. It was a really nice program, especially with the music added to the various portions of the play. And, honestly, it was a really nice way to start out the month.

Girls Night December 2009

The last Girls Night of the year I decided to have everyone come over to my house and get crafty. I had a lady come and bring us all of her beads and show us how to make bead watches. From there we all decided to make bracelets and necklaces as well. It got kind of crazy. But WAY fun!!!
Amy, Ellen, and Julie

Yes....two entire tables full of magical wonderful beads. It was heaven!

Michelle, Heather, and Melissa

Paulette is over on the left side of the table with her girls. They helped all of us figure out how to get it all put together and were super awesome. Thanks so much Paulette!

We had a lot of fun that night and I have some really cute jewelry to prove it. :0)

Still no takers for January Girls Night.....hopefully someone jumps in with an idea and saves the day so we can keep the fun going! :0)

Mackenzee's Winter Dance Recital

Maggie and Mackenzee had their dance recital this month as well. They danced to "Roly Poly the Polar Bear" and so they got to wear these headbands with little polar bear ears on them. :0) Very cute.
During the song the words say "Brrr baby, it's cold out here" so the girls are showing the proper way to look when it gets to that part of the song. :0)

Isn't she a cute polar bear?

This is my Landon waiting for his sister's show to get started. Yes, he is reading a book. I don't think he had much expectations for the show.....

This is all of the teachers at the dance studio. Miss Julie is the one holding the microphone off to the left. The next teacher dressed in a brown top and jeans is Miss Amanda. She is Mackenzee's dance and tumbling instructor and Mackenzee just loves her.

This is Mackenzee's class being led onstage for the final curtain call. I know it's hard to tell which one she is, but she is the fourth polar bear back.

Here they are attempting to take a bow.

I think was all we were able to nab of the actual performance. Kenzee would have been to the left of the screen here, but she seems to have disappeared. :0)

Isn't my polar bear the cutest you've ever seen? We had a good time watching her dance with her little friends. It's fun knowing how much she enjoys doing it. If she could go to dance every day she would. :0) We're barely making it through these last weeks of no dance class. Luckily only one week left before class starts back up again! Whew!

Lighting Ceremony

Every year my Grandpa Casperon turns on his Christmas lights at 5:00 pm on Thanksgiving Day. We just made it in time this year to see them all come on and take our yearly walk up and down the road.

This is my favorite part of the decorum. It's such a beautiful nativity set.

Savanna and Mackenzee

Their favorite was the Mickey Mouse figurine. :0)

The lights were gorgeous as usual Grandpa. My kids look forward to your lights every year. I know that have the town of Twin Falls looks forward to them every year too. :0)

Thanksgiving 2009

This year we spent Thanksgiving with Jaysen's family out in Jerome. We had such a good time hanging out with everyone that was there.

This was the "Girls Only" table. Mackenzee was so excited that she was big enough to sit with the big girls. If you look closely in the back left hand corner of the table you will see a hooded figure....
That's just Jordan trying to hide herself from my flashing camera lense. :0)

Mackenzee and I taught Jeremy the fine art of eating olives off your fingertips. He thought it was wicked awesome and I'm pretty sure he ate an entire jar of olives all by himself.

The men folk got serious over a game of Sequence. I will tell you now that Jaysen and I are a bit addicted to that game. If you haven't played it before....you need to get cracking! :0)

Thanks so much Rita for a wonderful dinner. I'm still thinking about your yummy pomegranite sauce you used on the Turkey. So yummy!

Happy Thanksgiving!