Christmas Eve

Last year we started some of our own Christmas Eve traditions. We found that doing activities with everyone in the family that came to town for the holidays that we, Cheeto and I, didn't spend much time with our kids. So last year we broke off a bit and did our own thing. It was really nice for our young family. The boys even voiced how much they liked us doing this. So this year we planned to do the same and even add our own time for Christmas day. We have Christmas Eve dinner with mom and dad Arellano. Then we spend the later afternoon and evening at our house making gingerbread cookies for Santa, opening Christmas pj's from G'ma and Papa Arellano, having a mini Christmas FHE lesson and watching "The Nativity Story" until bedtime. Of course it added the spirit to Christmas. It's really fun when your kids get old enough to really talk and spend time with them and feel like we got something out of it too.

Too many cooks in the kitchen. C did great instructing them all what to do. They tasted great!

My favorite part of baking anymore is bringing out the brown sugar. It reminds of me of my Grandma C. She lived next to us pretty much my entire childhood, well, until I got married actually. Whenever she baked she would give us a little bowl of brown sugar just to eat. Of course, as a mother now myself, I can't imagine that my own mother was thrilled with the idea of her children eating straight sugar. But to this day, I give my kids a "taste" with a smile just so I remember my Grandma just to warm my heart. She was an amazing woman and I miss her!
I like to think she is smiling back at me.

A2 thinks she should get multiple tastes. :)

The kids love to roll dough. It doesn't matter what kind it is. Sugar cookies, bread, pizza crust... whatever, as long as they get a chance to use my rolling pin.

Mommy... what's in here?

I'll just help myself, thanks!

This is the last time I saw my nice marble rolling pin in one piece. :(

A2 dropped it off the table splitting the handles. (long sigh)

Ok... I'll try decorating one.

One of my kid's favorite shows is "Cake Boss". You should see the 3D creations that K makes out of paper. Their imaginations amaze me! K was REALLY into decorating each cookie differently. He had a blast.

back to taste testing..... again.....

So seriously concentrating.

SO MUCH FUN!