Holiday Tid-bits

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve and I wanted to add a couple of pictures on the blog of some holiday fun. I'm sure there will be another posting of Christmas-day events. Now that I am on vacation and have a few weeks off from school, I can "play" a little and keep this blog updated a bit more. :)

Taylor is getting pretty "hammy" lately. Someone taught her how to say "cheese" when a picture is being taken and now says "mo, mo" (more) when we are taking pictures. While it doesn't produce the cutest face (saying cheese) it is really pretty adorable when she is doing it:

Every year, my family has a tradition of making Christmas cookies. About five years ago (give or take) my Godparents, Joan and Bryan, offered up their big kitchen to us. With their nice countertops and 2 convection ovens, we are able to make an octuple batch of cookies in about two hours! It has been a fun tradition for everyone.

Here is Taylor's first cookie cutting experience assisted by Grandma and Grandpa (or as Taylor says it "Bumpa"):

"Bumpa" helping Taylor decorate:

Even Mommy did a good job, "Yaaay"!:

Here is the new "cheese" face. Like the shirt? That was a gift from Godfather Kolin in Austin:

It has been awhile since we posted a video and I was finally successful today.

Here is a little glimpse of how Minnesota parents torture their toddlers: You begin by wrestling them into snowpants, boots, coat, jacket and mittens. All the while, they turn completely limp and lose all functionality of their limbs. It is literally like wrestling a greased pig or putting a cat in a kennel, depending on the level of agitation of said toddler. Then, you get to strap the poor kid into the car seat with all the gear on and head out into a blizzard. It is advisable to double check the temperature before you head to the park, but what's the fun in that?

I leave you with Taylor's first sledding experience. This was run number one of two. We hadn't realized that the temperature had dropped to 6 degrees (that's right, SIX) during her nap, and the wind was really blowing. Needless to say, she did not have fun, but we have a great video! Did I mention she throws tantrums now? I don't really blame her for this one....