Cookies and Hallmark

The annual cookie tree turned out beautiful...and delicious...as usual!

Ingredients ready!  That box of cookie mix from Costco was one of the best purchases ever!!

The pregnant holiday chef...ready to go :)

Rolling and cutting out the cookies.  The cookie tree kit we use now we got 2 years ago from Crate & Barrel.  It is awesome!  We had an older one, but when I found this one I had to have it!

Ready for assembly.  Now is when Eric helps :)  Mostly so he can beg for cookies though!

The finished product!  Santa always enjoys his tree :)

Shawn and I were friends before we became a couple, but once we were a couple I started buying Hallmark Christmas ornaments each year.  I thought it would be a nice tradition to start and each year that something significant happened in our relationship I would try to find an ornament that "fit."  As I was putting up our ornament for this year on the tree, I realized that it would be nice to share our ornament journey.  So here it is:

2008: Our First Christmas Together

2009

2010

2011

2012:  New Home

Next year we'll start a yearly tradition for Nora too!  So excited to buy a Baby's First Christmas ornament!  Plus we are heading out for some after Christmas deals today and I will hopefully find Nora's first stocking too :)

Had a Holly, Jolly Christmas!

Another Christmas has come and gone.  This year I had to take my turn at work, so I spent today at work with wonderful coworkers and beautiful tiny babies and their families.  It was a nice, quiet day in the NICU and we had an amazing pot luck meal...that was DELICIOUS!  I work with some fantastic cooks!

We didn't have any extra family around for Christmas this year...mostly because everyone wants to come visit after Nora and Amelia arrive.  So we'll have lots of visitors in Feb, March and April, but we had a quiet Christmas.  We did our family Christmas on Christmas Eve.  It was great!

We opened all the gifts from each other and from our out of town family that sent them to us.  Logan opened his gifts from his Mom and Dad....and Santa....this morning.

Merry Christmas!  The 34 week baby bump is getting big!!

The McLachingson Family (Shawn coined this name but we like it!).  Logan did not want to cooperate, and neither did Marcie!

 

Marcie looked so festive in her pretty scarf :)

She certainly loved her Christmas bone!!  She barely got through one of the knots on Christmas Eve, but we'll let her munch it for a little while each day til she's done!  The gift that keeps on giving!

The babies even managed to get some loot!  Gifts for Amelia and Nora (mostly from Abuelita...of course!)

Logan's favorite gift of the day...this cool wooden train with farm animals.  Uncle Shawn picked it out and Logan loved it!!

As soon as it was time for us to open our presents the little man decided he wanted some attention.  So he emptied this red "toy chest" and decided to wander around the center of the room posing for the camera.  Could he be any cuter???

We basically had a great day and ate yummy food.  I made the annual cookie tree with Eric, but I'll post that another day.  Now it's time for sleeping for me!

I hope everyone had a very Happy Christmas!!

We finally managed to take pictures for our Christmas card.  Finally!

Photo Card

View the entire collection of cards.

Hopefully we'll get them in time to get them out before Christmas...