Gingerbread House

On Saturday we decided to make a gingerbread house with Big Sister.  I found a great recipe on line and while I was making the dough, John and Big Sister made the template for the walls and roof.  Big Sister was very excited to put everything together.  I love Christmas time and fun family traditions :)

While the gingerbread was baking, Big Sister and John

went out to put up our outside Christmas lights

Portrait Innovations

I started taking Big Sister for annual Christmas pictures at Portrait Innovations when she was a baby.  Every year we've had a good experience, their prices are reasonable, and the pictures are ready within minutes, so it's an all around good deal!  In hindsight, I'm so glad that I've had Big Sister's pictures taken each year around the same time; it's fun to see how much she's grown and changed from Christmas to Christmas.  Little Bud is in on the tradition too, and we also have some pictures taken of the two of them together.

This year, Little Bud was a handful!  He was NOT interested in having his picture taken.  AT ALL!  He kept running away or screaming or both.  It felt like we were in some kind of photography nightmare! Somehow there were a few pictures that turned out well (the photographer earned her paycheck - it was a crazy session, plus she put all of her cropping and editing skills to good use!).  I'm hoping that Little Bud is MUCH more cooperative next year!

Thanks to Grammie for making Big Sister's Christmas dress, and thanks to Papa and Grams for their cute little winter outfits :)

I think this is my favorite of Little Bud

He wasn't so sure about the Santa hand, and he was kinda miffed that 

the cookies were not real!

I think this is my favorite of Big Sister

She looks so grown up!!

This was the last picture the photographer took. 

He was officially DONE!

Thanksgiving Family Pictures

We spent Thanksgiving in Benton this year with my parents and Jamie.  We enjoyed catching up and spending lots of time by the fire (it was cold in Tennessee!).  After lunch on Thanksgiving, Jamie took some family pictures for us at a state park that's a few miles away from the cabin, and although some of the participants were unwilling, she managed to get a few great pictures in spite of the difficult subjects!

Of course, both kids smiled beautifully when it was time for pictures

with Grams and Papa!

This is one of my favorite pictures ever of Little Bud.

He sure loves his Papa!

I'm the Queen Now!

Big Sister recently used a wrapping paper roll as a play gun.  She aimed it at me and pretended to shoot me!  I asked her if she really just shot her mother.  She told me, "No, no!  I'm just pretending that you're the queen, and I just shot you so I'm the queen now."  Like that's so much better...