Reindeer Cookies

The kids and I tried reindeer cookies this year.  I had made them with my little cousins when they were younger, but my children had never tried them.  

As it turned out, they found reindeer to be a little bit boring, so we ended up with reindeer, snowmen and even a peanut butter and M&M alien!

They all turned out to be original!

Reindeer Cookies

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375.  Roll into 1 1/4 in. balls for the head and 1 in. balls for the snout.  Press in M&M's and pretzels to make the face.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Party Time!

What a weekend of birthday celebrations!  The Trefz family joined us for an evening of friends and fun last night.  Rachel requested these little ice cream mouse pies, so we assembled them for dessert.

  And, wouldn't ya know, she has now decided to show us 3 fingers, but declare herself to be 2!

Today brought a Frozen party with Rachel's grandparents.  We kept the party on schedule as we also had our parish Advent Program later this afternoon!  She didn't mind at all and the kids there even sang her "Happy Birthday," too.

We gave her an Elsa dress pj's and a yellow bus.  It doesn't get any better than that if you are Rachel!

I love, love, love my kids' birthdays.  It gives me a day to reflect on the wonderful and unique gift each child is to our family.

Happy Birthday to our one-of-a-kind freckleface strawberry/peanut Rachel-girl!  

As with all of your siblings, "you'll never know, dear, how much I love you!"

3!

She has been oh-so-patiently waiting and today is the day!

Rachel Olivia turns 3 years old!

(photos by Angela Johnson)

David and I were talking to a couple last weekend, who are friends of friends (who also happen to be Rachel's godparents.)

In conversation, she asked how old our children are.  When I told her that our youngest would be three today, she said that their daughter was also born on 12/14/11--and in the same hospital.  

We figured out that our doctor left our room after Rachel's arrival and delivered their daughter next!

So, Happy Birthday to Brigette as well!

It's a GREAT day to be 3!

Gingerbread

Friday night was gingerbread night at our house!  

This year we made the gingerbread village--4 houses in the box, pre-assembled by mom and ready to decorate after school.

Perfect (and yummy decorations)!

Melius' Most-Read: Llama Llama Time to Share

We have just 2 books from the Llama Llama series, the original and this new Time to Share.

Rachel especially likes to read about "yamma, yamma," but the big kids like to listen, too.

In this one, Llama meets a new, or gnu, friend Nellie Gnu!

It is fun to read the rhymes and the illustrations are adorable, too.

Our family highly recommends the Llama Llama books!