Christmas Recital

Yesterday Audrey had her ballet Christmas recital. Everything about it was absolutely darling. They usually have to wear blue leotards and pink tights and yesterday they were able to wear Christmas colors.

My sweet ballerina.

Dave surprised all of us by coming to her recital. He walked in about 5 min late and Joshua yelled, "Daddy!". Audrey saw him once he sat down. She was very excited to see him there.

She was so excited he was able to make it. After she saw him she turned to me and mouthed, "I knew he would come!" It melted my heart. It made everyone's day.

Joshua kept himself entertained by pretending to video tape everyone.

Tiny dancer.

Audrey forgot her ballet bag and had to borrow a pair from her ballet school.  They came untied and she was very distraught about it.  I had lots of stuff on my lap and sweet Dave went to tie her shoe before they started dancing across the floor.

Sweet friends.

Holiday Favorites

My favorite things about this time of year:

Two From Galilee
I love this book. My sister in law Kristin was reading it a few years ago and I borrowed it and read it right before Christmas. It added so much to my Christmas season. It is about the love story between Mary and Joseph and it made the Christmas story come to life and made me see things in a whole new way. Highly, highly recommend it. I plan on starting it tomorrow. That's my goal. After I clean my house.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

These cupcakes are a new favorite. My friend Genevieve put them on her blog and made them for me once. I have made them several times and each time feel like a Martha Stewart rock star. I also love the cookie dough recipe. No eggs! I can eat it guilt free while pregnant! And eat it I do. Your taste buds will love me, your thighs, well...

Recipe here.

CHRISTMAS FONDUE
My friend Mindi would make this fondue at her Christmas party every year during dental school. Amazing. I have made it the last two years here in Texas and it makes me miss her, and all our dental school friends. It is so good, and so easy.

2 packages of cream cheese, softened.
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 cups of milk (whole milk makes it even better)
3/4 cup parmesan cheese

Beat cream cheese and salts.  Mix in milk (will be lumpy). Pour mixture into pot, cook on med-high, stirring constantly.  When lumps are gone, add parmesan cheese. Continue cooking until parmesan is thoroughly mixed in.  Sauce will thicken upon standing. Serve with french bread, cut into pieces.

CARMEL APPLE CIDER
My sister Sara is one amazing cook.  Everything she makes is delicious.  She made this for us one year and my holidays haven't been the same since.

1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 cups apple juice
bring cream and brown sugar to boil over med hear, stirring constantly. Add 6 cups apple juice, stir until warm.

Whipped topping:
beat 1 cup cream and 1 TBS brown sugar until thick.  Top cider with cream and toffee bits (or a crunched up Skor bar)
*I like it better without the toffee bits.  I also loooovvveeee this drink cold.  If there are leftovers, save them and drink it for breakfast the next day.  It will guarantee a good day.

Hope you enjoy these as much as I do! Merry Christmas!

Mexico

Mexico.  Family. Fun. Games. Relax. Beach. Pool. Being with some of my favorite people. No drama. One fabulous vacation.

Back in August, my parents took us all on a fabulous trip to Mexico.  Luckily for me my parents (and Andrew & Carrie, AND Jessica & Ryan!) had a layover in Texas and then we all flew to Mexico together. I am so glad I didn't have to fly there by myself with my 2.5 kids. Dave wasn't able to go and we missed him, Ben, Rachel and Ryan a lot.

 

This has been Audrey's favorite bathing suit for the last two years.  It is so thin and worn out, but she loves it. Had to document.  And I love Joshua in this picture.

Relaxing. 

 

 I wish this picture wasn't foggy.  Every time I turned my camera on it would fog up due to the humidity.  My family was dying at how hot it was, but I still thought Texas was hotter.  Joshua & Carrie. Thank you for spoiling me and carrying my kids, my stuff, my towels... being pregnant has it's perks!

 

Game playing.

 

Reading with D.

 

View from our balcony with most of our peeps in the pool.

 

 

A cute little crab we found in the pool.

 

 

 

My parents were kind to watch all the grandkids so the adults could go to dinner. So fun.

 

Melissa might kill me for this picture, but I love it.  We are greasy and wet from the pouring rain and in the back of some nasty cab and it makes me laugh.

 

Sisters. The only time all week we got dressed.

 

Sisters and Mom.

Cute Audrey and Savy having a posing session together. This is their "sweet face" pose.

 

 

Mimi and her family

 

My Grandma had a thing for sunsets, which means my mom has a thing for sunsets, and I also have a thing for sunsets.  Hopefully Audrey will too. Watching the sunset on the last night.

 

 

 

 

Sweet Aunt Mimi.

 

Angel baby Rockwell.  Such a chill, happy, content, beautiful little boy.

Aunt Sara was such a big help. All of my family was. There is no way I could have done the trip sans husband with my 2.5 kids if it wasn't for all the help of my wonderful family.
Joshua and Sara going down the water slide.

Pool side popsicles

I love this pictures.  Happy Birthday Aunt Sara!

Our trip to Mexico was so fun. It was nice to do nothing but relax.  It was in Mexico that I felt the baby kick for the first time.  Sara, Melissa, Andrew, Jessica, Ryan and I were all watching Jessica and Ryan's wedding video and I felt this sweet little baby give me the first of very many kicks. 17 weeks.
I loved spending time with my family, and it was the perfect way to spend a full week with this sweet girl before she started kindergarten. She is my joy and my best little friend.

 

My Big Boy

Thursday morning, 4:00 AM: Joshua starts crying in his crib. I go in and he tells me, "I don't like this bed. Want bed like Audrey's." 5:00 am, same thing. Don't judge. He has never climbed out of his crib and had never complained about it before, so why put him in a bed? I am all about not having to fix what's not broken.
I left on Thursday for a friend's wedding out of state. Dave put together his big boy bed and bought sheets and a mattress for Joshua while I was gone. Joshua chose Thomas the Train. I got home Sunday night and it was Joshua's first night to sleep in his bed (I did not want him sleeping his first night in it while I was gone!). He did so well. He didn't get out once, and even on Monday morning he still called for me to come get him. Then he comes and lays in bed with me and tells me, "I have to go potty!" and goes potty in the toilet. Blah. I am probably the only mother in the world that does not want her kids to be potty trained. Public restrooms horrify me. Today he has gone potty three times in the toilet. Stop it this instant, Joshua. You are growing way too quickly.

At least he still loves his binki.

PS. I am really weird with dates. December 7th ... six years ago today I found out I was pregnant with Audrey.