Sharing our Christmas Cookies

After we feasted on all our food, we made goody bags for our neighbors who are older. We divided into 2 groups and each visited 3 houses. Some of the girls took goody bags to people they knew that lived close to them. All the visits were great and we have heard countless thanks for the goodies but, more importantly, the visits.

The groups head out!

One group visiting our side yard neighbor

Sweet Lilly knocking on the Swifts' door.

Visiting with the Swifts

Returning back to the house

This was a great day - better than any of us ever thought! Plans are already in the working for a Mother's Day Cookie Swap as well. Be on the lookout for that coming in May!

Special Mother/Daughter Times

The whole group!

Me, Laura Beth and Gran Willis enjoyed our company so much. It made our Christmas so very special.

Cherri, Mary Katherine and Sara Walker

Suzanne and Lillie McCarver

Kendyl and Marla Davidson

Lilly and Melissa Allen

(Thanks for the tea!)

Kennedy and Amy Kerr

Donna, Anna Catherine and Jessica Steele

Katy and Kim Scott

Cecily and LeAnn Davis

Cathy and Madlyn Maples

We are so thankful for such good friends to share this holiday season!

Christmas Cookie Party Recipes

In the midst of everything crazy that day, I forgot to take pictures of the food we had at the party. Along with everyone's favorite cookies, we feasted on cheese and crackers, chicken ball, milk, hot apple cider and cranberry tea.

Grandmama's Chicken Ball

(I always double this recipe)

1 small can of chicken

8 oz. cream cheese

1 T. onion flakes

1 T. Worchestershire sauce

Parsley or pecans

Mix the first four ingredients together with your hands. Roll into a ball and then roll in parsley flakes or pecans. Serve with crackers.

Hot Apple Cider

1 gallon of apple cider

1 bag of red hots

Heat the red hots in the apple cider over a hot burner. Stir so the red hots don't stick to the bottom. Stir until red hots are dissolved.

Cranberry Tea

(Thanks to my amazing friend, Melissa, for bringing this favorite drink of mine!)

1 gallon boiling water

3 c. sugar

6 regular tea bags

3 t. whole cloves

3 sticks cinnamon

6 oz. cherry gelatin

1 quart cranberry juice

1 quart apple juice

1 can frozen orange juice

1 c. lemon juice

Cover and brew 6 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove bags. Add spices tied in a bag. Let set 30 minutes. Remove spices. Add gelatin and juices. Heat and serve piping hot.

We all enjoyed eating and drinking all of these treats. We hope that you will enjoy these as well.

You are Invited . . . .

to a Mother/Daughter Christmas Cookie Exchange Party

bring 3 dozen of your favorite

Christmas cookies or candy to the party.

Laura Beth and I hosted 10 of our favorite mothers/daughters to our house for a Christmas Cookie Exchange Party. We had the best time just being together with some of our friends and spreading a little Christmas cheer!

Meeting with Santa

The kids loved meeting Santa this year at the Elf workshop. I get to say kids for one of the first times ever this year because BOTH actually did see him. Laura Beth quickly hopped onto his lap and gave him her list . . . .

A Kit American Girl Doll

Horse Books

Snow

A Heavy Coat

This was the first time since Carter was 4 months old that he sat in Santa's lap. He gave him his wish list as well. . . .

A left handed glove

A right handed glove

A Derek Jeter jersey

Food - the good stuff (macaroni and cheese)

We wish all of you a very

Merry Christmas!

Elf Training Workshop 2009

We were so excited about Elf Training this year. Last year was the first year the FHU Associates had it and what a hit it was! With tickets in hand we were at the door ready to become the best little Elves Santa could ask for! The stations this year were as followed:

Story Time with Mrs. Claus

We love Mrs. Claus! At this station we met up with Cecily to hear a story.

Making Elf Hats

Choosing and working on our elf hats for when we

become official elves!

Gift Wrapping Station

How many gifts can you wrap in 2 minutes?

Laura Beth did 4 - what a good helper

I will have this year!


Mrs. Claus' Cookie Kitchen

We always enjoy visiting Mrs. Claus' kitchen

to make our cookies!

What great cookie decorators I have!

Reindeer Stables

Making reindeer ornaments and reindeer food

for the reindeer Christmas Eve.

We also enjoyed snacks at Frosty's Cafe before we went to see the head of all the elves . . . . SANTA!

How the Penguins Saved Christmas

The second grade was in charge of the Christmas play at East Chester Elementary this year. The play was called How the Penguins Saved Christmas and I thought, "Oh, my LB will be such a cute penguin!" She was a reindeer - Dancer to be exact and she was the cutest Dancer ever if I do say so myself! Everyone did a great job and stole the audience's hearts! Great job, 2nd Grade!

Laura Beth singing the songs
Saying her line - loud and clear!

Madlyn and LB

Carter, Jordan, LB and Kate - brothers, sisters,

classmates and friends!

A House Divided

Well, it has happened! Our house will officially be divided on January 7, 2010. Damon's team - Texas - and my team - Alabama - will be playing each other for the "big trophy" as Carter calls it.
We have been very blessed that in our 13 years of being together our teams have NEVER played each other but this is about to change.
The kids say they are cheering for Alabama - I promise there was NO prompting on my part with this (I was in New York when the games were being played and they called me to tell me). Laura Beth will stick with her choice but I am sure Carter will change his mind multiple times before the game begins and during the game.
I have been told to find somewhere else to see the game which is probably a wise move. So, we will see how all this unfolds. Some people in the house will be happy - some will not. I am sure we will all survive this event and be better and stronger for it!!!! Until then . . . .

ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!

Saturday in the Big Apple

We had been very blessed with wonderful weather when we were in New York. The weather in Henderson was actually worse as far as cold and wet than we were having in New York. However, the weather caught up with us on Saturday. We hit Fifth Ave. Saturday morning with rain, snow, wind and typical New York weather.

FAO Schwartz doormen with me and Dixie

I don't have a lot of pictures from Fifth Ave. We ventured into Berdorf Goodman, Tiffany's, Disney Store and American Girl. We had a good time. After lunch, we met up with Brian Brewer - a real New Yorker now. Brian was great friends with my brother Chuck when they were at FHU. Brian spent a lot of time at our house and around our table. It was so good to see him again and it was great to have someone who knew where they were going to take us around! Our first stop - ROCKEFELLER PLAZA!

My wonderful traveling buddies with THE tree!
I miss this guy so much! Thanks, Brian, for
all your help!

Up to this point we had taken every form of transportation in New York (minus the limo) except the subway. So, Brian helped us navigate that to top off our New York experience!

The girls at the Spring St. station!

Mandy left us to meet up with some of her friends. Brian kept showing us around with a stop at Charmin's gift to New York City - a clean public restroom! Words cannot describe this experience! It was amazing! The people here cheer for you after you go to the bathroom and clean it after every use! It was amazing!

Warming myself by the toilet paper
fire place while Brian and Dixie
"enjoy the go!"

Brian and Dixie waiting in line to enjoy the go!

How did you enjoy your go?

LOVED IT!

We went up one floor to help power the ball for New Year's Eve. We got on the big bikes and gave what energy we had left to power the ball!

We gave them so much energy!

and then documented it with this amazing pic!

We ended our last night of the trip with cheesecake at Maxie's in Times Square. Brian was amazing and we got to see so much we would have missed if it had not been for him! We all awoke Sunday morning realizing that we had lived like 19 year olds and none of us were even close to that any more. However, what memories we have and what a time we had! We will never forget our Christmas in New York!

So where should we go next?

The Rest of Friday in the Big Apple

After the Today Show we met up with Mandy (who slept in) and ate lunch at Planet Hollywood.

Arika and Mandy eating lunch
Me and Dixie eating lunch

After lunch we headed to Macy's to do a little shopping and meet the BIG MAN himself - Santa - the real one! Arika and I took letters from our kids to the big mailbox to mail their letters. Macy's was giving Make-A-Wish foundation $1 for every letter put in the mailbox.

Me mailing the kids' letters to Santa

Then, we took off to the 8th floor to meet Santa. It was amazing as we saw everything in the world. Macy's did a great job keeping our attention as we went through the line to meet the real Santa.

Arika and I boarding the North Pole Express to see Santa

Yes, I am 32 years old and I FINALLY set in the REAL Santa's lap!

Do you believe?

I do and got the shirt to prove it!

I love this one of Arika having a private conversation

with Santa.

We enjoyed some more shopping and then headed back to the hotel to get ready for our show of the weekend - WICKED!!! Yes, I have now seen it 3 times but love it even more everytime I see it.

All four of us dressed and ready to go!

Arika, Me and Dixie in our seats ready

for the show to begin!

After the show, we went back to the hotel to drop Dixie off. Mandy, Arika and I decided we wanted to go to Rockefeller Center to see the HUGE Christmas tree when we were dressed up. So, at 12:30 we go to Times Square, hail a cab, jump in only to find out that they turn the lights off at 12!!!! So we file out of the cab, thanking the taxi cab driver for being so honest with us. We thought this city never slept, oh well!