The Great Christmas Catch-Up

So we had our Small Group Christmas Party at our house over a week ago and the photos have been sitting, edited and uploaded, on my blog for several days. I just never posted them. 

Seriously.

This Christmas season is kicking my rear like none other and I just can't keep up. I'm really wishing the Mayans had predicted the end of the world for the 18th because then I wouldn't have to plan and execute Christmas cards (which aren't done and they'll be the crappy ones from Wal-Mart with a bad photo), two school Christmas parties in which I'm the home room mom (haven't figured out how to be in two places at once yet on Thursday), and my laundry is all clean but not folded and put away. This all has to be done by the 21st. Plus, the 21st is just too close to the 25th to hedge my bets and not do any Christmas planning.

I'm pretty sure the Christmas of 2012 will forever be known as the Year of the Great Christmas Catch-Up.  

So I guess the start the with the post about our Small Group Christmas Party. I did manage to whip up some cute centerpieces, though. I found the tutorial HERE.  (Which only makes me realize I haven't answered the email she sent me three weeks ago about updating my blog! Sheesh! I promise I haven't forgotten, Kristi!)

They made my party pretty festive!

Because I missed the small group where the planning took place, Brad chose the theme again. It was National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Again. You can see last year's photos HERE. However, we did all have to dress as a different character. (I, apparently, did not have to choose a different centerpiece tactic, though. Christmas trees are just easy, folks!)

Clark and his Mother-In-Law (aka Adam and Missy)

Two Clarks (aka Drena and Tim)

Aunt Bethany and Uncle Lewis (aka Mary and Kyle)

This costume was pretty amazing.

Cousin Eddie: Holiday Finery Edition & The Girl With The Christmas Costume Pass Because She Had A Baby Two Weeks Earlier (aka Casey and Kristen)

Todd and Margo (aka Brad and The Best Wife Ever)

The Moose Mug and Cousin Eddie: Swimming Pool Edition (aka Kasey and Jason...who may never be able to show his face in public again)

Cousin Eddie: RV Edition and Clark's Mom (aka Jamie and Kristin)

All the "Eddies" 

All the "Clarks". That's Tanner, our youth minister. He didn't have anyone to take a photo with earlier so he just took one with the Clarks.

All the "Old People"

Aunt Bethany's Jell-o Mold

Brad was a trooper and took the candid shots. I love the laughter and friendship captured here. How I wish we were both better photographers! We were having a White Elephant gift exchange in case you get confused.

Lots of good memories with lots of good people. Love you, friends...even the ones who dug through my cabinets and used the non-Christmas-mugs-that-are-banished-until-January. 

What's Cooking Wednesday: Oat N' Chocolate Bars

I first found this recipe in an old cookbook my mom had, THE GREAT AMERICAN FAVORITE NAME BRAND COOKBOOK. It's kind of a mouthful. My mom knew how much I loved the cookbook so she bought me my own when I got married. I'm a little surprised you can still find it, but it's a doozy of a cookbook. 

I came across this recipe when I was looking for something with oatmeal and chocolate chips since Brad's favorite cookie is oatmeal chocolate chip.  It's sort of like a Hello Dolly Bar except that it doesn't have coconut.

Oat N' Chocolate Bars

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (6oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, sugar, and butter. Reserve 1/2 cup of mixture and press the rest into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crust. Sprinkle with nuts and chocolate chips. Top with remaining oat mixture; press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature. 

Ten on Ten: December 2012

I'm posting my TEN ON TEN today from under an overwhelming to-do list. 

It's that time of year again and I'm already feeling like all I'm doing is trying to catch-up. Awesome. Trying to enjoy the season (I really do love it!) while trying to get everything done that needs to be done (not a wrapped present under my tree yet!). So this Ten on Ten seems uninspired and unfinished. Phoebe came home from school with a big ole headache and the evening kind of fell apart from there. 

Sigh. 

I'm linking up HERE where you can find all the other participants. Maybe they'll provide me with a little holiday cheer today. 

Bah Humbug.

My Children's Christmas Program

My kids were in their very first "Christmas Program" at church on Sunday night. Oh sure, they've practiced and sung Christmas carols for preschool and such, but this was the first time they practiced for several months getting ready to sing at our church Christmas Party. The kind where you drive around listening to the same Christmas carols every day for months until they are burned into your brain. Or at least until you find yourself singing "Polar Puppy" while cleaning the bathroom when your at home by yourself. 

I know Eli enjoyed it, although he's always a little awkward and stiff on stage. He gets that from his mama. He'll do anything to spend time with his two church buddies, though. 

This was Phoebe's cup of tea! She loves to sing and she loves to be on stage. Not to say that she didn't have her "space out" moments, too, where she stopped singing and just stared off in to the distance. I'm just glad she didn't pick her nose or anything. 

But there was one song, in particular, that Phoebe l-o-v-e-d. It started because the first time we were driving to school and I heard it on the CD, I told her it was one of my all time favorite Christmas songs.

Growing up, my mom had the Oak Ridge Boys Christmas cassette (yep, it was a tape!), CHRISTMAS AGAIN.  It was my favorite. I knew and loved every song and I just wasn't in the Christmas spirit unless I had heard that tape. I still love it. I know that makes me even worse than a nerd, but I love that group of Christmas carols.  Brad cannot believe he didn't know this about me before we got married because it might have been a deal breaker. I personally think that anyone's whose favorite Christmas song is anything by Kenny G doesn't have a leg to stand on. 

If I had to pick a favorite off that album, I'd have to say it was the song "New Kid In Town". Not sure why I loved that one most because they are all special to me, but I did. And that was the song the kids were going to sing in the Christmas program. 

Phoebe was so excited she learned all the words pretty quickly and sang it loud every time it played. When it came time to practice it for the first time at rehearsal, she belted it out with such feeling and preciousness and sincerity that the director gave her a solo. 

Sitting in the chapel, watching my baby girl sing her heart out to a song that is filled with such loaded memories was very moving. She's not the greatest singer, but she's mine and my love for her filled me all up and seemed to spill out all over while she sang. It was one of those "Mary Moments". Those moments we have as moms that feel bigger and weighty with the emotion they carry. The times when  we "treasure up all these things and ponder them in our hearts" like Mary did after the birth of her Christ-son. Because even though Jesus was  a heavenly being who changed everything, his mom was just a mom trying to figure the whole thing out like the rest of us. 

I'm posting our youtube video here. She was singing kind of loudly because they children had been told they wouldn't be miked and she wanted to make sure everyone heard her! :) Feel free to not watch the video, too. I posted mostly for family. 

I took several photos of the family after the performance. My parents and Aunt Amy had come in for the show, but someone had their eyes closed in every single photo. And not the same one each time! But I did get a few of my children and their buddies. 

And this one good one of just the two of them. Don't be fooled by the good photo. It was taken after multiple bad ones, several threats, and at least one bribe. 

I'm including the youtube video of the Oak Ridge Boys singing that song, too. Just for fun. It's my little Christmas gift to you. 

You're Welcome.

My Thanksgiving Photo Post

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents and family this year. Three weeks ago.  And I took 597 photos. I know the exact number because I completely filled up my memory card. It's taken me this long to go through and edit them all! 

And there still aren't that many good ones. We planned matching Thanksgiving outfits. The weather was cloudy and with optimal conditions for outside photos. The conditions were favorable in so many ways, but still one really great one. I guess that's what happens when most of your subjects are under three. I admire real photographers more than you can imagine. 

This is what you get when you tell a two-year-old to get "cheek to cheek" with his older cousin. 

And this is what you get when the two bigger boys are doing their very best to humor you.

These next few photos are called "Boys Eating Oranges". They aren't amazing, but the subjects sure are cute!

Isaac helping his daddy make Pico de Gallo. My brother is a whiz at pico because his fine motor skills are pretty amazing. He can chop all the ingredients so finely and evenly. I know he appreciated the help, too. :)

The girls' photo shoot went a bit better.

Or maybe not. Hee Hee.

More photos of Thanksgiving Day. Mimi crafting with Lincoln and Phoebe.

Carrie and Sarah

It's just not Thanksgiving without a sword fight.

Or a friendly day of football.

 

That ends in a dog pile.

Photos at the park. Thank Heavens for nice weather!

Once Thanksgiving was "officially" over, all the kiddos donned their holiday best. 

So we decided to have a little mini photo shoot. You can imagine how that went.

Most of these just make me laugh. 

Even though my photos weren't as amazing as I'd wanted them to be, they will help us remember the Thanksgiving of 2012. Because that's the cool thing. My photos may not be beautiful, but the memories are.