There's A Whole Lotta Baking Going On

My kitchen floor has been covered in flour and sugar over the past few weeks.  We have been on a bit of a baking marathon, trying out new recipes from Sarah's 25 Days Of Christmas Cookie Countdown and making some of our favorite recipes.  

I love to bake, especially with my kids, and we have been having so much fun.  We've delivered some treats to friends and neighbors, some are in the freezer for Christmas, and plenty have been eaten.  

One of my favorite cookies to make with the kids is roll out sugar cookies.  It brings back memories from my childhood baking cookies with my mom and my grandma.  One thing I always loved was my mom and my grandma's tin cookie cutters.  Last year, my mom sent me some of her tin cookie cutters to start my own collection.  It was so sweet to see my kids using the same cookie cutters I used as a little girl, making memories that will last them a lifetime.

some of my tin cookie cutters

dipping pretzels

getting the sprinkles just right

pressing caramels into the dough

unwrapping caramels

unwrapping caramels, eating a few along the way

rolling the dough

landon's turn

"i roll it myself"

working together

using all her muscles to cut out that cookie

the face of a baker- covered in flour

completed roll outs

sugar cookies with candy cane kisses

the sandbakkelse pre baking

the finished sandbakkelse

the cookie bakers having an indoor picnic

I Didn't Get Off Easy

Since she could grasp a crayon, she has been interested in "writing".

She even finds interesting things to use for writing, like eye liner. All over my bathroom.

Remember how I thought I got off easy compared to my hand turkey. My masterpiece I drew in crayon on the white wall of my parents living room on the day of my brother's graduation party.

Well, turns out I didn't get off easy. Mauryn decided to decorate our front entry wall yesterday. With a purple crayon. 

If the crayon doesn't come off, we (I mean Lance) will be doing some touch up painting over the weekend before our Christmas guests arrive.

Thanks Mauryn for your beautiful artwork. I love seeing it on my walls only in the future let's show it off in frames on the wall.

purple crayon on the wall -hard to see with the glare but trust me its there

the artist checking out her work

"here it is mama" (ignore her pig pen, ragamuffin look - these were taken right after breakfast)

Wordless Wednesday: Snow Fun

Wordless Wednesday: Grandma's Kitchen Helper

Thanksgiving in Minnesota

Disclaimer:  There are a bunch of pictures in this post. I was going to put them in a slide show, but time is just getting away from me. So feel free to skip any/all of the photos.  My brain isn't working in paragraph form today, so this post is just in statements.

Highlights of our trip:

- a dinner with friends from college

- a day spent with our former neighbors

- a day trip to the Mall of America (rides, American Girl store, and lunch at the Rainforest Cafe)

- spending Thanksgiving Day with my family - and all the yummy food

- meeting my brother's girlfriend - the first time he has ever brought a girl home - and we love her!

- watching my kids strengthen relationships with their cousins

- seeing Twilight with my nieces

- making lefse

- eating my moms homemade cinnamon rolls and lots of lefse -yummy!

- Morgan and Landon having a sleepover with their cousins

- hanging out with the family

- having time to read - I finished three books!  Three Weeks with My Brother by Nicholas Sparks (good book), Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury (it was okay, not one of my favorites of hers) and Twilight by Stephanie Meyer (had to read it before I saw the movie - it was definitely a light easy read)

Lowlights of our trip:

- Mauryn waking up on Thanksgiving with the flu, then Landon and I got sick later in the week, and Morgan got sick while traveling home

- our unexpected 13 hour layover in Portland, OR (due to weather) with a sick child (but it could have been much worse)

Morgan and Kierstin playing with the camera

Morgan and her best friend Emily 

Landon hanging with cousin Ben

Elephant faces at dinner

Mauryn is the official beater licker (nice bed head babe)

Cousin Ayla and Morgan helping Grandma with the cinnamon rolls

Morgan watching her doll "Ellen" get her hair done at the AG store

Morgan and "Ellen" fresh from the salon - new hair do and ears pierced

The cousins on the wonderpet ride at MOA

Morgan and cousin Ayla on the Swiper ride at MOA

Mauryn laughing at the kids on the rides

Landon and I on the Swiper ride

Landon concentrating on his creation in Legoland

Mauryn tired out from a day at MOA

My nephew Ian retrieving a football from the top of the tree. Landon tried to climb this tree too.  Good thing he can't make it too far yet.  

I am SOO jealous of that bowl of ice cream. He eats one this size almost every day. Oh to have that metabolism!

Hanging out at my brother and sister - in- laws

My mom and sister - a familiar scene while growing up - my sister always snuggling on someone.

Sawyer saying good bye to Mauryn

The comparison -3rd oldest cousin to 3rd youngest cousin

Playing "giddy up" with Hannah

Landon dressed up for the squirt gun fight in my brother and sister-in-laws house

Landon in the Portland airport, waiting to get home

A Little Cousin Love

Pictures and details of our visit to come, once I catch my breath. Amazing how losing that day in travel can make me feel ten steps behind.

Here is a little preview of how these cousins roll.

Disclaimer: Landon is laughing the entire time and walked around proudly displaying his "swirley" hairdo!  

Trying To Make It Home

An inversion + lights not working on the runway= an overnight in Portland Oregon with three tired kids (one who is vomiting) and one tired mama.  Please pray the weather breaks up, the lights are working and we can make it home this afternoon.

I am thankful we had beds to sleep in, overnight kits provided by the airline, a free breakfast, and a hot shower - even if we are all in the same clothes as yesterday. I am also very thankful for the kind passengers and airline personnel who were so willing to help me as I traveled alone with the kids. It was definitely a blessing!

Pictures, updates, stories, and some blog TLC coming soon!