Christmas Projects and Baking

Pinterest has been the death of me...in a good way!  There are way too many amazing ideas and too little time to do all of them, especially during Christmas time.  The first idea I got from Pinterest for Christmas was this ruffle tree skirt.  I added the "Peacock Tree" in the dining room this year and needed a chocolate brown skirt for it...this was PERFECT! 

This was our second year doing an advent calendar.  M&M love it.  I also got this idea off Pinterest.  But instead of the throw away version using brown craft paper, I thought I'd sew the stockings using white felt and lots of red and green ribbons and buttons.  This took way more time than I thought but I'll have it to use again next year.  It was fun doing all the ribbon and button embelishments...fabric glue was my saving grace and glitter glue for the numbers!

These cute shirts for the kids were just pictures on Pinterest so I had to try and recreate it the best I could.  Michael's was a cute snowman face and Mary Ellen's a ribbon Christmas tree.  They wore them for our BCG Christmas party and on Christmas day.

 The idea below was from my super talented friend Mandy.  All the families at our church made one during "Jingle Jam with the Fam".  What a precious idea and super cute for all year long once I framed it.  All 4 Thorne's hands as a perfect reminder of this Christmas.

I wanted to make some special gifts for all the ladies at my MOPS table this year.  They turned out to be great gifts for family too.  Big and small candy-cane-chocolate-heart pops and Crockpot Apple Butter.  I used to can every Christmas before M&M.  Forgot how much I love to do it.  This Apple Butter is super yummy and made the whole house smell AMAZING!

BAKING

We wanted to give some treats to our neighbors this year and have some for when family visits.  So M&M helped me spend one full day (and part of the next) baking.  They were such great little helpers...and tasters!

Peppermint Snap Kisses...we also made Chocolate Snap Kisses using red M&M's.

Peppermint Brownie Cookies...YUM!!

Gingerbread Men...M&M decorated all the ones for our neighbors!

We loved Reindeer this year and found a few really cute ideas.  The most amazing are these Reindeer gingerbread cookies...just turn the gingerbread man upside down...why didn't I think of that?!

These reindeer cupcakes were so adorable I made them twice!  The first for our BCG Christmas party and then again for M&M's school Christmas program.

This Christmas was so super busy.  I'm determined next year to slow things up a bit and ENJOY more time with just our family.  I haven't figured out yet how that's going to happen...but I'm determined to try!  I have so many things I want to do and this ideal in my head of what needs to happen.  I'm afraid trying to reach that ideal may threaten to take me OUT one of these days.  I so want M&M to remember the LOVE and not the PROJECTS.  I must say that seeing them joyful and excited has become my new addiction!  Maybe God can show me how make them and me joyful...can't wait for Christmas next year!



It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

Christmas is my most favorite time of the year!  I love to decorate, do special crafts, bake and spend time with friends and family.  So it's all the things I love most in one holiday!  We were having two parties at our home in early December so I got busy decorating early.

This is our main tree in the living room.  It has all our sentimental ornaments and a jeweled fruit theme.  I love being in this house with all the 10' ceilings so I can have these big beautiful trees! 

Our fireplace is next to the main tree and also has jeweled fruit and berries.

This peacock tree is in our dining room.  This is the newest addition this year.  I used brown ribbon, peacock feathers and a small collection of Polish Pottery ornaments that I hope to continue to collect through the years.  I also made a chocolate brown burlap ruffle tree skirt for it.  I got that idea off Pinterest...love Pinterest.

The crystal tree in our office is my most favorite of all the trees.  It has lots of shiny crystals and pearls along with all my stained glass ornament that I've made through the years.  There are stars and crosses of every size and shape.  Pictures just never do this tree justice.  I LOVE the way it sparkles and glows!

Mirror outside M&M's room.

M&M's tree has a pink and green theme with colored lights.  They love to hang all the ornaments and it was overflowing this year with all the homemade ones from school and church.  They also love to go to bed each night with the lights on.  And they know they have to stay quiet or we'll go in and turn them off...it's worked pretty well this year.  We also started the tradition of wrapping all their Christmas books up and placing them under the tree so they can open one each night and read a different story.  Even though they're books they already own, it's like new again when they get to tear off the shiny red and green paper!

The advent calendar this year was also thanks to Pinterest.  White felt stockings that help us count down to Jesus' Birthday!  They love to get their little sercy each day as we count down.

It's always a lot of work to get everything up, but so worth it to have a whole month to enjoy it.  It is becoming such a special tradition that M&M love.  Seeing the joy and wonder on their little faces is worth the effort!

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgivng day was such a nice quiet day with just the 4 of us.  We knew that Andrew would be returning from TDY likely the day before so we made NO PLANS.  Need to remember that for the future.  We have such precious few times, especially holidays, with just the 4 of us.

One of the few times we eat in the dining room.  Andrew and I used our Wedding china and Michael and Mary Ellen their special prayer plates.

 

I tried one of my first Pinterest ideas...muffin tin mini pies...cherry and apple.  They turned out cute and yummy but I filled them too much so it spilled over in the oven.  A smoking oven is no fun when you have a day full of cooking ahead of you. 

I made our favorite side dishes;  green bean casserole, hashbrown casserole, corn pudding, cranberry relish, dressing and giblet gravy and frosted lime salad.  With a baked turkey of course!  Lots of food, but Papa and Mama Jo arrived later that night and we managed to finish everything off by the end of the weekend.

Michael and Mary Ellen's favorite dessert was the chocolate trifle...YUM!

The most favorite fun of the day was when Daddy made a tent in M&M's room.  I think they could have stayed in there all day!  Mary Ellen drew on her magna-doodle and Michael read books and they both played, played, played!  What a great Daddy!!

Daddy's Big 40!

Daddy finally turned 40 and was actually home for his birthday this year.  Yes, now he's finally as old as Mama!  We tried to make it super special for him.

Opening presents decorated in Clemson stickers by M&M.

Singing "Happy Birthday" to Daddy!  His favorite german chocolate cake and two adoring little kids....my how they love their Daddy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!

Kingdom Kids Thanksgiving Feast

Michael and Mary Ellen's class joined the class next door to celebrate Thanksgiving with a feast!

The cutest little pilgrims and indians ever, praying before we eat.

Lots of yummy food and fun with school friends.

Daddy had just returned from TDY so it was all 4 Thornes at the Thanksgiving feast!  I love how Kingdom Kids makes every event so special for the kids and the parents!