Zoo with the Zufelts a summer tradition

Every summer the Zufelts have invited the kids and I to the zoo.  I thought my kids were getting too old, but I was wrong.  The zoo has added some fun things were the kids can play.

The petting zoo has been there for a while.

I love the butterfly house.  Here Holly with her elephant ears ( no I am not making fun of her, but that is what she calls her pony tails) and Zoe trying to catch a butterfly.

Josh and Ainslee at the brand new water splash pad at the zoo.  It was pretty amazing and the kids could have played there all day.

Water comes out of that giraffe's mouth.

Take me out to the ball game

We went to Mormon day at our local baseball field to watch a baseball game.  It was dollar hot dog day.  The concession stand person said they have never sold so many hot dogs.  I thought she has never had so many Mormon's there before, we are a frugal people!

Holly loved hang out with the other girls from our stake.  Some older girls (actually young adults)  took the kids to the kids place area to play.  Can you dig Holly's side pony tail?  She did it herself.

Josh trying to get the game.

And us, should never go with someone taking a picture going up, but going down. I love when we get to go together as family.  One of the best parts was we got in free because of a reading thing the kids did.  They each got two free tickets.  I think this may have to be a family tradition as long as we can cash in on that.  We didn't stay for the whole game or we would have been there to midnight it was slow going but Don and I enjoyed it.

Holy presents, Santa Claus!

The kids totally scored this Christmas with presents, between Tu-tu, Grandparents, Mom & Dad and Santa Claus, I kinda feel like it was too much. But off the high horse I go. They loved it. Josh helped hand out the presents. We all opened our presents Holly stared at this Barbie wedding set for quite a while.

Josh could barely put the Buzz Lightyear down to finish helping his Dad hand out the presents.

Everyone was happy. We all lazed the rest of the day away playing with our new toys. I didn't even get out of my p.j.'s.

As a tradition from my family. We have our big meal Christmas Eve and then on Christmas we eat leftovers and appetizers. No cooking or clean up for mommy. I true day off. That in it's self is a spectacular Christmas present.

Decorating the tree

Don and I always decorate the tree together, I mean just him and I. I enjoy doing that with him. We put on Christmas music in the background and reminisce about history of different ornaments.

We leave out the kids personal ornaments and then they get to put them on the tree on the next day. What can I say we like to hog the decorating to ourselves.

Christmas Cookie Tradition

Every year my mom and I would make Christmas cookies (by the way my mom's not dead just on the other side of the US, hence the "would".). We would plan out what were going to make vowing to only make 4-5 different kinds and never keeping that vow. We would start early in the morning determine and end early evening a little to punch happy and daring anyone to ask us, "What's for dinner?".

Well, every year now that I live in Tennessee I get that cookie making twitch and I have to make cookie plates. I made a list, again not keeping to my only 4 different kinds of sweets- it's just too hard-I also made a list to who I would give them to. One of my friends was like where do you draw the line. I was like that's easy: people that VT me, people I VT, my kids' teachers (for Holly that is 6 different people), my 3 neighbors, and my mailman (because I am too cheap to tip. I would have gotten the trash guys, but I wasn't sure where to put it). Well I thought this was a wonderful plan until I started thinking of the other friends that I have that don't fall into these categories and the guilt started. So to these said friends- I will get you next year and bake more!

The bandaged hand you may ask. My oven hates me and will only open 1/2 way so when getting something out of the oven I managed to burn the top of my hand than pull downwards (you know because it was hot) and then burn by my wrist which was facing down. Yes, I am very talented and my loving husband bandaged me up. By the way he did add his name to the cookie list this year too.