Christmas Eve

come on in...

luminaries - I wanted to put doilies on the inside or cut out paper snowflakes but time was an issue so I fell back on the faithful "ho ho ho" stamp

our stockings

paperwhites - bloomed right on time

handsome man

best buds

paninis, sushi, and gin and tonics

me and Maggs

Pop and Betty (our neighbor)

CHEESE

Yes - we're entering the cheesy smile phase.

How to read The Cat in the Hat

Santa Hat

He LOVES hats!

Crazy Santa Baby

I grabbed these with my phone when Asa took off his pjs and donned his Santa hat.

He didn't want to move while I made the bed.

All About Asa

We haven't had a "just Asa" update for awhile so I felt like it was time.

He's getting to be such a big kid. He LOVES to "help" out around the house, whether this means finding something on the floor and throwing it in the trash (he usually judges right about what is and isn't trash), or shutting the dishwasher door (he can't stand doors being left open - even if I'm in the middle of loading it), throwing his diapers in the garage, pulling a chair up to the counter to help me cook (he especially likes to pour things back and forth between measuring cups) or do dishes.

You can currently find him usually doing one of two things - coloring (hopefully not on our coffeetable books!) or playing with letters. Anywhere we go he has to point out "A, C, T, S..." and he's almost always right! Huge thanks to Leapfrog Letter Factory on that front. He's got his alphabet down.

He's talking in longer and longer sentences, learned that "Dada" also goes by the name "Mike" and "Hunny" and refers to him as such, and currently seems to be a lefty.

Sure looking forward to Christmas Day with our little bud.

Hanging out with Nana and Poppy

 Dad C took these the other night when they babysat for us while went to the EMSI Christmas Dinner.

Christmas Postcard!

Merry Christmas! Asa and I braved the post office lines today so you should be getting your postcard in the mail soon!

Marshmallows

Since we got married I've started making homemade marshmallows every Christmas.  They're really easy (if you have a stand mixer) and fun to do! (This is a Martha Stewart recipe)

INGREDIENTS

    2 1/2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin

    1 1/2 cup granulated sugar

    1 cup light corn syrup

    1/4 teaspoon salt

    2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

    Confectioners' sugar (for dusting)

Combine gelatin and 1/2 cup cold water in the bowl of an electric mixer with whisk attachment. Let it stand 30 minutes.

Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan; place over low heat and stir until sugar has dissolved. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to dissolve sugar crystals.

Clip on a candy thermometer; raise heat to high. Cook syrup without stirring until it reaches 244 degrees (firm-ball stage). Immediately remove pan from heat.

With mixer on low speed, slowly and carefully pour syrup into the softened gelatin. Increase speed to high; beat until mixture is very thick and white and has almost tripled in volume, about 15 minutes. Add vanilla; beat to incorporate.

Generously dust an 8 x 12-inch glass baking pan (I've used a metal one with no problem) with confectioners' sugar. Pour marshmallow mixture into pan. Dust with confectioners' sugar; let stand overnight, uncovered, to dry out.

(next morning)

I find it really easy to cut with a large pizza blade.

Enjoy!

Christmas Fun!

Here's our giant 10ft Christmas Tree! (biggest yet!)

Asa's Gingerbread House (although all he did to contribute was to eat the gumdrops - so it's really more like my gingerbread house...)

Snowy Sunrise

The sunrise was soo beautiful the other day - I grabbed these off our back porch.

Snowman

On Sunday Asa and Amara got to build a snowman with "Ba Ba" (as Asa calls him) and "PaGrin" (as Amara calls him) - basically Grandpa.

The kids LOVED the snow. Asa quickly learned, on his own I should add, how to throw it in Amara's face and would probably have stayed outside until he was blue.

It was soo cold that the snow didn't really pack so it was more of a Snowmound.