WALKIN' IN A WINTER WONDERLAND...

This is the scene we awoke to on Saturday morning! It was so beautiful!

Saturday evening we headed downtown to check out some of the holiday fun! We always love downtown, but at Christmas it is extra special!
There is a skating rink around the big tree, Christmas music was being pumped out, and the snow was continuing to fall...it couldn't have been a more perfect winter night!

Next to the skating rink was a big indoor display of gingerbread houses and Santas from the around the world.

They were also offering free horse-drawn carriage rides. I figured the lines would be too long, but when we went to check it out, there was actually nobody in line! So after a short wait for the carriage, we were on board!
Welcome to your first winter, gman!

(he's not super impressed!)
I hate being cold, I hate being cold, I hate being cold.........

One of the reasons I was dreading being back north for winter.

However, this night gave me such an appreciation for experiences we have missed the past 4 years. It gave a renewed thankfulness for how God places you right where you're supposed to be and has a way of making you content as well!

So, despite still being cold, :) I am really thankful to be right where I am this winter and thoroughly enjoying the beautiful snow in my home, sweet, home.

An early Christmas in [freezing] Minnesota...

There are too many pictures and stories to tell from our week in MN...! I'll just have to hit a few highlights and the rest of the pics can be viewed on facebook.
On 2 of our 4 flights, we got an empty seat for gman, which was soooooo nice! He did very good despite one canceled flight and an hour sit on a runway! Managed to take a few cat naps when he needed them. VERY thankful for babywise, because his little body is so programmed to his schedule, that he still fell asleep when he needed to!

It was a beautiful winter scene and the temp. was around ZERO most of the week! We happily stayed inside. :)

graham was forced into layers of clothing a lot which he HATES!

but I think he looks cute!

watching the Christmas parade from the skyway with my nieces, nephew, sister, and sister-in-law!

love downtown Minneapolis!





graham had lots of extra good care and fun with his cousins!




























and extra love from his aunts & uncles!

enjoying his first Christmas experience!

loved spending time with my SIL, mom, & sister!

missing two brothers for this shot...we can never quite get everyone together!

And this is how we all felt when we arrived home....!

It was a wonderful week though and thank you to each family member who went out of their way to make the week special!

*****

The rest of the pics can be viewed here.

Cookie Time

I don't know if anyone else saw this, but a while ago, Betty Crocker had a thing where you could sign up to be picked to host a cookie party. And they provided everything! So I thought, why not? Then a couple of weeks ago I got an email saying I had been picked as a host. Oh shoot....now I had to plan a party! But it turned out really fun. They sent me a whole box of STUFF including some cookie mixes, coupons, items for goody bags, lots of misc. things AND a $15 gift card to purchase other ingredients. THANK YOU Betty Crocker, pretty great!

So....I started planning. They were trying to promote treats you could make using their cookie mixes as your starting base.

Here we are ready to go...

in corner #1 - chocolate cranberry biscotti

corner #2 - Christmas tree brownies

corner #3 - ooey -gooey caramel bars

corner #4 - peanut butter kisses

Everyone starts their assignments...looks intense, huh?!!

1st pan into the oven!

These were the most fun to do!

take home goodies

The chaos in our wake...





We had a fun (if slightly crazy!) group including a few friends from church, 2 of my neighbors, and 2 other friends from the community. There were lots of laughs!

Everyone got to take home a plate of cookies and I even had enough to take to some of my other neighbors as well. Can I just say I am a big fan of baking together? It was a lot of fun!

Thanks Betty (if I hadn't mentioned you enough already). I should seriously get paid for this. I'm also available for commercials. :)

AND THE WINNER IS......

True Random Number Generator Min: 1 Max: 16 Result: 13 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Lucky #13!!!

Update...congrats winner Jill Miller! of course I know who you are! :)

Enjoy your gifts!

This comment was left by "Coach"...

Hey Kelly :) I enjoy reading your blog!

Happy birthday! I saw momma kissing santa clause.

and I have no idea who this is! It doesn't let me see a blogger profile, but I am assuming I know you....! So, contact me very soon!!!!

You have won a Christmas ornament for your tree...

Bath & Body works lotion & anti-bac for your hands...

a candle for your home...

and Lancome Cell Defense (ok, I don't know what that does!) and Eos Lip Balm for your face.

And to keep you cozy..which color choice of Old Navy scarf would you like?

BIG CONFESSION...I said you would have 5 color options.....but I already gave 2 away for gifts. So sorry about that!

Thank you everyone for entering! I had fun reading your entries and as soon as I have a spare second (ok, that might be january) will try to add some of your songs to my list!

Thank you, BIL Joel, but unfortunately "I want a hippopotamus for Christmas" is not going to make the cut. :)

AND WHY DID MY HUSBAND ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY???!! (don't worry, I would have picked a new winner.)

Thanks for entering!

TEN

They say they change so fast...but goodness gracious, THEY CHANGE SO FAST!
The past 2 weeks has been one of those times of very noticable changes.
>We are gradually leaving behind the "cry as soon as a stranger talks to me" that we went through for about a month. thank goodness for that! still a little shaky on older men though...
>I'm not sure if it was the teeth or what, but the beginning of month 9, we seemed to have a Mr. Crabby on our hands more often. But little Mr. Sunshine seems to be back, big smiles, giggles & all. We're so glad. :)
>Top 2 teeth are coming in!
>He enjoys waving [at himself], not into doing it to others yet. :)
>His new favorite thing is giving hi-fives!
>His energy level has cranked up about 5 notches! (I don't need to tell you my work-out routine!)
>He has lots of new noises - ones that sounds like hmmmm.... and huh.... and oh......... and a noise of surprise. He's becoming very expressive!
The past few days, he has become like Mr. Octopus climbing ALL over me! I was try to get a pic of him waving and I was ATTACKED!

2 things that have become his mantra in the last week or so: BUSY and FAST!

He is everywhere and gets there fast!

It's hard to get anything done in the kitchen, so I sometimes resort to a barricade! He then stands at it and looks longingly at me....or tries to sneak through it like this -


He actually pushed this chair from the table to the corner!

And then crawled in behind it....




Could he get any crazier????!!!!

He seems to love all foods EXCEPT eggs & cottage cheese at this point. I'm most surprised that he doesn't even make a sour face at oranges or kiwi! He is enjoying eating a lot more table foods and I am so thankful because it's so much easier for mom!

Here he is FINALLY playing nicely with his toys! He stacked all these things on the stool and then took them all back off. That's the first time I've seen him do something this methodical!

As I write this he is busy playing with daddy and giggling hysterically...nothing in the world better than that sound!

We are also working the beginning stages of learning to obey....sometimes he obeys perfectly and sometimes he acts like we don't even exist. What a stinker. :)

"Children obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord". Col. 3:20. He is starting to hear this verse already!

He whacks his head on a wall, floor, cabinet or something about 5 times a day. Usually only cries for one of them!

He is our full of fun, cuddly, [yes, sinful], sweet, determined, bundle of energy!

Happy 10 months old, Gman. :)

A Birthday Give-A-Way!

In honor of the big t.w.e.n.t.y.n.i.n.e...............

I am having my first blog give-a-way! After all, it is better to give than to receive, right?! (Andrew, this does not mean you can take back my gift!)

I appreciate the friends & family who take the time to keep up on the sometimes crazy, sometimes mundane, sometimes random.... happenings of our little family. And so here is an opportunity to win a few pampering items for yourself or maybe fill a last minute stocking stuffer!

For the past few months, I have been collecting a few things here & there to put in my give-a-way. So I will confess :0 I either got most of these items for free or under a $1. HOWEVER, that does not mean it doesn't hold some great items. :)

I won't tell you all what it is, except that it includes something for:

your hands,

your face,

your home,

your Christmas tree,

and to keep you cozy...your choice of 5 different colors, an Old Navy scarf!

Here's how to enter....

Leave a comment telling me what song you would choose to add to my Christmas playlist!

(and sovereign grace ones are out because they don't have them. boo.)

a few criteria...

* you must have met me in person to enter. :) No random drop-bys!

*if you are reading this on facebook, you must actually leave a comment on my blog site to enter (in order to keep the numbers straight!) - http://akhughes.blogspot.com/

Blog entries are open until next Monday, December 7th! Then I will choose a number entry with the help of random.org.

Good Luck!