Gingerbread house!

I'm not always as hands on with my girls as Id like, but I am trying to find more ways to include them when I make things.  Even now as I write this blog, Miss Riley is sitting next to me as I read aloud what I am writing.  Its not very easy, but when has being a mom ever been "easy"?  Not really ever, but its still fun and worth it!

Part of being in a so called younger family is that you get to start and make your own family traditions.  We, and by we I mean me, decided that we wanted to make Gingerbread houses and cookies this year as a family.   I got my girls together, put our aprons on and we whipped up some delicious gingerbread cookies and the makings of a gingerbread house. 

Occasionally I can get my girls to sit still for a project, it usually has to include sugar or a treat as an incentive.  They did fabulous adding the ingredients to the mixing bowl.  The hardest part was waiting the hour that the dough had to chill in the fridge!  But we made it, and with most of the dough left too!

Now we are ready to decorate!!  

It was hard not eating the candy before it made it onto the house sometimes.  Frankly, I'm surprised that that much of it made it onto the house!

The girls had a blast!  Their excitement for creativity was contagious.  I dont know how long it took us to finish it all, but it was well worth it. 

We didn't get our tree up the day after Thanksgiving like we normally do, but we ended up getting a real tree about a week later from our neighbor that was leaving on vacation.  My fabulous bestie Erin made me an awesome tree skirt last year, so I was thrilled to pull it out of the box this year and make our tree awesome!

We have a lot of random moments in our family, most of them end up being the best moments.  This was one such moment..  We had Christmas music playing and Casey took the girls and started dancing with them, spinning them around and just having a good time.  My husband does not dance! Like ever.  Even at prom I think we actually danced to like 2 songs.  Him stepping out of his comfort zone just made their day!  

My friend made this card for me after I had already sent out a cheap one.  I love this one, so even though this wasnt what got sent out as our card I pretend it is.  

I couldnt end without showing you our Christmas dresses.  Ignore the chocolate mustache on Tinsley though, she enjoyed her sandwich a little too much.  That being said, many traditions were started and continued this year.  I love watching our family continue to grow and make things our own!