Cookies for Santa!

Sunday night it was time for one of the kid's favorite Christmas activities...

decorating Christmas cookies!!

 

Not even going to try and fool you...I always buy the dough that you just have to bake.

But the frosting is always homemade.

Canned frosting is a sin.

Some pretty serious decorating going on here.

And some taste testing too, of course!

 

Take a look at Gug's cookie.

This was HIS cookie...he kept decorating it, licking the frosting off, and starting over!

Ta Da!!!

Parade of Lights

Thursday night was the Parade of Lights in Limon.

 

It's tradition that we get together with John Wayne's work family for a festive potluck and then all watch the parade together, because they have an entry.

 

The kids LOVE this event and look forward to it every year.

 

Gordon Insurance's train.

After the parade, we all came back in for the gift exchange.

GW got two really cool new John Deere toys.

Miss Tressie got this Lalaloopsy doll.

Yep, you read that right, "I magically poop charms!"

She says, "it's fun in a gross sort of way!" : )

The kids of Gordon Insurance.

As you can imagine, when they're all together it makes for a very fun {loud} time!

So blessed to work for such an amazing family!

Cowboy's Week

 

 Here's a look at what Cowboy has been up to this week.

 

John Wayne and I jetted off to Vegas last weekend, but Cowboy managed to keep track of the littles at Gaga and Papa's house too.

 

He brought them some new coloring books one morning to help keep them entertained.

 

 

Friday, he brought new Christmas movies and popcorn for movie night!

 

 

Saturday morning he brought craft supplies to build a snowman!

{This one was all Gaga!}

 

 

Ready to cheer the Broncos on!

 

 

Monday morning, I think Cowboy was tired from all of the traveling.

He just about forgot to move that morning!

 

 Tuesday he brought a fun little matching game.

Silly elf covered himself in stickers!

T got pretty excited over this one.

Playing with Thomas.

T was mad because "he was wasting the batteries!"

 

Cowboy knows that Jesus is the reason for the season.

Just a few more days until Christmas!

 

VEGAS 2014!

John Wayne and I just got back from a really fun weekend in Vegas with some of our good friends.

 

These are our excited faces.

You know, you've seen them before.

The ones we make when we're going away for a few days...

without our kids ; )

 

We were there for the rodeo.

Which we didn't actually have tickets to.

No one understands that.

Vegas is just super fun during the NFR.

Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

{Yes, having tickets to the rodeo is way better, but they are way expensive and this was a "cheap" trip.}

One word: SHOPPING.

 

I got to meet -in person- one of my blog/IG/FB friends.

That's always so fun!

So after a full day on Friday, we went back to the room to freshen up.

And, John Wayne fell asleep.

And, snored.

And then I finally couldn't take it anymore, so I woke him up.

 

Saturday there was lots of shopping.

My ring is my favorite purchase this year.

Here are our fun traveling partners.

Great times with great friends!

 

We had to laugh though.

Ten years ago, we would've been out on the town all hours of the night.

This year, we were sitting there discussing what our elves would be doing while we were gone : )

And then we were very excited to get home to these two!

Here they are sporting their Cowboy Christmas goodies - T got a "Famous in a Small Town" shirt and Gug got a "Say I Won't" cap.

Both pretty fitting!

 

Until next time, Vegas!

More of Cowboy's Shenanigans!

Oh, that Cowboy!

 

The littles stayed Friday night with Gaga and Papa while John Wayne and I were at my Christmas party.  Sure enough, Cowboy followed them and continued his shenanigans.

 

"Do you wanna build a snowman?"

T is pretty sure that she heard Cowboy using her scissors in the night : )

{I had cut Olaf out before hand at home!}

 

 

Sunday morning, that naughty little elf had strung underwear on our tree!!

 

 

Monday morning, he decided to roast marshmallows.

He was kind enough to bring the kids some s'mores cookies.

Tuesday, we woke up to Cowboy the red nosed elf!

 

And it looks like we're not the only ones who have been watching the National Finals Rodeo on TV this week!

 

 

We're headed to Vegas tomorrow, so the littles are headed to Gaga and Papa's for the next four days.  I bet Cowboy will follow them... : ) 

 

A fun filled holiday weekend!

We had a great weekend filled with festive activities!

 

Friday night was my company Christmas party.

Myself and a co-worker are responsible for planning it, so it's always a relief when it goes off without a hitch and everyone has fun.

 

Gaga and Papa kept the littles for us Friday night while we were at my party.  Then Saturday morning, they had to come to the city, so we met up with them and got the kiddos.

 

Then it was time for holiday haircuts.

Poor T wants long hair SO bad, she really didn't want a haircut, so I had to convince her that a trim would do her good.

Someday it'll grow.  I was the exact same way and now I have a head full of hair!

 

GW was actually REALLY good this haircut!

 

From there we went to the mall to work on some Christmas shopping.

This of course really thrilled John Wayne.

But I mean, he did get to ride the train with the kids!!

 

GW was so cute at lunch.

He turned around in his chair and people watched while he ate.

Little cowboy doesn't get to the big city all that often!

Then after some more Christmas shopping and dinner out at Texas Roadhouse, Daddy's treat, we went to the Electric Safari at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.



 

The kids, and me too, had fun feeding the giraffes.

When I was a kid, you fed them cookie/cracker things...now they get leaf lettuce : )



At every animal GW: "Eat me. They going to eat me."



It was a great night...until I backed into a rock leaving the zoo.
And scuffed the Yukon bumper.
And had a fight with John Wayne.
And taught all the little kids in the parking lot a new word.

We made up over ice cream.

Sunday, we tried to catch up on some sleep and chores.
And, the Little Lady has been begging me to build a gingerbread house.
I honestly had never made one, but we bought the kit and GW was down for a nap, so I though, really, how hard can this be.
Well, half hour later, I had the glue gun out, gluing the sucker together.
But it thrilled the Little Lady all the same.
 



 

This is my favorite time of year and I love trying to cram in enjoy as many activities as we can!

 

Welcome back Cowboy!

Our Elf on the Shelf, Cowboy, made his way back to the trailerhood on Monday.

We're so excited to have him back!

 

Monday morning, he was sitting on the tree with a note waiting to say hi to the kids.

 

 

Um yeh, totally stole this little poem off Pinterest!

 

 

Monday evening when we were at dinner, T said, "I wonder what Cowboy eats for dinner?"

Well, we all know that an elf's favorite meal is spaghetti with maple syrup and candy, right?!

{And we had just watched Elf a few days before, so this made perfect sense to T.}

 

T was totally grossed out by this.

GW tried to eat it.

And he would have liked it!

 

 

Another Pinterest find, Cowboy posing as Elsa.

This was of course a big hit with T.

 

 

My kids, as I think most are, are infatuated with Band-Aids -- it appears Cowboy is too.

When T found him this morning, she said "I think Doc McStuffins has been here."

 

And then this morning our sleepy elf was snoozing in his bed he made in the Kleenex box.

He also brought the kiddos new Christmas pajamas with a note:

"New PJs for your sleepover at Gaga and Papa's!  Be good!"

 

I obviously enjoy the Elf on the Shelf tradition and the kiddos look forward to finding what mischief he's up to every morning!