Feliz Navidad!

Sophie enjoyed her Christmas morning more than I thought...

She was very happy with her stocking. You can't go wrong with rubber duckies...

She was thrilled with watching the doggies unwrap their presents as well.

The doggies were happy, too. They love presents. Especially Mr. Nevaeh.

Our Family had Oyster Stew and Christmas pudding for Christmas Eve.

We went to a friends for Christmas Day supper. And then, we had our "special" family supper of Prime Rib on Boxing Day, afterwhich we went to a Christmas Levee at the Mess.

All around, it was a beautiful Holiday weekend! Unseasonally warm sunny weather, too!

Best wishes to all for the remainder of 2011!

We wish you all a Happy New Year.

Naughty or Nice....

Sophie and I had a little photoshoot yesterday afternoon. She was sooo good (untill I took the sucker away...)

She is almost 6 months old already. So hard to believe!

She is such a sweet little thing. I am so lucky to have her in my life! She is just wonderful...

Cookie Exchange

I attended my very first cookie exchange this year. I thought long and hard about what I was going to make... I knew I wanted something super yummy....something super Christmassy... So, I decided to invent Peppermint Bark Cookies. Basically just Chocolate chocolate chip cookies drenched in white chocolate and crushed peppermint pieces.


Now, I had to make 8 doz of them. No small feat with a small child that doesn't let you out of her eyesight.... or armslength...





Hours later... I thought up how I would package them, because from everything I've ever heard about cookie exchanges the package is just as important as the cookies themselves...

Here is what I left home with... 14 beautiful, bountiful bags of cookies.

Here is what I brought home with me...



I thought cookie exchanges were all about the packaging???

Guess I was way off base on that one!

Fall Back in Portage...

We are finally back home after 3 months of living the good life out west. Oh, how I miss it out there... But, alas, life goes on...even in Portage la Prairie. I have managed to get a few projects done since getting back last Friday. The biggest of which was a good deep clean, furniture rearrange and curtain change up.I had been dying to get Ryan's sign hung since I bestowed it to him on our Anniversary in August. It was a whole lot of work, but well worth it.

And, I got the Halloween decorations out...
Sophie LOVES the lights!
I hung my black cat sign over the stove...

Unfortunately, this is what my house now looks like clean. I thought the dog beds were clutter enough... now add to that a baby swing, exerciser, jenny jumper, boppy, moby wrap, assorted bowl of toys and binkies, and burp rags. It's funny that even with all these great distractions, the silly girl still would rather be held in her mama's arms.I also found the time to finish up Sophie's Room. I got her closet all done up and organized. I got her curtain rod hung and curtains up. They are the icing on the cake...SUPER cute! They make the room look like a little girly girl room.

And, I got her name finished and up on the wall...complete with modge podge and all! I must give her Auntie Becky credit for this one. She did one for Sophie's up and coming little cousin, and it was so cute that I had to do one for Sophie, too.

Sophie loves playing in her room!

She especially loves all of her toys that were just sitting there waiting for her while she was out west... and she loves sitting in her bumbo to play with them.