Salt Dough Ornaments

For a fun project we made salt dough ornaments. I got the idea from a blog. They were super easy to mix up and lots of fun to paint. This was a two day project. The first day we mixed the dough and used cookie cutters to make the shapes.

We cut out 39 shapes!
Then we baked them for four hours....this is why it was a two day project. This was Wade's contribution to the project. He watched them bake.
The next day we painted them and decorated with glitter.
These were Luke's that he decorated. He did such a good job!!



All of our new ornaments....
Kate with her snowflake and tree.
We used red ribbon to hang them on our little tree.

This was so much fun and the ornaments turned out so cute!! The kids are already making plans to make more next year. These are my new treasures for sure!!

Look Familiar??

This just goes to show you the apple does not fall far from the tree. I am about 17 months in this picture. Maybe they will grow up to think their screaming Santa pictures are funny too.

Wade's Solution to My Ornament Arrangement

Decorating the Tree With Lots of Helping Hands

The kids were ready to decorate the tree the minute we got home from seeing Santa. We did make them wait until after dinner. The kids are such a big help decorating....and they are fast. I am also grateful they are equally willing to help undecorate the tree after Christmas.

Wade was not too sure what to think of the tree at first. But let me assure you he is not scared or timid any more. He knows how to turn the lights on and off. He thinks it is his job to turn them on whenever they are off. He has also broke one of my favorite ornaments that was part of a set...now I just have a set of three. :0( With a little rearranging of ornaments after that mishap things have went much better. I really don't care if he rearranges or takes off the ornaments left on the bottom so we are getting along fine.

Luke poses for this picture every year. I do think it is funny....but not as funny as he does.
All done decorating...I told you they were fast. Most of the ornaments are on the same four or five branches, but that is how I like my tree decorated!!

Spelling Bee Champ!!

Rachel is the Spelling Bee champ of Greathouse Elementary this year!! We are so very proud of her!!!

Picture with the judges and top three finishers.
Rachel with her First Place trophy!!!
Rachel earned a place in the City-Wide Spelling Bee in March. She has lots of studying ahead of her.

Snow Day!!

Late Sunday night it started snowing at our house!!! Rachel had really been hoping for some snow so they could have a snow day off from school. She sure got her wish!! The flakes were big and wet. We got about four inches. It was beautiful!!

I went out at about midnight to take these pictures....I was really excited for the snow too!! I put out some Christmas lights for the first time this year and thought they would look just perfect with the snow.
The kids were eager to go out and play in the snow first thing in the morning. Kate had spent the weekend with my parents, so she got to play in the snow in Snyder. I sure did miss her not being here with us to play in the snow.
Wade was less than thrilled about all the snow. He pretty much screamed the whole time he was out. I think his whole problem was the hat, gloves, and coat I made him wear....too much. He was so mad!!!


Snow angels....of course.
Kate asked me to make her a snowman. We named her Kate.

Wade came out to meet our snowgirl...notice I did not make him wear his snow clothes and he is not screaming.

The neighbors came over to enjoy the snow with the kids.

In the afternoon we met my parents in Big Spring and got our Kate back!! Yay!! I had to get her picture in the snow too.
We stopped at a park so the kids could play before Rachel's piano lessons.
Looks like they were having fun. Wade and I were warm and cozy in the car.

Yay for snow days!! Snow days are unexpected days we have to play. It was so much fun! I even heard Luke tell Rachel, "It was fun today." This made me so happy to hear.

We Have Santa Pictures!!!

We went to see Santa Claus this past Sunday. It has become a Thanksgiving Holiday tradition for the kids to visit Santa. Kate did not hesitate to be first to sit on his lap. My we have come along way.

She is telling Santa she is four.
Kate asked Santa for a BIG trampoline. Apparently the small one he brought last year is no fun any more. :0(
Look at my Rachel with Santa!! She looks so grown up.
Rachel asked for a golf set.
Mr. Luke was next. Santa does not look too happy...he must have heard about how well Luke has been behaving. Luke has a month to dig himself out of that hole. :0)
Luke asked for Legos.
Then we thought we would try for a group shot. I had a feeling Wade would not go for this. I can't decide which one is my favorite....

Look at Kate looking at Wade like she can't believe he is screaming like that.
This is Cara's picture. In this angle you can see Santa better. The colors are much brighter too!
Wade is a screamer too!!! I can't wait to see how he does next year....bahahaaaaa. Why do I think screaming Santa pictures are so funny?!?!

Well, I did not get an individual picture of Wade with Santa, so when I saw this statue in the store I thought that would be perfect. Wade did not think it was so "perfect". This has got to be the funniest picture. We have laughed over and over about it all week.