{holiday baking}

We had a fun day of holiday baking. We made caramel apples and pears, and white chocolate peppermint cookies for our friends. We also included some Christmas music, Disney of course, Princess Carols for the girls and Mickey Carols for the boys. Merry Christmas to all!

Passing the time coloring.

{meet julie}

Last night, when I was blogging, Ashley really wanted to show off Julie. 

She loves her new friend.

As does someone else. Notice the slippers that are Jasmine dress up shoes. Always fabby Leah!

And of course look who couldn't be left out. She wanted me to take her picture with her baby too. Naked of course. Ellie is funny. She is staring to love the camera just like her sisters.

We love girls!

{santa's workshop)

So I have been crazy this holiday season with Chatterbox stuff. It's been crazy, but really fun. We had our first experience at a holiday show. It was a learning experience. It was a lot of prep. Next year we will remember what we learned. Thanks to all who helped make it happen. It was a fun day.

Our Booth or Store as I called it.

We had so many samples that It all hardly fit on the table. I have to say I was really excited to have our own little "store". I probably got too caught up in that part of it, but I couldn't help it. When I was little my sisters and I loved to lay our toys ("kitty crap" or Hello Kitty stuff)  on our beds and play store. So that for me was so much fun. I just wish I could have had a real cash registrar to ring everything up. Maybe next year!

{northstar}

Back in July, we made reservations to go to Sun Valley, Idaho with the Evans. Well, since there was no snow we decided to cancel. I was totally bummed about it, but knew that it was a good decision. It's a long drive. When one of Chris' partners found out that we weren't going away, he offered us his cabin. It was awesome. I should of taken picture when we first got there. I never got around to doing it. But here is what I did take.

We rode the gondola. Not too much snow at Northstar as well.

We tried our hand at ice skating. Ashley picked it up really well. Leah needed lots of help and we did have a break down. This helped us decide that she is not ready for skiing.

Ashley and Chris hit the slopes and had a good time. Still not a lot of snow.

But then it finally came. When we woke up Saturday morning, it had snowed all night.

It's fun to shovel snow right?

And it didn't stop snowing the rest of the time we were there.

Leah was soooo excited to make snow angels.

Working it in the hot tub while it was snowing.

And of course some hot chocolate and peppermints hit the spot.

What a blast we had. I am trying to talk Chris into buying one. I think he is on board, but wait money might be a problem. Dang! A girl can dream right.

{reagan library}

So many times on our way home from Southern California we talk about going to the Reagan Library. But we always figure it is too far out of our way so we just forget it. Well not this time, we made it, and to our surprise it really wasn't that far out of the way. We kicked ourselves for not going sooner. Chris had been once before, and I had never been. I wish we would have had more time, but now we know it's not so far that we will definitely have to do it again.

Ronnie. Nice Flash spot.

This was really fun. Air Force one. Of course it's 20 years old but it was so cool to go through it. Seriously a must see.

The Memorial

The Library is beautiful. Up in the hills looking out over the valley. We also really liked Reagan. As we were going through the library it just makes you realize what a remarkable man he was. Oh Mitt please run again! We need good leaders!

{thanksgiving}

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We went to Chris' grandparent's country club in Rancho Mirage. I love going there. They have a ton of great food. You come in sit down and can immediately go eat. I am always sooo hungry by the time dinner is served that eating at the club is the best. It's fancy and everyone waits on you. And NO CLEAN UP! Grandma Jackie still makes a turkey and homemade rolls so we have leftovers. We done this for the past few years and I love it.

After dinner we walked around outside on the golf course. It was beautiful. Notice the rainbow in the background.

Ella still be a stinker with Jac.

 Here is Uncle Cory and Ashley. It was a great day. I am so thankful for all that I have. Thanksgiving is a wonderful day.

{american girl place}

For Ashley's birthday, which was back in September, she wanted to go to the American Girl Place. Since we were going to Grandma & Grandpa Cottrell's for Thanksgiving, we were able to go to the Los Angeles store. Just Mom and Ashley went to lunch at the Cafe. So cute with the little chair for the dolls and even a cute tea set so Kirsten got to eat too.

Ashley and Kirsten

So it was suppose to be just Mom and Ashley for the whole trip, but Mom got soft and knew Leah would love it too. So she came in and had her doll's hair done.

The doll salon where Kirsten got her hair done and a facial too. She is twenty years old. She deserved some extra love! But you would never now that she was that old.

Samantha getting her time too!

In the end Ashley picked out her very own doll. It was a hard decision, between Kit (Mom's personal choice) Josefina, and Julie, we spend so much time going back and forth but it the end she chose Julie. It was raining when it was time to leave so I never got a picture of her leaving with Julie. Dang it, I need to have my camera ready!

{trick or treating}

It is so fun to have our cousins nearby. We usually just do a family night on Halloween, but this year we got to have Brooke's family join us. We craved pumpkin and had pizza. Then it was time to go get the CANDY!

Haley was Snow White. She worked it in her darling shoes!

Ella was a Little Witch

IT was so hard to take a picture since the kids were so excited to get out. The girls were cupcakes, and Daenen was Willy Wonka and Davis was Bobo Fet.

Spent too much time to these costumes. They were hand made. It took some time trying to figure it out, but in the end it was done. This will be the last year of me doing that. Sorry Ella. But they were original.

This candy is flavored "Ear Wax". Brooke's Favorite.

We had fun walking around our neighborhood. One house had a full on Haunted House. We had to wait in Line to go through. We even got some "honkers" as Davis called them. a.k.a. regular size candy bars. Another year of Halloween is gone. The girls already know what they want to be next year. Store bought of course.