Christmas 2013

On Christmas Eve we had an enjoyable day baking together, wrapping gifts and watching a few Christmas movies together. 

That night we had our traditional fondue dinner.  Then we read the account of the Savior's birth in the scriptures and watched a few church videos about His birth. The girls got to unwrap their new pajamas, a Christmas book and the pillowcases that I made them.

Mackenzie is the first one awake every year on Christmas morning. She came running in to our bedroom at 6:00 to get us up. Steve and I didn't get to bed until after 1:00 so we told her to go back to bed for an hour! We finally got up around 8:00. Mackenzie and Brooklyn were still sleeping. 

Santa Claus came to wake up Mackenzie.

And Santa Claus came to wake up Brooklyn.

It was fun to have Santa Claus with us for a while Christmas morning.

We all got spoiled with too many gifts.

Mackenzie was excited about the crock pot that Santa left for her.

Even Kia got a few gifts from Santa. Her favorite was a big tube of 16 different tennis balls. 

Every year Steve wraps up my gifts in very unique ways. This year I got a cone shaped gift! He's so silly and I love every bit of that about him!

We had a wonderful day relaxing, being together and talking with our families on the phone. As always the holidays come and go to fast. But we really enjoyed the Christmas break and having everyone home.

Homemade Christmas Gifts

When I was a teenager we started a new tradition in my family of making a homemade gift for someone in the family. We would draw names and the persons name you got you would make something for them that was homemade. We opened these gifts up on Christmas Eve. It was one of my favorite traditions as a teenager. When Steve and I got married his family carried on this tradition for a while as well. We don't do this any more but occasionally Steve and I will make something homemade for our girls at Christmas.
 This year I decided to make Mackenzie and Brooklyn homemade pillowcases. My sister Julie shared an awesome video with me how to make them.

It was fun going to the fabric store to pick out the fabric. There are so many choices it was hard to pick just one!This is the fabric I chose for Brooklyn's pillowcase. 

And this is the fabric I chose for Mackenzie's pillowcase.

One night before Christmas while the girls were at work Steve helped me make them. They were super simple and so fun to make.

I wrapped them up and gave them to the girls on Christmas Eve. 

It was a lot of fun making something homemade to give to them even if it was just a silly pillowcase.

Decorating Gingerbread Cookies

A few days before Christmas while Mackenzie and I were shopping at Costco Mackenzie found these giant gingerbread cookies and talked me in to buying them.

Mackenzie and Brooklyn decorated their cookies first and then Steve and I used the leftover frosting and candy to decorate our gingerbread cookies.  

 They were all so different and cute. My favorite was Steve's gingerbread baby!

He thought it was worthy of hanging on the Christmas tree! I don't think so Steve! 

This may be a tradition that continues each year. Thanks Mackenzie for talking me in to buying them. It was a fun activity to do together as a family.

Cynthia's Birthday Celebration

I am the luckiest girl in the world! Why? Because every year I get to spend the entire day on my birthday with Steve! He takes the day off from work and we celebrate all day long! 

We started my celebration at Maltby Cafe for breakfast. Then we headed over to Bellevue to go to Deseret Book store and then over to Bellevue Square to shop. 

Steve bought me a new iPhone for my birthday. It was so fun to go to the Apple store to get my new phone and be trained by them. I love-love my new phone. 

 Both Mackenzie and Brooklyn had to work that night so we didn't have to hurry home. So to top off an already perfect day Steve took me to Daniel's Broiler for dinner. It's our favorite...so yummy.

When the girls got home from work at 10:00 we continued the celebration with presents and a homemade german chocolate cake. 

Thanks for making my birthday so special Steve, Mackenzie and Brooklyn.

Mackenzie's 20th Birthday

It was fun to have Mackenzie home to celebrate her 20th Birthday. We still can't believe that she is that old. Where have the years gone?

As is tradition, Mackenzie opened up one of her gifts before breakfast. It was a new outfit to wear on her birthday.  For breakfast she requested her favorite cinnamon muffins with fruit.

Steve took the day off from work and we had fun spending the day with Mackenzie. We went shopping and then out to lunch to the Cheesecake Factory.

 
Mackenzie had to go to work at 4:00 so she had to wait to open her gifts until she got home from work later that evening.

 We bought Mackenzie a piece of her favorite cheesecake to have for her birthday cake.
I also made some cupcakes for her to take to work. 

Happy 20th Birthday Mackenzie Kay! We sure love you.