Christmas Cookies with Gammie

I realize this post is out of order and it really bothers me, but I couldn't figure out a way to put it where it goes. Anyway, a few days before Christmas Gammie invited the boys over to help her make Christmas cookies for Santa. They made and decorated sugar cookies with icing which happen to be Santa's favorite at our house. Gammie prepared the dough beforehand and when the boys arrived they helped cut them out, ice, and decorate with colored sprinkles. The boys were eating them faster than they were coming out of the oven.

We did manage to save a few for Santa though. Thank goodness, or we might have ended up with coal in our stockings.

Deer Camp Cookies

This weekend the boys are heading out to the hunting camp with their daddy, John David, and Pop Pop. So I had Wilson help me bake some "Deer Camp" Cookies(I just made up that name) for them to take to the camp. These were originally supposed to be Rudolph cookies, but I never got around to making them during Christmas.

Sugar cookies with M&M eyes and nose and pretzel antlers.

Wilson would decorate a few then pop one in his mouth and say," Mom, you don't need dis one."

They look dead ...perfect!

Lake Tahoe Ski Trip

Last week we went on a ski vacation with Ben's family to beautiful South Lake Tahoe, CA. We left early Christmas morning and made it there in time to play in the snow before sunset.
Wilson's diet consisted mainly of snow while we were there and then he would complain of being cold.

Thank you Aunt Barbara for the sleds.... The adults enjoyed them too! They came in handy as a shield as well when being pelted with snowballs.

Snowball fights with the Guthrie boys! It was mostly boys against the girls and Wilson. Bailey, Wilson, and I were unfairly outnumbered, but we fought a good fight!

JD and Bay Bay... Snowballas!

Hot Chocolate at Seattle's Best
Indeed the best hot chocolate I've ever had!

Topped with whipped cream, white chocolate shavings, chocolate syrup, and caramel...YUM!

Snowballin' by the Lake

Just trying to mind my own business and capture a few priceless memories. These boys wouldn't let up.

Et tu Brute?

Guthrie boys/men... but mostly boys

Wilson catching a ride from Pop Pop

This was our first day of skiing. It was absolutely the most perfect ski day ever! No wind, clear blue skies, and fresh snow.

Bailey went to ski school for the day so I spent the day skiing with the Guthrie brothers.

I took this picture right after John David took out that orange SLOW sign trying to spray Ben. It is a wonder they didn't come home with a head or knee injury the way they try to push each other down while skiing.

Ben laughing at John David

Davis and Bailey ready to run with the Big Dogs!

Heavenly Village

Scott, John David, and Austin

Davis skied with Ben and me on the second day....and Bailey with the other boys.

The weather wasn't quite as pleasant as the day before, -10 degree temperatures, wind, freezing rain....not exactly favorable conditions for skiing, but we stuck it out anyhow. Davis punked out and went down the mountain with Pop Pop after lunch. Bailey was definitely a trooper. Only one day of ski school and she let John David talk her into skiing the blues that afternoon, but it wasn't without a few falls, tears, and curse words. It reminded me of my honeymoon when Ben did the same thing to me after I had only been educated in ski school for half a day. I thought if I didn't kill him, we would be divorced before we made it down the mountain.

Bailey with her coaches Scott and John David.."Bend your knees Bailey!" "Lean Forward!" "Snow Plow!"

Having lunch with the whole gang at Tamarack Lodge. Davis loves him some ribs!
This is the only picture I have of the whole group.

Austin, Lindsey, Me, Wilson, Scott, John David, Davis, Ben, Bailey, Pop Pop, P.C.

Scott, Bailey, and John David riding the Big Easy

Icicles are multipurpose

Wilson found one for a snack

Davis found one for a weapon

Aren' t they cute? I could just eat em up!

The last day we took the boys up the mountain to sled.

They had a blast!

Racing!

The brothas and Pop Pop took turns lugging the boys and sleds back and forth. I'm glad they were there. Last year I had to do it by myself.

CHILDREN!

I had a blast with all of you guys and girls! Thanks for the memories!

The view of Lake Tahoe coming down in the Gondola


One last picture... I promise

and then

A couple of videos

Santa Claus Came!

Santa Claus had to come to our house a day early this year, but nonetheless he came! I dread the day when my children stop believing. A couple of weeks before Christmas Ben made the comment, "You know this might be Davis's last year he believes in Santa Claus." Me with tears streaming from my eyes, "Why would you say something like that Ben Guthrie!" I mean really, we have a good 5-6 years left at least. Right?

I've discovered that Santa Claus likes to bring things to the boys that Ben enjoys playing with too. This year it was the Nerf machine guns. Oh, and what fun they bring to Mommy being the target and then having to pick up the 100 + Nerf darts all over the house! Last year it was a remote control helicopter. I guess Santa doesn't pay any attention to the age recommendation on the box.

Wilson's favorite thing was his tool bench. He loves fixing things and taking things apart.

Davis was most proud of his pellet gun. Ben took him out that morning for target practice.

Here he is proudly looking at where he shot the can.

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! We didn't get to see or spend much time with our out of town family and friends that came in for Christmas because we left early Christmas morning. Hopefully we will y'all soon in the New Year!