Hey Santa!

Thanks for visiting us at Great Grandma Donna's!

We are enjoying our presents!

The Night Before Christmas . . .

The Wilson house was full of

  cousins and their spouses with Grandma

 Hold on, guys!

 Wilson Siblings with Grandma

 Aunt Angie read stories before bedtime, Marin and Olivia are very intrigued.

 Connor and Daddy had visions of video games in their heads!

GOOD MORNING!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 Marin, working on her Christmas spirit.

 BUSTED:  These two went downstairs at 0705 to see if Santa came, then came upstairs to report about the loot!

Waiting upstairs until they get the ofiicial go-ahead to see their presents!

Visions of Sugar

It isn't Christmas without the baking and goody making right?  This week Olivia and I have done our fair share of baking and goody making.  We didn't cross everything off the list but came awfully close. 

We discovered new things to dip in almond bark and chocolate: marshmallows & Bugles! (note to self: next year fill the Bugles with PB and then dip them!)

Dipped pretzel rods are a favorite and an easy canvas for Olivia to decorate with sprinkles.

The dogs are getting a sugar buzz from all the extra sugar and sprinkles flying around!  I tried to teach Olivia to use her fingers, but she preferred her hand or the bottle!

Part II:  Cookie decorating!

I cheated this year, I took Pilsbury sugar dough and plopped them on a cookie sheet.  Only a few turned out symmetrical, as for the other cookies well, they ran into each other and are rectangled or squared but make great canvases for our frosting!

My elves helped decorate after I piped the frosting!  They are great cookie artists and are so oblivious to the fact that I cheated and didn't use my Grandma's sugar cookie recipe, yet another year! 

However, Connor does know the true taste of a sugar cookie, he mentioned it the other night . . . I said that I love a sugar cookie that is soft and fluffy, almost cakey and he replied, "yeah, like how Aunt Paula makes them!"  He's onto me!

Nevermind the shape of the cookie, look at those designs! All sorts of yumminess piled on them!

My favorite is this smooshed cookie and an abstract Rudolph!

I guess Scotcharoos, Snickerdoodles, and cake pops will have to wait for another day or maybe Valentine's Day!

A Roberts' Christmas

Believe . . .

in joy!

 in laughter . . .

 in sweet memories.

 in Christmas Magic!

in love!

 in wonder.

 in contentment.

 in hope.

in pure happiness!

 in cheer!

and

Dream of . . .

Peace!

It's Beginning to Look a lot like . . .

CHRISTMAS!

(with the exception of snow!)

 Last Monday, the kids were on the mend and wanted to go to the Holiday Lights; and so we did in our PJ's, a cup of popcorn, and the coolest thing for them was sitting in the front seat of the car with no seatbelt!!

 Last night, all the girls went to see a favorite production at the community playhouse.  Thanks Grandma for the fun experience!  Now we have some new songs to belt out around the house!

Some miscellaneous pics of our December. . . frozen yogurt, a broken Chicago Bears ornament (oops!), Olivia's fancy-schmancy shoes she's been wearing with EVERYTHING, and an unusual picture of snow (something we haven't seen around here a whole heck of a lot).

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/dDYiMTghKXcF4qWJ

Click on the link above and it will explain what we have been up to lately ;)

Christmas from a Furry Kind of View

My human parents, brother, and sister are busy preparing themselves for Christmas so I decided to take over some of the blogging.  I've been eyeing my human Mom and I think I got a hang of this typing thing even though my paws are much too thick for the keyboard; it just seems to work!

I've noticed that Christmas is coming because I've been listening to my human family singing Christmas carols--out of the blue.  I've heard songs about a creature with a red nose, a snowman that comes to life, and some holly jolly, fa la la la la's.  Not to mention, my human Mom has been playing Christmas songs on the piano (she calls it plunking on the piano and I would have to agree)!

Two weekends ago, the family brought a tree in the house!  Can you believe it?!? A tree?!?  I've held my urge to urinate on it for I'm afraid they'd kick me out of the house and I really LOVE them all.  Anyways, they decorate this tree with all kinds of neat decorations that are as old as my human Mom and Dad!  Tatum and I really like the shiny balls, looking at them make us want to go outside and play some fetch! 

By the way, the tree smells fabulous!  We should know, we have great sniffers!

Other preparations for Christmas include a snowflake dining room and stockings hanging up on the window.  Hey, I like it when they hang up my stocking; this guy, Santa, comes around and fills it up with chewies, bones, and toys!  Speaking of Santa; he is SO magical!  He knows when Tatum and I are naughty and nice and so far, he's stuffed our stockings with good stuff!  I think he knows how much we really LOVE our family.  AND for being a big, jolly fellow we have never heard him come into our house at night, now that IS something!  He really knows when we are sleeping!

So I heard a rumor that there are a few activities that the family want to do yet:  make Christmas cookies and goodies, see the Holly Jolliday Lights, send  out Christmas cards, go to "The Sound of Music" play, and visit family and friends.

Here's wishing you some Happy Howl-days and a Merry Christmas!

Love,
Indie

Dance As If No One is Watching!

Kick-over

 Reach up and kick back (there's a french term here that may start with an 'A' but I didn't catch it)

Olivia had her visitor's night at dance.  Half of the class is designated to ballet and the other half to tumbling.  She likes ballet more than tumbling; however, she tumbles more naturally than ballet.  These pictures didn't capture her jumping up and down and wiggling in between dance songs.  She has great potential when she executes her positions!  I like her motto which I have interpreted as:  "Dance as if no one is watching!"

Sitting in a circle and getting ready to stretch before class . . .

Walking around on her tippy toes



"We are Siamese if you Please"

She also did a cute little dance to "Up on the Housetop."  She taught me this dance at home and so now we both dance as if no one is watching!

Can You See What I See?

I see two kids who are excited about Christmas and I get to experience their joy through their eyes!

I see two kids who really do love each other, even though they disagree and argue frequently.

I see a noogie!

I see that someone is in desparate need of a hair cut!

I see a big brother who is a little embarassed to read to his sister but he does because then he gets to enjoy the books that he thinks he's too cool for . . .

I see Christmas Spirit in the making!

B-Ball Time!

Our boy likes him some basketball!

Every Saturday, we'll be cheering him on!

Thirty Days of Thankfulness

Day 30: Blessings

So thankful for all the blessings in our life.  We have so much to be thankful for . . .