1st Annual

operation christmas cinnamon rolls was underway today.

if you saw the post earlier, you know i was going to do updates on our progress.

well, i didn't get to.

my niece wearing my vintage apron. the day started out with this package. it of course was a copy of PW's cookbook for my sister. early christmas present. here's a few shots of how the process goes. it's a bit time consuming, but we had fun.

we watched alyssa put on her fake make-up during our breaks.

this is why i couldn't do my updates.

she stole the computer.

hi brendon.

mary anne giving the rising dough a punch.

just the beginning of the mess.

so chef boyardee does not have a rolling pin cause she does not like them.

i would have brought my own if i'd known that!

cups as rolling pins.

sigh.

this photo is titled "rolling out the sass".

so, in pw's book she tells you to roll it all up.

huge mistake.

it totally died on me.

my sister, the cinnamon roll seasoned veteran, cuts them in strips.

brilliant, i tell you!!

hers are like 2 inch strips, though.

she makes super huge rolls.

i wish i could say these were mine.

these are the super mondo ones from my sister.

darn overachiever.

here's what normal size rolls look like.

here is what crap-tastic rolls look like.

this was my first bunch.

the second batch was awesome(photo above).

all iced and ready to eat.

i've tested them to make sure they are completely edible.

they passed.

excuse me while i lick my fingers some more.

the 22nd

the majority of these are just aiden,

but i thought they were cute.

yelling on the swing.

it was so cold out...made his eyes water.

the cousins piling up the kindling and firewood.

emily wanted to help.

captain hook.

my brother lee stopped by last night to deliver a couple of presents for the kids.

emily scored a tinkerbell color/paint/cut and glue book.

she was sooo stoked.

aiden got a police car.

he's wrecked it many times already.

his daddy keeps telling him, "oh, son we don't do that.

that'll get you a day off without pay!"

he would know.

the best kind of mail

who is the very best blogger in the world??

she is.

i just got my pw cookbook that i won in the mail today with lots of extra goodies.

i seriously don't know which i like best...the book or the extra goodies. :)

**photo edit**

thanks so much, rachel!!!

santa online

last week at our session with santa, there was also a professional photographer taking photos for the event.

they had them available online to download for free.

here's a couple that i wanted to post.

thanks, janis parr photography!

19th and 20th

on the 19th....

the gbc(girls book club) celebrated christmas together this weekend.

such a great time.

my super cultered foodie friends found all kinds of things to order that i had never eaten in my life.

hummus, for one.

i know.

uncultured swine here.

our bags for white elephant. mindy and jen.

we went to their fave spot, oeno, a wine bar in old town.

amy and tammy--tammy is our out of town gbc member.

all the girls are maize grads, so it's always like a mini maize reunion.

tammy and i. look how girly i am. :)

it was dark in there...my bad. i was bombarded with goodies.

bag of super decorated sugar cookies from amy along with a pile of cd's.

a special gbc ornament from jen.

btw, jen, i saw the line from agnes and i swear a tear was in my eye!

no joke!

thanks for all of the fun, girls!!

on to the 20th....

we did some running around.

a visit for haircuts at papa and granny's.

picked up some cd's from mike(thanks for those!!!)

and then ran out to haysville to see tari.

aiden made a new friend.

he LOVES woody...or 'howdy howdy', as he calls him.

a little hug for his friend.

he told me this a.m. that he wanted to go to morgan's house and play with HIS howdy howdy.

good luck getting that away from aunt tari.

emily enjoyed playing in the tent.

the punks that can't cooperate for photos.

shawn's candid moment. :)

thanks for letting us hang out.

and enduring my daughter's satanic meltdown. ugh.