Gingerbread Decorating Party!

We were invited to a Gingerbread Decorating Party this holiday season. Here are some pictures from it.
Alanah

Kaianah was lovin' her cookie treat!

Josiah, Kaianah & T

The decorating tables were divided into two because of the large number of kids! Adults were vastly outnumbered, as usual. :)

Mrs. B is helping Noah & Josiah get started.

Austin

Noah, Josiah & Me. You can see Kaianah down low in purple.

I think it took a full day to come down from all the sugar the kids had that day, but they had a blast! Good time.

~~Gingerbread Decorating~~

We've done a little gingerbread baking this season. The kids have had fun decorating and eating the gingerbread.
The cookies are almost done, someone please give that child a banana and a cookie cutter!

At the end we started making different Christmas shapes.

Here's a knife & frosting, go for it! I know, I didn't make the frosting, but I did make all that gingerbread! :)

They really had fun with it.

"Mama, mama, I wanna smell it!!!"Okay, get the step stool and come up here.

He better watch out, those gingerbread men are almost as big as him!

They are finally done...

Alanah wanted lots of frosting!

Yes, you can eat it!

~~Potted Christmas Tree~~

It was a hunt this year but we finally found our potted, living Christmas tree a little over a week ago. Home Depot of all places...
We started our tradition last year of planting our Christmas tree every year. We thought it was a wonderful way to add more trees to the property and a good memory to look back over the years and say, that was the tree from 2008, and that one over there from 2009 etc. Plus the fact that we would actually have something to show for the money we put out on a Christmas tree instead of adding it to the burn pile once the holidays are over.

~~LOCKS OF LOVE~~

Locks of Love is a public non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children in the United States and Canada under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis.

Most of the children helped by Locks of Love have lost their hair due to a medical condition called alopecia areata, which has no known cause or cure. The prostheses they provide help to restore their self-esteem and their confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.

It's been on my mind and heart to donate my hair for a while now. So, on Tuesday I went for it! I don't have a "before" picture but here are the "after" pictures. I was able to donate 11 inches of my hair! It will grow back, right!? :)

Tour De California

Here are some pictures from our 6 weeks in California. We had a family emergency so we hopped in the car and started the 15 hour drive to Arroyo Grande, Ca. We mostly stayed at Dusty's dad's house. His house served as the grand central station for any family that was visiting. Any night at the house we could count on a minimum of 10 people up to 16 people staying the night, taking showers and preparing meals together.
I was taking pictures of Kaianah in the kitchen sink (much easier at waist level and bathing 1 child instead of 8) and just as I'm about to snap a picture she decides to dump an entire cup of water on the floor. You'll see why in the next picture. :)

"Here you go Adia!" Adia and Kaianah are cousins and they are 8 weeks apart in age.

This is the face when you say "Bath time is over".

Adia and her stroller.

My sister in law (Ruth) and I stopped at a few garage sales one day in an effort to pick up a few CHEAP toys for the kids. She found this stroller for a $1 and it brought hours of fun for the kids, also hours of fighting over the 1 stroller. To bad we didn't find 8 strollers that day! Oh well!!

Kaianah still isn't to sure she likes swinging. I think she really just wanted to try to do what Adia was doing.

Awww, Cousins at the pier! Here is Jaden and Noah.

Jaden & Cora share a big brother/sister hug.

Uncle Jed took 6 kids on an outing together. He's a brave man. :)

Lil Cora

Here's my sister in law, Ruth, being silly. We have to find joys in cooking for 12 on a nightly basis. Do you see the 2 coffee pots on the counter? Much needed! :)

Here's some pictures from Avila Barn in Avila Beach, Ca.
Pictured is Noah, Kaianah, Josiah, Austin, Alanah and Cousin Nate.

Avila Barn had a straw bale maze for the kids to go through. Here is Jaden and part of Josiah going through the maze.

Avila Barn has animals for the kids to see. Here is Alanah & Kaianah checkin' out the animals.

Little Adia in the maze.

Here is Dusty, Grandma Ruth & Uncle Doug. These people represent lots of travel time getting to Arroyo Grande, Ca.

Dusty from Idaho, Uncle Doug from New York & Grandma Ruth from Buellton, Ca.

Sword fight gone bad with Uncle Joe. It's pretty clear who won this fight! :)

Da Boyz!

ALL the cousins together!

10 kids total.

9 of them are 6 and under.

Trent, Nate, Alanah, Josiah, Adia, Noah, Jaden, Austin, Cora & Kaianah

The reason we are all in California together. This is Dusty's dad.

He's in a coma. Since this time he has made a full recovery. Thank you Lord!

Brothers!

Uncle Joe & Aunt Mel-Mel at there' house.

We named there back yard Potter Park and spent a lot of time there.

Uncle Luke and Alanah at Potter Park

Potter Park has great cell reception, just ask Kaianah!

Noah, Austin & Uncle Joe

More pics to come soon...