Christmas in Pictures Round 3

Pin It Now! The Christmas Breakfast Clan: Shiloh, Mark, Lincoln, Brandi, Mullin, Brooke, Matthew, Jacob, Lindsay, Christian, Easton, Blake, Darrell, Kenny (I think), Mom, Ryan, Livi, and Aiden.


Scripture Reading

Present Opening

Game Playing

Even the adults get to participate in game playing and winning of prizes! This year, we as couples, had to assemble a 100 piece Christmas puzzle. First to finish wins!! Um, Mark and I kicked some boo-tay in this race. :) Grand prize: Gift cards to one of our favorite restaurants--The Cheesecake Factory. Oh, I can't wait!!

Thank you Mom and Darrell for the gifts and a grand time!

Christmas in Pictures Round 2

Pin It Now! Present opening always starts a few days before Christmas when we participate in the Tennessee Christmas Dinner at Pa and Cece's via the web cam. Too bad we couldn't participate in the dinner part!

Big pile of Tennessee presents!

Mark got the jacket he asked for.

Star Wars stuff = happy children!

Oh my, Disney Princess and horse. Now her Diamond Castle horse will have a friend. :)

I bet Daddy will have to help put together this one.

The boys were so excited about Dart Tag. Mama is glad for the eye gear!!

Shiloh and all of her glittery horses. Hard to see her new, small purple one from the Three Musketeers. She is a die hard animal lover. Maybe someday we will have a real animal. I said maybe.

Reilly is sporting her brand new, and very adorable CPK outfit. :)

I got much appreciated gift cards, but it isn't very interesting to take pictures of those.

Thank you TN family for all of the wonderful gifts!! We were truly spoiled, in a good way. :)

Hopefully in the near future we can be there in person.

WFMW: For Swollen Glands

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I have raved recently about Umcka Cold Care Hot Soothing Drink, and in the past I have written about the many other natural remedies our family uses during times of sickness. In several posts I have briefly mentioned a product called Lympha Rub that I use for painful, swollen, neck glands but have never elaborated on it.

I have been using Lympha Rub for many years, and my kids even request it when their glands hurt. ( I have only used this product externally.)

Lympha Rub is a blend of different essential oils in a base of extra virgin olive oil. It really does soothe sore glands, and the price is VERY affordable--$5.95 for a 1/2 oz. Since only a small amount is needed, this oil lasts a very long time!!!

The links I have provided will take you to Trilight Health, a company I have used for the past 10 years. Lympha Rub is just one of many herbal remedies I have purchased from them.

*Updated on 6/5/2016* (Price has changed since original post.)

For more tips visit WeareTHATFamily.

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Christmas in Pictures Round 1

Pin It Now! Please ignore me while I "scrapbook" my family's Christmas. Lots of family means lots of pictures, and believe me, I will be leaving a ton out!


The calm before the storm...

Stockings first...

Shiloh was so excited about Christmas Dots and Krabby Patties. In fact, later she said her favorite present was the candy. If only I'd known she'd be so inexpensively easy to please!

Looking lovely before 6 am. Mark was so proud of his raffia bow. He gave me the straightener I wanted. Haven't owned one since middle school I think.


Mullin has a pretty good idea that vintage Star Wars characters are in that envelope!!
Lincoln is into vintage Star Wars as well. Thankfully Daddy won a few eBay bids!

Shiloh's been wanting a bike basket to carry prized pets and dolls. :)

A last minute gift we couldn't pass up since Shiloh made the remark not too long ago that she wanted to be a cashier when she grew up.

Vintage ships for the vintage action figures.

Now Shiloh's Barbies have a traveling choice: Diamond Castle Carriage from last year or the new jeep!

The big Christmas surprise: An Elite X-Box 360.

This presents needs a little background info.

This past spring/summer we had a garage sale in hopes of starting an X-Box fund. I don't remember the exact amount, but we probably started with around $50 or so. Whenever we had a little extra money, which wasn't often, we added to the stash. The boys even threw a few bucks in every now and then. By the time December rolled around, there was only about $100.00 in the X-Box envelope--only half way to reaching our goal. The boys thought they'd be 30 before we'd have enough to purchase the X-Box, but all in all they'd been so patient and understanding.

We told the boys we had to stop adding to the fund, so we could do Christmas shopping and that we'd resume once Christmas was over. Little did they know, Daddy had done some serious deal shopping and had decided to surprise them at Christmas.

So, once the kids were down to their last presents, we had them open them at the same time. TWO X-BOX CONTROLLERS!!!! They didn't know whether to be confused or elated. Oh, those faces I will never forget.

Then the big reveal--we moved the chair that had been in front of the TV, which had the X-Box set up the whole time. It's an understatement to say that they were excited!!

Give Me Some Sugar

Pin It Now! For the past several days, I have taken a break from all things computer related, well except for when I helped Shiloh with her new Barbie and the Three Musketeers PC game, but this morning I decided to take a break from Christmas clean up and check my inbox.

Glad I did, because Bella Lucce notified me of their 50% off clearance on holiday items, including sugar scrubs, my absolute favorite bath luxury!!! The Cranberry Fig and Gingerbread Creme are on sale now, and if you have never tried a sugar scrub, here is your chance!! I have a half-empty jar of the Gingerbread Creme Sugar Scrub in my shower, and I could almost EAT it. It really smells that good. I love the way my skin feels all silky smooth right after using it, too.

I have tried Cranberry Yuzu, Pumpkin Glow, and Gingerbread sugar scrubs, and I have a Peruvian Chocolate sample yet to be opened. I am sure I will love it, since I have yet to meet a sugar scrub that I don't like!!

Seriously, if you have some extra Christmas money to spend, indulge yourself and be happy about buying at 1/2 price. (I was able to enjoy buying wrapping supplies 1/2 off the day after Christmas. I was completely out of paper!)


**Note--This is not a product review. I was not asked to write this. I am just sharing my honest-to-goodness love of sugar scrubs!! And Bella Lucce sugar scrubs are the only ones I have ever used.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Pin It Now! Mark and I tag-teamed in the kitchen this morning. I made Monkey Bread and a frothy pineapple orange drink, and he made sausage balls.

And what made our Christmas Eve breakfast even more wonderful was the fact that our kids woke up feeling better just in time for Christmas day. Praise the Lord!!!

Grocery shopping's done, Christmas food prep is done, kids have enjoyed playing with all of their new toys from our Tennessee family, and I thoroughly relished two hours of reading time today. Now the sounds of the Christmas Andy Griffith pervade the house. It has been a nice, relaxing Christmas Eve. Much for which to be thankful!

I am very much looking forward to gazing at Christmas lights, drinking Christmas cocoa and reading the Christmas Story before we tuck the children into their beds this evening. And then I always love admiring our tree after we've stowed the presents carefully underneath it. Now for a good night's sleep before the day's many festivities.





We wish you a very Merry Christmas and may the Peace that passes understanding fill your hearts and minds!

Top Baby Names

Pin It Now! It is always fun to see the year's top baby names, and I am always sort of hoping none of my kids' names make it on the list. :)

I like different, but not too different. So far Mullin, Lincoln and Shiloh have steered clear of the list. Lincoln's middle name, Elijah, is number 15, though. After Angelina and Brad named their daughter, Shiloh, I was thinking it might become more popular. Guess folks liked Vivienne better. :)


I am so glad I am done with baby naming, but if you aren't and you are looking, how about considering some of these:

Seven Sirius

Fifi Trixiebelle

Heavenly Hiraani Tiger Lily

Diva Muffin

Moon Unit

These are all real celebrity baby names--to see more interesting and fun names go here.

Three Day Cookie Endeavor

Pin It Now! Day 1: Make dough, then refrigerate overnight.

Day 2: Roll out and cut dough into cute Christmas shapes.

Day 3: Frost and decorate.


By day 3 I am a little bit grumpy and asking myself for the umpteenth time, "Why do I do this every year?" Baking these cookies is no easy task, and it can get kinda messy. And my mid-back is usually on fire from slightly bending over and being on my feet in the kitchen for hours at a time. Ugh.

HOW DO BAKERS DO THIS FOR A LIVING?

I remember the very first year I attempted to make the dough and cut out the shapes on my own. Let's just say I became quite angry and frustrated. But since then, I have mastered the art of working with this Prize Sugar Cookie dough recipe that's been passed down through the generations on my mom's side. The old-fashioned, silver cookie cutters shown in these pictures used to be my grandma's. :)

So, beside the fact that my grandma made these cookies and my mom made these cookies every single Christmas, I make these cookies because of these sweet, little faces. (Well, and I absolutely love to eat them!)

Startin' to get a bit messy...

But, everyone is having a good time. Memories are being made. And one day I will pass my grandma's cookie cutters on to my children. :)

Mullin, who is always thinking of ways to be generous, took all of his freshly decorated cookies to his friend down the street.

**Maybe next year I won't double the recipe!

Candy Land Party

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My sister throws the best birthday parties!!  I can’t believe she took the time to make all of this Candy Land stuff!!

Grandpa D was King Kandy and my brother dressed up as Mr. Mint.

 

 

Line of cousins—twins wouldn’t come out of the bouncy. :)

 

 

 

Livi, the birthday girl, and Shiloh standing in front of Lollipop Woods.

The gumdrops in the background were made out of terra-cotta pots.  So cute!

 

 

Almost time to start!

(My camera is not taking very good pics, as it is ancient and held together with tape.  Pics are turning out so dark—ahg.)

 Shiloh and Livi pass Plumpy and pull some suckers off the tree.

 Mullin helps Easton---too cute!!!  And of course, Mr. Mint passes out candy canes!

 

 Lincoln helped one of the twins, Kenny, follow the rainbow path.

 Isn’t Gloppy grand?!  (I know these pictures are making you all want to get Candy Land out and play a game, huh?)

I am supposed to be Princess Lolly.

Instead of Gramma Nut, it was Grandpa Graham handing out graham crackers.  Both my sister and I have children who are allergic to peanuts~crazy!!

By the time they reached the end, everyone had enough supplies in their bags to make gingerbread houses.

Fun party!