Christmas Blues??

I always get so down after Christmas. I don't know why. I don't know if its because all the excitement that I've built up over the days since Thanksgiving has come to an end. Maybe its because it will be time to go back to real life soon. I'll tell ya what, being off for Christmas/Winter break from work is alright. I def went with the best job as far as "breaks" go.

We had a great Christmas. I felt like Kobe didn't get enough for Christmas. As I was watching him unwrap his gifts I was thinking "is that all he got?" He didn't seem to mind. I usually start in July to shop and buy little by little so it's not so much at once. I know it's not about the gifts, but I love buying gifts for people. We didn't exchange gifts with my sister and brother and their spouses this year since my brother is planning a wedding and my sister and I had some things come up that we just decided not to exchange and just have the kids exchange. Well I didn't like that now that its over lol. I Love buying for people. Next year we def are doing it. If we need to save on money then we can at least exchange names. This not buying for the people we love is not ok with me lol. Jason and I always go with out buying for each other at Christmas. We usually go all out on Valentine's Day instead. That's so hard for me to not be able to buy for Jason on Christmas.

Christmas Eve we had Christmas at my parents house. I made green beans, yeast rolls, and cookies. UGH I think I've decided I'm not a baker.. at least not a cookie baker. I'm more of a cook. My cookies.. granted the sugar cookies and Chocolate chip cookies were from a bag mix that you just add a few ingredients.. But I didn't think they looked or tasted good. Then I also made peanut butter blossoms. Ya know, the peanut butter cookies with the Hersey kisses in the them.. The cookie part was also a bag mix (I tried to cut corners here people and make it easier on myself.. FAIL) The first batch got a little burnt well done. The package said 375 degrees well clearly that was WRONG! So I turned the oven down to 350 and it was good from there on out.. The first batch, my parchment paper was ever "toasted" a little.. I knew something wasn't right. So anyways.. first I made (from scratch lol) no-bake cookies.. so I laid my out my parchment paper on the bar and as I'm making the chocolate mixture on the stove Bella jumps onto the bar and puts her hairy butt right on the paper.. UGH... so I had to put new paper down, FYI Bella is out cat lol. So I got all those mixed up and layed out.. well I started my baking cookies right after and First was the PB blossoms. Got them out put the kisses in them and set them aside.. I notice the no-bakes are real soft so I look at the PB cookies and they kisses are melting.. wth? Well I had the fireplace going so my yeast rolls would rise faster.. well with the fireplace and oven going my house was smoldering hot. So we opened a window and turned on the fans even pulled out the box fan... finally after we got done baking the cookies set up, the kisses went back to normal and I was done with baking lol.

My pretty (not baked yet) Yeast rolls that were DELISH!!!

I brought these into my parents not baked so we could bake them and eat them warm with dinner. Kobe carried them out to the van for me and had to watch them closely so nothing happened to them the whole way to Washington.. well he ended up falling asleep and putting his arm down on 4 of them .. AHHH!!! lol they were fine though. Just not as pretty as the others.

We had a yummy dinner at my parents.. We had Ham, Green Beans, Corn Casserole, Mash potatoes, yeast rolls. Then we had lots of desserts. I made the cookie platter with the cookies I talked about above.. my sister made cookies.. my niece who is 9 made these delicious cream cheese mints, my sister in law made Peanut Butter sheet cake and these delicious things I don't even know the name of.. but its rice crispys, peanuts, mini favored marshmellows mixed in a peanut butter/white chocolate mixture. They were SO good. After we got done eating we played some Christmas Trivia that my sister had printed off the internet. Finally we opened presents..

 Notice in this picture ^ Noah has really cute clothes on...
Now notice in this pictures down below he doesn't have clothes on?? lol
That's because while he was nicely playing in the kitchen.. He was playing with the magnets on the fridge which he is allowed too.. Well while playing in there he discovered the water dispenser on the freezer door... He comes running in all happy but soaking wet. I mean DRENCHED!! hahahaha we all of course had to laugh.. I'm not sure Amanda and Josh did at the moment but the rest of us did.. Love this little rotten egg so much. He is letting me relive Kobe's childhood through him. They are EXACTLY alike in sooooo many ways.. I told my mom I'm going to sit back and enjoy watching Amanda go though it all.. I had so much fun I know she will :)

 Noah had a very Merry Paw Patrol Christmas lol

 Olivia got a Survival Kit that she asked for. I was totally against her getting it lol but I got to shop with my mom and get the stuff. It was fun to get all the things for it.. She LOVED it. Santa brought her a metal detector for Christmas so once it's warmer she'll be outside all the time and never want to come in..

 Kobe got a dart gun from Uncle Adam and Aunt Krista.. which caused multiple injuries later that evening..lol

 He got a popcorn maker from Aunt Amanda and Uncle Josh and the kids.. he's used almost all the pop corn that Amanda bought for it lol. It's pretty cool machine..

 We told Kobe my mom couldn't find the tablet he asked for.. He was convinced that the big box he was opening was a telescope lol so When he opened it and saw this he was really confused.. it took him a minute to realize the tablet was in there lol...

 Krista had a Pioneer Woman Christmas lol

 So did Amanda lol

Christmas Morning

I didn't get any of the rest of Christmas day at Jason's parents or at my Grandparent's :( My phone was dying..

But I did take a picture of my bracelet my in-laws got me..

Also Kobe's knock off "Fathead" for his wall. But since we have stupid weird wallpapered paneling its not sticking as well as I'd like it too.. but itsn't it awesome??

Kobe with his Yummy Nummies Mini Kitchen we made..

We had a wonderful Christmas as always...

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!!