Cookies!!

One of our family traditions is to decorate cookies together. My sister, Sarah, even gives out prizes for the best cookies. I'll be honest.

I should have won this year.

No questions asked.

But Sarah likes to make everyone happy and give out ribbons and prizes to people who don't deserve them.

I'm not bitter.

I swear.

Beautiful Sharon concentrating on her cookies

Jules looking very embarrassed about her husband's decorating abilities

She should have been embarrassed.

This cookies is dumb. I'm not afraid to say it.

I even saw someone say it looked like an Amoeba.

Did he win a ribbon? Clearly Yes.

Should he have won a ribbon? Clearly No.

These were some of Sarah's cookies. They're ok, I guess.

I know what you're thinking...

"She won a ribbon too?! How can that be?

It looks like a rat pooped all over her Christmas tree"

It was so unfair it was unbelievable.

This was dad's cookie. We gave him mad props for even decorating one. In year's past the only award he could have won was "Most Cookies Consumed". But this year he really stepped up to the plate and designed a little basketball player.

Did he win a ribbon? Of course not.

That would be fair. As we can all tell, this competition was not fair

I'll be honest, this one was pretty fair. Scott won a ribbon because he made a gun. It took him a very long time, and he kept it a carefully guarded secret until the bitter end, but I think it was worth it.

Don't tell him I think it kinda looks like a pickle.

Mom also won (yep, basically I'm the only one who didn't).

I'll admit, this cookie was pretty amazing, but she should have been disqualified for her copious use of saliva to get the little sprinkles to stick. Major Foul.

Isn't my Mama gorgeous?

Let's cut to the true winner of the night. Me.

You can go ahead and ignore the deformed cookie woman on the right.

I really think my yoda was incredible and seriously,

Have you ever seen a more beautiful cookie tree?

Yeah, I didn't think so.

You would have thought the knife would have clued them in not to mess with me.

Here's a picture of me with my ribbon...

Oh yeah. That's right. I got robbed.

Seattle

Another of the family day trips was to Seattle. Seattle is only about 45 minutes away from my house. We hung out at Pike's Place for a little while, but it was pouring down rain. After Seattle we went to the Rain Forest Cafe for my birthday dinner and then we had to drop off Jona at the airport so that he could get back to LA for work. It was very sad :(

I didn't take many pictures, mostly because it was dumping rain. One kinda funny/sad thing happened. Sarah, my Mom, Penny and I were waiting to cross the street when a big bus drove by and shot up a huge spray of water. I backed up as quickly as I could and managed to only get a little spray. I finished crossing the street and ran into Starbucks. I just happened to look down at Pen and she was completely doused. I wish I had a picture of it, but I felt so bad. She had so much water just pouring off her little nose and eyelashes. Needless to say, after that we spent some time in the van trying to get her dried off.

Here she is playing in the front seat...

And waving at people on the sidewalk...

Hey! I know that guy!

Dada!!!!!

I just realized that Jona and I are wearing the same Salish sweatshirts in almost every single picture. Somehow we managed to forget that just because we live in constant hotish, never really cold weather, there are still other places in America that do get cold. We were very unprepared for the chill and had to purchase sweatshirts so that we wouldn't freeze to death.

My favorites :) ...

At the Rain Forest Cafe...

Sisters

Pen & Mama

Pen & Dada

Jona & Steph

(You may have realized by now that Steph works at a tanning salon) :)

Leavenworth

Leavenworth is one of the coolest places in Western Washington. I love this place. It seems like it was the popular place to go this Christmas since several of my Washington friends have blogged about their trip to Leavenworth this last month.

We packed up the whole family (minus Steph cause she had school) and we drove the two hours it takes to get there. I'll be honest, there were a couple of times I thought we weren't going to make it. I may or may not have been one of the most obnoxious backseat drivers on the trip there (sorry dad :))

The only downside to the trip is that apparently people in Leavenworth don't know how to salt the sidewalks. Both my mom, sister and I totally ate it. Sarah, however, wins the prize for the most dramatic fall of the day. Lets just say, she's lucky she didn't break her back.

Here are some pictures...

Isn't Leavenworth gorgeous!!

My Momma and My Hubs

It was freezing and Pen was completely content to sit

bundled up in her stroller for several hours

Not the best picture, but this is how our cutie looked in her snowsuit

I've got some good lookin siblings. They get it from me :) Haha

Leavenworth is filled with the most adorable shops. This hat shop proved to be too much temptation for some of us. I may have to take back what I said about some people being good looking... :)

I don't actually have words for this...

I actually think this may be an improvement...

There was a picture of my dad in a hat that had a ponytail attached,

but it makes me gag so I won't subject you to it.

Let your imagination run wild (or not)...

On a completely different note, ever since I was a little girl

I dreamed of being kissed in this gazebo. Call me a hopeless romantic. :)

The Sibs minus Steph :(

My little family :)

Salish Lodge

On our wedding night Jonathan and I stayed at one of my favorite places in the world, Salish Lodge. It is a beautiful resort that sits on top of Snoqualmie Falls. We told each other that no matter what, we wanted to try to go back there once a year. Well, Having babies and a single income hasn't made that exactly possible. :)

The cool thing is that every year Costco has a crazy deal where they give you a night stay, 2 spa treatments and breakfast for 2 for about 40% of the price. Don't you just love Costco? Anyway.. I saved up my piano lesson money and surprised Jona with a night away. My family graciously offered to watch Penny over night (Julie mainly watched her) and off we went.

It was such a gigantic blessing for us to get away by ourselves. My husband seriously deserves a medal with everything he had to put up with this last year. He is my best friend and there is no one I would rather spend time with.

Here are some pictures of the Lodge (I didn't take these :))

Half of the experience of Salish is eating breakfast in their beautiful restaurant that looks over the falls. It is un-stinking-believable. We left our camera at home so all we had was our iphone camera, which is why the pictures are pretty awful. Sorry.

At breakfast. Check out that view!

Warning: Lip Locking :)

It was really cold, but SO beautiful

My favorite...

WA- Christmas Day

Christmas day was the best ever. It was so incredible to have Scott and Sharon with us. It was also the first Christmas with my beautiful sister-in-law and of course our little Penny! God has blessed our family abundantly. These people are my closest friends.

My mom always does such an incredible job decorating. It is so much work and it always takes her forever but there is just something about the way she does it that communicates so much love to us kids. I hope she knows we'll still make her do this even when she's 80! :)

As cute as this picture is, I feel like Julie's outfit deserves an explanation :)

Every year we have competitions in different things and whoever wins gets a prize.

Christmas morning's competition was best PJs.

Believe it or not, Julie didn't win.

(left to right, Mom, Julie, Sharon)

Here is Steph's contribution to the competition. She won :)

I love this picture of Uncle Scotty & my Mom

Mom gave the girls matching socks :)

Steph gave Pen the most adorable puffy jacket!

She loved it...

Alot...

Even if it made her really top heavy :)

Once again, Penny was spoiled rotten

Uncle Scott & Aunt Sharon gave her the coolest book

Probably her coolest gift of all was a mini bounce house!!

More to come!