to everything there is a season . . .

My mom buys us a Hallmark ornament each year.  I always
pick out a book since I have a love for Children's literature. 
This year was Guess How Much I Love You.

Matthew started a new collection this year, Star Wars.

We went to 3 Hallmark stores in the cities to find Yoda this year.

Well . . . I guess it's finally time to say good-bye to the holiday season.  It’s always a little gloomy when it's time to pack up the Christmas tree and decorations.  It's never as exciting as it is when the anticipation of the season is in the air.  Also, it’s far more work as we search for the coordinating boxes to ornaments and then attempt to remember the strategic way of packing them into plastic tubs to maximize the limited space.  However, it will be nice to have more space in our living room.  Here are photos from just a few of our 7 "Christmases" this year:



Observing a game of Blokus with Matt's cousins who
now live out of town.  We had a small Christmas with
just the two families since they couldn't be in town
for the traditional New Year's Eve/Christmas
celebration with Matt's mom's side.





My Dad's family Christmas, minus one brother.



Aprons we got from Matt's sister at his mom's family Christmas



I had a pretty productive Christmas break considering I came down with a cold.  I made many cards for Matt's mom's gift.  She's always trying to buy cards in bulk to have them on hand so I thought I'd stock up her supply for the year.  Here are a few:

We also made some very delicious cookies for our co-workers.  Here is the recipe I found in the 2010 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine 100 Best Cookies: Love on a Sheetpan

Peanut Butter Munchies

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup peanut butter

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

¾ cup powdered sugar

½ cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1.       Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder and baking soda; set aside.

2.       In a large bowl combine butter and the ¼ cup peanut butter.  Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Add the ½ cup granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally.  Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture.  Shape dough into 32 balls, each about 1 ¼ inches in diameter.  Set aside.

3.       In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and the ½ cup peanut butter.  Beat until smooth, kneading by hand if necessary.  Shape mixture into 32 balls.

4.       For each cookies, flatten a chocolate dough ball; top with a peanut butter ball. Shape dough around peanut butter ball to enclose. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. (I skipped the extra sugar and they turned out fine)

5.       Bake in preheated oven about 8 minutes or just until set and surfaces are slightly cracked.  Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack, cool. Makes 32 cookies

I kept the leftovers in the fridge in a Ziploc bag. They kept well and were still soft after a couple weeks.

Matthew and I attended our last holiday party for Christmas last night.  The annual game of white elephant gifts at his parent's business Christmas Party is bound to get everyone laughing.  Matthew got plastic cups which we put in our garage sale pile last year.  They will be headed that way again today.  I stole for a more practical gift – a pack of toilet paper, pretzels and double cheesy munchies mix.  At times, I’m pretty sure Matthew thinks I’m crazy when it comes to ways of saving money.  But really, who loves to spend money on toilet paper?!  With only one woman in the house four rolls lasts a long time!  Matt’s parents also buy “generic” gifts that everyone would enjoy and we play a game of " ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas."  It is enjoyable to see how well adults can listen to a story.  Each time "the" is read, you pass the gifts to one side; when "and" is read you pass it to the other side.  There are certain parts of the poem when a bottle neck of gifts is created and one person sits with a lapful of gifts and a very confused look on his/her face.  I was excited to receive a box of 18 creamy Dove chocolate bars.  Matthew got a large bag of almonds but traded his sister for Kettlecorn.  We are now well stocked up for Netflix and late night snacks.