Jensen Cookie Bash

 One of my fave things to do around the holidays is decorating cookies.  It's not just Christmas season, I love to decorate cookies any holiday!  New Years, Valentine's day, St. Patricks day... You name a holiday I will bake and decorate cookies.  They aren't the nest cookies! lol but I have fun doing them with the kids.  So I've always wanted to do a cookie decorating party,  I find that Christmas is one of the best times to have one.

Last year I actually had a precursor to this cookie decorating extravaganza.  We had a big potluck for Christmas with our Oki fam and for dessert I brought cookies and decorating stuff.  It was nuts, we had about 15-20 kids {we have a big Oki fam} and no real adult supervision but myself .  The other adults were there but they were occupied with real dessert.  I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  I could tell the kids were loving it.  That's when I decided that we would do the real deal next Christmas .

Fast forward to Dec 2013.  This time we had a party at our house.  I baked about 60 cookies and bought all the fixins to make a mean Christmas cookie.  We had a bunch of kids and my table wasn't big enough for them to decorate all at the same time, so we did shifts.   It was super fun.  I know the kids were having a blast.  All the parents looked worried about sugar overdose! lol  The lil kids mainly were just eating all the decor.  Haha. The kids decorated 2 cookies each.  I did cutout sugar cookies of gingerbread men, snowmen, Santas, snowflakes, and just plain round cookies.  The kids were able to choose the shape of cookie.  Luckily we had enough of each shape and none of the kids were sad they didn't get a certain one.    I made all the kids wrap up their creations and take them home.  They didn't need anymore sugar.  So final verdict,  we will keep this as a family tradition.  It was so much fun and I love seeing the creative side of the kids.  I think next year I will add a hot cocoa bar :)

Elf on a Shelf

This was the first year that we used the elves.  The local exchanges don't sell THE elf on a shelf so we bought ours from someone else.  I was interested for a long time but thought Amelia was too young.  She is 4 now and I thought it would be the perfect time to start.   We got the elves, one boy for Nolan and one girl for Amelia.  We got the movie and watched it the night before they made their debut.   It was defiantly a challenge to set them up nightly.  MANY times we forgot and had to think of a quick placement .  I think she loved it though.  Every morning she would race around the house and look for them.  She even cried when she had to say bye.  So final verdict, we are keeping them as a family tradition.  It's fun and who doesn't love elves?

'Twas the Night before Christmas...

Another Christmas down.  Our third one in Oki.  I'm not sure what it was about this year, but I felt a little off.  Christmas wasn't as Christmas as usual?! I just didn't feel so spirited I guess.  I really feel like it just crept up so fast!  Like...I just put up the tree and BAM it's time to open gifts!   Well, this year I added two more traditions to our Christmas season, 1. Elf on a shelf and 2. Jensen cookie bash (cookie decorating party).

Elf on a Shelf

Jensen Cookie Bash

Growing up, Christmas Eve was always the bigger festive day.  We always had our parties on Christmas Eve.  We would go to midnight mass, then open gifts when we got home.  Christmas Day, we would eat all day and play with our new toys.  For my family now it's sorta the same.  We have a party or big dinner on Christmas Eve, then we open gifts after.  On Christmas morning we open gifts from Santa and our stockings.  Essentially we celebrate Christmas in 2 days.  Lol 

Christmas was the usual Oki festivity.  Our Oki fam got together on Christmas eve and had a big potluck in one of the tower rec rooms.  We had a grand old time.  I love getting dressed up and eating to my hearts content. Good thing I wore an outfit that was forgiving if I ate a lil too much.  For our party, each parent brought a gift for their kids from "Santa".The gifts were handed out and the kids went nuts. Lol. Keeps em' occupied for the rest of the evening.  Then the adults do our white elephant.  Always a lot of fun! It's funny to watch grown women fight over gifts. Haha Well no real fighting went on, there were some dirty gift steals tho.  It's all fun and games.

After the party we headed home.  Mills stayed up the whole way because she wanted to open her gifts.  I couldn't believe it!  This year was fun, Nolan got in on the present opening.  Last year he was more interested in the wrapping paper and bows.  Mills , of course, is a pro at opening gifts.  Good thing I decided to just record the present opening, because she just ripped right through them all .  It was so awesome to watch their lil faces light up with joy when the opened their gifts.  I especially loved the squeals from Nolan! We didn't end up sleeping till 2 am that morning.  Too much excitement.  It was a great day.  Now the countdown is on for Christmas 2014 lol

Our Christmas Cards!

Christmas cards are all signed, sealed, and delivered! Phew... This year I was really late to the game.  I generally like to get our cards out by the first week of December.  Since we booked our photo session mid November and it took our photographer 3 weeks to get us our pics, needless to say, but the stars were not aligned in our favor.  I like to send pictures of the kids since we live so far away and many of our family and friends don't get to see them grow up.  Its also a time honored favorite of the grandparents.  I always send them a few extra shots of the kids in their Christmas packages.  Well, here is our Christmas Card!  This year we did 2 designs and 1 picture.  I can't believe its about a week away!  I can't wait!!!!

It's All About Tradition!!!

Every year while growing up my parents took us to the mall so we could go see Santa. We would get dressed in our Christmas dresses and wait in line to tell Santa what we wanted for Christmas.  The mall that we went to was indoor, (there aren't many indoor malls in San Diego) so it was pretty awesome we didn't have the wait in the cold.

Now that I have my own family it is no different.  We don't have a mall here but we take our kids to see Santa.  The only thing that did change was Morgan refused to take our kids to see Santa within their first year.  He is in the medical field, more specifically infectious disease.  Since both of our kids were too young to get their flu shots around Christmas time, he didn't want to take that chance.  I think he has seen what the flu can do to someone, especially a young child so he doesn't want to take the risk.   There are so many kids that go through that line, also with all the people , there is just a lot of germs that could be spread.  (I know we probably sound crazy) Totally understandable, so we just took their pics by our tree.  After Amelia's first year, we have taken her ever since.  Since Nolan is now 1 and able to get his flu shot (both of our kids received their flu shots this year) this will be his first year.

This is the first year that we had both our kids in the picture.  The local USO had a Santa set up that you pay $10 per kid and you get the pictures, some of the fee would go towards the USO.  This was the first year Amelia didn't cry.  It was just so precious, the look in her eye when she saw Santa.  She really believed it was him.  Her innocence was just so adorable.  Nolan on the other hand, was screaming bloody murder.  I got to give all the Santas out their a hand, because having probably every other kid cry must be crazy!! Here's to all the Santas out there!!!

Parent Teacher Conference

Went to a parent - teacher conference for Amelia yesterday.  To be honest I was a lil afraid of what I was going to hear.  I know I have my ups and downs with her, I could only imagine what her teachers had to say.  Don't get me wrong, Mills is a very smart, sweet, funny, creative, and playful lil girl....when she wants to be.  She has days when she is down right NAUGHTY!  I mean, we all do, but its hard to hear it from someone else.  Especially a teacher.  This is the 2nd year that I have been to a conference for Mills.  She had one last year at Kuwaue Preschool.  So this is my first one at her new school, Early Learners International school.

I really don't know what I had to worry about.  Her teacher and the teacher assistant had nothing but great things to say about Mills. I immediately felt guilty for being worried... gosh I wanted to punch myself.  I felt like a terrible parent.  I'm glad I kept my thoughts to myself, but I shouldn't have thought that.  I should have kept positive thoughts.  {Kicking myself} She has only been there since October, but she has improved a lot.  They showed me work that she was doing in the beginning to where she is now and its crazy how much has changed.  They mentioned that she is awesome at crafts and she loves to do them.  I'm not much of a craft person, but I think I'll get into it now that I know she loves them.

All in all she is doing well.  I'm really happy to see that and hear that.  The school she is going to is new, so I had some speculation.  I see now that my daughter is learning and she is happy. They are preparing for their Holiday Program.  I cant wait to see :)

{on a side note}

I can't believe Christmas is 19 days!!!

Today Nolan had a complete melt down in the store, it was crazy and mortifying.

Morgan has duty tonight, lame

Thanksgiving 2013

I can't believe Thanksgiving has gone and past.  This year has just flown by.

This time of year when all the holidays start, always is hard for me.  It being the the 4th year in a row that we will be spending the holidays overseas. I wish we could be home in the states spending time with our families and friends.  I envy all the people out there who are home and spending time with their loved ones.  Thankfully we have made our own Oki family here and they are great friends that have turned into family.  We are lucky to have met them and have them in our lives.  {I digress} We really have a lot to be thankful for, not only on Thanksgiving but everyday.  God is good and has continued to bless our family.

For Thanksgiving this year we got together with the Oki fam and had a huge potluck.  We had about 12 families and a handful of single marines and sailors.  This is the first time that we've joined the Oki fam on Thanksgiving, the potluck is something we do for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  However we don't usually go to Thanksgiving, we usually have a meal at our house for Morgan's single sailors.  Anyways, we volunteered to bring a turkey, mac n cheese, and 2 of my famous pumpkin cheesecakes. Thanksgiving was really nice.  All the other ladies/gentlemen who cooked pulled out all the stops, we had a ton of food.  We had a traditional Thanksgiving and had some Filipino dishes and desserts.  It was all so delish, I must of had 3 plates and 1 plate of dessert.  I purposely wore a flowy dress so I could eat to my hearts content.  Best idea ever!  Hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving!

Morgan decided to smoke the Turkey this year

Put a fork in it, Turkey is done *drool*

Prep for my famous Pumpkin cheesecake

One of my cheesecakes 

Thanksgiving Buffet 1

Thanksgiving Buffet 2

Thanksgiving Buffet 3

With all the Oki Mommies

All the kiddies