Happenings this season

This is such a fun time of the year.  I thought I would share a few of the things we have been up too.

I made my first "roll" cake for Thanksgiving. It was a Gluten Free Pumpkin roll that was SO good.  I actually ate some and was tempted to eat the entire thing.  I want to make another one! When I served it, it was on a pretty fall platter and dusted with more powdered sugar.

Cody is in his big boy bed now.  He is very proud.  He has fallen out a few times but we have since remedied that.  Whew!  Such a rude awakening in the middle of the night for all of us.

Every year the kids get an ornament that symbolizes something in their year.  We gave them these the night we decorated the tree.  The festivities were complete with William Sonoma Peppermint Hot Chocolate and this year we had GF pumpkin roll and GF almond cookies along with the Hot Chocolate. I wished I could have all those sweets but did have some hot cocoa made with pure stevia. 

I always look so tired in these photos but that is because I am.  This day we went to church, took family photos, picked out our tree, decorated the house, did the ornaments gifts and decorated the tree. I was pooped!

Spent a day outdoors and time by the river. I got to have my SECOND cup of coffee in 5 months this day. MMMM.... it was so yummy.

We took a road trip and family vacation for one of Steve's long weekends.  It was so much fun and much needed. We enjoyed snow, rain, our hotel room and pool.  We played lots of games and did a lot of exploring and relaxing.  It was a beautiful time.

We did a new thing this year that was so much fun.  After our Sunday family dinner we (all three families and Grammi) decorated gingerbread together!  Each family had something different.  My parents had a gingerbread house.  My Aunt Uncle and Cousins had a gingerbread train and we decorated 4 huge gingerbread people.  We all had dessert and decorated together.  Loved it!

We have also been doing our Advent Devotional which is at the heart of the reason for the season. We look forward to it every night.

I can't wait for our break to be able to do some more of our traditions (like baking) and just do some plain ole' relaxing and playing with the kiddos! 

~Blessings~