Christmas Time = Time with Family!

This weekend was baking madness. I had two handy helpers so that helped baking a lot this year, but we made 6 different treats this year to eat and share!

We started with Gingerbread Men. I haven't found a from scratch recipe that I love, so these were made from a store bought mix. Caden decorated each and every one of them himself and Blake ate the rest of the frosting. We couldn't pry the frosting can away from him without him screaming.

I think they each turned out so cute! Such character and each one unique.


After that we made vanilla sugar cookies! We made half the batch into circles and the other half were stars, snowflakes, trees and any other cookie cutter we had around. The half that were circles we made into Melting Snowman Sugar Cookies. So fun and easy! The kids loved them!


Vanilla Sugar Cookies:
http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Desserts/Vanilla-Sugar-Cookies.aspx


Melting Snowman Sugar Cookies:
http://smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-traditions-melted-snowman.html

Powdered Sugar Icing:
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/tutorial-glace-icing-and-cookie.html

We also made Easy Pretzel Turtles (SO ADDICTIVE!): http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/12/tis-season-for-goodies-and-it-seems.html

And oh so yummy Peppermint Bark Popcorn: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/peppermint-bark-popcorn.html

After all that time inside the boys went out to play in the backyard. It was cold, but they didn't mind at all. When I went outside to see how they were doing...I saw that they were teeter-tottering for the first time together and Blake was really enjoying it, as you can see.

And no night is complete at the Ferguson's without a dance party.

Although on this night we decided to all get in our jammies and head out to look at Christmas lights. There is a neighborhood on Sky Island, near our house, where every house has crazy Christmas lights. It is like our very own Candy Cane lane. We decided to stop in some other neighborhoods on the way and came across a gem!

For those of you in the Bonney Lake area you NEED to see this. There is a house on off of Sky Island Drive that has its own radio station and their lights set to music. It is pretty spectacular and worth the drive (plus you can swing across the street to "Candy Cane Lane"). If you turn onto Sky Island Drive off of 410, you will take a left onto 95th. Take your first right onto 181st and then take a left into the cul-de-sac of 96th...you won't miss it! They have a sign in the driveway for their radio station.

We finally fixed all the lights on our tree....so one more photo!