Christmas Eve 2015

This Christmas Eve we didn't have any plans other than to hang out as a little family, which was exactly what the doctor ordered.  We have been constantly on the go and many weekends Ryan spends at least one day over at the new house working.  So it felt like it had been forever since the 4 of us had been able to just relax and hang out together.

Due to the aforementioned chaos of life at the moment, we didn't do many holiday related things.  Hopefully next year that will resume.  You know someone who listens to Sunny 99.1 as diligently as I do during the season needs to get her holiday tradition fix.

Even Christmas Eve wasn't overly Christmas-y but I'm giving the day it's own blog post anyway.  Because it's my blog and I'll document if I want to, doooocument if I want to!

We started the morning with a trip to HEB to grab all the makings for biscuits and chocolate gravy the next morning.

After we all took cat naps, we hit up the park mid afternoon.  Kid in a sleeveless outfit on Christmas Day?  Must be Houston.  (Seriously the weather was disgusting.  So so muggy.)

Love that genuine smile.  She's checking out her sister a few swings down.

Em chooses this slide nearly every time.  I am pretty certain it's because it goes the slowest.  She's for sure my baby.

Brynnie-zilla on the move.

Ohhhh, how I adore her.

I'm not sure what's going on with your hand there Dad, but can we go, please?

After a delicious dinner of roast, potatoes, carrots and onions, we gave the girls baths and got them in their jammies and I attempted to bake.  I'm not sure why I continue to try to do this because it's been made clear on more than one occasion that the kitchen is not where I belong.  

This year I decided we were going to tackle some gingerbread cookies.  I remembered getting some awesome cookie cutters from Ryan's Granny when she passed away and thought this would make the perfect event to use them.  Flash forward 3 minutes into this endeavor and I couldn't find the cookie cutters.  After a solid 15 minutes of Ryan and I pulling open every drawer and cabinet in our kitchen and dining room, I did eventually locate some round ones.  I decided for the sake of our marriage and sanity that these would have to do. I kept calling them "ornaments".  Em wasn't really falling for it.

Then I took another 5 minutes to locate the rolling pin.  Shortly thereafter I discovered we didn't quite have as many butter sticks as I thought and I had to improvise.  So... things were all in all going well.

Cookies?!

Wait, wait, we have to do what now?!

Em's interest in rolling out the dough and using the cookie cutters to make the "ornaments" lasted only about 2 minutes less than my own.  Y'all.  Rolling out dough and using cookie cutters is hard work.  Mad props to all you ladies who do it.  Next year I believe we Boarman women are going to institute a baking day.  I will somehow work to have the responsibility of pouring wine because this whole domestic thing is not my forte.

Since it was taking me forever to do this, we started to encroach on Em's bedtime.  I called Ryan up from the minors to help Emery do some decorating.  Luckily for him, she was far more interested in that.

What if I just eat this icing straight out of here?  Will Mom flip out?  What if she isn't looking?

Proud of her first creation.

I adore this picture.  It embodies my Em.  Bella, naked, watching while Emery tells Ryan what to do.  Managerial skills in spades that one.

Admiring her handiwork.

Cookies to all and to all a good cookie.

So, maybe the weather wasn't perfect.  Maybe the cookies weren't perfect.  But, the time spent as a little unit sure was.  I love these people so much more than I could ever hope to convey.  I hope you all had an equally love and memory filled Christmas Eve!