Merry Christmas to all of our friends and family! 
We are so grateful for the spirit of the holidays, for the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and for the fun traditions we have gotten to share with Hazel. She wasn't really too sure that anything was different this morning but she did sleep in until 8:00 am, so Brice and I were feeling merry!
^ Cookies for Santa ^

^ Hazel say "Cheese" ^

^Taste-testing the cookies for Santa ^

^ Gifts- Hazel is enjoying a new stool Brice built, warm boots, the cutest little beanie, new dishes just her size, and some fun new tractors ^

^ She thinks her new bowls are a stacking toy- yep, works for us ^
^ This girl isn't obsessed with new shoes- either is her mama ^

 
^ Enjoying "Monkey-bread" for breakfast and testing her skills with her new fork ^

We're really looking forward to spending some time with Brice's family and spending a little Christmas money that we didn't get a chance too. Thank you Hannah & Andrew for the tractors and game AND thanks to our cute neighbor Amberly for the beanie!

We love our cheesy snacks around here- Cheez-Its or goldfish- we're not too picky!
We used  this recipe to make our own Cheez- Its at home and they are delish! 
Actually we've made TWO batches this week and are cutting ourselves off for a bit. 
Enjoy!





Homemade Cheez-Its Recipe


INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening*
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 Tablespoons ice water
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

  1.  Combine cheese, butter, shortening, and salt in the bowl of your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. The mixture will be crumbly.
  2. Slowly add flour and then the ice water. You may add a few more drops of water to help it come together but be careful not to add too much. You don’t want a wet dough.
  3. Pat the dough into 2 discs and wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes (or longer).
  4. Preheat oven to 375⁰F.
  5. Using parchment paper or a silicone mat roll each disc to 1/8 inch or less and cut into 1 inch squares (a pastry wheel or pizza wheel is easiest). Use a toothpick to punch a hole into the center of each square.
  6. If you have difficulty separating and transferring the crackers onto the baking sheet return the parchment paper/mat to the refrigerator for 10 minutes (while you roll out the 2nd dough disc).
  7. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until puffed and browning around the edges. If you pull them out too soon and the crackers don’t have the desired crispiness you want then simply return them to the oven for 2-3 more minutes.
  8. Move crackers to a cooling rack. Makes about 7 dozen crackers.

NOTES:

  • The original recipe calls for 4Tablespoons of butter. I used 1 Tablespoon of shortening to help with the crisping. Whatever method you choose just be sure to monitor those last few minutes of baking as these will burn easily. There is a very fine line between done and crisp and overdone and burnt.


The last few weeks have been busy. Brice has been finishing up classes and surviving Humanities papers ;) while Hazel and I try to keep busier inside because temperatures were in the single digits for about a week! I'm starting to get real antsy being at home all day..thinking am I doing enough to contribute... I wish I could nanny a few hours a week- and then getting overwhelmed by the idea of it. 
Honestly, I'm feeling kinda lousy and down...and winter is only just beginning :( 
Hazel keeps a smile on our faces though- and we love her for it!
^ Hazel made her first attempt at art in the bath ^


^ We brought home a box from Costco and Hazel found several ways to enjoy it ^

^ Daddy and Hazel were working hard when I came home from a run....Brice was hacking networks for a class assignment and Hazel was watching a youtube video called "Babies laughing at dogs 2013" ^

^Christmas jammies and getting unstuck from Daddy's sweats ^

^ Christmas jammies ^

^ We've had visitors... Hannah and Andrew from Idaho ^

^ Snuggles on a Sunday afternoon ^

We've celebrated  3 Christmas' being married and have never had a tree! This year was going to be another tree-less holiday but Brice brought home green butcher paper, we cut up some tissue paper, and let Hazel go to town with the glue stick. Merry Christmas from students on a budget ;)

Hopefully next year we can have a real yummy smelling tree with lights and ornaments!




Monday: 10 miles in 1:14 minutes (progressive run) + 3 more miles with Brice in the evening
Tuesday: 8 easy miles in 60 minutes and ab workout
Wednesday: 8 miles (2 mile warm up and the 6 miles of intervals)
Thursday: 10 miles plus a yoga class
Friday: 16 miles average pace 7:30
Saturday: 5 miles recovery

+ My thoughts: Yoga is not for me ;) I went to the class with a sister I visit teach and my companion so it was good company but just not for me.

+ 16 miles was tough but watching a few episodes on Netflix really helped! The temperatures have been single digits every morning here so everything run was on a treadmill except for Monday evenings 3 miles.

Weekly Miles: 60
Miles in 2013: 2230
The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear OR watching the excitement through a child's eyes. This girl seriously makes us so happy. 
So does Christmas music, retro pjs, girly headbands, and her smile. 
It is snowing this morning for the first time this winter and that helps too! 
photo cred: Alana Dunn

Shopping for a little babe is so much more fun than shopping for Brice or myself for that matter. I think the gift-giving rule "one you want- one you need-one you can wear- and one you can read" is the way we will do things around here. At least as long as there's only one baby to spoil  ;)


Evenflo Symphony All in One Convertible Carseat 
Wooden Puzzles
Winter Beanie
Cute little outfit set
Minnetonka bootie
Mary Janes from Zara
Play food
Wooden Toy Camera
Classic Books for kids

I am grateful for so many things, big and small. I'm thankful for a healthy body, for a car that runs, the gospel of Jesus Christ, loving family members, good friends, heat and AC, our cozy little apartment, nail polish, cute clothes, baby headbands, that Brice is closer to graduating, BYU, the internet......
Most importantly I'm grateful for a happy, healthy, family whom I love spending my days with! 
These two make me happy!
photo credit to my cousin Megan who blogs over here

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“No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her. That is her duty.” David O. McKay

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