A Very Carey Christmas

We had a great time with the Careys this year for Christmas.  Tim and Tracy came over for dinner on Christmas Eve before heading over toTim's parents house.  We took this picture after they had left for Tim's parents.  Next year Baby Logan will be celebrating with us! :)  Ava and Liam can't wait to meet their sweet, new cousin in January. 

The kids loved playing with Liam's train tracks.  They definitely kept busy doing this most mornings. :)

Mary ordered some cookies from Shannon Sirard Winstead.  Her cookies are ALWAYS gorgeous!  Whenever I see them, I have to take pictures, for some inspiration... Not that mine will ever look like that!  They are seriously too pretty to eat.



Christmas 2010: Snowsuits After Breakfast?

Ava LOVES the snow.  So much so, that most mornings when we were in Michigan for Christmas, she would head out after breakfast, onto the Careys' deck in her snowsuit.  She would put her snowsuit on over her pajamas, don her boots, hat and gloves and head outdoors.  This cracked me up.  She is a little heater...

 

You would think that any child, who has grown up with Georgian summers of humidity and near 100-degree heat, would prefer tropical destinations.  Not this one.  She is in heaven when on her Grandma and Grandpa Carey's back deck, making snow angels.

Peace, love and Chilly the Willy,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam

Christmas: Celebrating All 2010 Season!

I love the last half of the year... Fall for the fun and Christmas for the more thoughtful and family-oriented festivities.  We try to get our celebration on early, since we're normally with our families in Michigan at Christmastime. 

Here are some pictures of our holiday preparations this year!

So I have to preface these cookie pictures...Doug's Mom has a friend whose daughter did our wedding cakes.  She is a phenomenal baker and decorator.  Her attention to detail is unmatched!  I thought I would try my hand at cookies that looked like hers.  I learned that I don't have the patience to do this for a job, but it was fun to do at least once.  I may have to do them again soon.  My hand HURT from squeezing the icing bag... Yowza!

Can you spot the state of Michigan?

I was pretty impressed with my skills on this one, since I didn't use all the professional "fancy-schmancy" tools.  I think I might've used a Ziploc?

Family ornaments.

These are Shannon Winstead's cookies.  They're beautiful.  They're expensive.  They're worth the expense, in my opinion...

Ava girl checking out the ornaments, after we hung them.

Liam is deep in thought while hanging his ornaments...

Or maybe he is wondering why we bought an ornament "Made in China"?

Peace, love and warm snuggly houses dusted with snow,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam