Christmas Morning

Here are a few pictures from our Christmas.

Christmas Eve

Wow!Two posts in one day. I don't think I have ever done that but Tis the Season I can not believe it is Christmas Eve. We have had a great day. Full of food, love, and memories. We let Reece open 1 package tonight, a bunny I bought her at the Junior League Christmas Affair. After we played a little while it was time to get our cookies and milk out for Santa and our carrots for the reindeer. Unfortunately the snow did not make it down here today but oh well. It was still a great day had by all. Now we have to get ready for Santa Claus to come.....




Merry Christmas To All And To All A Goodnight.

Reece Makes Sugar Cookies

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Reece's Gingerbread House

On Sunday my mom and I took Reece to the Austin Children's museum to decorate her first gingerbread house. (Matt was in San Antonio working on a commercial) Reece was not sure what to do at first but after watching me for a few minutes she figured it out and really got into it. I think she ate more candy than she used but we all had a lot of fun. I can't wait to do it again with her next year.





Can you believe Christmas is almost here? I really can't. This month has gone by so fast.
Last year we got a pink tree for Reece's room and I love it! I made some ornaments for it this year and added all her "first Christmas" ornaments from last year, including the adorable pink ballet pig from Aunt Lou Lou. We took her to pick out an ornament this year and plan to do that always. I also got her one in Galveston this summer and added it. Matt and I have a tradition of getting an ornament everytime we go on a trip. It started the day after we got engaged. We love to pull them out each year and talk about when we bought them. I am looking at the tree right now and it makes me smile. I have suggested we leave it up all year so we can enjoy it but Matt is not sold on the idea. Honestly, if we did there would not be enough room for all Reece's toys. I am embarrassed to say that we went overboard this year.

Santa Claus & Strep Throat

We took Reece to see Santa on Sunday. She was not a fan at all but we still got a cute picture. Friday she wrote her letter to Santa and after visiting him we headed to Macy's to mail our letter. For every letter mailed Macy's is donating a dollar to the Make A Wish Foundation! We had to participate.





And then.........
We got strep throat. I took to the doctor yesterday and sure enough, she has strep. She is acting better than I thought she would. She is not eating very much at all but all in all she is hanging in there. My mom came in to watch her so Matt and I could go to work. Hopefully she will be feeling better by Saturday because my mom and I are taking her to the Children's Museum to decorate a gingerbread house. It should be fun.
Well, she just woke up and is not too happy so I am going to go lay down with her. I have more to post but that will have to wait to another day.

Gingerbread People Cookies

Jessica Turner is hosting a blog cookie exchange today and I had to play along. Happy Holiday Baking. I know I will be in the kitchen this weekend making cookies for Reece's daycare party!


3 cups flour 1 egg
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves Royal Icing
1 tablespoon ground ginger Food Coloring
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar


1) Stir together flour, soda, cinnamon, cloves, & ginger; set aside. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Add egg, molasses & vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can. Stir in the remaining flour. Cover & chill dough for 3 hours or overnight.
2) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to about 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out gingerbread people with cookie cutters. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
3) Bake for 5-6 minutes or until edges are firm & bottoms are brown. Transfer to a wire rack & let cool. Pipe designs on cookies with tinted icing. Makes about 25 - 5 inch cookies.

Enjoy!

Busy Weekend

The Barkers had a very busy fun weekend. We are all getting into the Christmas spirit around here. Saturday we had Christmas pictures taken. Reece did really well and they turned out great. Then that night her friend from school, Khloe came over and spent the night. The girls had so much fun playing together. Tonight we went to Zilker Park to see the lighting of the tree with Khloe and Jessi and their parents. Reece spent all her time dancing and loved all the lights on the tree. Afterwards we all headed to Maudies for some much needed dinner.
Here are some pictures from our festive weekend.

New Traditions

I love family traditions. This week has been a fun week to start some new ones. I bought a Advent calender last year the day after Christmas and Reece loves it. Each night one of Santa's elves leave a M&M in the little compartment that matches the date. Reece loves it but does not understand why they are not in all of them.

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I also decided to get a new pair of jammies and let her open them on December 1st so she had warm Christmas jammies to wear all month long. I wrapped them up and she knew what to do to that paper. Such a big difference from last year or even her birthday.
She loves them but wanted me to read her a story not take pictures of her.


Last night we decorated our tree. Most of our ornaments are on the very top this year. Can you guess why?


Tonight after dinner we decided to give Reece her first Oreo. She had more fun dunking it in the milk than eating it. I do not think she knew what it was at first. Once I got her to taste it she liked it but I still thinks she prefers sugar cookies.



Hopefully- fingers crossed I will have some snow pictures to share tomorrow.

Happy December Eve

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope everyone did too. But now it is time to get ready for Christmas. I love this time of the year. Everything about it. And this weather is great. The perfect way to start the month of December. I put Reece's pink tree in her room and got our stockings hung tonight. Last year the day after Christmas I bought a Christmas Count Down Tree and got that out and showed it to Reece. She loved it and wanted to open all the little doors. After she went to bed a put a M&M (her favorite) in door #1. It will be fun to watch her each morning. I am working on a December scrapbook, I hope to document a little each day what we do.
This year we are planning on going to see the Trail of Lights, the tree at the Domain, Santa (low expectations on this one),writing and mailing a letter to Santa, and decorating a gingerbread house at the Children's Museum. I would love to know any other fun Holiday events you know about or things you all are doing with your kids this year.
Happy December Eve!

All Girl & Mommy Lesson 405

It is very quiet in my house right now. Matt is out watching the UT game and Reece is asleep. So, I thought it was a good time to blog!

I am not one of those girls that have always thought about having kids. I guess I always just assumed I would have some one day and did not really think about it. I know some girls (and maybe guys, I don't know) have names picked out when they are 11. They meet a guy and think "hmm would he make a good father?" I didn't think about that. I just kind of let life happen. The one thing I will say is that when I did picture myself with a kid.... it was always a girl. And of course when I got pregnant I wanted a girl. We never picked out a boy nursery or never really picked out a boy name. It was pretty much all girl the whole time. And God blessed us with a healthy wonderful girl.... Why did I want a girl so badly, you might ask......

All the cute clothes! Isn't she adorable. I have been looking all fall for the perfect denim skirt and boots. Today I found them both. We did a lot of shopping today and when we got home Reece let me play dress up with my little doll. I love my little girl. (sidenote: If God had given me a boy instead I would love him just as much as I do Reece. He just wouldn't have been happy with me when I put him in a pink tutu for his Nutcracker debut.)

Matt and I also learned a lesson today..... when the build a bear tag says "surface wash only" it means surface wash only! Back in July when we were on vacation Reece built a tiger at the Build A Bear Workshop in the Rain Forest Cafe. She loves this thing. You have all seem him in pictures. She really helped build him....



Well, Galvy was dirty after not being washed since he was made in July and I threw him in the washing machine and never thought about him again until Matt was in the laundry room and called me over. The part where the BAB people sew them up after he was stuffed came apart and Galvy lost some stuffing. Not too much. It could have been worse- way worse. We were very lucky. At this point we read the tag and decided to follow the instructions... which led to another problem How exactly do you "hang dry" a stuffed animal?


Need I say more? After he finishes drying I am going to stitch him up and he will be good as new!

Sidenote: I just saw a Macy's commercial and apparently they have mail boxes in their stores and for every letter to Santa dropped in that box, they donate a dollar to the Make a Wish Foundation. Start writing those letters people!

Good Night

A New "For Today"

FOR TODAY
November 7, 2009

Outside my window... the leaves on my peach tree are starting to change colors and fall of the branches.

I am thinking... about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. We are going to my parents house and I can't wait.

I am thankful for... Reece and all the joy that she has brought to my life and Matt of course.

From the kitchen... leftover Olive Garden from lunch. So yummy!

I am wearing... pajamas

I am creating... Christmas present calendars and my Daily December book (more on this in an upcoming post.)

I am going... to try and stress less this season and start saving for a new fabulous camera.

I am reading... a hundred brochures on the UT System insurance plans.

I am hoping... to get caught up on several projects this week-- personal & at work.

I am hearing... Fox News in the background. The House is voting on amendments to the Health Care Bill. Such an important time for our country.

Around the house... clean laundry that needs to be folder and toys that need to be put up.

One of my favorite things... is that Reece is talking so much now. She is starting to put words together and that we are taking Christmas pictures next Saturday and Ollie gets to come along.

A few plans for the rest of the week... Matt is taking Reece to the doctor on Monday for her 18 month check up. I am having lunch with a friend (hopefully at Bess Bistro on Pecan) I went for the first time on Friday and it is my new favorite. And I hope to work on these projects hanging over my head.

A picture to share... This is from Reece's Halloween party and is on my desktop on my work computer. My friend Sarah (also know as Khloe's mom) caught such a cute look on her little face. It makes me smile each time I see it.

New picture

You all know that I would not be able to go all week without posting a picture of Reece. Matt took this one on Monday morning. Her poor little nose. It looks much better today but I can tell it is starting to scar on the very top.

New Dreams and Goals

My Bucket List (in no order of importance)

1) Travel to all 50 states (working on this one)
2) Swim with dolphins
3) Go to Paris
4) Go whale watching in Alaska
5) Go to New York at Christmas
6) Have tea at the Ritz in London
7) Travel along Pacific Coast Hwy 1 in a convertible
8) Try all of the Ben and Jerry's Flavors (working on this one-- just for fun)
9) See the fireworks show at Mt. Rushmore on July 4th
10) Climb the Statue of Liberty & take a picture hanging out of the crown(not
allowed but whatever-- they let the Today Show anchors do it)
11) Work on a Presidential campaign
12) Visit Rome and Vatican City
13) Get a good camera and take a photography class

New Tuesday Tasty Treat

I know it has been a really long time since I posted a Tasty Treat but I had to share this one. They are wonderful.


Starbucks Pumpkin Scones

Ingredients

Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Powderered Sugar Glazze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Directions
1 TO MAKE THE SCONES:.
2 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a baking sheet or line with parchment paper.
3 Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside.
4 In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball.
5 Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick rectangle (about 9 inches long and 3 inches wide). Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.
6 Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.
7 TO MAKE THE PLAIN GLAZE:.
8 Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth.
9 When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone.
10 AS THAT WHITE GLAZE FIRMS UP, MAKE THE SPICED ICING:.
11 Combine the ingredient for the spiced icing together. Drizzle this thicker icing over each scone and allow the icing to dry before serving (at least 1 hour). A squirt bottle works great for this, or you can drizzle with a whisk.

These are so good. I almost skipped the spiced glaze because it seemed like a little too much but gave it a try and I am so glad that I did. We loved them. They make the house smell really good also. It makes 6 very big scones. I made 8 and should have made them even smaller.

Happy Baking

New Job

I started my new job today. I am an Administrative Associate for the Office of External Relations at the University of Texas System. It was so weird to start a new job. I was at the Senate since May of 2002 and had interned even before that. My old office only had 8 people in it. My new one has 30 on the first floor alone. Everyone is so nice and helpful. I do miss my old co-workers already but am looking forward to getting to know my new ones and making new friends. The one thing I am not looking forward to is going through the mound of paperwork to pick my insurance and benefit package. I am going to make Matt help me.
I am sure I will be posting more about the job later but now I am going to go cuddle with my little one before I move her to her crib. (on a side note, her little nose is much better. It still looks horrible but I do not think it hurts her anymore.)
Goodnight

New New New

Happy November 1st everyone. October was a busy month for us and I am sure November will be even busier. Why do the holidays always seem to go by so fast?
Lots of new things going on around here soon. I start my new job with UT tomorrow and am a little more than nervous. So, to celebrate change and all things new I am planning on posting something "NEW" everyday this week.
Today it is a new blog background with an adorable turkey button. And if you want to know how many shopping days you have left before Santa comes to visit----scroll down to the very bottom of the page!

Have a wonderful day.

Happy Halloween

Halloween at our house started out with a small get together with friends from school.




Followed by falling down the drive way and busting our nose and mouth.



After some Tylenol and a quick nap we were ready to go Trick or Treating




And of course ended with our very first sucker