Tea Parties are Fun!

Amy opted for a party this year instead of getting spending money for her birthday.  I was so happy that she wanted a tea party!  I love going to a beautiful tea service with friends!

 I got so caught up serving and preparing the food that I forgot to take pictures, but they started with  cucumber sandwiches and prosciutto rolls.  Second course was scones with cream and jam and custard tarts.  For dessert there were chocolate strawberries, lemon cookies, strawberry cupcakes and cupcake chocolates with berry herbal tea.  Amy said the food was her favorite part!  Yay! 

 After tea we took pictures with some props...

 played musical chairs...

 and the telephone game.  What is a tea party without some gossip?  They also tried to throw tea bags into the top of the tea pot and played a game like Pictionary by making pictures in tea leaves for their team to guess.

 Happy 11th Birthday, Amy!  

One Christmas Photo is Better Than None!

We did have a nice Christmas this year and I did decorate the house.  We even had a normal sized tree that I found at the second hand store for $15.  I just didn't take a lot of pictures.  Oops.  And I didn't build a gingerbread house from scratch, but the girls put together one from target!  

Thanksgiving Rocks!

There's no pressure to give the perfect present or the stress of Christmas shopping.  You just get to relax, eat, and be grateful for what you have.

Grandma and Amy

 Khanya and Elli

 Adam 

We had a marble game tournament, so Brandy, Elise, and I brought our marble boards.  We split into teams.  Your place at the table had a figure that matched someone else's.  

 Nell and Brandy were the turkeys.  Brandy just had surgery the day before and wasn't feeling 100%.

 Gregory and Khanya were the corn.  (It took a million tries to get a photo of Gregory with his eyes open!  He looks asleep in ALL the others!)

 Chelsea and Elli were pies.

Amy and Elise were pumpkins.  

Grandma and Adam were pilgrim hats I think and 

Joel and Steve were a team but I can't remember what they were.

I think Brandy and Nell won.  People kind of pooped out towards the end.  Lots of slow movers (kids) make the games take a long time.

Next year will be here before you know it!