Cookie Creations

Early in December, Ryan surprised me by asking if we were going to "do cookies" this year.  I was somewhat surprised by his request... a bit amazed that he remembered... and with a warmed heart, I quickly responded that it was a wonderful idea.

I baked up the cookies ahead of time, and a few days later we took advantage of one of Evan's naps and dove into the decorating.  I gave Ryan some simple instructions, and then started dipping cookies in the glaze frosting.  At times he needed reminders that "a little bit of decoration all over the cookie is better than a lot all in one place".  He stuck with it throughout the entire batch, diligently decorating each one.

This "cookie tradition" stems from my great-grandfather (who was a baker).  The recipe for the cookies and the glaze frosting is unchanged, and making/decorating the cookies as a family has been a tradition now for 5 generations.  Ryan and I had decided that we would ship cookies to Papa Thom & Grandma Dar as this is one of the first years they weren't able to participate in this long-standing family tradition.  We also decided to send some to Grandma & Grandpa Soldner as I learned that they would not be able to participate in the tradition this year either.  At one point during our decorating, Ryan picked out a couple of cookies for Papa Thom and Grandma Dar, and decorated them especially for them.  He then did the same for Grandma & Grandpa Soldner.  We wrapped those cookies separately as they were made special just for them.

We both had a lot of fun, and there was something a little magical about passing on this tradition to the next generation.

I posted some pictures of our cookie traditions in the Hymas Photos section.

Tree Traditions

The first weekend of December, we braved the frigid temperatures and headed out into the woods (well...a tree farm) and searched for the perfect "Hymas Family Christmas Tree".  Thankfully we found one without all of the challenges the Griswolds ran into (one of the best Christmas movies ever....National Lampoons Christmas Vacation)!

We went to Farrell's Tree Farm in Washougal.  One can find a wide variety of Nobles, Grands, and other fir varieties at this family-run farm.  They always have a large campfire roaring and hot chocolate flowing to warm weary tree hunters both inside and out.

When we decorated the tree, we had our new friends/neighbors Max & Angela, their daughter Olivia, and Italian exchange student Ariana over to help.  Ryan and Olivia are the same age, and really got into the decorating spirit.  For Evan, it was a hands-off affair.  Later in the week we went over to Max & Angela's house to help decorate their tree.

Family, friends, and traditions...both new and old...make this season truly great!

Check out the pics of our tree traditions in the Hymas Photos section.

Thanksgiving and Beyond

Thanksgiving was spent in Sunriver, OR again this year with Gage's folks, sisters & their families.  Both Gage & I really love that area, especially around the holidays as it has a rustic and "holiday-ish" feel.  Sunriver is a small community with many amenities, but if there is something you need that you can't find in the village... the city of Bend, OR is only about a 20 minute drive away.
We enjoyed a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings (more than once due to the leftovers).  Turkey, potatoes (both mashed and sweet), stuffing, green bean casserole, and of course PIES!
We all used that time to unwind during these unstable and stressful times... playing games, watching Christmas movies, hiking, exploring, and just enjoying each others company.
The cousins all played, watched some kiddo movies, and "swam" in the hot tub.
All in all...we all made some good memories and kicked off the holiday season together.
Check out some pictures from Thanksgiving in the Hymas Photos section.