gingerbread houses (2018)

January has almost come to an end, and I haven’t blogged a single thing about Christmas yet. Ahhh! In an effort to be caught up on at least some of this before February, I thought I’d start with our simple little gingerbread houses.

When Michael, Eve, and I returned home from Spain, we were really eager to start some Christmas festivities, since the month was nearly half over, and it felt like we had missed quite a bit. Confession: I had these gingerbread house kits in the closet since the previous year, but we never got around to doing them (my morning sickness prevented me from doing a lot of things I wanted to do last year). So, everyone was excited to finally open them!A few red-nosed reindeer came to visit! This was Nella’s first time ever helping to decorate any type of food, so Daddy helped her out a lot.Michael went to his work Christmas party halfway through our activity, but the older girls kept on diligently working. Too little to decorate, but definitely not too little to look completely adorable while she watched us!Mine and Kaelyn’s!
Kaya’s and Nella’s/Daddy’s!These little activities are the best. I had to jump into a picture!And then Nella joined in, too! I love my little ladies.And then there were only 11 days until Christmas!

five on friday (12/28)

Happy Friday!!! The very LAST one of the year! I can’t even believe that another 365 days have come and gone, but here we are. I’m happy to sneak in one last “Five on Friday” before we ring in 2019!

ONE. We’ve had a lot going on over here lately… but our biggest adventure was taking a trip to SPAIN at the beginning of December! I have a whole lot to share about our travels, but for now, I’ll just leave this photo of one of my very favorite places on the Costa Brava! It was so refreshing to leave home and do something completely new, although I definitely missed my kids (minus Eve, who was lucky enough to tag along). TWO. After we got home from our trip, I was ready to do all the Christmas things, since we had already missed about half of the pre-holiday festivities. We baked and delivered cookies, watched several Christmas movies (which is definitely a good activity when you’re dealing with jet lag), and went out looking at Christmas lights. I missed these munchkins so much, so I was extra grateful for the special time we’ve had together. I can’t believe Christmas Day has already come and gone, but we’re still looking forward to some family time between now and the New Year.THREE. Grandma Gina and Grandpa Skip came up to visit for a couple of days this week! The girls enjoyed snuggling, watching Shaun the Sheep (as they always do with Grandpa), and showing off their Christmas presents. (Also, 3 out of 4 kid smiles is as good as we could get with this picture… Nella has a 1-minute tolerance level for picture-taking these days!)We also enjoyed some Sweet Frog! This might be the girls’ favorite place ever. Even Nella knows what the sign looks like now. She gets excited before we even go in!FOUR. Oh, these sisters. They’re always playing “babies”, and I just think it’s the funniest thing when they pretend to be pregnant and walk around with these fake baby bumps. My mama heart just loves these pictures, and I hope that one day, in 20 years or so, they can recreate this for me for REAL! Besties.FIVE. Nella. She’s as crazy as ever, but this flaxen-haired beauty got her first haircut a couple weeks ago!Because she’s so energetic and doesn’t want to sit still for a photo, the best picture I could get of her new ‘do was when she was lying down. It was so hard for me to cut it (I was obsessed with her absolutely wild curls), but she was eating her hair and having some digestive troubles, so it had to be done. Her tummy seems to be a lot better, and we think her hair-eating habit is broken. Don’t worry, her new hair can be completely unruly, too!SIX. Just because there needs to be a little more Evie in this post… đŸ˜‰

Happy Friday!!!

five on friday (11/16)

Happy Friday!!! I’m trying hard to get back into a routine with blogging, so I’m super excited to get this post out. Our days feel non-stop busy over here, but we’re looking forward to some time off of school next week and enjoying Thanksgiving.

Here’s some of what we’ve been up to lately!

ONE. We’ve been trying to get out of the house a little more (it just seems hard sometimes when there’s so much to be done at home), but I think a little break from our regular daily routine is good for everyone. We enjoyed some time at the library last week! Nella was very excited to try out all the little chairs.Puzzles!

We were also able to visit the mall this week to pick out our Angel Tree child. This has been one of my very favorite traditions these past few years. I’m grateful we can give gifts to another sweet little girl who needs them.

In the shoe store just next to the Angel Tree, there’s the smallest rideable carousel I’ve ever seen. The girls had never been on it, so when they asked, we said yes. For 25 cents, we heard some of the sweetest laughter that I will surely never forget. It’s these very small moments that make parenting magical.

It’s been really fun to see Nella’s reactions to doing “big kid things” for the first time. She laughed and kicked and squealed while riding her horse.Kaelyn’s was named “Neigh-Neigh”, of course.

TWO. We had our first winter weather this week… ice! So much for starting off with snow! Fall is my busiest time for photography (I’ve had photoshoots just about every weekend for the past month), and it’s crazy to already see that season coming to an end. We’re headed straight into the cold, dark winter days.

THREE. Everybody is still obsessed with Evie! And, well, I’m just obsessed with all these little girls.

FOUR. We’ve been sporting some crazy fashion accessories around here! Like a bow bigger than your head……and a unicorn horn! Nella wanted to wear this all morning (she’s also totally obsessed with those “donut” pajamas she’s wearing).

FIVE. Sometimes, your dog interrupts your baby’s photo session…Kaya’s been teaching her all these tricks, like “go through the tunnel!” (meaning walk under her legs). She’s still a crazy puppy, but we love our Scoutie!(And she sure loves us, too!)Happy weekend!

teerlink family christmas party (2017)

This is it… the LAST of the Christmas posts! I am so relieved to be mostly caught up on here. Phew!

We headed up to Michael’s cousin Jenny’s house for the annual Teerlink Christmas Party two days before the new year. Grandma Gina and Grandpa Skip had come to visit us for a day just before this, so we all headed up there at the same time. The girls were happy to continue our visit for a few extra hours.My very favorite part of this entire tradition is doing the nativity play. They’ve been doing it this same way for decades, with a narrated storyline, actors in costume, and group singing throughout.I typically get kind of emotional watching this, and I might have teared up when I saw my shepherd and little lambs come out onto the floor. They absolutely love participating in the play. The whole cast.I just love these people so much!And these people!! So grateful I could have some time with Lelia, Jeff, and Bryce!Four generations! Grandpa spent some time handing out Christmas cards, bearing his testimony, and announcing some items that Grandma Teerlink had designated to go to certain grandchildren. In those tender moments, I know we all were missing her and wishing she could physically be there, too.
We just had to get one of Grandpa and the two littlest! (Nella had a little cold this day, and she was so tired that she wasn’t really excited about photos.)Each of the kids opened one present at the end of the night. Can you guess what ours were by now? Yup… Calico Critters! Nella gave the best gift of all… hugs to her sister.And that wraps up our entire Christmas season! Until next year!!!

our christmas at home (2017)

We decided to have our own Christmas celebration a few days after we returned home from visiting my parents, which gave us a couple of days to rest, clean, and get things prepared. Michael ended up wrapping most of the girls’ gifts early in the afternoon on the previous day, but, as usual, we still stayed up much too late on our “Christmas Eve”. I was practically praying that the girls would sleep in the next morning.They didn’t get up until about 8:30, so we were all happy when we finally made our way downstairs!They couldn’t wait to get started on those gifts, but of course, I made them pose for a photo first.BOB books for everyone! I got an amazing deal, so I was able to buy 5 boxes of them. By the end of the morning, Kaya could tell the shape and weight of a box of books even before unwrapping it.“MORE BOB books?!”, she laughed.
Kaelyn is obsessed with dinosaurs. Now I just need to learn the correct pronunciation of all of their names…Preschool practice writing!My little Minnie Mouse-obsessed girl didn’t have her own Minnie stuffed animal, and cried for the one at Grandma Gina’s house when we left after Thanksgiving. So… of course I had to get her one. Skye from Paw Patrol!And a giant Skye! This Chubby Puppies camper was all she could talk about for months, and she has still been playing with it every day!Chubby Puppies for Kaya, too! This was one of my favorites, because when she opened it, she gasped, “My set!!!” She’s been wanting this Calico Critters nursery for a long time.Of course, you need some baby kitties for the nursery!Grandma Debbie sent them the tree house!For Nella, I wrapped up something that we already had, but she had never seen before……the singing Fisher Price puppy! (remember how much Kaya loved this?) Nella was immediately in love, and I just can’t get enough of her smile here.This present ended up being the biggest hit of them all for Kaya… her Bootsie cat! Leading up to Christmas, she kept telling me she wanted “the cat that makes 20 sounds!”, which was just her way of saying she wanted this one, haha. It’s probably the closest thing we’ll ever have to a real cat.We wrapped up this water slide and pretended it was a gift for Michael, which he opened last. The girls were a little confused, but really surprised!I also gave Michael the Pie Face game, which was really a gift for the whole family. I love how he laughed as soon as he saw what it was!Where is Nella?
Playing in the pile of wrapping paper, of course! She also wore her very first pigtails on this day.We took a break from playing with new toys to have some “reindeer donuts”!I love how it is so easy to make them happy with the simplest of things. The rest of the day was spent playing with their new things, resting, and cooking our traditional pot roast dinner. Kaya just loves her Bootsie, who goes everywhere these days.We had dinner at the end of the day!Nella apparently really really likes pot roast! My very favorite part of the day was snuggling up with my sweet girls, playing together, and getting hugs and kisses from them. Those are the best memories.

christmas day (2017)

We spent Christmas day with my side of the family! Ever since Kaya was one year old, we’ve actually tried to stay home on Christmas morning, just with our immediate family. However, based on my parents’ work schedules and when Karl was able to drive down, celebrating with them on Christmas day worked out best for everyone.

Nella woke up at 5:30 am (extremely early for her- she’s usually my latest sleeper), so she just wasn’t into the whole process that is Christmas morning. She was crying so loudly when she woke that I was sure she was going to wake everyone else in the house up- so we headed downstairs to watch the news with my dad, which surprisingly, calmed her down.Kaya and Kaelyn were up at 6 am, but had to wait to open presents until everyone was washed up and ready for the day. That just meant we had time to take a few cute pictures!My dad built this stocking hanger… but with so many stockings now (this doesn’t even include the dogs’), it actually collapsed under all the weight. I see some Paw Patrol puppies peeking out! Stockings are always first, and these girls couldn’t wait to dig into them. Grandpa and Grandma played Santa and Mrs. Claus this year!Some Traveling Wilburys CDs for Grandpa!My mom had started making a crocheted blanket a few years ago, but didn’t finish. I ended up taking her unused yarn home, and then Michael’s mom took it from there, made this gorgeous blanket for her, and wrapped it up for Christmas. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about how perfectly stitched it was, and I just love how it was a special gift from one of our moms to the other.We gave my mom this little hand-painted watering can to add to her snowman collection! I always love looking at the local craft fairs for something homemade for her gift.Michael got a new backpack! It’s about time, since his old one was literally duct-taped together and not holding up so well.Calico Critters for Kaecakes!Chubby Puppies!And Paw Patrol, of course!And then we had Calico Critters……MORE Calico Critters……and another Paw Patrol movie!Nella received her very own baby doll, but by this point, she had already been awake for about 5 hours, and wasn’t too interested.Uncle Karl and Kaitlyn brought her a unicorn!Karl and Kaitlyn got some nice things for their new house, including this doormat… it’s a house divided!Kaitlyn probably owns every item ever made that has to do with The Nightmare Before Christmas. We gave her a mug this year!After all the gifts, we all did some relaxing (and of course everyone wants all the Nella snuggles they can get).My mom makes the turkey, and my dad carves it. Every single year.Dinner! I think this was the best turkey my mom has ever made, and Kaya would agree, because she ate a ton of it! I say it all the time, but I really miss having these two living closer! We have such a good time hanging out; it’s just always really short-lived.The girls liked watching one of their new DVDs with Uncle Karl!We also spent a little time with my aunts, although I apparently took no pictures of that, nor of the dessert this year. We made a last-minute decision to drive home on Christmas night (everyone sleeps better in their own beds), and ended up leaving around 9 pm. It’s always a little sad to go, but we still had our own little Christmas celebration at home to look forward to.

christmas eve cookies with grandma debbie

All these posts about cookies might make it seem like all we do is bake at Christmas time (which is almost true), but this is the last one that’s solely focused on sweets!

Of course, you have to make cookies when you go to Grandma’s house! Grandma loves her little helpers. They always want to help roll the dough, but it’s still difficult with how little they are.Buddy really wanted some for himself…No gingerbread cookies for dogs!If he wasn’t begging for a cookie, he was stealing kisses.The next night, on Christmas Eve, when Karl and Kaitlyn arrived, we started decorating them!Everyone looks so serious about getting this done, except for Karl! Nella played with spoons the entire time.Ta-da! Quite the conglomeration of cookies.

christmas cookie delivery (2017)

The week before Christmas, we set out on our annual cookie-delivery drive! I honestly have to say, I wish I could share these with everyone… both locally and our family farther away. So, if you’re reading this and didn’t get a plate, know how much I truly wanted to bring you some. It’s just only physically possible to do so many.This year, I made many of the same classic recipes I’ve used in the past (why change a good thing?), which included:
gingerbread cookies
Michigan fudge
chocolate-chip cookies
candy cane kiss cookies

We delivered 16 plates, so not quite as many as last year, but still a respectable number. I love seeing all the plates come together- it makes all the hours of baking feel worth it!We always have to wear some silly holiday hats! I honestly hope that the girls never get too old for this or think it’s “uncool”, because this is one of my favorite parts of delivering the cookies. We were a hat short this year, and I didn’t have time to make another reindeer, so I picked up an elf hat at the dollar store for Kaya earlier that afternoon.Because it takes a long time to get everyone in and out of their car seats, we take turns going up to the door and dropping off the cookies. Kaya and Kaelyn kept begging for it to be their turn, so we tried to switch off at each house. I really love how much they enjoy giving these homemade gifts.

Maybe in the future, when they’re older and can do their own seatbelts, we’ll have to add some Christmas caroling to the tradition!

baking & making gingerbread cookies (2017)

Making gingerbread cookies every Christmas has been a family tradition for my entire life (and my Mom has been making them even longer than that, so over 30 years)! It’s something I always look forward to sharing with my girls. They get so excited to cut and decorate them; we make a giant mess, and then we give away almost all of them.They were both really good at cutting their own cookies this year! Their favorite shapes were candy canes and teddy bears.I always encourage them to use the gingerbread people cutters, since those are my favorites to decorate later. Gosh I just love these sweet sisters.This little angel baby was so happy to just hold a cookie cutter and laugh the entire time. I’m sure she’ll be covered in flour and dough next year!Poof! They’re baked! We waited until Nella had gone to bed so that we could decorate them.I think the girls would have decorated until we ran out of cookies and/or sprinkles, but we let them make five each, and then they headed off to bed. If you’re wondering, we use corn syrup as a sort of “glue”- we paint that on, and then apply the sprinkles and candies. Daddy jumped in and helped do some! We also love to use royal icing. Ta-da! These were some of my favorites from this year. Kaya loaded that house up with as much candy as possible; Kaelyn made that stocking in front, and Michael did a lot of the trees this year. Of course, I had to make my little swimsuit people, too!Now I think I need some more gingerbread cookies. Once a year just isn’t enough!

live nativity 2017

As per our tradition the past few years, we headed down to another local church’s live nativity event a couple of weeks before Christmas. I always look forward to this so much, even though there usually is quite a wait to get in- we arrived three minutes after they opened, and still ended up waiting in line for an hour. It was worth it, though!

We listened to Christmas music, ate candy canes, and took silly pictures while we waited our turn to drive through. One of the Roman soliders even brought his horse up to the car window for the girls to pet!
The nativity is a mini replica of Bethlehem, and after driving through as slowly as possible, it still seems like it’s over too quickly. I love seeing all the little shops, the inn, and the manger. I never try to take pictures because it’s just too dark, and I really don’t want to miss any of the few minutes we get inside.

Afterward, there is a little social gathering across the street. The small meetinghouse was decorated like Whoville this year!We enjoyed some hot chocolate……and cookies……and even met the Grinch!
I was so excited about this, probably because one of my favorite Christmas movies as a child was “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Kaya and Kaelyn haven’t seen it yet, so they wanted nothing to do with this scary green guy.We also met Santa, and the people running the activity took photos that were meant to be emailed to everyone later… but I actually never received ours. So, no Santa picture this year, which I think is the first time we haven’t gotten one since we had Kaya. Oh well! We had some great family time, so that’s really all that matters, anyway.