Birthday Weekend

I had a nice and relaxing birthday this year. The emporium was nice and didn't schedule me that day so I got to sleep in and late as I wanted which felt so nice! When I finally did wake up I found some happy birthday surprises!! I love surprises!! Becky had decorated my door with cute signs and candy! I was surprised I didn't hear anything when she was decorating it! Then I noticed a beautiful arrangement of the most fragrant white lilies in our vanity from Lisa! What amazing roommates! I wasn't expecting anything at all and they went above and beyond, they are just the best I love them to pieces.

Then I made pumpkin spice pancakes from a mix that I had gotten in Sleepy Hallow which we visited on our New York trip. They were really tastey! I love baking and cooking and making things so it was a perfect way to start my special day. Notice my awesome birthday girl pin. Nick gave that to me along with a huge pack of diet dr. pepper, my favorite.





During the day since everyone was either at school or at work I went and got a manicure and pedicure and went shopping and enjoyed my day to the fullest. That night the roomies took me out to dinner at a Chicago pizza restaurant in Salt Lake, none of us had tried it before so it was a fun adventure!







The next day at work the I got my cute present from the Emporium, for every empolyee's birthday they make us a little flower arrangement with a gift card to the store and a card signed by everyone that works there. It's small and sweet and still makes you feel like a million bucks when you get it.





Then that Sunday dad and I had our combined birthday dinner with the traditional Backer's cake complete with the famous huge frosting flowers. Those cakes are the absolute best, and they are totally tradition. I love traditions, they make like so much fun.

Bethy made this amazing pillow for me to match my room that she helped me redo this summer. She crocheted the top with the cutest popcorn stitch then she sewed it to a neat silk backing. It looks like it came straight from anthropology. She is so talented!

Happy Halloween!

Something I look forward to every year is our annual family Halloween party at the Griffins! It is always so fun and everyone always gets so dressed up, it is also the only time that I ever see my dad in a costume. This year I went as Glinda, the good witch from the Wizard of Oz. The Madison's were Sherlock Holmes and Geraldine Somerville, Mom was a Halloween fairy, dad was a tough western sheriff, Mike was where's Waldo, Jenny was a beautiful butterfly, sam was the happiest little caterpillar and the little girls were Disney princesses.

The Girffin's always create the best Halloween buffet. Their pizza is the best homemade pizza I have ever had, I have tried to make the same recipe they use at home, and it never ever tastes as good. The pepper pumpkins were the cutest things I have ever seen! Bethy brought the glowing witches brew which was so magical, especially to the little girls. Mike made his famous cheesecake for dessert and they made it into the coolest spiderweb cake I have ever seen





























After dinner we decorated haunted gingerbread mansions, I always love doing this I think they are just too fun!











After our houses were all decked out we played pin the face on the Jack-O-Lantern, it was a hilarious game everyone took their turn making a silly face on the pumpkin. Nora was especially excited and actively participated in everyone's turn. As always the party was a total blast! I love our family parties we just know how to have so much fun!











(all these pictures were taken by Bethy)

Simply Having A Wonderful Christms Time

Our family always has a wonderful time around the Christmas holidays! Here are just a few pictures from some of the things we did to enjoy the Christmas season. The Wednesday before Christmas we decorated gingerbread houses, such a fun tradition! The kids always have a fun time and the grown ups always really get into making the houses look great. We dressed baby Sam up as Santa Clause so he could join in the festivities as well, he was so adorable!!!













This is Evie's idea of decorating gingerbread houses, just eat all the candy, why bother sticking it to a house.



The Griffin's lovely finished masterpiece. Jenny had ordered a gluten free gingerbread house off the internest and it came with all this cool stuff to decorate with.



Here are my pictures of baby Santa Sam, it was too hard to choose just one or two, they were all soooo cute. (The ones up above are from Bethy)





My gingerbread cottage, Jenny was nice and shared all the cool plastic things that came in their gluten free kit, the little deer were my favorite, aren't they just the cutest! They definitely add to the over all effect of the cottage.







Bethy of course went above and beyond like she always does, I didn't get a picture of the finished product but her roof was outstanding, she is so creative.

On Christmas Eve I got to work at the Emporium which was fine cause all of my sisters were at their in laws so I figured why not, its a fun festive place and I got to eat all the free cookies and wassail I wanted. But I did get an awesome surprise visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause. They had taken time out of their busiest day to come visit me at work and give me some homemade Christmas cupcakes! All the little kids in the store were absolutely enchanted by Santa Clause reece and orbited him while he shopped around. A couple of little kids even brought things they had picked out in the store and asked him to leave it under their tree that night. Haha it was awesome Reece always made sure the parents were listening when he told them of course he would leave it under the tree for them. It was great I have the best family in the world.











When I got home from work mom made fondue for our special Christmas Eve dinner, it was delicious! Then we crocheted and watched fun old Christmas movies such as White Christmas and The Bishop's Wife. We took a little intermission and went down to our ward building for a special Christmas concert that our ward put on it was only an hour long and had beautiful Christmas music by various members of our ward.





Of course the next day was Christmas!! Yay!! The parents and I had a very relaxing moring, we slept in and continued our old Christmas movie marathon by watching its a Wonderful Life, I had never seen it before. Then we got busy cooking a big Christmas dinner. I made the chicken alouette (pictured below.) Then everyone came over to our house for Christmas dinner and to exchange gifts! Mom had done a wonderful job decorating the dining room for tonight, her tables are always so magical!



















As soon as dinner was over the kids were anxious to open presents! I will admit I was a little excited as well. Bethy had found this awesome wrapping paper that was all glittery and fit in perfectly with her peacock themed Christmas tree she set up at her house. Will was espcially excited about opening presents, he helped everyone open all of their presents and the best part was that he always had the most excited reaction no matter what it was. Mom got a lot of necklaces and every time he would be like "Oh just a beautiful necklace!!!" and every time he helped me open a book he would be like "oooooh look how cool!" he definitely wins at the reaction game.











Bethy had the awesome idea to make all of the giftcards she gave to people into snow globes, here is dad admiring his.



I loved Will's signature on mom's card ...



Andrew spent many secret hours in the craft room making this sweet nativity to give to Karin and Ricky, they had no idea he was making it, it turned out so well and they were so surprised!

I got the cutest set of books, a cute hat and the coolest cake stand every. It was a very merry Christmas season.