Cookies in Casper

We headed down to Casper to see Sarah perform as a mouse in the Nutcracker. 

We also had a chance to hang out with the Casper Huberts and Granma Sandy and Granpa Wayne

(here's a link to see Jodi's pics - Russian Ballet and hangin' with the Hubert clan)

 Granma Sandy and Savannah paint their nails while waiting for the dough to chill ...

 And let the cookie cutting commence!

 Nice gingerbread man Lindsay!

 Savannah cut and rolled and cut and rolled this one piece of dough and was thrilled with it!

 Ella and Sarah are good buds

 Timothy did well with the new cast...

 Savannah's final creation - frosting much?

I must admit that decorating cookies is not a passion of mine so when we did it at Jodi's house, I was thrilled to have the mess created there!  And then, all the last day of school, Miss Cody invited all the kiddos over for some more cookie decorating fun --- check it out here on Tammy's blog - you might have to scroll through all of the Billings family's weekend activities to find us... but trust me, we're there : Tammy's blog

The Hubert Christmas Pahr-tay

So for the past 8 years, we have hosted a Christmas Party/Open House/Season Kickoff --- whatever --- we invite all of our buds over for snacks - the way I like to explain it is "instead of putting together pretty plates of yummy treats, I invite you over to my house for the evening to snack on yummy treats!"

This was, obviously, our first pahr-tay in our new home. 

I love doing this for so many reasons:

1.  I LOVE having people over and don't do it often enough

2. It is great motivation for projects and "spring" cleaning at the Hubert house

3. It is great motivation to get the house decorated pretty early on (but not until after Thanksgiving, thank you very much) so that we can enjoy it throughout all of December

4.  I love to bake and try all kinds of new recipes and this gives me a way to share it with my friends

(Sam, I understand you approved of the Brie en Croute??  Shall I repeat it next year?)

5. It's just fun to get together!

Oh and the list goes on -

The Dining Room

The Living Room - with finished paint job and pictures on the wall ---

Oh and who's that cute little sweetie asleep on the couch??? My Ella - she is resting up - she is on coat duty once the guests begin to arrive.  She is in charge of greeting them at the door and taking their coat up to our bed - I should seriously get a picture of the bed COVERED with coats.  We always tell people, your coat is on our bed and if you don't like yours anymore, just find one you do like and take it home. ;)

 The Foyer and Front Staircase

Meg's Room

Our Bedroom

  (how'd he get in there???)  :)

 Ella's Room

 And the pahr-tay begins...  

 Steve, Brent, and Jeremy

 Regs, Tammy, Katie, and Stephanie

(I'm wondering who took this one because I know Tammy took all the rest ...???  To whomever did it, thanks for getting Tammy out from behind the camera!!!!)
THANKS NINA!

 Nate and Rob

 Serious conversation in the kitchen with Jeff and Paul ;)

 Ann and Travis with Jon and April

 Katie and Heather and Stephanie and Regs
(Thanks Nina for taking this shot!!!)

 Amy and Deb

 Dave, Pastor John and Lori, and Deb

 Tony and Tyler

 Uh... the Hostess with the Mostest (at least trying to be)!!!!  ... and a Sam Adams Lager -

 Nicky and Cody - hubba hubba!

 Oh look, their wives joined them -- Nate with Sierra and Rob with Theresa

 Brian and Kevin and Rob --- wonder where their wives are!!?!

Oh and who knew "Robert Palmer" would be at our Christmas party???!!!?? :)

 Jeanette and Larry with Rob and Krista

 Eric and Amy with Julie and Duncan

 Duncan, Jim and Dave

(look at that host, eating a cookie and enjoying a beverage while his buds are empty-handed... I've got to talk to that guy)

 Nicky and Missi (shilly sit friends!!!)

 Deb and Steph and Theresa and Sierra ---- girls - you are GORGEOUS!

Master Jack found a friend in Mr. Mark --- they went round and round the snack table together, eating cheesecakes and crackers and cheese - When Dave put Jack down for bed, Jack told Dave "belly hurts" 

And what we don't have any pictures of is the many little children running around upstairs!  It was a little rowdy but nobody got hurt -- well, I take that back - I know Stephen needed a band aid at some point but I don't think it was anything major -- and I think they all had fun.

The teacher in me had to take control of the situation before the night was over though and sat them all down in the back "movie room" and they didn't have a choice.  They had to sit down and watch a movie or go hang out with their parents. ;) 

All 15-20 of them piled up on the futon is what I wish I had a picture of - because even though not one of them would admit it, they all looked pretty tired!

Nina and Tammy - thanks for snapping off a bunch of photos while I filled the platters of tiny cheesecakes and replenished the cucumbers and carrots on the veggie plate!

I know many of you were touring about or hanging out in some other part of the house and your picture isn't here --- we'll get you next year!!!  :)

And thank you to everyone who came out for an evening at the Hubert house!!

We hope you had a good time and that we got a chance to chat --- that is my one frustration with having this get-together --- I don't feel like I get to chat with everyone --- hate that!!!

Know we love you and wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Tree Hunting

The Tradition Lives On!

We went up on Friday after Thanksgiving to the Big Horn Mountains to harvest a Christmas tree!

Dave and I have been doing this every year since we started dating and it is one of my very favorite tradtions.  We haven't missed a single year.  Even though all of our babies are fall babies, we took them up and bundled them in to the front pack or the back pack, relative to their size and age, and have really enjoyed this tradition.

 Meg is searching and searching for the perfect tree

 This year, the Michaud's joined us - Meg is with Bryce, Brock, and Bridger - taking a break from the hiking through the deep snow

 Jack was in the back pack for the most part this year... maybe next year, he'll be ready to run around in the snow on his own!

 He did venture out when we found our tree and were waiting to cut it down - he didn't last too long though as his mittens were not water-proof and his fingers got COLD!  It was also getting close to naptime!  So, while Dave and Meg cut down the tree we had chosen, I packed Jack back to the truck and Ella tagged along with me, too.

 Brook enjoying the tree hunt

 Dave with Ella and Meg and our tree

 Brock, Krista, and Bridger

 Meg helping cut the tree

 Brock helps cut their tree

 Rob and Krista haul their tree to the truck

 After lunch at Bear Lodge and hot chocolates all around, we enjoyed some time on the sledding hill.  It was still a bit deep and not packed down so it took a few runs to get the speed we all enjoy!

 We got home Friday night and got out of our snowpants and headed downtown for the Christmas Stroll - a small-town thing here where the stores are all open and have their store fronts decorated for Christmas.  They close down Main Street and have carriage rides and the trolley is running and the stores serve hot cider and chili -- we love it when we're home and are able to participate in this tradition.

So on Saturday, the girls unloaded and unwrapped our ornaments and we began decorating the tree.