Sean's Birthday Cake

Having your birthday on Christmas Eve can't be fun.

We try to make the day special for Sean. 

He always picks his cake. 

Sometimes it is a design and other times it is a flavor.

This time it was a little of both.

I found it on Pinterest...of course.
I found the recipe here.
It looked so good, I just had to try it. 

When I looked up the recipe...well lets just say the butter content would 

make Paula Deen proud!!

It is a caramel apple cake.

The inside is an applesauce cake, the frosting is caramel buttercream, and there is caramel sauce between the 3 layers and on the top. 

There is a stick for the caramel apple effect and chopped peanuts pressed on the side. 

It was tasty!

Happy Birthday Sean!!

Elf on the Shelf: Christmas Eve

For his last night Ernie decided to play

Guard Duty!

Since Christmas was on a Sunday and church was at 9am we decided to wait till after to open presents. We covered it all up and Ernie was on duty. 

He did a great job. Everyone was happy to wait because they didn't want to see what would happen 

if they messed with Ernie!!
Ernie is now done with his work for the season. 
He has gone back to the North Pole to help Santa. He will be back next year to watch the kids. 
They miss him already!

Elf on the Shelf Day 4

Yesterday I was so busy cooking for the holiday I forgot to post

Ernie's adventure!

We need a little back story here...

We have a GameCube. To cut down on the fighting over who's turn it is, what game to play and how long we each get to play we only get the GameCube out on holiday breaks. 

Wednesday night Ernie got the GameCube out.

He and his buddies set it up, and started playing Mario Party 7.

He even hooked up the microphone feature.

 They look like they are having tons of fun.  

 I just wish they would clean up the messy living room in the background! ;)

Elf on the Shelf: Day 3

Ernie took it easy last night. 

When the kids woke up this morning the kids didn't think he was very bad.

Ernie got on the computer, found a Santa Claus game,

made himself comfortable and played online all night. 

The little boys thought it was great that Ernie plays the same games they do.

Stay tuned for what he gets into tonight!

Elf on the Shelf Day 2

Ernie the Elf really got into it 

last night!

He starts here. In the bathroom.

 Travels across the living room.

  Does some spins around the Christmas tree.

and takes a rest in the airplane tree topper.

The question is...

Did he fly the plane?

The Elf on the Shelf Day 1

This year for Christmas I decided it would be fun to introduce a new tradition. 

When Sean and I got married neither one of us really had any traditions to share once we had kids so we have been coming up with our own.

This year we decided to start The Elf on the Shelf.

It came in the mail yesterday. 

After explaining to Liam and Simon that it isn't a "doll", and that Mr. Elf came alive when we were all asleep. They were excited.

I wish it made them willing to go to be earlier. Not so lucky!

This morning our Elf (who we haven't named yet) had gotten into some mischief.

This is what we found when we 

woke up.

 He popped popcorn and settled down... 

to watch a Christmas movie.

Naughty Elf!

Stay tuned for day 2 to see what kind of trouble he gets into tonight!