Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies ( aka Grinch Cookies)

  

  Braxton and I  made these cookies for Christmas eve to share with the family I nicknamed them the Grinch cookies

   1    pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2    cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4    to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
   6      to 8 drops green food color
   1     egg
   1    cup creme de menthe baking chips
   1    cup semisweet chocolate chunks

1. Heat oven to 350F.  In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks. ( I stirred  a little bit of all purpose flour to the dough to give the cookies more thickness about 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup)

2. Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes, remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Christmas morning

 Check out the beautiful wrapping that Braxton did on some of my presents I was impressed and the bows and the gift tag!

Surprise its Jingle Jammies :))  Pj bottoms from Old Navy

I wanted to thank Brians family for all the wonderful Christmas cards/money for us and Braxton. We think about you everyday and miss you. I wanted to thank Aunt Rheyma for the personal note written just to me, it made my day I am so happy to know that you read my blog too and for your nice compliments.

And to the Johanson family we love you  and thank you all for everything that you do.

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas twice this year, the first time was in November with Tyler, Tiffany and Nicholas when they were visiting during the week of Thanksgiving.

Here are the grandkids all together

Nicholas was so much fun he kept us all entertained

 The Christmas Eve with the family in December, everyone opened presents from Mom and Dad.  They have always made sure that all the kids, in-laws, and grandkids have always gotten presents from them every year.  My mom has always made sure Brian has been taken care of. Thank you Mom and Dad so much!!

ONE more day

 Wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Love Jackie, Brian, and Braxton

TWO more days

Well I am ready for bed all the Christmas hustle and bustle has got me worn out, now just waiting for Santa to come I'd better get to bed soon

THREE more days

Taia is a cute little reindeer

FOUR more days

Brian is going to build us a warm fire thank you

FIVE more days

Kitty is playing Jingle Balls

 

SIX more days

Six more days are left till Christmas. Braxton is hanging his ornaments.  :)

Candlelight Carol

Here is Braxton's choir singing Candlelight Carol at the Joseph Smith Bldg. It is such a pretty song, FYI the song focuses on the love that Mary had for  baby Jesus. I don't really remember hearing it before but it has now become one of my favorite songs, and it was Braxton's favorite song to sing .

Temple Square/Joseph Smith Memorial Building

Braxton's school choir group along with the Madrigals had a fun experience performing at the Joseph Smith  Memorial Bldg during school hours. We had a nice time being able to go down and see them sing in the beautiful building.  There best song was Candlelight Carol.  After they performed we ate  and came back to watch a Joseph Smith movie there.

As we were walking along temple square I couldnt resist the horses standing along the curb for carriage rides, I pet one horse his name was Weston . ( I love horses)

 We were enjoying a cup of free hot chocolate on temple square that had a bit of a cinnamon taste with a dob of real cream on top.

                           

Giving to Others

First things first did you see the flying Santa going across your screen? Isnt that just cute and fun? The extras that you can do now on Blogger. As it gets closer I want to pump up the Christmas spirit and really make this fun with music and activities.

One of the best things about  the holiday season is being able to give to others. I have always loved giving to others even way back when I was little, but I  especially love this time of year because of that happy magical feeling of love and laughter. I look forward to giving  gifts to my friends at work as well as my family.  I believe I posted last year about the traditions that carry on every year in my office, how I decorate the tree and I exchange gifts with  friends.  I cant wait to make the receiving crew of about 12 guys or so  a fresh batch of homemade goodies.  They appreciate homemade things so much and even though I don't make things a lot for them I do try to be thoughtful when I have the ambition.  Lately I have felt so much appreciation for my friends because  we have our days of course when we have irritated each other , but it all comes around that I can tell that they really care about me and they know me the best. I really do care what people think of me, so I want them to feel like they can count me as there friend and  for support. Even when my face is glowing red  I always talk to them in a nice respectful way, I figure there is enough "britches"  in the world and at my work, somebody has to be an example to them in a good way to show them how to be different.

Mr Krueger's Christmas

I wanted to share this  1980 made for TV film that the LDS church presents with the Mormon Tabernacle choir. It's about 24 minutes long, it is about a lonely janitor that escapes everyday life in his fantasy dreams. I remember being excited everytime this came on to watch when I was kid. It really is a cute show with  a good message at the end ,my favorite characters are Clarissa and of course George.  I hope you take a minute to watch it, but I wont mind if you dont just stop my playlist so you are able to listen to it. Enjoy!

Family traditions and Our Christmas Tree

For at least 15 years my family has made it a tradition to go up into the Mountains to cut down a tree the day after Thanksgiving. The majority of the family love going every year. For years we started the tradition going up to Mountain Green  at a live tree lot where they sell them. Than for some years they went up in to the Unitas's  and into Montana when we stayed at the cabin one year. This year we went up to Mountain Green again. Brian and I have not gone with them for a few years now. But it was important to me with all the family together this year that it was not even a hard decision.  We bundled up really good with the temperature saying a -3 in the mountains, but it  wasn't that bad. The scenery was just gorgeous as the sun was hitting on the fresh white snow at nine in the morning. At the tree lot there was so many trees to look  and we all had a tree picked out pretty fast, with the help of Nathan's gas saw it was down in no time.  Brian is a nice model right next to the tree.

All together for Thanksgiving dinner

Hey...I thought we dont have to many pictures of Thanksgiving.  Tyler, Tiffany, and Nicholas came to visit us in Utah for the week, you  never know when all seventeen of us will be together again for another holiday.