The Rogers Family: 2011

Happy New Year's Eve

To Celebrate, we are having family game night. Savannah got a bunch of new board games for Christmas so we will be playing Goodnight Moon and Monkey Jumping on the Bed.

After Savannah goes to bed Brian and I are going to have our own private New Year's Eve Party/Dinner. This has become an annual tradition for us. We order our favorite foods from a bunch of restaurants and Brian picks it all up before 6 pm (This way we don't have to worry about all the drunk drivers out there).

This year's menu:

Chomp:

Sushi and Seaweed/Cucumber Salad

Lazy Dog Cafe:

Calamari

Ahi Poke

Kings Fish House:

Oysters on the Half Shell

Bread Pudding

I know it looks like a lot of food (because it is), however, we snack on it until midnight (making sure the fishy foods are properly refrigerated).

This year the Rogers Family all went to Leavenworth for Christmas 2011. It took a year's worth of planning, and it was worth every minute.

THE LODGE

We stayed at this beautiful lodge called Snowgrass and Larkspur. The entire place felt like a Christmas mansion. We each had our own room, there were 3.5 kitchens, a gigantic river rock fireplace, two hot tubs, and a huge Christmas tree.

The grounds for the lodge were huge. The first night I got a little lost just walking around the house.

THE COUSINS

The first night we got there we whipped together mac and cheese and a delicious ham. The kids had their own table and loved playing with each other. Savannah had an amazing time with her cousins. There were 11 grand kids this year. Now that we are home she doesn't really understand why we can't go to Riley's or Lexi's house.

THE APRONS

Every year I add an apron to my collection. This year I got two brand new waist aprons. I wore a different one everyday while I baked and cooked Christmas dinner.

THE DECORATIONS

I also made Christmas stockings for the kids this year. You can see them in the photo below on the fireplace. A good friend from work made them with me. I loved picking out the fabric and getting their names embroidered on it. The anticipation to get them to Leavenworth was so much fun. They looked so good, and Santa filled them full of treats and toys. It will be a tradition to hang them each Rogers Christmas. Their was also a huge real Christmas tree in the living room.

PLAYING OUTSIDE

There was snow on the ground when we got there. We played in our backyard and then jumped in the hot tub while the kids sled down the slope.

Dev played with the children for a really long time. He is so good with the kids and I really appreciated his help pushing Savannah in the sled.

It was so cold. This is a classic photo of Savannah licking her runny nose :)

I love my sister-in-laws so much. This is a picture of Stephy on the big porch swing. We sat there watching the kids for a while until we decided to go for a dip in the hot tub.

Aron put together a last minute Nativity play with all the kids... and Russell as the donkey. Just like last year Savannah kept wanting to get baby Jesus's basket.

Grandma put together a cookie decorating party for the kids. They made one for Santa and one to eat.

Savannah was really afraid of bugs in our room and couldn't sleep. We put her in with her cousins to calm her fears. They slept in the walk-in closet in Mel and Russ's room.

CHRISTMAS MORNING!

There was so much space. We all had a spot to open the many presents that we each got. Melissa had my name and I loved EVERYTHING she got me. Her dad hand made a red leader jingle bell strap that I absolutely LOVE.

CHRISTMAS DINNER

It was my first time making a turkey ALL BY MYSELF! I was actually really nervous about it. Especially since we went to church and left it in the oven. Thanks to Mike he based it while we were gone. I made the Turkey, Cream Spinach, Cream Corn, and Stuffing. Mom made the gravy and Dad made the mashed potatoes. I was going to try to do them, but I got too nervous that I would ruin the gravy and didn't have time to do the potatoes. It all turned out great!

Christmas Morning- Bird ready to go into the oven.

Christmas Late Afternoon- Bird Done!

We had to bring in a table from the deck to make enough room for all of us. It was so nice to all sit around a table and eat.

One of the best parts of Christmas was the snow. We had a white Christmas. It was like a dream come true. I was able to cook in the kitchen and stare out the huge windows at the falling snow.

WALKING IN TOWN

Leavenworth has the cutest Christmas Village. All the buildings are decorated with lights, there is a huge slope to sled, and the best Christmas store in the world is there- Kris Kringle. All the lights go one at 4:30 each night. We waited and when the lights went on we all shouted with excitement (however, we were the only ones that did that so people kind of looked at us funny).