Coffee Cake

If you haven't figured it out already, I'm a tradition girl.
I am a creature of habit.
Really, it is my Mom's fault.
She went out of her way to make any holiday a little more Special.
Especially Christmas.

I want Karson's Christmases to look just like mine did.
I never had to leave our house on Christmas.
I stayed in my pjs.
All day.
I played with my new toys.
All day.
I ate my favorite Christmas foods.
All day.
Starting before breakfast.
Because, really, what kid wants to take the time to sit and eat breakfast, when there is a tree filled with presents from Santa waiting for them?

Exactly.
My mom always made us her homemade coffee cake for pre-breakfast, while we opened gifts.
Whenever there is a family get together, we always have her coffee cake.
She made coffee cake for me the morning of my wedding.
We ate coffee cake at the cottage.
I know it is a family recipe, again, I just don't know how.
It is amazing.

I want Karson's Christmas mornings to include coffee cake.
And because I want to start traditions out early with him, I made coffee cake tonight for Saturday morning.

Krantz:
They are called Krantz in my family cook book. We call them coffee cake, but whenever the recipe is written out it is called Krants. I have no idea why.

1/2 lb butter
4 c flour 
Cut together (like pie crust)

Scald 1c milk
When it is warm add 1 pkg dry yeast, mix well.
Let it cool, it will kill the yeast.  But  not too cool, or it won't activate the yeast. Basically, have a few extra packages of yeast just in case.

Add
2T sugar
3 well beaten eggs

Mix yeast mixture with flour.
Refrigerate over night.

Divide into thirds.

Roll out into a rectangle.
Spread with melted butter.
Sprinkle with:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
Roll up the long way.
So it is long and skinny.
Cut into thirds, the long way.
Leave about an inch at the top so it stays together.
Braid.
Let rise.
Bake at 350* until light brown.
Mine took 20 minutes, but I have a crazy oven. It either cooks super fast or super slow. Drives me nuts!


Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Frosting:
A few pats of softened butter.
Some powered sugar.
Some milk.

Blame my Mom for the frosting directions. {love you Mom!:-)) It is how she cooks, and therefor how I cook.  Basically, add more milk to make to make it runnier. More powered sugar to make it thicker.  More of both to make more.  Just don't dump in all the powered sugar or milk in the beginning, or you won't have any left to fix with.

Obviously I made mine tonight, a few days before.  You can freeze them, for days or months down the road. Reheat them in the oven, frost them right before you eat them.

Did I say YUM?!

Christmas Party Weekend

This weekend was full of Christmas Parties and Mommy spending Saturday in bed.

DJ and I left Karson with my mom on Friday night and headed to a Christmas Party with friends.

It was so nice to spend time with friends. 

But I hate being away from Karson, even for a few hours.

I had planned to stay at my parent's on Friday night, because you don't wake a sleeping Karson.

He must have known I was home, because as soon as I walked in he woke up.

He wanted to sleep, but couldn't.

Poor baby!

I finally went to the store at 3:00 {AM} to get some Tylenol & Benedryl for Munchkin.

{Not because I was trying to drug my kid back to sleep, but because he was obviously in pain, and had a runny nose.}

And some tums for me, because the large amounts of {yummy, yummy} spinach dip I ate wasn't settling well.

At 3:30 I finally got Karson down.

And ran to the bathroom to throw up.

Felt 100x better, and went back to bed anxious for a day of Christmas prep and get together with my parents an brothers.

NOT!

I threw up every 2 hours for 10 hours.

At my parents house.

I love my Mom!

She got up with Munchkin in the morning.

And played with him so I could sleep until DJ came home from work.

Lamb family Christmas party canceled.

DJ, Munchkin, and I went home.

I stayed in bed all day!

Missed my baby like crazy!

Slept 13 hours that night, woke up feeling much better.

Headed to DJ's family Christmas party.

Munchkin got a new racetrack.

 He understands how to open gifts.

But sometimes forgets not to eat the paper.

All the Smedley cousins.

{Cody, Kenna, Chase, and Karson}

The best we could get with 4 kids under 4.

 Karson got to open his gifts from Grandma Nana and Grandpa on Sunday night.

Since I messed up Saturday's plans, and my mom will be at my brother's on Christmas.

 Munchkin inspecting his new hammer.

{I envision this being used on the dog some day.}

 Opening his truck like Grandpa's!

 

 Opening Chuck.

Who cracks me up...

 "I'm Chuck. Lets kick up some dirt."

{insert Chuck flying through my living room here}

Aside from being sick on Saturday, it was a good weekend.

Thankfully, no one got my stomach flu.

But, if you couldn't tell by the pictures, Munchkin is sick again.

DJ is sick.

It better all be done with by Friday!

Oh how I can not wait for Christmas with Karson!!

Aquatic Center

After traumatizing Karson when we took him to see Santa last week, we decided to take him somewhere we knew he loved.

Because we had been there before.

Three months ago.

He loved it!

We asked our neighbors to come with us with their three little ones.

They love the water, and Karson loves them.

It would be so much fun!

These pictures are deceiving.  Because, while he loved it last time we were there.

He didn't love it this time.

In fact, these pictures were taken about the last 2 minutes we were there.

The only time he wasn't clinging to us with a death grip.

Izzie was running circles around him and he thought it was funny.

 

Again, the please stop taking pictures and pick me up look.

We will try again next week. 

So much for making up for a traumatizing Santa Visit.

Christmas Smell

Some people love the smell of their real Christmas Tree.

Tried it last year.

Never again.

It died before Christmas.

We were still picking needles out of our carpet in July.

We are a Fake-Tree-Family.

Some people light their Holiday Candles.

Which, I admit, I love my Cranberry Chutney Yankee candle.

My favorite way to fill my house with the smell of the Holidays.

Christmas smell!

I know this is some how a family recipe, I just don't remember how.

I remember the smell filling our house from Thanksgiving to New Years when I was little.

When DJ and I were on our Honeymoon, two years ago exactly, the smell filled the condo.

I think that is why we love it so much, now.

It reminds us of our Honeymoon.

Ingredients:

1 Orange Cut Up

(I use 1/2 am orange and save the rest for another batch)

1 Lemon Cut Up

 (I use 1/2 am lemon and save the rest for another batch)

2 Cinnamon Sticks

(I have used ground cinnamon if I don't have cinnamon sticks)

1/4 Cup Whole Cloves

(I have never used 1/4 cup, maybe a tablespoon or 2. Didn't realize until just now that I was supposed to used whole cloves...I have used the same tiny jar of ground cloves for 2 years now...)

2 Bay Leaves

(I have actually always stuck to the 2 bay leaves.)

 

 Put it in a sauce pan and cover it with water.

 Put the pan on low, and let the smell of the holidays fill your house!

**Disclaimer: DO NOT let the water run out.  It will burn, and ruin your pan.  Not that I know or anything...  Also, it will look this pretty for about an hour.  Then it all turns black.  I change mine every week or so.


*Please ignore my teflon pan.  Didn't know how bad they were when we got them.  Now that I know...well...I'm working on it.  Along with about 1,000 other things. :-)

Fredrick Meijer Gardens

I have been saying for years that I want to go to the Meijer Gardens for their Christmas Tree Display.

The whole building is full of Christmas Trees, decorated from different countries.

I loved reading about each country.

Learning about what traditions each country participates in, and why.

Karson loved it!

Old ladies would walk by and comment on how cute his is.

His turkey-ness always came out, full swing every time someone made eye contact with him.

We spent way too much time apart this weekend.

Although I spend every day with him as a SAHM, 

today was a much needed Mommy-Karson day!

Enjoy the pictures of my little Turkey in front of the different trees....

 Some Auntie Leesha love time!

He is clapping...

 ...YAAY for the Christmas Tree.

Oh, how I love him!

The reason Karson's stroller is merely pushed in front of every tree for a picture...

...This was the result of trying to get a picture in front of a tree.

After trying to destroy a poinsettia, he kept walking to me, instead of smiling.

Back in the stroller he went.

 

 And, in case you didn't believe me that my kid is a Turkey...

 ...total Turkey!

Apparently, he needed a Mommy day just as much as I needed a Karson day!

Mommy loved having her Munchkin back all day today!

Auntie Leesh & Auntie Katie

I grew up without sisters.

I have awesome sister-in-laws.

I love them dearly.

But never had sisters living in my house.

I have three brothers.

Honestly, I love being the only girl.

Never had to share a room.

Never had to share clothes.

Girl Time meant my Mom and I.

Not having sisters has made me appreciate my girlfriends even more.

It has taught me that you do not have to be related to be family.

 Meet Auntie Leesh and Auntie Katie.

I have talked about them before.

Auntie Leesh took these pictures and these.

Auntie Katie is a Wedding Planner.

Visit her blog.

She has some really cool ideas.

Still working on getting Auntie Leesh to start one.

I have a hard time referring to them as merely friends.

They are so much more!

  

They were there on my wedding day.
Ran errand for me the day before.
Helped calm my nerves the day of.
Danced into the middle of the night at my reception.

They celebrated with us, when we found out Karson was on his way.

When we thought we were losing him, Auntie Leesha took me to an ultrasound.
She was there when I found out we would be having a boy.
Texting DJ the whole time, so although he wasn't able to be there, he felt included.
 They stayed at the hospital all day when I was in labor with Karson.
They made me laugh.
Helped calm me down.
Encouraged me.
Anxiously awaited his birth with me!

They were in the waiting room when he was born.  

They held him, loved him, and snuggled when he was minutes old.

Auntie Leesha was at our house hours after we brought Karson home.

Karson was 3 weeks early.
I wasn't totally prepared.
She picked up a few of the essentials for me.

Auntie Katie came over numerous times, and snuggled my munchkin so I could take a much needed nap.

 They had balloons at our house waiting for him, when we got home from his surgery.

They have been silly with him.

 Rocked him to sleep. 

 They have loved my baby as their own.

Karson will always know them as his Aunties

Because they deserve the title.

They are truly Aunties to him.

Both Auntie Katie and Auntie Leesh are GRADUATING from College today.

Auntie Leesha with a degree in Psychology/Special Education

Auntie Katie with a degree in Event Planning.

They have spent hours upon hours waiting for this day.

Auntie Leesha & Auntie Katie,

Congratulations!  THANK YOU for all you do for us.  Thank you for making time to love on our Munchkin.  Thank you for being Aunties to him. We love you both!

Love,

DJ, Kelly, &  Karson

P.S. Their Husband & *soon to be* Husband are awesome too.

  They too have made time to love on our sweet boy!

And please know, I have a huge problem with the fact that I had to DIG for pictures.  Even stole some from facebook.  Meaning, now that you are college graduates, we need to get together more!

Meeting Santa

I have always said I would never take my baby to the mall to see Santa.

Not because we don't do Santa, because we do.

We do Santa big.

We will raise our children to believe in both the Magic and Miracle of Christmas.

Our children will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas Morning.

They will believe that Santa's reindeer will land on our roof.

 They will understand the true meaning of Christmas.

While anxiously awaiting Santa's arrival.

The reason we will not go to see the mall Santa,

{I will eat those words some day} 

is because of the germs.

Gross.

Hundreds of kids sitting on one Creepy-Rent-a-Santa's lap.

 I, of course, felt like a bad Mom, but I wouldn't...couldn't do it.

I was ecstatic when Ecobuns announced that Santa would be visiting their store.

Thrilled!

I could be a good Mommy and take Karson to see Santa

You see, I am one of those sappy Moms.

I love all of Karson's firsts!

I love making a huge deal out of the little things.

I was anxiously awaiting DJ getting home from work all day.

I love making memories as a family.

We got Karson dressed up in his Christmas outfit, and headed to meet Santa.

There was a family in line before us, and Karson was flirting.

We were thinking, sweet, our kid is going to love this.

This was his first reaction...

...ok well...he did the same thing when GrandmaNana bought him a talking Elmo.

Then he loved it.

Didn't get any better.

So we switched to Mommy.

That would work right...

Maybe not.

He was TERRIFIED!

"Daddy, please stop hiding behind that camera and come save me from this scary guy!"

We realized if there was any hope of getting a non screaming picture of Karson with Santa, Mommy was going to have to sit on Santa's lap too.

So here is Karson's first Santa picture.

With Mommy, but he isn't crying.

He is about to, and did right after the picture was taken.

Hopefully, next  year will be better.