Too Many Sweets!

I have had fun having the opportunity to make several new cookies this week which have been on my pinterest "Nom Nom Nom to Try" board.  There was a branch Christmas party, an ornament exchange, and having missionaries over for dinner that all warranted a new recipe.

For the branch Christmas party, I made Dark Chocolate and Mint Chip Clouds.

Get the Recipe Here

These were nice and light, a little crunchy on the outside and very good.  Of course, I love mint, so I did appreciate them.  For a meringue type of dessert they were great, but I probably won't make them again.

For the ornament exchange I made Hot Cocoa Cookies.

Get the Recipe Here

These were ooey and gooey and very yummy.  Unfortunately, my sweet teenage neighbor Winter brought over a plate of my favorite cookies while these Hot Cocoa Cookies were cooking.  (Winter's cookies are chocolate chip, but for some reason they are always 1 million times better when Winter makes them then when I make them even though I have tried her exact recipe several times!)  So I had eaten a few too many of these right before trying my own cookies, so I was a little over sugarfied making it much less amazing then I had originally planned on.  They were however still very good, and my kids loved them too.  I will possibly make these again.

Here is the ornament I made for our ornament exchange.

For having the missionaries over for dinner I made Ferrerro Rocher Brownie Bites with Caramel Icing.

Get the Recipe Here

Oh man.  Seriously.  Yep, that's it.  I think the title and the picture give you a good enough idea how amazing these are.  They are pretty rich though, so something just for special occasions.

So as you may have guessed, I'm sure I have gained a few extra pounds this week, but isn't that what the holidays are for?

I have a couple of fun/sad quotes from Samuel this week:  "Mom, everyone at school says I'm a baby, but I can run faster than any of them!"  (He is one of the smallest kids in his class.)  And then the other that broke my heart.  Samuel: "Mom, why did you put a heart on my lunchbag?"  Me: "Because I love you so much!"  Samuel trying not to cry: "But mom, everyone laughed at me!"  Oh my baby boy.  I wish I could love on him as much as I want forever.  But I guess there will be no more hearts on the front of his lunchbag.  :(

In other news, Charity has lost both front teeth, and the two little ones on the bottom next to the middle ones.  It was perfect timing, right before Christmas so she can sing that song!

It has been another eventful week.  I love all the Christmas that surrounds me, from the Christmas devotional that the first presidency in the church gave, to the carols, to choir and all the fun activities.  In ending I would share with you a beautiful video that helps us keep this time of year in perspective.  I am grateful for my Savior's birth.  I am grateful that because of him I can get up and try again all the many times I seem to fall.  I am grateful that line upon line, precept upon precept I can gain a knowledge and a testimony of Him.  Every time I think I have things down, I see a little peek behind a curtain and see a much bigger picture, and a fuller understanding of His wonderful gospel.  And slowly, step by step I gain more understanding and can become more what He would have me be.  I am grateful for this season when so much more seems to be focused on Him and we can refocus ourselves and try to be more like Him.