Holiday Open House 2012

Before the party we had to set up the trains! (Advent chain day 14). The kids love this, pulling out the big train box and helping J get everything set up.

And finally the day of the party arrives and I get the kids decked out in their Christmas finery. I absolutely love argyle sweater vests and think RUS looks like such a little man in his! R is wearing a dollie+me dress we gave her for last Christmas--she calls it her candy cane dress.

 Isn't this a great shot of Grammie and Grampy with the kids before the party officially kicked off?

 Here's the big table with the cookies: I somehow missed taking a picture of our appetizer table (but I'll add some if Grammie happened to get a few on her camera).

 This year's food craft was a make-your-own snowperson station, with frosting to glue everything together, marshmallows for the body, hershey's kisses for hats, pretzels for arms, and mini chocolate chips and candy corn for eyes, mouth, and nose.

 Here's R's snowperson!

 and here's the one RUS made with Grammie before the party started.

And would you be shocked that this is all the pictures I managed to get of the party? It was a huge success, I thought, with lots of our friends and neighbors stopping by. I'll confess though that I always have a little bit of post-party letdown although it's really nice to still have Christmas itself to look forward to!!!