Tacky Sweaters and Baked Goods!

We started what I am hoping will be a fun tradition for years to come - a Christmas party! This year it was a tacky Christmas sweater party. It was a great excuse to get together with our friends and family and have a silly time. Oh, and an even better excuse for me to bake. However, I failed to as many pictures of the fun sweaters as I should have - oops!

Some of the beautiful sweaters:And for good measure, just take a look at these baked goods:
Drooling yet?

Christmas Tree Lighting

Saturday we took off for Leavenworth again! This time we went for the Christmas Tree Lighting. We arrived at about noon to a cold Leavenworth (about 20 degrees - BRRR!), just in time for lunch. We ate at our favorite spot - Uncle Uli's. They serve excellent food and always have our favorite beer. Fantastic combination, no?

After we were filled with tasty beverage and chili nachos, we set off for the Gingerbread Factory. O.M.G. We love that place. They make the best cookies and obviously specialize in gingerbread. De-lish!

We did a bit of shopping (between trips to get cocoa!) and then joined the HUGE crowd in the middle of the street to watch the lighting ceremony. There were carols, a visit from Santa, and even a sweet man proposing to his girlfriend (she said yes!). The park lit up and so did the rest of the town and it was beautiful!

Once the lights were shining we headed off for dinner and wouldn't you know it, it started snowing!! It was an early Christmas miracle. All of the kids were very excited and instantly started sledding down the hill (it wasn't even built up yet! lol). Groups were gathered around the barrel fires and huddled into the shops. In this busy holiday season it was just what we needed to get in the spirit.

All in all, another great trip to Leavenworth!

Happy Holidays everyone!