Remember those Calvin and Hobbes snowmen cartoons?




Don't these cupcakes look like the cartoon snowmen? They totally reminded me of the cartoons. Christina (my sister-in-law) and I made a ton of these for my Young Women at church.
The chocolate cupcake recipe is THE BEST recipe I've used. It is rich and moist-- like chocolate pound cake, a Dirle favorite. Here's the recipe.

Recently, our little family returned to my hometown of Gloucester, VA to commemorate and celebrate my Granny's life. It was a bitter sweet trip- going to my Granny's funeral and yet being with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins I grew up with.

It was the most incredible time to spend with family- Granny wouldn't of wanted it any different. All of my cousins' and siblings' children immediately became friends; from VA, PA, NYC, and NC, all of the family was together except for our Stephen and Ayumi.

I love this photo of Auntie and Amy's baby, Genevieve. We all realized that Genevieve looks just like Auntie did as a baby.


Instant friends: Caroline, Emma, and Natalie.


Caroline and MeMe bonding over books, of course.


Cutie baby Ava and Caroline playing with the same pop up toy over and over and over again.


Uncle Robert really getting into the recording microphone toy. He says it's for the grandkids... I knew better than that!

Jolly, pudgy, attorney with the comb-over kid.
Doesn't this resemble an old timey saloon photo? As if Johanna is a poker faced outlaw.
I'm an angry fish.
Those bows are the best parts of these dresses.

Caroline reigns over her midget subjects.Young conspirators.
Baby bodyslam.

We heard that Santa doesn't fill stockings for really little girls, so Johanna poses where her stocking will be next year. Those stylish stockings are knitted by my great Aunt Bessie.


Santa's helpers couldn't have been more pleased with Caroline's reaction to her Calico Critters doll house. I spent a good hour playing with it, I mean, setting it up, late on Christmas Eve.

Finally, Johanna actually looks like a Dirle in this photo.

Johanna with Uncle Travis.
Christmas evening at the Shifflers. There's Brooke, Bobby's bro, with little Isobel.

Don't tell me they're not related.

Aunt Donna reading Caroline's new book to her.

Poor Dad, (Bunic, that is- Grandfather in Romanian) has always dealt with a Christmas Eve birthday, which I guess isn't as difficult as our friend Meredith's b-day on Christmas day!


Johanna enjoying some finger. That's about all she was getting for dessert.


Do you like the angel floating on Bobby's head?

We started our first traditional acting out of the Christmas story that night.

For attention-span sake, we only had a Mary, baby Jesus, and Joseph this year.
It is a good thing we didn't use Johanna as the baby after watching Caroline, drag, undress, and lovingly tackle the baby post-theatrical show.

For those of you who know Bobby, this photo needs no explanation. For those of you who have fallen off the face of the earth post-Apple laptop purchase (2003) and are just now joining us, he once referred to his Apple computer as his first child. So, nothing could please him more then Caroline and Johanna excitedly watching the Wiggles music videos on it. Ahhhh, young love.

This year I attempted making gingerbread cookie snowflake ornaments. Throughout the month I would catch Caroline by the tree trying to get a good taste of the frosting (which of course was dried on). She still would act satisfied with, "Ummmm, yummy cookie."


They say real gingerbread ornaments taste better as they age. Time apparently intensifies the spices. We broke about 5 cookies in the process of hanging, tying ribbons, little hands helping to hang, etc., and never tried eating it!


Behold the 8 foot tree that we paid extra for (because of the extra foot) that we ended up cutting to fit the house anyway. It was just the best looking of the bunch, what can we say.


The girls pose together after decoration the tree--rather, watching and eating gingerbread.