Sugar Cookies at Grandma's

We all got together over at mom's house to make sugar cookies. Ryan made chili for everyone, and Jenny and Kelly provided tamales! Yummy!

Chloe is enjoying a bowl of chili! She got it all over her and had to borrow Kassidy's p.j.'s to wear home! It was so cute!

Chloe also really enjoyed her sugar cookies!

So cute!

Everyone helped make the cookies!

Here is Aunt Kelly and her friend Katie having a good time!

Here is uncle Chad and his new girl Shana

Kassidy did a great job pounding out the cookie dough all by her self!

Kassidy had a lot of fun making cookies. She also enjoyed eating strait flower so funny!

Candy is making some gingerbread man shaped cookies. She also made her own icing concoction that turned a nice shade of purple!

Granddaddy helped a lot with the little ones while we made the cookies! Here he is with cousin Landon!

Candy's Christmas Party

Candy had a lot of fun at her Christmas party! Here are a few pictures that I wanted to share!

Chloe and big sissy Candy enjoying the party together

Daddy trying to steal a kiss from Chloe

Candy is making reindeer feed!


Candy and her friend Kenzie Tate


Candy and her teacher Mrs. Johnson who is going to have a baby in April

Kassidy's Christmas Party

We had a lot of fun at Kassidy's Christmas Party! Here are a few pictures from the party.

Here is Ryan reading Twas the night before Christmas in Texas That is. He is all dressed up for the part in a borrowed shirt, boots and hat!

Daddy with Chloe and Kassidy!

Kassidy's beautifully decorated Christmas Boot!

Isn't Ryan cute in a cowboy hat?

Chloe is not feeling too well, because she has her 6th tooth coming in.

Better Late than never!

I just recently learned how to post on the blog myself, so I am a little late getting these Halloween pictures up on our blog. Better late than never! Here is a few pictures of our leopard family and Daddy the leopard hunter.

Candy looks so thrilled to be there doesn't she?

Santa's Farm

We had so much fun at Santa's Farm! It was a little crowded and cold, but the kids didn't seem to mind. They had so much fun petting the animals!

Here is Candy sporting daddy's beanie to keep warm! What a fashion statement!

Cutie pie cousin Landon keeping warm bundled up in the sling with his mommy.

Chloe is having fun looking at the piggys!

Chloe and mommy having fun together with the piggys!

Candy, Kassidy, Chloe, and Kade all petting the sheep.

Cutest cousins of all time Kassidy, Kade, and Candy enjoying hot chocolate with the sheep!

First Header Creation

I finally went for it and created my first Cotten Family Blog header! It is so fun to find new ways to use my photoshopping skills. I just want to thank Shanta Silver for opening up the world of digital scrapbooking for me. It really is so much fun! Also all of the pictures used in my header were taken by Kelsey Call. Isn't she amazing?

Santa Spoiler Alert

If you still believe in Santa, do not continue reading this entry! It was a sad evening this evening as we felt we had to disclose to our oldest, Candyce (8 - nearly 9), that indeed, Santa is not real. Unlike her parents sad reaction in their youth, Candyce merely shouted, "I knew it!" LOL Candyce was receiving mixed messages from her peers at school, and was bringing her angst home. I think Candyce is too smart for her own good. Her follow up question was about the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy (she caught us pretty good on the Tooth Fairy when she placed her tooth under her pillow and Mom and Dad forgot....busted!). It was neat to see her get excited about being able to "help" Mommy and Daddy Santa. We tried to hype Santa as an "idea," or "excitement," about the thought of giving and going to bed with anticpation that there would be many more gifts under the tree and goodies in the stockings. Good luck to all those who face this challenge! This is yet another sign that we are aging and doing so at a much too rapid pace. Ryan

Early Thanksgiving

Soooo...we made the 5 hour drive to Bonham, TX. For those of you geographically challenged, that is way north of Dallas almost to Oklahoma out in the country. My Dad lives there and the Cotten siblings all gathered for a pre-Thanksgiving event. Five hours with a fussy teething one year old isnot fun, but we made it. We had lots of food and fun. The cousins loved hanging out!

I wish we had better weather, but the girls still loved getting out and seeing the animals in the cold. My Dad has a few horses and mules (to keep the coyotes away). Poor Candyce didn't understand the danger a coyote brings to livestock, so when my Dad took his rifle out to rid his field of the pesky varment, Candy was so upset that the coyote would have to die. Luckily there was no coyote killing that day. I guess the coyote strapped on his acme rocket and got away.

This was Chloe's first experience with horses. She looks excited doesn't she? She actually didn't want to get off once she got on!

This was actually a talking donkey that my Dad has that went on and on about his big green friend? J/K...This guy really loved the kids!

They actually have seasons in North Texas. Thus leading to leaves!

Cousin Cohen Galloway

Cousin Kennedy Galloway

We will now look forward to Thanksgiving in town with Krissy's family. Hope everyone has a wonderful week! Ryan

Twilight Fever is Here!

HELP! Krissy needs a support group entitled: "Crazed Twilight Fans that can't see Twilight on opening night." Bless her heart. She has just finished her umpteenth reading of all 4 books in the series. She was even invited to a watching party. But alas, she has sacrificed her Twilight Weekend to support a trip to Bonham, TX to the In-Laws for Thanksgiving Day celebration. But really, who wants to dish out the $9.50 to sit in an unclean theater with teens dressed in vampire garb? O.K., Krissy would. But lets do this enjoyably.....maybe wait a week or two. Get child care that will allow us to make the drive to The Woodlands to a nice theater to view a much anticipated movie, which at the end we will all say, "The book was so much better." or "Edward is not as hot as I envisioned him in the book." But no matter what your interest is, enjoy the upcoming Twilight frenzy!

Welcome to the World of the Cotten's!

After intense pressure from friends and family, we have finally taken the step to inform the world of our family happenings. The COO of our family has tasked me (Ryan - VP of IT) to manage the family blog. Hopefully we can infuse some humor into the exciting (and sometimes not so exciting) events of our lives. I personally feel this could also double as my journal (two birds with one stone....he he he.). So I guess do what you do with blogs: follow, read, don't read, reply, etc.! So let the posting begin!