Holiday Event: Girl Scout Investiture

Our first year as Girl Scout co-leaders, we had the pleasure of getting our official pins at the leader holiday party slash Investiture. It was an honor to be called "official" and a fun little challenge to cite the Girl Scout Promise on our own without the girls screaming it out loud to us.

On my honor, I will try:

To serve God and my country,

To help people at all times,

And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The candles all symbolize a part of the Girl Scout Law:

I will do my best to be
honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,

considerate and caring,

courageous and strong, and

responsible for what I say and do,

and to respect myself and others,

respect authority,

use resources wisely,

make the world a better place, and

be a sister to every Girl Scout.

Getting pinned by a current leader.

We are official!!!

Fellow leaders showing us their support and offering to help as we embark on this journey. Wish I could say I feel brave but really I feel like I owe it to my daughter ... her sisters found troops to join and she could not ... so if we didn't start our own, she would be left out. Here's to the journey all starting with a single step ... our investiture!

Holiday Tradition: First Semester Awards Ceremony

The holiday season is also the end of the school semester and a time where the kids are getting ready for their winter break. Every year, we have been so lucky as to be invited to the elementary school awards ceremony for the students that earned good grades that semester. The kids don't always get so excited but the parents are so very proud!!!

Lena is getting her honor roll.

Nani gets honor roll too! Older sister is showing her support ... 

since it's her first year not in elementary anymore. 

These student accomplishments are not completed alone. We are very thankful for the teachers' help and guidance throughout the semester. Nani had Mrs. Bell and Lena had Mrs. Fleming. Lots of hard work and lots of great teaching.

Also truly grateful for all the time Ba Ngoai spends taking care of them. Taking them to school and picking them up. Packing their lunch, giving them after school snack and making sure they sit down to do their homework daily. It takes a village to raise children and we are blessed with all the support we have. We are blessed with good kids!

Holiday Tradition: Neighborhood Party

We are so lucky to live in such a fun neighborhood with such nice neighbors. Our kids get along, our husbands get along and us wives definitely get along ... sometimes too well (with a few glasses of wine).

Our annual tradition is to have a get together with gift exchange every year for the holidays. This year Alma was our hostess.

The kids always look forward to time with their friends, even though they see plenty of each other all year long ... sometimes 7 days a week (like Nani girl and Ally who had the same class, then girl scouts, then scrapbooking moms nites, then family parties, it's neverending). LOL

Frances' family is so sweet ... they all look like sisters!

And my daughter with her friend who's taller but younger. The luck you have when you come from a tiny family ... no six footers here. Haha.

In past years, they were toddlers excited for Santa's surprise visit. This year, they are dining at the table like grownups. Insert bittersweet tears here.

For some excitement this year, we played a minute to win it game of fishing for candy canes. For some it was harder than it looks, for others not so bad. Telling kids to keep their hands behind their backs was a bit of a challenge. In the end, they were all good sports and a success with this challenge!

The winner was Kaila ... I think that was all the candy cane would hold!

Time for the kids secret santa gifts ... really from us moms. :) Kaila played Santa since she was the one with the hat. For each child, she stated a compliment that they were good that year just like Santa would have. Pretty spot on!

They all really enjoyed their gifts.

And then the roles reversed and Kaiolena put on the Santa hat to give Kaila her gift. This year Kaila was good because she was a great Santa. Haha, how creative! (or not)

Then it was the adults turn! For ours, there was lots of stealing going on and the most favored gifts are always alcohol related. Hmmmm .... what kind of neighborhood is this?!? Haha. A set of wine glasses, some wine, a really cool wine sampler, some hard alcohol and a UFC coffee set. Santa is good!

Wrapping up the night were just more laughs, good eats and good times. After many years together, we continue to hope each year there will be many more still yet to come. Merry Christmas 2011!

Holiday Event: Girl Scout Holiday Party

Our monthly meeting was a nice holiday party for our Daisies where we started out making cards for the troops. We asked who had family members in the military. We explained that soldiers don't always get to come home for Christmas. The girls were so sweet in their empathy towards the troop members and their families. Their motivation resulted in many cards made!

The art of sharing was also learned by all as we passed out the craft and art supplies.

Even my cadette helper got in the act to make a few for the military men and women.

The cards turned out really sweet and merry indeed.

Thanks so much Daisies for a job well done!

Me and my girls, one Daisy and one Junior!

My co-leader and her daughter also enjoying their cookie and card making time together.

After our hard work, we all enjoyed a special treat ... Christmas cookies.

They took their artistic talents so seriously, decorating each of their cookies. But really, all that sugar was their ultimate goal ... the more sprinkles the merrier. Sorry moms for the sugar high at the end of the night. Sleep was probably not on their minds when we sent them home.

You can't make cookies and not sample them. The girls enjoyed their frosted wonders! It definitely shows in her smile and the crumbs left over. haha. LOL.
So so cute!!!