.alivias first year.

.spiced hot chocolate.

This is a very... unusual twist on a winter classic. It is kind of reminiscent of eggnog to me, only it tastes good. Ha, ha! Not a fan of eggnog, obviously. ^_^ This really does make your insides feel nice and toasty!

• 4 cups of hot chocolate, prepared; preferably made with milk (I used 1%).
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Whipped cream or marshmallows (optional)

1. Stir spices into hot chocolate.

2. Let stand for a minute for flavors to "marry."

3. Preferably, you would want to strain the spices out using a couple of paper towels lining a colander (be sure to put a large bowl underneath colander to catch your yummy chocolate beverage). If you aren't able to strain out the spice "bits" in the bottom,  just be sure you don't serve the last little bit of cocoa so no one ends up with a mouthful of gritty spices. Not so yummy... trust me.

.christmas eve at the firestation.

This year on Christmas eve, my dad had to work. He is a firefighter for the great city of Salt Lake and this year his shift fell on Christmas eve. He wasn't too concerned about missing out since my brother, sister, and I are older now. When the day came, however, most of the other firefighters had family visiting them and he started to feel a little lonesome.

My step-mom, Kristin, called us and asked if we would want to make a surprise visit to the station and we jumped at the chance. I made a batch of Chocolate Crinkle cookies and hopped in the car.

We got to the firehouse just in time to eat some delicious turkey chili and a "mahvelous" fruit tart. After filling up on chili and sweets, we got to take a tour of the firestation. We saw their dorms, the engines and trucks, the entertainment room, the weight room, and even the famous pole.

We got to sit in the in engine my dad drives and see all the fire-fightin' gear. Ben even got to slide down the pole (I declined to take a turn... too high up for me).

Surprisingly, Livi was interested in every thing my dad showed us. She wasn't bored or restless for a second. Of course, we took lots of pictures. It was a great way to spend Christmas eve!