Happy New Year's Eve

Christmas Recap

 How was your Christmas?  Mine was wonderful!  Full and fun and relaxing.  We started by making sugar cookies this year.  My little chef wanted to make and decorate them.

 She was really proud of this one.

 Some decorations I put out this year.  I love these old vintage balls with netting around them.  They were my Grandma Mac's and I love them.

 Festive cherry cheesecakes for my office potluck.  Oh my were these yummy.  I adore cheesecake.

 We started our holiday in Indiana on Christmas Eve.  It was so nice to see them!  The GPS took us on one crazy route to their house.  I kept singing "Over The River And Through The Woods, To Grandmother's House We Go!" because that is exactly what it felt like.  Finally made it home to Illinois to my parents house.  Goodness! There was a lot of packages under that tree!

 Still a tradition in my family to have Santa leave his footprints under the tree.  My parents did it for my sister and I and I have done it every year for my girls.  My thirteen year old informed me that we did not have to leave cookies for Santa this year (sniff sniff) but could she still see Santa's prints under the tree maybe????  She was happy to see them Christmas morning. :)

 Even though we do silly Santa prints under the tree, we acknowledge and believe that Jesus Christ is the reason for this wonderful season of love and why we celebrate is His heavenly birth!

 The girls were still in bed Christmas morning at this time!!!  This is the latest they have ever slept in on Christmas morning.  Little sis came out and then I went in to get big sis.

 This is what I found.  Buried under the covers in Nana's bed.

My most favorite gift of all this year....my little people sewing gal.  Is this not the sweetest thing???  My sister found her online and bought her for me.  I love her.  

And that was my Christmas.  We made some new traditions this year with the sugar cookies and decorating them.  We went home this year to Indiana and Illinois to see our wonderful family and friends.  We went to Christmas Eve service in our home church and saw our church family.  Got lots and lots of hugs.  Made me cry!!  Ate lots of good food.  Opened wonderful gifts.  And mostly, reflected on the most precious gift of all.  I am looking forward to 2012.  I am excited for some new changes in my life.  Can't wait to share them with you.  Happy New Year friends!  

Merry Christmas

                                                                         Merry Christmas from me to you!! 

 “Behold, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel — which, when translated, means, God with us”

(Matthew 1:23, AMP)

Winter Wonderland

View outside my window this morning at 5:00 am.  Snow on the hydranga and colorful sparkly Christmas lights.  Beautiful things that go so well with my first cup of coffee today.  I thought it was so magical looking and I wanted to share it with you.

A Fun Day

 We headed out on Saturday morning for an adventure.  We were Christmas tree shopping!  It was a chilly and rainy morning.  Just the kind of day that required hot cocoa.  After the girls picked out the one they wanted and the fellows that worked at the tree farm shook the poor girl like crazy on their little shaker machine and wrapped her up for us, we headed back to the car for the little treat I had prepared.

Daddy got her all secure and tied down on his trailer to take her home to decorate.

I usually buy a new ornament each year.  The tree farm where we go has a Christmas Barn.  And it is filled with pretty things upstairs.  We decided on this jolly fellow this year.

You-know-who got involved in the decorating.

All finished.  She is a pretty tree.  And she smells good too.  It is so much fun to watch the kids say "Remember this one!" each time a special ornament gets unwrapped.  I love their first Christmas ornaments with their little infant pictures in them.  Seems like it was yesterday.  Another successful Christmas tree shopping adventure under our belts.  Now to get those presents bought, wrapped and under her.

In Spite Of

I was laying in bed last night thinking "How on earth can it be December 1st already? Where has this year gone?"  Then my mind drifted to Christmas.  And then I panicked.

And then I talked to my Father in Heaven and asked Him to help me with this Season.  I asked for His help with keeping up with my full time job, my family and their needs, my kids and their activities, my home and grocery shopping, my laundry that never EVER goes away, my Christmas shopping for all my family and my list went on and on even more.  And I heard this reply....."I am sufficient.  I am with you.  I came to earth for this.  This season that you are about to embrace and celebrate.....think what it would have been like without Me.  The Great I Am."  Can you imagine Christmas without Christ?

So, today I am off.  I put on my 99 cent Walgreen's jingle bell bracelet to add a little holiday cheer to my day.  I am NOT going to let the evil one steal my joy this season.  Because I know someone much bigger has got my back.  And somehow everything is going to get done.  I don't have it figured out....but The Great I Am does.  Phew...am I ever thankful for that.  Have an awesome Friday, where ever you are.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful!

Snowy Morning

This was my view this morning.  Kids off to school.  Candle lit.  Quiet house.  Hot steamy creamy coffee.  Little pilgrim lady smiling at me.  And then there is the white stuff out my window.  Can you see it?  Oh dear.  So happy the weather man said it was not going to stick.  HA!  Another reminder that God is the one in control here.  Hope your day has been lovely.

Little Cotton Flannel Minky Blankie

 The doctor that I work for became a grandma for the first time a couple weeks ago.  She is the mama of three boys.  And her grand baby is a girl.  She is over the moon in love with her.  I wanted to make a blanket in honor of the new baby.  Grandma is not a cutsie person.  She has exquisite taste and she loves bright colors and patterns.  I went with this little charm pack.  I did not have time to quilt it.  So, I just tied each little square.  The borders and backing were an off white flannel.

I put a soft piece of chocolate brown minky in the corner for some more texture.  That stuff is sooo soft!

I have a daily Mary Engelbreit calendar.  I tear them off each day and I keep a lot of them because I can not bear to throw them away!  They are sooo stinking cute!!  I used this one for a little tag to hang on her bag after I wrapped the blankie.  I believe there is a lot of truth in this quote.  At least with the grandparents in my kids lives.

Swoon Swoon Swoon

This is what I am listening to now.  Yes I realize it is a Christmas cd.  Yes I realize it is only November.  But that is the kind of girl I am.  And I adore Michael.  But I adore Christmas even more.

Six Days Late

 I did not get to carve pumpkins this year before Halloween.  So, the poor orange dears were looking at me today and I decided to carve them....on November 6th.  Makes perfect sense.  Right?

I went with stars all over mine.
I totally copied after this wonderful lady.  I also used her tip about sprinkling cinnamon on the top of the pumpkin.  When the warm candle meets the cinnamon....oh yummy does it smell like a pumpkin pie on your porch.  Make sure you try it next year.  That is, unless you have a little orange dear left wanting to be carved six days past Halloween like I did.

Road Trip

I have been on a little trip.  It's not any place I would recommend to go.  I had no plans of going there but I went there none the less.

Since I wrote on this little blog last, my life went topsy turvey.   My husband lost his job suddenly.  As in....SUDDENLY.  Then, I had my mammogram.  It came back with a suspicious spot that needed more testing.  They brought up the "C" word.  Then, a few days later,  something in my blood work came back bad.  More testing.  I wish I could say that my faith in Christ was unwavering....no asking why is this happening to me.    I wish I could say that I was joyful in my circumstances.  I wish I could say that I did not worry about tomorrow.  But I can't.  Was I weak????  I did not see light for a few weeks, only darkness.  And it scared me.

But this is what I learned.  God was still with me in the dark times.  God was listening to my cries for help.  God was right beside me.  God had a plan for my life.  God was in control.   And mostly, God's ways are good.

The end of this story is this.  My husband did get another job.  He started this week.  My second mammogram and testing revealed that the "suspicious spot" was not there any more.  And, they have medication for what they found from my blood work.  Praise the Lord.......I see light!!  :)

I also know this.  I have the most precious group of people who were praying for me.  Some, I have never meet or might possibly ever meet in this lifetime.  How can I ever begin to thank all of them?  My heart overflows.  This is the month for gratitude.  And I am so grateful.   xoxoxox


2 Corinthians 12:8-10.......For when I am weak, then I am strong.

This Little Light Of Mine....

Have you ever heard a song and knew that God was playing it just for you?  This is the one He chose for me today.  And boy, did I ever need to hear these words.  Maybe you do to.

Today......

I remember.

The BIG Day!!

I have a sixteen year old daughter.  Oh my goodness.   Early morning before school she wanted to open her gifts.  Then she had to pose for a picture with her most favorite kitty.

 Go team!!

 After school, she went to the drivers license branch to get that little card she has been working so hard towards.  She was smiling and relaxed because she had already taken her written and driving tests and had passed.  All she had to do was smile for the camera.

 Say cheese honey!!

 Thumbs up daughter-oh-mine.  You did it!!  And we are soooo proud of you honey!!

 For supper, she took one of her dear friends out to eat with us.  She picked macaroni and cheese to eat.

 After they went to the football game, they came home for birthday cake.  She likes ice-cream cakes from Culver's.  If you have not tried one...you should.  They are really good.  And of course, she had the birthday song sang to her really loud and off key.  It was 10:20 at night and we were having birthday cake!  That is the latest I believe we have ever had cake in this house.  But it was fun!  Maybe we should start a new tradition.

Today she drove off for the first time alone.  She just wanted to go some place alone.  I can't say I blame her.  She earned this privilege.  She went off down the street alone in the car and I was scared to death!  But, I have to remember that she is God's daughter first.  I just have her on loan.  He has her tucked under His wing of protection.  I am just going to be praying a whole lot more than I have ever been now.  Oh my....a new stage of mothering.  Gulp.  Here we gooooo.......vrooooommmmmmmm.

Early Sweet 16

 My sister and nephew were up to no good these past couple of weeks.  They planned an early surprise sweet 16 party for my dear daughter and her old friends from back home in Illinois.

 Here are the party girls.  Aren't they all beautiful!

 Little sister and big sister.

 The nephew who was part of the party plans.

We had hot dogs and smores over a fire pit.  The weather was sooo hot!  It was 98 degrees.  And then the cold front came in.  The wind blew up and the temperature dropped about 20 degrees and then the rain came.  But, that was just fine.  We all decided that a little rain was not going to spoil our fun.   And, it didn't.

His Royal Highness

I moved my most favorite chair into my sewing room so I could sit in it more often.  It had been upstairs in my room and I hardly ever sat in it.  Seems someone else in my house thinks it is pretty comfy as well.
Humph.

Yummy Strawberry Bars

Strawberry Bars

1 box strawberry cake mix

1/3 cup softened butter

4 eggs

1 8oz package cream cheese softened

1 16 oz box of powdered sugar

3/4 cup diced strawberries

Add together cake mix, 1 of the eggs and 1/3 cup of softened butter.  Mix until well blended.  Place mixture into 9 x13 greased cake pan.  Pat down in bottom of pan to form crust and set aside.

Cream together package of softened cream cheese and remaining 3 eggs.  After this is well combined, slowly add your box of powdered sugar until mixed together well.  Gently fold in diced strawberries.  

Pour this mixture over your crust in the 9 x 13 pan.  Place in 350 degree oven and bake for 35-45 minutes or until center of cake is set.

When cooled, I cut it into squares.  You can also make it prettier by dusting with additional powdered sugar or little slices of strawberries on the top.  

Side note.....you really really should make these.   :)

Sewing Again

 It has been awhile since I have played in my sewing room and I have missed it.  I have to remember that I am the type of person who has to have fun doing what my heart loves once in awhile.  When I put "me time" on the back burner for to long   ....well....  it bothers me.  So today, I broke out some fabric and began to make something.

 While attaching the binding, my middle finger was getting so sore.  I remembered the sewing kit my mother gave me that had been my grandma's when she was alive.  I quickly pulled it out of the cabinet and slipped it onto my finger.  This September, my grandma has been gone from us for a whole year.  It does not seem possible.  While sewing on the binding, memories of my sweet and precious Grandma began to wash over me.  I remember her hands and imagined her with this very same thimble on her finger working away at one of her many projects.  Goodness I miss her.

I had a couple little strips left of fabric from my project so I put together a little ruffled kitchen towel for the oven door.  It is amazing what some fabric and thread can do to lift ones spirit.