Merry Christmas!!!

Caroling and Birthday!

Wednesday evening, we went caroling with some people from church. It was quite warm outside, but it was fun! :) After we went caroling, we went over to Darren and Regina's home to celebrate Faithie's first birthday. She is getting so big!! :)

Here are the pictures:
(Click the photo to see the album.)

Faithie's 1st Birthday

Finished and Delivered!

This poncho for Gracey's Christmas present and this jumper for Faithie's Birthday/Christmas:


I made the jumper first, then had a whole other skein leftover. So I decided to make this poncho for Gracey so they could match. It fit her just perfectly! I love the way it turned out! :) The poncho is super easy too... well, I tweaked it a little, so I made it a little more difficult. It is just two rectangles put together. A simple version would be two garter stitch (knit back and forth) rectangles and then sew them together. (view demo video here.)

Here is the little angel modeling her poncho!

I don't have a picture of Faithie modeling her jumper yet. Her birthday party was just last night after caroling. (More pictures of those to come!!! ) But here is a picture of me with my other little "adopted neice."

Happy Birthday, Sweetie!!!

Christmas Program

Last night was our Christmas program for kids. I rewrote The Candymaker’s Gift by David and Helen Haidle. I wasn't sure how many kids we would have until rehearsal that night. We didn't have a lot of practice and the kids just read their lines, but it turned out really cute! Bro. Ron was our Candymaker and did a great job! Gracey sang "Away in a Manger" so beautifully! Thanks to everyone for their hard work!!

Church Kid's Program

Church Christmas Dinner

Today was our church Christmas dinner. We had lots of great food and enjoyed visiting with everyone. We also had a white elephant gift exchange - a lot of fun and laughs! A big thanks to Bro. Rocky and Sis. Wanda for opening their beautiful home to us. It was so cozy and Christmassy! The weather here has turned cool, so it feels much more like Christmas! :)

For the pictures and more click on the picture below:
There aren't a lot of pictures, but enjoy!

Church Dinner

More Christmas Goodies

Yesterday I got a little Christmas baking done. Basically, the sugar cookies that I make every year. This is my Great-grandmother's recipe. They are really easy to make with my handy cookie press! Someone gave me this a few years ago and I love it! It is sooo much faster than rolling and cutting each cookie by hand, and they look great! Also, I had made a quick batch of brownies for Mark to take to his office party. There were several left so I cut them up and decorated them to take to our church dinner.

I cut a Christmas tree shape out of wax paper, put the shapes on the brownie bites and sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Also, I copied Melissa's idea for a cheese ball snowman! He was really fun and easy to make! Everyone liked him... I guess he's pretty likable! :)




Here is the recipe for the cookies:

1 1/2 C flour
3/4 c sugar
1/2 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla

sift dry ingredients
mix in butter and add egg and vanilla
roll thin on floured board and cut into desired shapes, dough may be colored with food coloring.
bake 8-10 minutes 350 degrees

I have to have a less stiff batter for the cookie press, so I add a couple of tablespoons of butter and all the butter I melt to a liquid. I have to keep the batter from getting too cool, or the press is cantankerous! :)

And the cheese ball recipe... super easy
1 package cream cheese
1 can of ham
1 t powdered ranch salad dressing mix

mix together and form in desired shape. Decorate as desired! :)

By Special Request...

more pictures of the ornaments. Most if not all of the supplies I got at Hobby Lobby - and those ornaments are half off this week! :) (love that store!)

They need to "cure/dry" for at least 24 hours before you insert the hanger back. Also be sure and store them in a cool place for the rest of the year - not in an attic or shed. The lady that was demonstrating them in the store said that the paint will just flake off if left in a hot place.


The green and red one I did this afternoon and the other red and white I did last night at Kid's Club. The white is a metallic pearl and looks really pretty - a little extra sparkle. Also on the one with a cap, the first one I did, I used a little silver to help fill in the holes, but it all dumped out, I have thought about reapplying it. Gold would probably be really pretty with the green and red.
Like I said, they are soo much fun to make! Hmmm... I think I'll go make another one! :)

Christmas Goodies

I did get the fudge made Friday night! Both recipes turned out yummy! I make both of them using the microwave - I worry about burning things on the stove. They are both creamy smooth recipes, and so good!
The ornaments to the right are a craft Mom and I saw demonstrated at Hobby Lobby. You buy the plain ornaments , these are iridescent, and drip paint along the edge inside, then tap it against your hand. "Divide" the ornament into thirds with your main color and then add the contrast. Continue tapping until the paint coats the inside of the ornament, then turn upside down in a disposable container for at least 24 hours for the paint to drain and dry. The dripping gives it a more swirled effect. I did these at kids club last night and the kids really enjoyed them. They are a lot of fun to make!

Here are the recipes for the fudge:

Milk Chocolate fudge
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 to 1 cup of nuts (optional)

Melt the first three ingredients together in microwave safe bowl until smooth. Add vanilla and nuts. Pour into 9x13 pan lined with foil or wax paper and chill until firm. (about 4 hours) cut into desired size and serve.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Fudge
3 Cups white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
14 oz. canned sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons orange zest (or a little less for a less citrussy taste.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup toasted, chopped macadamia nuts (I used 1/2 cup)

Melt first three ingredients together until creamy smooth. Add zest, vanilla, salt and nuts. Pour into 9x13 pan lined with foil or waxed paper (and sprayed with a little cooking spray) Refrigerate four hours or until firm.

Family Christmas

Every Christmas, my dad's family has a Christmas dinner at the home of his uncle and aunt, Bobby and Peggy. We really enjoy the time getting together with relatives we haven't seen often. It is a wonderful tradition that has kept the family close and helped to unite the generations. I think it is great that I get to know all these wonderful people - my Grandpa's siblings and their families. Saturday was the day for the annual get together. We had LOTS of great food and a good visit with everyone. :)

Family Christmas Dinner

(Click on the album above to see the pictures.)

Here are some vintage family pictures... I love old pictures and it is so neat to have these. Dad spent HOURS last year scanning all of my grandparent's old pictures, he then burned cds to share with the family.

Vintage Family

Christmas Decorations

We have had our tree up for over a week, but I finally took pictures of it last night! :)

Here is the tree!!

Mark and I both had our own set of ornaments when we got married. His parents and mine both gave us an ornament every year. When we got married, we already had plenty of ornaments for our tree! :) I think it is a great tradition to do for your kids.

I enjoy putting together different table arrangements. Here is the arrangement on my coffee table.

Pillows were half off at Hobby Lobby this week (Love that store!!) so I got matching Christmas pillows for our couch. Behind the pillow is the afgan my Grandmother made a few years ago. She made sure each of her grandkids had one of her blankets, it was one of her last Christmas gifts to us!



I haven't even started my Christmas baking yet! Hopefully I will get some fudge made tonight! Tomorrow is my dad's family Christmas dinner, so I will be taking some fudge along with some other stuff. YUM! :)

@ Home for the Holidays

Happy December, everyone! I can't believe that it is already the last month of the year! Christmas is quickly on it's way!
With that in mind, I thought I would review a Christmas fiction book. I bought this book at the book sale a few weeks ago. The book is @ Home for the Holidays by Meredith Efken. It is quite different from most fiction books. There are no chapters, it is entirely made up of emails from one character to another and to those in the Stay-At-Home-Mom (or SAHMs) email loop. The format took a little getting used to for me, as well as the fact that it is a sequel and I wasn't familiar with the characters, but I adjusted and really enjoyed the book.
Speaking of characters, Meredith does an excellent job with hers. At first they seem a little far out, but they are actually representative of different personality types and different personality extremes. Probably, a reader will find a little of herself in each character. The polarity of the characters adds to the humor.
And the book is quite humorous! I found it to be very enjoyable. The format is more lighthearted, and is a rather quick read, despite the book's almost 400 pages. However, Meredith does deal with some serious topics, such as marriage problems, adoption, and over commitment.
One of the points that the author is making through this book, is her opinion of the War on Christmas. I'm sure you have heard of different aspects on this topic. Such as, how some stores no longer use the word Christmas in their holiday advertising.

I am too tired tonight to wax eloquent, but I did want to pose a question... What do you think about the War on Christmas? For the perspective of Meredith Efken click here. I had heard more of the opposing view to hers, but what she has to say did make me think. It is important to keep all things in balance. As for me, I want to wish someone a "Merry Christmas" and to put "Merry Christmas" on my Christmas cards, because that is the day that I am celebrating. I will probably be more likely to shop stores that support the celebration of Christ's birth. But is this "war" something to get so bent out of shape about? What do you think?



Faithie says that it is a great book to read before going to bed... just cuddle up in some nice warm jammies and grab a sippy cup of milk! :)

Our Trip

Yeah!! The harddrive for our desktop finally came on Monday and Mark has been getting the computer put together bit by bit. (Bad pun!) :) Anyway, now I can post pictures! So therefore, here is our trip. I am putting a lot of pictures in the albums, so beware! :) (That way family members can get what they want.)

Wednesday was Dustin's thirteenth birthday! Happy Birthday, Dustin!!!! We celebrated with him at their towns new Chick-fil-a. :) So the following are the picture of his party and playing games back at Mark's parent's house.

Dustin's Birthday

Then of course, the next day was Thanksgiving! My father-in-law's brother and family from Idaho (Uncle John and Aunt Shauna) and sister and family (Aunt Teresa and Uncle Buddy) from Tennessee were there. We had a great time seeing everyone!

Thanksgiving Day!

Friday, we went to the Homestead Craft and Children's Fair. This has been a tradition for my family for about ten years, whenever we are in Texas for Thanksgiving. We really enjoy going, seeing the crafts, buying yummy foods and other things, and visiting with the people there. It is so refreshing to be there and enjoy a time of Thanksgiving. Most of Mark's family went on Friday, so we were able to enjoy some more time with them.

Homestead Heritage Craft and Children's Fair

Saturday morning, we visited the Texas Ranger Museum before returning to the fair to finish shopping and see more of their demonstrations.

Texas Ranger Museum

Snowflakes!!!

I found this on Better Homes and Garden's website! It's so much fun and a great stress reliever!! :) Make your own snowflake!!

PS~ When you finish your snowflake, leave the number in the comments so we can see it. Warning: these get addictive! :)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Tomorrow, we are headed up to visit Mark's family, his dad's brother and sister are headed in with their families, one group from Idaho and another from Tennessee! I know we will have a great visit. Then Friday we are headed to Homestead Heritage for their Thanksgiving Fair. We go there almost every year, and enjoy it so much! Wish y'all could come! :)

Fiesta!!

This fall, our church offered Spanish classes. Dr. and Mrs. P. recently moved from Florida and they offered to teach - she taught Spanish and he taught English every Thursday night. The "final" was a fiesta hosted at their home on Saturday. :) We had a fun time, eating all the great food, visiting and hitting the piñata. (I am posting a few of the pictures here, but I will hopefully be posting a Picassa album later - our main computer is sick and waiting for a hard drive to arrive.)

Our hosts: Dr. and Mrs. P in the center, his parents on the left and Bro. Ron on the right.

Some of our classmates enjoying the yummy food!

Faithie really liked whacking that thing!

Gracey trying a hand at it.

Angie

Me (Angie and I wore our "ponchos" to the "fiesta!") :)

The cheering squad!

This picture of Angie is so cute! :)

I love Gracey's pockets... and the twinkle in her eyes!

(She knows that Mommy won't let her have that much candy!)

Faithie has learned to play peek-a-boo! :)

She is soo much fun!

A New Class!

All interested parties welcome!! Come and learn to knit!

We will have great fun and learn something useful! Our current project is dishcloths. Right now we are learning two basic steps, casting on and the knit stitch. The next step will probably be binding off. :) This teacher isn't quite sure yet, but the lesson plans are subject to change according to students' needs. (As all good teachers should be, right?) :)


Because of current space demands, the class is located in my parent's house. I think the "school" needs to add more classrooms. :)

Holiday Shopping Carnival

I've never taken part in a blog carnival before, but this one looks like fun! Basically the idea is to list five out of the ordinary gifts that can be given for Christmas. I don't know about you, but I was hoping to have Christmas gifts all bought/made by the first of December. Hmm, it doesn't look like that is going to happen. Maybe you have some people you just aren't sure what to get them - thus the carnival! (For links to other ideas, click here.) Now to think of five of my own ideas...

1. The Gift of Literature - give someone on your list a beautifully bound book of one of their favorite classics! Even if they already own the book, who wouldn't want a display copy? :) And don't just think new, perhaps this person on your list loves old books and would enjoy an older copy, beautifully bound.

2. The Gift of Time - I know this isn't very original, but what busy person wouldn't appreciate your gift of help, perhaps in the busy time before the actual holiday? You could help a busy mom put up Christmas decorations, drive someone to do their Christmas shopping, or offer the help of house cleaning. The possibilities are endless!

3. The Gift of Giftwrap - we end up spending money on a bunch of paper that ends up being thrown away... what about making the wrap a part of the gift? You could wrap the gift with a set of cloth napkins, a table runner, or a scarf. Or perhaps just embellish the bow, a hairbow or scrunchie for a young girl on your list, or a Christmas ornament, or small picture frame with a favorite picture.

4. The Gift of Reading - this is more for the younger person on your list. You could buy them a few picture books and then record yourself reading them aloud! (on cassette or even using an mp3 recorder and burning a cd!) Not only is this a great gift for the child now, but something he or she will treasure for a long time. I have a cassette of my grandma, great-grandma, and my aunt reading to me. (I was actually present during the recording process, which adds to the humor and enjoyment even now!) :)

5. The Gift of Your Talent: many people I know have some kind of hobby. How about using your hobby to gift others. What is something you are good at?
Cooking? Make a batch of Christmas cookies for friends/family on your list. Or how about a meal? It isn't much harder to make a double batch of your evening meal... this could be a great help to someone who is really busy!
Scrapbooking? You could make a set of notecards. Or how about a scrapbook page layout - the reciepient need only add the pictures? Or even a small scrapbook, complete with pictures.
Knitting? Of course you know that would be me! And I have mostly finished some of my gifts, but still have some to go! (Sorry, still top secret!) But last Christmas I did scarves! :)

Well, I hope you have enjoyed my little list! Maybe it will help you with those last few people on your Christmas list! We have only one month, one week and six days 'til Christmas!!!

New Blog!!! :)

Angie, my sister, started a blog! She has been wanting to do it for a while, and we got it together last night! I think she will really enjoy blogging. I know I have! :)

Also, I thought that some of you might like to check out my latest post over on my other blog: Time to Bloom. It deals with how we react to our thoughts - something each of us can think about. :)

Simple Gifts

Sometimes we are in such a hurry with daily things, that we miss the little gifts that God sends our way. When we got home from church yesterday afternoon this picture perfect gift was waiting by my front door:

I didn't move or even touch it, just went and grabbed my camera! Isn't it beautiful?! I think God cares so much about us, that He enjoys giving us little things that He knows we will enjoy and thank Him for! Fall is one of my favorite seasons, but I enjoy each season as it comes along. It seems like over night all the leaves have started changing. I enjoy traveling around and coming upon a tree decked out with magnificent color. I hope you are enjoying fall where ever you are!

Here is some more fall color that just cracks me up! This is our little Japanese Maple tree in front of the house!

The color is beautiful, but I hope the rest of the tree catches up soon!! :)

Happy Fall, Y'all!!!

Happy Birthday...

To my sister-in-law, Lauren!!!

From Greenville Trip

Like I said yesterday, we did have a great visit with Mark's family. We visited, took some family pictures, grilled chicken and veggies, made ice cream, played a game of Cranium, and just had a nice time. Since today is Lauren's birthday, we had a little party for her Sunday and she opened presents. Click on "Greenville Trip" under her picture for the rest of the pictures.

This week is very busy! With revival and everything else. I am probably babysitting later this week. I also need to think of or find some new ideas for kid's Bible Club. We have finished Creation, and I am not sure where to go from here. Sunday I am probably going to talk about the Fall and God's plan of redemption. Boy, that's a big topic, huh?!

Book Review

I saw this book at the bookstore when I bought Pride and Prejudice and thought it looked interesting. However, a book written about Jane Austen is not quite the same as one written BY her! :) I did enjoy the book for the most part, but it wasn't something that I was overly eager to find out the end. One of the downfalls, perhaps, is the author's use of the first person. It is difficult, to say the least, to assume the mindset of one who died in 1817. Maybe I had different expectations, I think I expected more of the use of language similar to Austin's novels. It is the verbal interplay that makes her novels so intriguing to me. But I don't wish to be overly negative, I did enjoy the book, more as a fictionalized biography and the author's concept of Jane Austen. It did give me more of an understanding of her life and times and how they affected her writing style. I would recommend it for those of you who are interested in learning more about Jane. It's more enjoyable, to me, than a biography, because it is in story form.

In other news... :)
Mark and I had a great visit with his family this past weekend! I will try to get some pictures posted a little later.
Yesterday, I enjoyed a visit with my cousin, Charity Dawn F. I have a few pictures from that also. (Her dad is my mom's first cousin and we have the same first and middle name!) :) I think that we are a lot alike in other areas as well!
We also started revival last night. I know the Lord really wants to help our church! Please help us pray for revival!

A Keeper at Home

How often have we read Titus chapter two and thought that it only applied to mothers? Yes, I believe it is very important for mother's to be in the home! But I have been thinking and reading some about what culture has done to womanhood in general. Think back fifty or so years... basically before World War II... the line was often said "The woman's place is in the home." Men didn't want their wives to have to work outside the home. Men wanted to be able to provide for their family and they didn't want their wives to have to work. But with the attack on Pearl Harbor, men were needed to fight and women took up the slack in the factories - enter Rosie the Riveter!

Today's society has placed a stigma on these women at home; for the woman put on a pedestal is the "career woman." She works the nine-to-five job in her suit and high heels, perfectly coiffured and manicured, never frazzled or bedraggled. She has a college education, probably in business, but other degrees are acceptable as long as she uses them. Oh, and of course, she is trim and physically fit, probably at the gym at five every morning. She always eats healthy foods, but must have the requisite cappuccino in hand from her favorite coffee shop. She enters her office juggling a briefcase with a laptop, a bagel with low fat cream cheese, the cup of coffee, the morning paper, her cell phone/pda, and her designer purse. She is always composed, never ruffled or emotional. She might be married with children, but if not that is ok, after all she is a career woman.


The woman at home? According to the new feminist view, she might be up at five - fixing breakfast for her domineering machismo husband. Her hair is frazzled and she is pictured in an old robe and bedroom slippers until about three in the afternoon when she dons another frumpy outfit. She has never finished her education, after all who needs an education to know how to be a wife? She doesn't know what is going on in the world around her, and depends on her husband for all her information and decisions.

Ok, enough of the feminist view!!!! What is career woman really like?? I think she probably really wants to stay home. She would love to be the one watching the baby take his first steps, but society dictates that she earn a living to pay for the large house, designer clothing, and fancy car. She would love to read to her toddler, but she has to be at the gym keeping up her image. Because to stay at home is not acceptable!

What about the woman at home? The world wants us to view her as I have pictured above, but what is she really like?
Does staying at home mean that she doesn't have an income? Not necessarily, there are many projects she might undertake and the internet has opened up a myriad of possibilities of sales and design.
Does it mean she is not physically fit? Of course not, who said one has to pay a fancy gym for exercise? what about gardening, cleaning, or just plain walking and meeting the neighbors?
Not only does the woman at home have time to keep her home, but she is available for others. She has time to plan the Sunday school classes, or help the people in need, or just to be a friend.

She has time to BE, not bound by schedules or appointments or the priorities of others.
She can BE THERE for those in her world who need her, her children, husband, family, friends, and those that need someone to care.
She can BE CREATIVE. She can focus on the interior of her home, and making it truly a home - not rely on a designer that she has to pay because she doesn't have the time herself. She can focus on her talents and how she can use them for others whether in crafts, cooking, music, or even electronics/computers.
She can BE FREE. Free to be herself, not bound by the world's ambitions. Free to be who God desires for her to be. Free to be a wife and mother, as God created her to desire to be.
She can BE SATISFIED. Satisfied with what she has. Satisfied without the latest styles or fads. She can be satisfied with her smaller home and modest vehicle. She doesn't have to have every flashy new thing-a-magig on the market. She is satisfied and she is thankful.

In saying this, I don’t think it wrong for a woman to work. I hope nobody misunderstands my intentions. I know some women have to work to make ends meet, even if there are children in the home, or they simply choose to work. Everyone has different circumstances. My point is that God’s design is for women to mainly be at home. Of course our obvious example is the woman described in Proverbs 31, and a woman’s role is also described as I said above in Titus 2. The antithesis of the Proverbs 31 woman is described in Proverbs 7, in verse 11 she “abide(s) not in her house.”

I have also come across a variety of other information on that topic from various sources. In this book, published in 1986, Dr. Dobson comments on the new view of womanhood,

Thus in the period of a single decade, the term housewife has become a pathetic symbol of exploitation, oppression and – pardon the insult – stupidity, at least as viewed from the perspective of radical feminists. We can make no greater mistake as a nation than to continue this pervasive disrespect shown to women who have devoted their lives to the welfare of their families. (page 41)

An article from BBC news wonders “What became of the Housewife?”
And in this article from Forbes, men are urged “Don’t Marry a Career Woman.”
(These articles don’t necessarily represent the opinions of this author in entirety; they are just some interesting culture opinions.)

If you have gotten this far, thanks for reading all of this!! :) I know it is probably by far my longest post. However, these thoughts have been rambling around in my head for a few weeks, and I needed to get them out and organized.

Pictures courtesy of:
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
http://honors.umd.edu
www.allposters.com

You're Invited...

To my house to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate and maybe some banana bread! I would love to sit down with some of you that I haven't seen in ages and have a nice long chat! (Thus this virtual invitation!) The weather here has finally turned a little cooler! Sunday's low of 61 degrees was yesterday's high!! :) It was wonderful to pull out a sweatshirt to wear! It was rainy and just felt like a wonderful day to sit and enjoy a chat with a friend! I picked up the ingredients for hot chocolate mix and mixed up our first batch for the winter! I took just a few minutes to sit and enjoy my hot chocolate, with marshmallows, of course, and read my new Southern Living magazine that surprised me in the mail. (I don't know yet who subscribed for me, but I know I am going to enjoy it! I have my suspicions!) I was thinking how much I would enjoy having some of my friends over to visit! :)

Well, since most of my readers are so far away, I hope you enjoy this "virtual" cup of hot chocolate! or you can get literal and mix up a batch of my Mother-in-law's recipe for hot chocolate mix!

Hot Chocolate Mix
1 lb. chocolate milk powder (such as Nestle Quik)
4 qt. equivalent of powdered milk
8 oz. powdered creamer (or more)
1 lb. powdered sugar

Mix together and store in a covered container. It keeps well - my cup yesterday was actually the last little bit from last year. To serve, mix about 3 T in a mug of hot water. (The amounts of the ingredients don't have to be exact, for example the chocolate milk mix I get is 15 oz.)

Fall Retreat!

Last weekend was our fall retreat at the campgrounds. We really enjoy going down for this! It is always so relaxing, and we enjoy seeing some people that we would only see once a year otherwise! We have several family members that we get to see then too... a couple of Dad's "favorite" aunts (and Uncles) were there as well as some cousins and Mark's grandparents were also able to come down. And of course, we got to see several friends! :) Well, I'll let you look at the pictures and I'll put some more explanations on there. :)

Fall Retreat

As Promised....

Here are the pictures of what we did for Pastor Appreciation Day a week ago Sunday. Mom comes up with some great ideas!! She wanted to do an acrostic of their last name so we got our heads together and came up with this:

Pastor Appreciation Day

We bought plain wooden letters at Hobby Lobby (LOVE that store!) :) and Dad spray painted them gold. Mom wrote the words, a compilation of ones from people in the church, on parchment paper and put them in the black 8x10 frames we picked up at the dollar store! :) We then attached the letters to the glass - my hot glue gun didn't work so well, so we ended up using the double sided adhesive tape from the hardware department... works great! Anyway, the pictures pretty much explain the rest! :) The cool thing is, Sis. C can use these to decorate her home as well! and they are really enjoying their new camera!