Christmas Season Happenings

Drum had a great time making these goodies with another family. This Mom did this activity with 4 BOYS. WOW! I was impressed. He had so much fun.


Deer played the flute and was in the Christmas program at our church.


She did a beautiful job. We are so grateful to her favorite teacher, Andrea. She has just loved lessons and is looking forward to getting back to them after the Christmas season.

It has been so busy and so fun to get down to the business of making cookies and finishing the shopping. We made gingerbread men, roll-out cookies, candy-kiss cookies (which we always make with hugs), Russian tea cakes, melting moments, Keebler bars, peanut-roll bars, fudge, million dollar bars, and fancy pretzel sticks. Our friends, JoAnn & Lorissa, came to help with the roll-outs.














The pretzel sticks turned out so cool!! We scooped carmel, white chocolate, or milk chocolate on them. Then we rolled them in nuts, mini choc. chips, cherry chips, crushed candy, toffee, andes mints, or sprinkles. Then we drizzled milk choc. and white choc. over the tops. We flipped them when dry to do the other side. So beautiful looking and I especially like the carmel, nut ones. They make the pretzel less crunchy and more chewy.


Here is Darling, entertaining herself while Mom is busy. :-)





We went caroling with friends at the nursing home after lunch out on Sunday. The kids had so much fun and I know they blessed the residents.


We celebrated our family's Christmas that night. Dessert opened his present from us and stated,


"I don't like this! Why would you get me this?!"


It was moon sand. He wanted Spiderman action figures but I knew his Grandma had one for him, and not wanting him to only get spiderman things for C-mas, we got him Moon Sand. Needless to say, we returned it. We had a great evening relaxing with each other.

Monday we finished up some baking, etc. and then went to Dunk's folks up the hill. We had a fun evening. For the first time we had Gma & Gpa open their gifts from the kids first. It was nice because the kids got to see them open their gifts and enjoy what they brought. I'm sure we'll do that again.


Uncle "Santa" and Aunt Sandy Claus joined us in the evening. I won't show the pictures of Darling freaking out about sitting in Santa's lap. She loved the teddy bear he brought her, though and carried it around all evening. Anyone see Duke's Texas toothpick strapped on the belt in the picture? He wanted a "BIG" knife for C-mas and Papa answered his prayers for one. :-) He even got to cut Gma K's birthday cake with it the day after C-mas. If I get a picture e-mailed, I'll be sure to post it. :-)



Christmas Day we did stockings in the morning and then went to my folks for a full day with the cousins. Uncle P brought snowmobiles!!!!!! The boys were soooooo excited and spent tons of time on them. The rest of us just ate, rested, ate, played, ate, visited, ate. :-) The next day we celebrated my Mom's birthday with KFC and ice-cream cake. It was great to stretch out the holidays and get more time with the relatives we don't see often enough. I wish I took more pictures of the fun times. Here is Cousin L and Dessert playing another game of UNO!!! Here are my two C-mas princesses. Dessert finally got his Spiderman action figure.
The cousins got matching hunting jackets and hunting books.
Deer & her cousin got books they enjoyed going over and over. Papa rocked the little ones.

Contentment! Bah, Humbug!!

This is an updated paper I wrote when my kids were little. :-) It was a good reminder to myself, so I thought I'd share it.

As we enter into the Christmas Season, we will be hearing and reading alot about contentment. We are told and we tell our children to be content with what they have. A very scriptural concept.
Contentment is fantastic, but doesn't God also talk about knowing how to abound (Phil. 4:12), letting our requests be made known to God (Phil. 4:6), and filling our cups to overflowing. Don't fathers today model God our Heavenly Father? Doesn't the Bible say fathers like to give good gifts to their children and so much more does God!
There have been numerous stories told about children and adults who prayed for a non-essential item and received it. I do believe they were thankful for what they already had, but it is not a sin to desire something extra nice or just for fun.
Our kids have alot said about don't do this, don't do that, etc. Is this a time for another Don't? Don't be discontent. Don't want "you name it".
I think it's time to focus on the positive aspects of giving and receiving at Christmas time. We need to have positive , practical ways of encouraging giving at Christmas time and the gimme, gimme attitude will fade in the experience and joy of giving to others.
Here are a few starters:
* Have the child think of another child who has less than he has. (Angel tree, etc.) Once chosen, give him a list of jobs he can do to earn extra money. Encourage creativity in finding other ways of earning money to buy the child a gift. If at all possible, let him meet the child he gets to get a present for.
* Encourage your children to make their own Christmas lists of who they would like to give a present to. This has really helped our family focus on others at Christmas time. It also helps the kids to appreciate the work that went into remembering others and the time and money someone else invested in them.
* Talk often of the Christ child and what He gave us. Make ornaments for the tree telling of the gifts He gives us: Salvation, forgiveness, heaven, joy, family, friends, etc.
* Volunteer at Salvation Army or another center when they serve a meal. When I was growing up, our family did this a couple years. It was an eye opener to see children so poor and happy. It was fun to feel like I could actually "do something" for someone who needed it. When I went back home, I definitely felt more content and grateful for what I had.
* Visit the nursing Home and sing Christmas carols. This reminds us and our children how much our good health is a blessing and how short our time on earth is. The contentment one feels after such a trip is priceless.
I think anticipation and excitement are great blessings. When you anticipate this Christmas Season, may it be with the discontentment that comes from still wanting to finds ways to bless others and the contentment that comes as the result of seeing those goals become reality.
Merry Christmas!! :-)

Notice new heading? etc.

Notice the new picture? Thanks to qtpies for the lesson on blogging basics. I learned a ton, but it'll take me awhile to use what I learned. The days sure are crazy around here. I've got a couple kids with off and on sore throats and ears. Nothing serious but just enough to worry about someone getting seriously sick around Christmas. I'll be glad when I get through the last of everything (ie. last piano lesson, last art class, last Awana, last speech club, etc.).
I went to Speech Club with the older kiddos, and when I got home I found out Darling only napped 1/2 an hour and then cried and cried most of the evening. Sooo sad. I think that'll be the last speech club for me for awhile. I couldn't do that again to her. I've left her before and she did great, so it might have just been a bad night.
Tomorrow I'm going to ladies night out!!! (But I might bring Darling after her night tonight) I'm so excited! I'm planning to bring Melting Moments. They do literally melt in one's mouth. One of my favorite Christmas cookies. I got the recipie from a dear friend and have made it ever since.
My top 4 Christmas cookies are: (ps. I did keep having to up that number) thick gingerbread cookies with lots of fluffy frosting, thick sugar cookies (sprinkles ok, frosting perferable), Russian teacakes (or whatever you call them), and almondy melting moments.
Sunday School program is this Sunday. Pray for the cast (they need the help) and mostly for the director (it's hard to put oneself into a program and anticipate a stellar performance from kids who are looking forward to getting offstage and to the cookies.) (I remember wanting temporary glue for keeping kids in place with quiet mouths - at least until they were supposed to speak) (ps. I know it's ok if a production isn't perfect, part of the memories and all, but have you ever been the director?)

Confession is good for the Soul.

Does that mean this is Soul Food?

I have a confession to make.

These are my favorite candy bars. I ate one of these this weekend.

Well, technically I ate it on Friday and Saturday.

Well, technically I ate it mostly late Friday night with the rest being eaten on Saturday between 12:00 and 1:00 am.

It sure was good! :-)

If I don't feel truely sorry, is it still a confession?

Beautiful Snow!

We are experiencing a beautiful winter snowstorm and winter wonderland around here. Everyone SLEPT IN!! Darling slept 'til 12:00 noon! (She nursed several times but kept going back to sleep.)
Dunk got corn for the corn stove this morning, and Dessert got to play a little in the corn bin.







Dessert and Deer did some painting.















The boys had shoveled several times by evening. Here they are hard at work.










Dime made a snow saying for his sister, who is snowed in at a friend's birthday party. (We miss her!)






It's been a nice, quiet day. :-) Well, as quiet as a day where we are in the house, mostly, can be. :-)

Watercolor Art by KP

Deer & I went to an art show tonight with a mom friend and her daughter. The girls' art teacher displayed her art work and had prints and originals for sale. The teacher specializes in watercolors. They were fantastic!! I loved the vibrant colors!! She gave the girls free bookmarks. It was really enjoyable to view her art, and I thought it was well worth the money they asked.

I loved the picture she had of some steps with a couple barrels with flowers overflowing out of them. She also does great daisy pictures. I would love to learn to paint like that. She is amazing. Ok, now I'll just let you look at the pictures and quit talking about them. (These are some of the notecards I bought.)

Bathing Beauty

She just is so cute! Gma W's sister, Great-Aunt J, has to see these, because Gma wants to brag on her grandbabies.

Soup, Glorious Soup!

My mom gave me her turkey bones!! Yeah!!! I got to make turkey noodle soup. It was soooo good. My kids finally got tired of hearing me say, "Mmmm, this is soooo good. Isn't this soooo good?"