Highlights of Snow and Christmas

It's Snowing!



"And the Angel said to them..."



Saying verse on Christmas morning





Enjoying a Christmas Cookie

Merry Christmas!

" 'For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,'Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!' ”

Bless the Lord; praise be God on high for sending his son to be our savior! May the Lord draw you nearer to himself this Christmas. He is a beautiful God and we are so very blessed! Merry Christmas to you all!

O Christmas Tree

We finally got a Christmas tree! My husband's older brother brought us over the most adorable little noble fir! I think it is the most beautiful tree I've ever had! I thinks it's maybe 4 feet tall or so but it's perfect for our little family and little home. Moses helped me decorate it, and it was the most precious thing to see him try to hang the ornaments on the branches! This is our third Christmas together that the Lord has given us a free tree!

Peppermint Bark

I just made some of this peppermint bark yesterday and it turned out great. I put it in the freezer for like 10 mimutes to speed up the cooling process. It made quite a bit and I was pleased with how easy it was.

Makes 1 1/4 pounds

If you don’t have a double boiler, use a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water.

1 pound white chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces 6-7 med- large candy canes 1/4 teaspoon peppermint oil 1. Set out a baking sheet, either a non-stick, or lightly greased 2. In the top of a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring constantly. 3. With a chef’s knife or meat tenderizer, cut or pound candy canes into 1/4-inch pieces. 4. Stir pieces of candy canes and peppermint oil into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat, and pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Chill until firm, 25 to 30 minutes. Break into pieces, and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Christmas is Coming

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, as everyone knows. What did you do on this holiday? What are you thankful for, I would love to know!

As autumn approaches and winter creeps in I get excited because it means that the holidays are coming! I just love this time of year, and I was so excited this year that I got out my Christmas box a few days ago and I've already put up the few Christmas decorations that I have. I love the holidays and all the festivities and traditions that go along with it. But I've realized that I don't know all the traditions and meanings behind everything. Like for example, last night as my husband and I talked, I could only recall snippets off the top of my head about the history behind Thanksgiving. Even though I've learned it's history growing up, I don't remember very many of the details about it. (realizing this I've made a point to do some reading and refresh my memory about the history behind it). Anyways, I would love to hear how your family celebrates Thanksgiving and/or Christmas and what family traditions have been special or meaningful to you. My husband and I are looking forward to building family traditions of our own and I would love to hear your ideas that make these holidays special.
In addition to that, for those of you with children, what creative ways do you use to help your children learn about Christ's birth and to not get caught up in the materialism of Christmas? Someone just asked me the other day what my boys needed (she was asking for Christmas gift ideas), and honestly, when it comes to needs, they have all their needs met, and so do I. So, we really don't need anything for Christmas. Yes it's nice to give and receive gifts, but the older I get (and I'm so old--all of 23 years!) the more I realize just how trivial gift getting is. I love giving gifts, but I am itching to make Christmas about much more then just gifts especially as I anticipate my children getting older and what I want to teach them. I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas about this, either comment or email me. Also, don't give up saying Merry Christmas for fear of offending someone!!! Remember why we have Christmas to begin with!
Merry Christmas!