Old and New

Here we are, the eve of a new year.  The last night of 2013. 
This was an extraordinary year for our family. 

a special birthday.

A long over due trip to California - reuniting with family   

and friends

we visited the "happiest place on earth"

and the other happiest place!

 We remodeled

We celebrated a milestone in marriage

and one just beginning

The Lord so graciously blessed us this year.  
What does 2014 hold for us?  It's a fresh page, full of hope.  
I pray that no matter what the Lord has for us, we will praise Him because He is good, because He is sovereign, and because He is unchanging in his loving kindness and mercy. 

I love the song from Matt Redman, "Blessed by Your Name" 

Blessed Be Your Name In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name Blessed Be Your name When I'm found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed Be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name Blessed be Your name When the sun's shining down on me When the world's 'all as it should be' Blessed be Your name Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there's pain in the offering Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name This is my heart's cry for the coming year.   Thank you for taking the time to read this year and always for your kind words. :-)

Blooms? !

I bet if I asked you to name a Christmas plant you would answer with Poinsettia, but did you know that there is such a thing called a Christmas cactus? 

Last year when I went to a mini family reunion, my cousin offered cuttings from her plant.  The fun thing was that her Christmas cactus was from cuttings taken from a great aunt's plant from many years ago. 

I loved the idea.  I would remember our fun time with family every time I saw the plant, but I was skeptical.  I don't have a green thumb, but I took the cuttings and wrapped them in wet paper towel and a plastic sandwich baggie.   Would it survive my trip home?  Could I even get it through airport security?  Would it survive in my home? 
The day after I got home, I went out and bought a large terra cotta pot, filled it with some garden soil, and put the cuttings into the dirt about 1" deep. I then tried to find the perfect spot in the house for it. 

The very cool thing about Christmas cacti is that they bloom with beautiful pink flowers right around Christmas time.  My plant is doing well and growing.  It has tripled in size, but still hasn't bloomed.

Recently, when family came to visit us, when they were in town for the wedding, they graciously brought us a Christmas cactus and it was in bloom! 

Isn't it so pretty?   

Generally, they are a bit picky about water {not too much, not too little}.   So far, so good, I have managed to not kill my original one.  :-)   I can't wait for it to bloom too.

These plants are my little reminder.
I am thankful for family,
fond memories, and
God, the creator of so many beautiful things.

Merry Christmas

A little Christmas card for my blog readers...

From our family to yours...we send wishes for a very Merry Christmas! 
As we celebrate the birth of Christ - the Savior of the World - may your hearts be bubbling over with joy in His salvation.  May His blessings be yours now and in the coming year!

Today, in our little neck of the woods

Only about 3" of snow, but enough to have some good fun.

Important or Urgent

“Your greatest danger is letting the urgent things crowd out the important.^“

Charles Hummel

I struggle with this more often than I'd like to admit. 

The urgent things...

~ hungry tummies,

~ piles of laundry

~ dirty dishes

~ bills to pay 

~ dentist appointments,

~ doctor appointments,

~ desperately needed trips to Costco {which isn't close - living in the country has its blessings -- the solitude, the quiet, the beauty -- but it means everything is far away.  There is no such thing as a quick errand}

~ all the extra details for Christmas.

 

 

Some of the urgent things I can delegate to the children, which is good training for them practically and spiritually, but other things I must do.  Because it is easy to get a sense of satisfaction from things crossed off a list, I often fall into the focusing on the urgent things.

~

The important things...

~ reading to my little ones

~ training their character by balancing free time with constructive learning

~ spending time with them doing the things they like to do

~ letting them help in the kitchen - even though it means a longer clean up time for me

~ doing things that create unforgettable memories for them - walks in the woods, sleeping out under the stars...

~ praying with them and teaching them how to pray

~ helping them to see the love of the Savior

 

 

Sometimes I am just too practical.  Sometimes I am just too selfish because I know the extra work that will be involved.  Sometimes I give in to the exhaustion I feel at the end of day.  But what am I?  I am a wife, I am a mother, I am a homemaker.  I want to joyfully serve my family and make our home a haven where they are nurtured, and encouraged, and loved.

I have to remind myself of priorities and reset them aright.  
 

God

Husband

Children

Home

Others

When I spend the early morning hours, while the children still sleep, in the Word and prayer, I always feel a peace and joy that can not be gained any other way.  It is there that I find the direction I need in my God-given role as wife and mother.  It is there that God directs me in how to set my day in order.  It is there that I am reminded of what is important.

 

 

I want to live intentionally, not by default.  I hate when I fall into the trap of "the tyranny of the urgent taking over the important".   It just feels all flip-flopped and out of control.   

 

Sometimes the days feel long, but I know that time is short.  I want to make it count.

 

 

Teaching is intentional - the basics like school subjects, but also practical skills too.  It's also unintentional, by that I mean, my kids learn by watching me.  What do they see?
I want them to see a woman who is passionate about loving God.  That I am characterized by having a tender word spoken in right circumstance because I am filled with the Word, that I am faithful in prayer and that they would be comforted by the thought that I regularly lift them up to the throne of Grace.  I want them to think I am fun, that I am joyful, that I am thankful, that I am focused and present when I am with them.


I am thankful for the holiday from homeschooling, which affords a bit more time to ponder, and to play. 

 {This could have been my brother and me when I was little!}

 {Homemade play dough}

{Reading stories}

The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey

These are a few of our favorite things.







 

  

It's become a Christmas tradition

A sweet friend of Hannah's hosts a cookie exchange each year.  

It is so festive and fun. 
From the moment you walk in the door it feels like Christmas.  The house is decorated throughout with cedar boughs and white lights, the Christmas tree is decorated beautifully, carols play behind the sound of laughter and chatting guests.

Malory knows her way around the kitchen and everything she makes is amazing.  She offers an array of snacks like baked brie in a flaky crust, hot artichoke dip with crackers,  peppermint bark, and hot spiced cider.  Isn't this the cutest gingerbread house?

This year each of the guests brought six dozen of the same kind of cookie. 
I made Pioneer Woman's Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies.  Hannah made those chocolate cookies, but rather than rolling them in white sugar, she rolled some in green sprinkles, and some in red. 

Look at all the platters of cookies!  And nobody brought the same kind. 

{oops, it's blurry, but I wanted you to see all the cookies!}

I think there were 23 platters - all different.

Each of us brought a platter of cookies and also container in which to put our cookies.

There are lots of different ways to work a cookie exchange.  The most simple way would be to have each guest bring the number of dozen of cookies as there would be guests {for example, 12 guests bring 12 dozen cookies} that way the numbers work out evenly.  
There are quite a few guests at Malory's cookie exchange, and she has us each just bring only 6 dozen.  That's nice - it's usually just 1 recipe that is doubled.  That is do-able and not overwhelming at all. {you know how busy the calendar can get in December!}

This is Malory's 3rd year hosting the cookie exchange.  She has learned a few do's and don'ts from the past years.  In order for everyone to have a nice assortment and an even amount among us,  every one goes through the line choosing 2 cookies from each platter.  Once everyone has gone through, she determines how many more we can take.  We went through the line again taking two more from each platter.   And once more unto the breech....two again from each.   At this point everyone had a huge assortment to take home, but there were still some platters with cookies left on them, so she combined what was left, and we went through the line again choosing 1 more from each type that remained.  
My container was filled to the brim with an amazing assortment.

Cookie exchanges are a fun and easy way to have lots of different cookies on hand to enjoy and share.   I already know the cookie I am bringing for next year's exchange.  {Thank you, E-Wife ;-)  }