Wishing For Pine Needles

Plenty

On the very last day of this year, my thoughts go wading back through the fog of the last few weeks.  I must admit that all the hustle and bustle and merry-making and celebrating of the season seemed slightly overwhelming this year.  I felt behind the eight ball from the get-go and never got that forward "burst" I needed to make a smooth, peaceful, picture-perfect Christmas.

And then there were the "if-onlys."  "If only there was more time, if only there was more money,  if only the line at the post office wasn't so ridicuously long,  if only I could be uninterrupted for 10 whole minutes, if only I had wrapped all along, if only it wasn't 2:00 in the morning...."

But when I looked back through my pictures, I saw a common theme in every single one of them.  There was so much plenty!  Plenty of food, plenty of friends and family, plenty of parties, plenty of presents, plenty of coziness, plenty of warmth, plenty of laughs, and plenty of love.  God's richest blessings were all around me at every turn! 

So as I prepare to cross-over to a brand new year, I've decided that I am done with the if onlys.  (They are not nearly as fun to focus on as all of the plenty!)

I hope that your Christmas brought you and yours plenty as well.  Have a very Happy New Year's Eve!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Handmades

It would hardly be Christmas around here without making. 

Something! 

Anything! 

And though this December whizzed by us in record speed, we managed to find a few snippets of time to make some homemade goodies for special teachers, neighbors and friends.

 

These wreaths are fun, fast and easy to make.  In fact, they were so fast that I didn't think to take any pictures of the process for a tutorial!  But...in a nutshell...wrap fabric stips (with edges pinked) around a 12" styrofoam floral wreath.  I used 5 different fabrics, each 45"  long and about 2 1/2 " wide.  Glue the beginning and end of each fabric down before starting a new strip.  (Any craft glue will work!)  Then wrap matching ribbons, rick-rack, or whatever you choose around the covered wreath, also gluing at the beginning and end.  I used felted wool for the holly leaves and 2 buttons for the berries.  That's it! 

  

We also gifted our very favorite Christmas treat....by making panfuls and panfuls, I might add!  I have made Peppermint Bark for several years using a few different recipes.  But my very favorite as of late is delightfully easy, allowing even the youngest of my candy-makers to participate.  Enjoy!  (well, next Christmas, I suppose...:)

Peppermint Bark

1 bag milk or semisweet chocolate chips

1 bag white chocolate chips

4-5 large candy canes, crushed finely by hand

Melt chocolate chips in microwave for 3-4 minutes or until smooth.  Spread evenly over parchment paper in a 9 x 13 pan.  Freeze for 30 minutes.  Melt white chips in the microwave.  Stir in half of the crushed candy canes, and as much of the powder dust as possible. Spread evenly over frozen chocolate layer.  Sprinkly remaining crushed candy canes on top.  Freeze for 30 minutes or until solid.

Merry Christmas from us to YOU!!!

 
Welcome to our first annual blog Christmas card!  Though I miss sitting up until the wee hours of the morning addressing envelopes (ahem), we have decided to make the switch to a simple blog greeting this year. 

Wishing you and yours the very merriest Christmas ever!  

  

 (And I am so very excited to show you a few photos from our recent session with Shawna Peto Photography.  She is super talented, very sweet and a lot of fun.....and comes highly recommended by yours truly!)

 

   
 

Thoughts on December...

December is, without a doubt, the quickest and the most fun.  As far as months go, the other eleven can't even hold a candle to the swiftness of this caboose of the year!

And just as I'm about out of breath, the spirit of the season finally grips me. 

It's so festive....and so full!

...with Snowdays....

 

 

Narnia...Voyage of the Dawn Treader.....we've been waiting!

Christmas carols....

 
School performances and parties...grandparents....

 

 

The church Christmas play...and this boy's debut performance.....

 

Our annual family camp-out by the Christmas tree......

 

 

....just to name a few!

It's Christmas!!!

Maggie's Halls....now officially Decked!

The bottom shelf of my cat-loving daughter's bookcase has become the new favorite resting spot of Maggie the cat.

Because of the enormous and unconditional love my girl has for this cat,  I should'nt have been a bit surprised to find this spot so carefully decorated and festive! 

 

Happy Weekend to You!

Flour Sack Friday - Merry Making

Around here, we are pretty good at making merry for next to nothing....

 

 

 

There are many ways to create traditions around the holidays without spending a fortune.  Most towns, churches, city centers, parks, community centers, and schools offer fun and free events for the entire family. Take a moment to glance through the newspaper or look on-line to find these activities in your area.  You'll be set!

 

 

 

 

And when it comes to crafting, remember....kids are very easy to please!  A little glitter, some pipe cleaners, felt, googly eyes, glue, and construction paper will go a long way on a cozy, winter afternoon.  Although it can be nice to have an organized craft or a gift-making day, the very best crafting times in our house happen when I get the craft bin down and let my kids go hog-wild.  It's one of the best ways I know to let my kids be completley themselves and to create what they want without any helpful suggestions from me.  ahem.  (And it truly is delightful and sometimes laugh-out-loud funny to see what they come up with...)

 

Many warm (and affordable) merry making wishes to you!

 

Flour Sack Friday - My New-Found Lumberjack

I have finally succommed to a realization that I have battled for many years.  In order for our living expenses to go down, then so must our thermostat.  This was no fun at all until it dawned on me that this also meant more fires! 

I am a sucker for fires.  There is nothing more quaint, cozy, warm and just plain perfect than a cackling, hot fire on a cold winter's night.  I love the sounds it makes, the smell of the wood burning, and how my clothes have that just-out-the-dryer warmth when I am near it.  Anyone with me?

In years past, our fireplace was just a novelty....something fun we'd do on Christmas Eve or snow days.  For one, firewood is expensive.  We could justify picking up a bundle at the grocery store as a treat, but  $5-6 dollars for a small bundle is never something we'd pay for on a regular basis.  We had once looked into having a small truckload delivered from a farmer's market, which is a better investment, but it still seemed like a frivoulous way to spend money.  After all, to us fires were a luxury.

Until now.  Now our thermostat is low.  (Did I say low?)  We need fires.  Really.

So it couldn't have been better timing for my dad and Dan to chop down a dead tree in our yard.  All of the sudden we had lots of firewood!  This was exciting, except for it was all still  in the form of one big, dead tree.

 

 

So that's when my brave husband decided he would chop it.  All.  Now, he is not what one would call the "lumber-jacking" type.  But he took on this project head-on and before we knew it, in one afternoon, we had a whole deck full of neatly-stacked, freshly-chopped firewood.   I was completely proud of him.

  

(And maybe, just maybe, he was a little proud himself!)

 

Happy weekend to you!  Here's to free firewood!

 

 

a Cabin in the Middle of Nowhere

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just the two of us.  No cell-phone reception.  No wireless connection.  No T.V.  Plenty of firewood.  Peaceful morning.  Lots of coffee.  Lots of talking.   A two-hour hike in the woods.  Nowhere to be.

Sound like a cozy enough way to celebrate an anniversary to you?

(We thought so!)