Christmas Coffee

I found this recipe over at Urban Farmhouse and I thought I would share it with you.  What a wonderful treat to serve to your guests on Christmas and on any cold winter morning. Merry Christmas my dear friends.~S

Christmas Coffee

2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
heavy cream
lemon peel

Whip the butter until it is fluffy and then add brown sugar and spices. Mix until well blended. Add a tablespoon of this mixture to the bottom of a mug, fill with strong, hot coffee and cream. Stir until the consistency is just right.

Warmest Wishes

Merry Christmas

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends.

Kick-Off To Christmas Break

I've been having a hard time lately. Personal issues that I don't really want to go into. It's been a hard week but then I received a few more bits of bad news that just really bogged me down. I thinks it's interesting how easily I can get depressed and feel down in the dumps. It's so much easier to feel that way than to find peace and contentment in my situations. I find myself looking inward and not really focusing where I should, on my Heavenly Father and His plan. I have to admit, when I get my priorities right, and my focus there as well, it's amazing the peace God gives me. To know that He will take care of us and that there is a reason for these trials and heartaches. The journey may be rough but all things work together for good to those that love the Lord.
I said all this to say, Friday was a great day. How wonderful to have a good day. I didn't feel like everything was caving in on me. Friday I was working at the school. I was loaded with testing and didn't get to join in, but Friday was just extra special and a wonderful kick-off to our Christmas Break. Friday was the Christmas party, all the kids had brought in goodies and gifts. It was so fun to listen to the excited voices of the kids as they gave their gift and the squeals as the other opened it.

Reece and Grace were able to make gingerbread houses. Grace was involved in a book exchange. Reece won "Best Christmas Costume". Maddie dressed up as the Christmas Star. Unfortunately, I didn't think to take her picture before we left the house that morning. It was just a really great day, a special one. How thankful Mike and I are to be able to have the opportunity to send our kids to a private Christian school. We feel so blessed to have our kids education packed full of God's truths and morals.

To end this day, I was able to look at Maddie's pictures. She chose to take her Christmas money and buy a digital camera. She looked threw many Black Friday ads to find the perfect camera within her budget. Here are a few pictures from her camera . . . . the world seen through Maddie's eyes.

A self portrait

Our family bowling on Reece's birthday

Something cool Maddie and Collin built

Madison and her friend from school

A girl from our n'hood

A bowling ball she likes

There were many pictures of shows she watched on TV and just items she found interesting.  She loves taking videos too. 

Christmas Gifting Idea

I LOVE making cookies for our neighbors and friends at Christmas. It is one of those Christmas traditions that I started the first year Mike and I were married. As the kids have gotten older, they have enjoyed getting involved. Since I'm not the most socialable neighbor, I have found knocking on someone's door with a plate full of all sorts of cookies has won me over many neighbors. No longer am I the one who is snobby (I don't think I am, but often since I'm so shy, I come across that way) neighbor, but the sweet one who give away cookies at Christmas time. What fun it is!

This year, we really have knocked back our budget for gifts. Unfortunately, I'm afraid it has messed up my baking budget as well. So, I've been racking my brain for an idea that I could do that would be cost efficient and not look sparse. What joy overcame me when I came across this recipe over at Perry's Plate. She has become one of my favorite blogs to go check out. Fun and yummy recipes regularly appear. You really should check it out and look at past posts because there are some goodies in there!

Anyways, I'm looking at these. This picture is from Perry's page . . . don't they just look so yummy!!! What a great idea!! I think I may just try my hand at these this year.

Cuteness

I had a really cute video to add to my blog tonight, but low and behold, I can't find the little filmstrip that I used to click to add video. Now, all I have is the "link" and "photo". ARG. Can anyone help me on this?

***
Mike took me out to dinner at one of my old favorites, "The Old Spaghetti Factory" for my birthday. The kids were enjoying their meals and unlimited refills of chocolate milk. It was towards the end of our dinner and Reece had just gotten a refill. Mike asked him if he was going to finish his drink.

"No, my water tank is full," replies Reece.

**
Oh yes, did I mention that my son got some bathroom knowledge tonight?  Oh yes, I'm really pleased.  We had to stop off at AMPM to get some gas and Reece ran into the bathroom.  He came out and told us of this wonderful new bit of information he has now learned.
"Hey Dad, you know that word I'm not allowed to say? (that would be suck, it had slipped out of his mouth earlier in the evening while we were looking at Christmas lights) Well that was written on the wall along with bleep bleep."
"Yah Reece, some people don't write good things, do they?"
Thank you bathroom artist for polluting my son's mind.
***
On our way home tonight, we were driving over the summit. It was snowing outside and the snow was covering the road. Everywhere we looked, all we could see was a beautiful, white blanket. I would of enjoyed this crisp white, if we had not been trying to drive through it. As I sat in the passenger seat, trying not to show the stress I was feeling due to these road conditions, the kids sat back and listened to "Adventures In Odyssey." **No, it's not about our van, but a great Christian series on CD**
Grace takes this moment to pipe up and say, "MOM, it's snowing outside!! Does this mean it's Christmas Night?!"
Oh how precious. All our Christmas Movie watching and she is coming away with the fact that is must be snowing in order to be Christmas. Unfortunately, it's not Christmas Night. But how I wanted to box up that child wonder and magic.

Bite It's Head Off

Today is one of those RARE days I actually get to spend the day doing what I want to do.  Too bad it's too cold outside to go for a walk.  I can handle cold, but 25 degrees is just too cold my California Girl Blood to deal with.  So, I decided to be productive and take care of the bills. BLECK!  I was running around town when I bumped into my Father In Law.  I got to spend some time talking with him and catching up.  It's been forever since I have been able to really do that.  Grace was with me and asked to go to Grandpa's shop.  Grandpa has candy there and apparently this time, he has some turtles.

"I'm going to bite it's head off first so it can't see me eat the rest of him." says Grace.

Ummmm . . . ewe and yuck.

**Side note . . . holy cow, Grace's hair is getting long!!!

About To Burst

Ok, so I am really excited about something.  I can't share but I am sooooo excited that if I don't get it out of me somehow, I may burst.  Bursting is not an option . . . the mess I would leave would just be horrible, so this is my outlet.  I'M SUPER EXCITED!!!!  SOOOO EXCITED!!!!!  MORE EXCITED THAN I HAVE BEEN IN A REEEEEELLLLLY LONG TIME.

Ok, I'm done . . . that helped.  Thank you.