Be Bright and Merry

We wish you and all of those you hold dear a very bright and merry Christmas. May your holiday be filled with joy and blessings.

Package Direct To Grandma

If we could quickly ship up these precious packages to Grandma we sure would!!! Better yet would have been a quick 5 minute hello and Christmas greeting in person or a wave from the window or build a smiling snowman in her front yard. But, we are not near MN so we are sending our IL Christmas greetings express to Grandma!

This is the box we sent filled with lovely presents and treats! I'm sure Grandma would have enjoyed opening it and finding this inside instead:

Lil' Norah Noel wearing a dress that Grandma made for Aunt Christina when she was little! It has been comfy and adorable this Christmas season.

Who says summer toys need to get put away?

Norah LOVED her first sledding experience. Since I took them myself, it was quite an adventure. Norah exclaimed "again" or "fun" when we got to the bottom. Simon walked up the hill and carried his sled by himself. I carried up the other sled and Norah by myself. We all three went down together one time. Great fun had by all, until Norah's hands got cold. Keep on the mitties, girly!

Santa Came, and Knew My Name

Simon and Norah had a kids Christmas party with dear friends from church. The doorbell rang, and there was Santa!

As you could imagine, the kids were beside themselves with excitement!

They each visited Santa and told them what they wanted in their stockings. Simon of course whispered his intense desire for a flashlight with a blue handle. He helped Norah ask for pretty bows (for her hair). Santa knew each kid's name and he told Simon, "I know you have been going to Sunday School". He just looked at Santa in awe! At home, Simon kept describing Santa by his curly beard.





Then they listened to a story, decorated a large gingerbread cookie, made a penguin thermometer, enjoyed a treasure hunt, and ate sugary snacks. Festive fun was had by all!!!





All the excited children!!!

All the happy Moms!!!

Favorite Project

Simon has been busily projecting away. He is in his 2nd year of preschool and has become interested in fine motor activities at the table. Finally, a little artist! It just wasn't his thing. We have a large pad of a Santa/Christmas version of "Where's Waldo" search and finds. The paper is thick, large, and of good quality. Perfect for tipping over, adding a line drawing, and letting him choose crayons, markers, or watercolors. He loves watercolors. LOVES THEM. He was shown how to trace with paint only a small section of the outside and one divider line on the candy cane. The only other request I made was for him to paint his name, something I've never seen him do before and look at that perfection! He likes things "multi-colored", and this is what he created.

This is frame-worthy. Right now it is taped on our upper cabinets. Along with a watercolored present and Christmas tree.

Love/Hate Tuesday

My friend K frequently has an entry "Love/Hate Monday" and I am adopting her title!

Love: Norah's excitement with all things Christmas and Simon's realization of what it all means.
Hate: My parents do not get to see them in all their glory. Grandparents at Christmas should be absolute, *&%#!@ lowered immunity and leukemia!!! BMT recovery just lingers on and on.

Love: Ringing Bells at 11:00 p.m. church, that for me is Christmas. Always with a few tears of pure joy!
Hate: Not sure if kiddos should sleep in their warm beds at home or in the pew to be in church with family.

Love: The Take Care Clinic at Walgreens
Hate: That this cold that appeared to emerge yesterday is in full-force today. The cough and breathing feels just like November when I had bronchitis and sinusitis.

Love: December mail. So fun to see all of our cherished family and friends.
Hate: Not having enough time to keep in touch with all of them throughout the year. Hmmm, perhaps a New Year's Resolution a-brewing here.

Love: Sledding down a snow covered hill on your backside with only a piece of plastic between your bum and the ice shards below. Loving the giggles, grins and exclamations of "again" and "fun" at the bottom.
Hate: Snow getting next to your skin and carrying that plastic sled up the hill along with a 21 month old.

Love: The support of friends and family.
Hate: That we know quite a few people that have had losses and difficulties during this time of year.

Love: The anticipation of Christmas
Hate: Not a thing!

Love, love, love Norah's middle name during this time of year!
Love, love, love, that Simon has quickly learned that N-O-E-L spells Noel!

It's a Wrap

Very, very late here.

But, I am all wrapped! I just need Norah and Simon to wrap their little gifts to Daddy and that's it!!!

My to do list:
1. Address and mail Christmas cards
2. Clean the house
3. Fold mountains of laundry
4. Grocery shop
5. Thaw Christmas cookies
6. Relax and Enjoy

How's your list?

Funny Sights as of Late

In 10 items or less fashion, within the 12 days of Christmas. Or does the 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas? I cannot figure out if the 12 days of Christmas is before, or after Christmas.

1. Simon telling Pastor during the children's message: "Santa says ho ho ho".
2. Simon in his whitey-tighties, laying on his back on his bed, wiggling around. When asked what he is doing, he responds that his back is itchy. Hello winter dry skin and lotion.
3. Simon telling Pastor during another children's message: "Mommy puts lotion on me when my back itches".
4. Seen on a bumper sticker: "Save the ta tas", with the pink ribbon in the background.
5. Shopping cart road rage - seriously, just don't go shopping if you can't handle rush hour in the aisles.
6. Simon almost blurting to Eric what he got him for Christmas.
7. Norah refusing to take off a warm and cozy bathrobe, worn over her dress, just after opening it from her Aunt.
8. Simon and his cousin, who resemble each other, wearing the same P.J.s and each playing with the same toy from Grandma.
9. Norah snatching a cookie cooling on my cookie rack on the counter.
10. Norah sneakily snatching another cookie from the cookie rack on the counter. My own little cookie monster!
11.Norah confiscating all the bell ornaments from the tree. And not letting them go. Ever.
12. Simon asking tonight with a grin in his voice "Are we going to read from Luke 20?" Then deciding to put the wise men on the divider across from where the rest of the nativity is, because "the wise men were far - far away from Bethlehem."

What have you seen lately that sent you from grinning to smiling to chuckling to giggling to laughing to guffawing to snorting?

Who's Luke 1?

Setting: Reading our Advent devotion after dinner at the table

Mommy: Introduce Bible Reading: Luke 1:26-30

Simon: Who's Luke 1?

Mommy: It's a book in the Bible. We are reading chapter 1 verses 26 through 30 in the book of Luke.

Simon: I have a Luke at my preschool, but I don't have a Luke 1 at my preschool.

THANKS GRANDMA!!!

Norah wore this adorable dress and hat today, all thanks to Grandma! A recent package included the dress, hat, tights, and a matching purse for our Norah - all made by Grandma! Norah wore it to Simon's preschool program where he was a member of the angel choir. His job was to make noise with the angels and sing Away in a Manger - to which he knows most the words. He skips the last line of the first verse and won't allow me to sing it and begins the second verse with "The cattle are glowing". We had a difficult time seeing Simon and capturing a good picture. Our theory is to enjoy the event without going crazy trying to capture the event. The whole thing was recorded and we purchased a copy (to be available in about 3 weeks) for a contribution to the youth group. That contribution was gladly made and we sat back, watched, and enjoyed the program.

I asked Simon yesterday, after his practice when we learned he was an angel, if he was angelic. He emphatically answered "no!"

Simon is in the back row between two girls. He is pointing up for "the cattle".

The angel choir.

Snow Excited

While this is not Norah's first experience with snow, it is her first as an experienced walker, mover, and shaker. And boy oh boy did she love the snow. She could not stop chanting "no, no, no". She was beside herself when seeing that snow was on the ground, cars, trees, sidewalks, and everywhere. She also was a bit confused that it was not rain coming down, but snow. She asked "waining?" alot!

And she looks adorable in her ear-flap hat that I made for her.

Little Bakers

The day after Thanksgiving, I mixed up a batch of sugar cookies and after dinner Simon and Norah helped turn the dough into Christmas cut-outs. Norah wore an apron that I wore as a child and L.O.V.E.D. rolling out the dough, so much that she became upset when helped to press a cookie cutter and transfer it to the pan. Simon L.O.V.E.D. sprinkling the flour on the table to prevent the dough from sticking, so much that we had a white table! Eric and I just laughed at how fun the whole experience was and are delighted that some cookies are so puffy you really can't tell it is a stocking or a mitten or a snowman! We sort of wished we had more arms as the flour and rolling pin and cookie cutters never moved so fast before! The cookies are definitely kid-made! Simon helped frost one cookie the next day. And then he was done and I frosted and sprinkled the rest.

I do have to say that parchment paper is the best thing in baking - ever!!!

All Sleeped

After reading a picture book called "The First Christmas", which is requested to be read to by Simon on a daily basis, he comments:

"After he's all sleeped baby Jesus will be big Jesus."

Day by Day

We are getting ready for Christmas day by day. I love advent and the season of preparing for Christmas. I try to do something for Christmas every day. Chipping away at it prevents a mad dash at the end.

Done:

1. Tree decorated

2. House decorated

3. Christmas cut outs, Spritz, Chocolate covered peanut butter balls, Snickerdoodles all made (frozen and ready at the thaw)
4. Wrapping supplies delegated for purchase
5. Christmas checklist/letter in draft form
6. Christmas picture attempted without success
7. Christmas shopping done for kiddos and husband
8. Delivered poinsettia to Grandma and Grandpa
9. Attended Lessons and Carols
10. Heard Simon sing Away in a Manger with preschool
11. Daily advent devotions and "How many sleeps until Christmas" chain

Need to do:
1. Finish Christmas checklist/card
2. Take awesome Christmas picture of the kiddos
3. Wrap presents
4. Finish shopping for families
5. Attend Simon's preschool Christmas program - soooo excited!
6. Find white elephant gifts
7. Sit by the fire and gaze upon our tree
8. Watch Charlie, Frosty, and Rudolph with kiddos and eat popcorn

9. Watch White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life with Eric by the fire drinking wine
10. Send out Christmas cards

What's on your list?

Pie Update

The pumpkin shortage and my pie situation?

Well, on my way to church on Thursday morning (we drove separate as I had to be there ear-ly for bells). I had evaporated milk thoughts, don't know how that popped into my head.
But I thought "hmmm, I don't recall opening a can of milk. Does Betty Crocker's recipe call for milk?"
Dial home, "Eric, does the pumpkin pie recipe on page 104 call for a can of milk?"
Eric, "yes, why?"
"Holy crap" I respond. "I need to remake the pie after church, I didn't put in the milk ."

So after church my oven housed a pie on the upper most rack with a turkey below. Crazy! So good thing I cooked down a pumpkin because I had enough to make two, when I wanted to make one!

For me, I was surprised at how easy and how many times tears fell down my face prior to Thanksgiving. Church on T-Day morning was amazing. I rang bells, and all of the music was absolutely amazing. I felt as if I could not feel bad for Mom or myself for not being there. Like some strange peace settled over me. I guess I should say God's peace not strange peace, but I am always amazed when He provides it. Like a blanket of protection. Of course when I called Mom and Dad at the hospital and they sounded tired and heavy and were going to have a cold turkey sandwich picnic, that peace sort of just evaporated. I was the only one in my immediate family to have the spread of a feast. Sort of not fair, but that's the way it was.