18 years ago...

18 years ago....today.  I married the love of my life.  18 years ago, we were just kids.  So in love, yet not knowing what true love really was.  Our love has grown so much over the years....our family has grown too :)  God's providential hand has been in our lives, guiding us through the good times and the not so good times,   He has never left us or forsaken us.  18 years....seems like a lifetime ago, yet seems like yesterday.  There are no words strong enough to describe the depths of my love for my husband.  He is everything to me.  He is my hero...my best friend...my knight in shining armor....my love.....he is mine.

 

Happy 18th Anniversary to my ONE and ONLY! 

I'm dreaming of a WARM Christmas.

The weather this week has been crazy.  This is supposed to be Georgia, not Indiana!  It started out unseasonably cold, like down in the teens, and ended up in the 60's.  I mean... I'm not complaining about the 60 degree weather, but the teens!, you northerners can keep your cold weather, thank you very much!  As for me, I'm dreaming of a warm Christmas ♪♪♫ ...just like the one we had 2 years ago...♫♪♪

We've had a busy but fun week though.  After braving the extremely cold weather on Monday to go to the store, we did some Christmas cookie making on Tuesday.  All the kids took part...even little Liberty.  As you can see in the pictures, she is in nearly every one of them, trying to get her hands in the dough {and the dough into her mouth}.  It was memories in the making!

If you'd like to make some too, here is the recipe.  You can do A LOT of different variations with this recipe, so experiment and have fun!  My favorite was adding lemon extract.

Butter Balls {snow balls}

• 1 cup butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• optional ingredients:  pecans, almonds, food coloring, *flavors or extracts {I used 1 tsp. lemon extract} 2 tsp. cinnamon {the cinnamon ones turned out really good too}
• powdered sugar {enough to cover cookies when cool}

Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, beat until fluffy. Add flour, and beat at low speed until well blended, stir in extra ingredients if you are adding them.  If you add flavors or extracts, you may have to add just a little bit more flour if dough is sticky.  Shape into one inch balls. Bake at 325 degrees on  ungreased cookie sheet for 20 minutes. Remove and put on wire rack to cool. Roll in confectioners' sugar when cool.

 {Click on picture to view bigger}

My Heart Overlows...

Don't you just love those mornings where you actually get up before anyone else?  I know I do.  My day seems to run just a little smoother as well.

2 weeks until Christmas.  Actually less than.  Am I finished with my Christmas gifts?  I was supposed to be, BUT.... I'm not.  That's not to say I haven't been busy.  I feel like I'm becoming one with the sewing machine, I have been in front of it so much here lately :).  I do have to say though, I think I have more done now than I did last year at this time, if that is any consolation.  But that doesn't help me get done any faster....I was supposed to already BE done!  I really enjoy making things, it's just the stress of "am I going to have everything done in time" that stresses me....  :)

I have been finding ornaments on the Christmas tree in "clusters".  Liberty LOVES the tree and the ornaments, she's just not supposed to be touching them.  So it is amusing when I find ornaments clustered in groups of 3 or more on the same twig.  Her excitement puts a smile on my face.  I received a gift in the mail yesterday and I put it under the tree {the first gift under the tree} and Liberty laid on the floor on her belly with her head in her hands and kept looking at it.  She's only 16 months and even though she had her first Christmas last year, this one will be even more exciting!

I was reading over my girls' blogs {3 of our daughters have them} and it hit me real hard this morning how much they have grown.  I see it every day, 3 of them are as tall as me {one of them slightly taller....but I'm not going to admit it} but when it hit me this morning, it was a different feeling, one with mixed emotions like melancholy, sadness, I'm getting old, ... but also joy in seeing them become Godly young ladies.  They make me so proud.  I am so proud of all my children.  God has blessed me FAR more than I deserve.  When I was my oldest daughter's age, I said I didn't want ANY kids... in those words.  But God in His love and mercy changed my heart and gave me 8 beautiful children, I am so unworthy yet so thankful!  I am so thankful that God doesn't see me as me, but sees His son, Jesus Christ.  Where would I be today if not for His love.

Have a Blessed Lord's Day!

Everything Christmas....a book review

Everything Christmas by David Bordon and Thomas J. Winters is a compilation of exactly what the title says, Everything Christmas!  If you want to know the origin of a certain Christmas song, food, tradition, story, etc., it's in there.  It's packed full of delightful recipes, traditional Christmas songs, little Christmas tidbit facts.... it even has Christmas jokes!  I especially like reading the history of many of our favorite Christmas songs, although several of them have an unknown author.  The book is set up to be able to read something everyday in December.  Overall I am pleased with this book.  It is something I will use for many Christmas's to come.  It would also make a great Christmas gift.  I recommend it to anyone who loves Christmas as much as I do!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

"Secret" Ingredient Peanut Butter Fudge

This is one of my favorite Peanut Butter Fudge recipes.  I try to make at least one batch every Christmas.  It's not healthy by any stretch of the imagination....but is fudge supposed to be?  Anyway, it is exceptionally creamy and VERY good!  The only thing is, it has a "secret" ingredient.  What I mean by secret is, it is not commonly found in fudge recipes, and most people are shocked to find out that it is in there.  See if you can spot it!

• 2 sticks margarine (see...I told you it wasn't healthy)
• 8 oz. Velveeta Cheese
• 1 C. Jif Peanut Butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 lb. powdered sugar

Melt margarine and cheese in sauce pan over low heat until creamed together.  Add peanut butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the cheese and margarine mixture, then press into pan.  Cool in fridge and enjoy!  Name brands work best.

Christmas 2010

Three Wise Men Religious Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Send out the Christmas cheer!

One of the exciting things to me during the Christmas season is giving and receiving Christmas cards.  It brings back something nostalgic from when I was a child.  I always waited in anticipation for the mail to arrive to see if we had any Christmas cards.  It was exciting to see the shelves in our home fill up with Christmas cards during the month of December.  To this day, I still wait in anticipation for Christmas cards from family and friends.  And yes, I do enjoy sending them out as well.  I only wish I could do more.

One place to find great cards is Shutterfly.   They have a vast array of cards and styles and the best part is that you can add your own photos and make them uniquely your own.  I have used Shutterfly before to order prints, and they were exceptional!  I am excited to try their Christmas photo cards this year.  I have been looking through their cards and have found several I really like.  Christ Wishes is one of my favorites.  One of the most important things to me when I send out Christmas cards is “does it honor Christ?”  He is our peace and hope and everything we do should bring glory and honor to His name.

Shutterfly also has an array of other fun cards.  If you are having a Christmas party, then the Christmas invitations are just what you need.  They also have cards for all the holidays, birth announcements, birthdays, etc.  Give them a try.  I’m sure you’ll be pleased.

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” - Luke 2:14