Christmas Countdown - Christmas Spirit

1 day left....can you believe it?

Christmas Spirit

I have a new quote on a tile in my kitchen...it reads:

"The magic of Christmas is not in the Presents, but in His Presence." 

Without Christ there would be no Christmas, no forgivness...no Redemption.

I Love Jesus Christ.   He has helped me through hard times, He has blessed me with healing in my life....He is my Savior and Redemer and I will strive to always keep His Sprit with me.

I can do more to remember Him all year.

Christmas Countdown - Giving

2 days left

Giving

Last night Brad, the kids and I went to visit a special friend.   This friend has had a hard life....not just a little hard ....REALLY difficult.   This difficulty started at a young age and at no fault of her own.   The more I learn about her life the more I understand how important a stable family life is....stable and responsible parents...growing up surrounded by love, being taught boundaries and the opportunity to be good at something.  The more I have gotten to know this special friend the more I want to help children...especially teens in foster care find a loving forever family. 

My eyes have been opened lately...opened to the need that is everywhere around us.   So much of this need is brought out into the open this time of year but truthfully the needs exists everyday of the year.  It is my own goal to spend more of my time giving in 2010... to take these new truths and hopfully make a difference somehow.   I wish my friend could have had someone in her life who made a difference....who helped her understand she is loved by her Heavenly Father and help her understand she is lovable!   I don't believe it is too late for her...I can see the Lord working in her life.  It is amazing to think that because a of special baby who grew to do His Father's will we are each given the gift of trying again, forgiveness....of Redemption.

Christmas Countdown - Traditions

3 days left

Christmas Traditions

Growing up we had a few traditions at Christmas time.   The one I looked forward to the most was the tradition of going to my Grandparents home for Christmas Eve.   Both of my Grandparents have passed on but my Aunt Lori has kept the tradition alive and each year invites me and my little family as well as my parents and brother and sisters and their families to come to her home and celebrate!  Now my kids look forward to this each year!  I love that this tradition is still alive!

Brad and I wanted some traditions for our little family. 

The past couple of years we have added the following...

• Christmas Eve - Swaddling Clothes

Every Christmas Eve we watch Luke II video and then read the Christmas Story from the Bible.   We then present our children with one present.   The gift is always pajamas only we don't call them pjs we call them their "swaddling clothes".   We wanted to bring meaning to the gift....help them remember WHO we are celebrating.   This has become a very meaningful tradition and my children talk often of it. 

• Gift Giving - Gold,  Frankincense and Murr

Last year we started the tradition of giving each child 3 gifts (this is in addition to what Santa brings which is always one inexpensive gift and stocking stuffers).   Each of these 3 gifts represent the gifts brought by the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus.   This year I am including a decrative label that has the childs name on it along with the word Gold, Frankincense or Murr.

•  Christmas Morning Breakfast - Rich's Bagels

I am a huge fan of bagels from Rich's Bagels.   A couple of years ago we decided these particular bagels would be the traditional breakfast.  We usually have some muffins and fruit or something eggs with it.   I know this sounds a little silly but I look forward to this every year!!!!

I hope to add new traditions in the coming years.  

What are your traditions?

If you have blogged about them please leave me a comment and let me know.  I enjoy learning about other family's traditions...helps me find new ones for our family.

Christmas Countdown - Food

4 days left

Food

Ok...lets be totally honest.   A huge part of Christmas celebrating is lots of really good, high calorie, high fat food.   From the hord'oerves to the main course to the yummy desserts....there's nothing like luving straight from the oven right???? 

Every year for Christmas Eve we would go to my Grandma's house.   I remember the smell that filled her home....the yummy ham and cheesy  potatoes.  My Grandmother passed away about 9 years ago but I think of her  every Christmas and remember how much I loved the good food she made us and the warm feeling that was always in her home.   Whenever I eat those same dishes that she made I think of her.  

Here are a few of my most favorite recipes for Christmas time:

Cheesy potatoes (aka funeral potatoes)

• 32 oz pkg frozen hash browns (I like the shredded type)
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup or cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cube melted butter
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 c. grated cheese

Mix all ingredients.  Put in greased 13x9x2 inch casserole dish.  Top with crushed corn flakes; bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until casserole is very bubbly.

24 Hour Salad

• 1 medium head lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped green pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 10oz frozen green peas, cooked, drained, cooled.
• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tblsp sugar
• 4-6 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled

Cut (not tear) lettuce into shreds; spread in bottom of large flat dish.  Layer remaining ingredients on top of lettuce; cover with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate 8-24 hours.

Lion House Cresent Rolls

• 2 tablespoons yeast
• 2 cups warm water
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening, margarine, or butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
• 1 egg
• 5 to 6 cups flour (only use enough to create a soft dough)
• Melted butter or margarine

Mix yeast and water and let stand 5 minutes.  Add sugar, shortening, slat, dry milk, egg, and 2 cups of the flour.  Beat together till smooth.  Gradually add remaining flour till soft dough is formed.  Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead till smooth and elastic.  Place in greased bowl; cover and let rise till double in bulk.  Punch down; divide into thirds.  Roll out one-third of dough into circle; cut into 12 pie shaped pieces.  Starting at wide end, roll u p each piece into crescent.  Place on greased baking sheet with point on bottom.  Repeat with remainder of dough..  Brush tops with melted butter or margarine.  Let rise till double.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Lion House Chicken (my new favorite....thanks Holly!)

• 10 to 12 8-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 cups ground bread crumbs
• 4 cups favorite stuffing mix
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup Dijon mustard

Lay whole chicken breast flat on baking sheet. Coat with bread crumbs. Prepare your favorite stuffing with mushrooms and butter. Portion stuffing mixture into 10 to 12 equal parts. Put Stuffing on one half of each chicken breast; fold over and secure with toothpicks. Bake 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Makes 10 to 12 servings. To make sause, mix honey, mayonnaise, and mustard together in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat warmed through. Top each cooked chicken breast with sauce before serving.

Baked Carmel Corn

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup margarine (I use butter)
• 1/2 cup white karo syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon soda
• 5-6 qt. pooped corn (about 1 cup unpopped kernels.)

Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes sugar, maragrine, syrup and salt.   Remove from heat and add soda; pour over popped corn.  Spread on a cooke sheet/jelly roll pan and bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour; stir every 15 minutes.  Coll and store in airtight containers.

Soft Sugar Cookies

•  1 cup butter (not margarine)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 4 cups flour

Mix well.  chill for 2 hours or freezer for 45 minutes. Roll out and cut in desired shapes. (hint: keep cookies thick)  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes   Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Christmas Countdown - Music

5 days left

Music

Music is a big part of my life.   I come from a musical family.  I enjoy singing and now that I am 36 I wish I would have done more with my talent.   I guess we all have feelings like that... it seems to take maturity to realize how much some things mean to us.   My favorite time of year to sing is Christmas time....no other music compares.    It is special!    I guess this is why I start playing Christmas music in August...it is why I don't get upset when the radio stations start playing Christmas songs before Thanksgiving.    I say the more, the earlier....the better!

I love almost all Christmas music....with the exception of Transiberian Orchestra....I HATE the way they play Christmas music.  It makes me grouchy when Brad plays it. 

My favorite Christmas CDs are:

 

 

 

 

This list could go on a while.

Some of my favorite songs include:

O Holy Night

Silent Night

I'm Dreaming of  White Christmas

Do you Hear what I Hear

Where are you Christmas

gosh....again too many to list.

One song sticks out in my mind always....Silver Bells.   My Mom and I would sing this song in the car while we were out and about.  I would sing the melody and she would sing the harmony.   Then sometimes when we were really silly we would try really hard to sing off key and make it sound really sick.  We would laugh and laugh about it.   Sounds strange I know but it was fun and I have always remember those times with my Mom.

Thanks Mom...for being willing to be silly!

Christmas Countdown - tv specials/movies

6 days left

 TV Specials & Movies

We are BIG movie watchers at our house....so for us the holidays aren't complete without watching the traditional favorite movies or tv specials.

Some of the family favorites are:

• The Santa Clause Movies (especially #1)

• Rudolph

• Frosty the Snowman

• Twas the Night Before Christmas

• Miracle on 34th Streeet (new and old)

• Home Alone

• Christmas Vacation (mine and Brad's personal favorite)

• A Christmas Story (no we don't let the kids watch this one)

Brenley enjoying the 3D glasses and the yummy treats. Theater popcorn is the best!

This year we have added a couple new favorites:

• We started the holiday season by going to the IMAX theater and seeing Disney's "A Christmas Carol".   WE LOVED it!!!!!!   It was fantastic...especially in 3-D.   In a few parts of the movie it is snowing...Camden says out loud "It's snowing in here".  The effects were so good that it truly looked like it was snowing on us.   Watching this movie really got me into the Christmas spirit!  

• Disney released a tv show called "Prep & Landing"  we all gathered around to watch.   Brad and I enjoyed it just as much as the kids....it was alot of fun!!!!   

Another personal favorite is "Mixed Nuts". 

The first time I saw this I wasn't married and I was visiting my sister in Seatlle.   My nephew Joshua and I sat and watched this show...it was sooo dumb that it made us laugh our guts out!!!!   By the time we were done watching we were in tears we had been laughing so hard.   It will never be as funny as the first time but each year I enjoy watching it and remembering that fun time with Josh.   I keep telling Brad if I ever find that movie on sell for  a dollar each I might just buy one for all our neighbors and friends and give them a bag of mix nuts to go with it.    I am sure my friends would think I WAS nuts for liking the movie so much!!!!   If you haven't seen it....rent it, add some snacks and wait until you are really tired....hopfully you will enjoy it as much I do!!!

Happy Watching!

Christmas Countdown - Books

7 days left

Books

Growing up every year my Dad would read "Twas the night before Christmas" from my little golden book with the red cover that has a picture of Santa Claus.   I love this book...I still have this book and I read it to my own children each year.   I love the old fashioned pictures....they bring back so many good memories for me.   Books are a big deal to me.  I love to read and I want my children to grow up enjoying books and having a love of reading.   To help promote reading we have a couple of baskets at our house that hold special books.   One basket sits in our family room next to the fireplace and it is called our "library basket".  The kids keep their library books (and movies) in this basket when they are not reading them.   This keeps books available in this room and also helps me keep track of where the books are when it is time to make another visit to the library.    The other basket is kept in our front room on our coffee table.   This basket is our "holiday book basket".   Each holiday I fill it with children's books that deal with that holiday.   At Christmas time this basket is very full.    The children love this tradition and it keeps them interested in reading.  I try to add one new book for each holiday each year. 

One of my most favorite Christmas books is called "The Crippled Lamb" by Max Lucado.   I had never heard the story until I attended a primary Christmas activity back in 1999....when we had been waiting for a full year to be chosen by a Birth Mother.   For part of the activity one of the other leaders read this story to a group of children.    I found so much personal meaning in this story that I couldn't help but cry...and boy did I cry.   I needed to hear that story at that time.....it was a tender mercy!   I purchased a copy for myself and I read it each year to my own children....and I still cry.   If you haven't read it I would encourage you to get a copy and read it to your children....especially if you are like me and you have felt a  little different and left out at times.

What is your favorite Christmas book?

Christmas Countdown - Babies

8 days left

Babies

Who doesn't love babies?  Brad and I have just finished a very long 15 year journey to find "our" babies.   One of our special babies was placed with us when he was 8 months old....exactly on the day he turned 8 months old.   His story is very special to us...it has blessed us with the understanding that the Lord know the end from the begining and that He will prepare every needful thing.   Today 3 years ago exactly Samantha placed Camden in our family....in my arms.   In 2006 we had had a rough year with a failed placement that took a whole year to process.   I remember I put down on my IM message line that "I want a baby for Christmas".   I never imagined it would happen.   Camden is our Christmas baby.    Today I have thought of Samantha and count her as one of my greatest blessings.   She is amazing!!!!

This year we have a new baby to celebrate and I have thought back at all of my babies 1st Christmases....each one was special.   My babies are growing but the magic of seeing them running around our house, being excited about Christmas always brings me complete joy!!!!   I am so thankful to have 4 babies.

There is another baby...the reason for this special holiday.   Without this special baby there would be no forgivness, redemption.....I love this baby and what He did when He grew up.    I love what He does for me today....everyday!

My favorite thing about Christmas is this special baby...Jesus Christ....My Lord and Savior!

Christmas Countdown - Decorations

9 days left

Decorations

I enjoy decorations anytime of year but the holiday season brings an abundance of eye catching items.  Who doesn't love the gold, red, silver, blue, plum and my newer favorites....the bright colors that seem to be the "in" thing to decorate with.   I love it all!!!

Each year we start decorating right after Thanksgiving....but this year I decided I wanted to do it earlier.   I was so excited to use a new product on our tree...only it turns out I didn't buy enough of it.   Each year I have this idea in my mind of how I want the tree to look...but each year I fall short big time!!!!!   Then the day after I decorated it has been all redone by my 3 year old so I realize  it is ok that I didn't get it right after all.  :)

We decorate throughout the house....my favorite it above the cabinets.   It is a frustrating process but the end result usually makes me happy.

Our family really enjoys the festive feeling that decorations bring.

Our family also enjoys going out and seeing the decorations in retail stores and other places we visit during the month of December.   I have a personal fetish for platters, plates and bowls....why not decorate the food as well!!!   I am currenlty eyeing up a really cute candy cane platter at target...I think if I pass it one more time I might find myself purchasing it at the checkstand.

Christmas Countdown - Cards

I LOVE Christmas!

There are many things that make this my favorite time of year.

Over the next 10 days (counting today) I wanted to countdown to that glorious day by sharing what makes Christmas special to me.

10 days left

Cards and Letters

I love snail mail...there is something about going out to the box in the afternoon and opening the door and finding things addressed to myself. I don't love bills....but I love to receive letters, pictures, newsletters and sale ads.

Weird right?

The best time for mail is Christmas time. I love seeing the handwritten envelopes with the cute stickers or stamps.; It makes me smile before I even open it up.   I enjoy seeing pictures of family and friends and reading their Christmas letter updates. In this busy world we live in it is easy to forget to keep in touch with loved ones.

After each card is opened and read we tape it up on a door in our house. By the time New Years Eve arrives the door is usually very full of colorful cards and pictures. It is a great reminder that my family is not alone and we are part of a bigger picture.

I have to admit it

it has been some time since we have sent Christmas cards and a family letter so today I am stuffing evelopes with our card and letter to make sure we don't transgress yet another year.  I am also making a mental note to order more cards next year....I thought 50 would be enough.   I feel blessed to say we have more than 50 families and friends we love.

This realization is a gift all on its own.

I hope your mailbox is filled with letters of love this year!