This Says it All!

After Christmas Shopping! Here I Come!

With any luck I will get out of the driveway and head to town to catch some great sales!

After being snowed in for three, or is it four, days my daughter and I are ready to go!!!!

Kevin has agreed to drive us in, Kacy nor I really want to test the car's capability in this mess.

Once in town, I hope to find some presents to set aside for next Christmas, and some "winter" decor items to put up in the house now. It looks so bare naked when you take the Christmas stuff down, especially the tree, don't you think?!

Wish us luck! I don't feel like birthing Kacy's baby in the car. (she's due on Valentine's Day, but at her doctors appointment last week, little Christopher is already in the birth canal)

Christmas Blizzard 2009

Lizzy Lane Farms

http://www.lizzylanefarm.blogspot.com/

I my goodness!! I just recieved my order of soaps and bar lotion from Karen and Lizzy Lane Farms. I have one word...... YUM! The smell is so wonderful, the feel is silky but not oily and her customer service is outstanding! I simply cannot wait to take a bath and use the Christmas soap. Here's how she describes it (and it is a very accurate descritption indeed!): "A deep rich, earthy pine scent topped with anise seed, lemon grass, rose hips, chamomile and a dash of glitter. A pretty white and berry swirl soap."

I recommend you go over to Karen's and look around!! Have fun!

Vintage Shiny Brite Christmas Ornaments

American Chronicle Vintage Shiny Brite Christmas Ornaments

These ornaments were my brother's and I favorite ornaments!!! We used to "talk" into the ones with the indentions saying "calling Dick Tracy, calling Dick Tracy"! That doesn't age me does it!?

The box pictured above is just like the one Mom STILL has...I really wanna get my hands on them!!! The link I have listed is a great little history on the ornaments. Ahhhh, the good ol', slower days of youth.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

The Great Clean-up!

The baking is all fine and dandy, but inevitably you have to clean up the mess! ARGHHHhhhhh......
It's all worth it though when we deliver the goodies to all our neighbors. I'll post of the finished trays when they are ready for delivary.

Holiday Baking Part Two

Cranberry Lemon Cookies

Gingerbread Boys

Homemade English Muffins

Chocolate and Strawberry dipped Ritz crackers.....MMMmmmm....

Through a Child's Eyes

The simple, whimsical images that a child invisions as Christmas!

These are some of the projects the daycare children and I have made together.

I must admit, Christmas through a child's eyes is what it's all about!

Our Christmas Tree

As with most family Christmas trees, each ornament on our tree has a special meaning behind it. The star that beacons down from the top of our tree was a gift from Kevin's Grandma Nutter. It will top our tree each year, Grandma Nutter looks down upon us all with a smile on her sweet face.

Holiday Baking: Part One

Bacon and Eggs:

Lay two pretzel sticks side by side

top with a dollop of melted white almond bark

finish off with one yellow M-n-M

Candy Cane Hearts:

Lay two candy canes side by side to form a heart

fill the heart with melted almond bark.

To add the sprinkles, do that before adding the bark....oh, also, do this on waxed paper to make removal easy peasy!

Snow Day = Snow Ice Cream!

5AM The snow is drifted 2 feet up the front door!

A Picturesque view of the old barn next door.

Little chef Alli helping make the snow ice cream..MMmmm....

The leftover snow ice cream on the back deck, nice and cold, waiting for Alli's Momma to come home from work.

Snow Ice Cream Recipe:

Big bowl of CLEAN snow

a dash of vanilla

sugar to taste

Add milk to stir it all up.

This recipe is a make it as you go type of thing....you can do it!!!

The memories are just as yummy as the ice cream.

"My" Library

http://www.tscpl.org/

Isn't she beautiful?! I have to travel 35 miles to visit her, and I like to go twice a month.

Books, DVD's, CD's, magazines, themed childrens book bags.....oh my gosh, so much to do!!

There is also a "Booktique" at the library where they sell used books, and boy oh boy you can get some deals in there!! Most books are only a dollar or two, and magazines are only a quarter a piece!

The Millenium Cafe is very good. I love to have coffee there with my BFF!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

With the big winter storm barreling across the nation, our home is no exception!

Looking through the front door the happy gingerbread family doesn't seem to mind the declining weather conditions! And inside the house is where we will stay today, toasty and dry!

Holiday Spirit

The best of all gifts around the Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~~Burton Hillis

Happy Birthday, Sgt. Nutter

I love you Kevin!!!

How Lovely!

Whooooooo, wouldn't like a chance to win these awesome items?

http://gardenmama.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Good luck!

Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

My family has so much to be thankful for this year! My daughter and her unborn baby were near death a month ago, and now are doing very well! She developed bacterial pnuemonia from undiagnosed H1N1. Both lungs were filled with the disease, she was on 100% oxygen and placed in a medically induced coma from 5 days. She was placed on a ventilator and fed through her nose. During this ordeal the baby remained strong.

She released from the hospital on day #8, through nothing less than a miracle!

So, yes, I am VERY THANKFUL to have my daughter with me this Thanksgiving.

Christmas Swap at Down-to-Earth Forums

I am participating in a Christmas ornament swap over at http://downtoearthforums.com/ and this is the ornament I recieved from my friend Lisa. Lisa lives in Australia and is obviously very crafty and creative. Just look at this lovely beaded mod angel!! Won't she look pretty on my Christmas tree?

THANKS again, Lisa!

My Veteran

My husband on Veteran's Day, surrounded by some of the grandkids and daycare children.

Fat Quarter Give-Away!

From a friends blog (iluvcraftingandcooking), I ran across this giveaway of fat quarters. The material is very pretty. Please, check out the blog below and read about the giveaway at

http://pumpkinpatchprimitivequiltshoppe.blogspot.com/

9/11/2009

“Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last ...phone calls, the funerals of the children. “ - President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001

Thomas Nelson: Book Review Bloggers

Join Thomas Nelson Book Review Bloggers today! Any blogger can receive FREE copies of select Thomas Nelson products. In exchange, you must agree to read the book and post a 200-word review (guidelines) on your blog and on any retail website.

Become a Book Review Blogger, I did today!! I am waiting on my first book "Obstacles Welcome".