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Christmas season, oh the joy it gives to all mankind. Certainly there are the moments when you are ready to pull your hair out and forget about the whole day but then the gentle reminder of a sweet babe gets the spirit rejoicing again. Maybe I have more of that gentle reminder since God blessed us with a sweet baby this Christmas.
As I dressed my Emma a few days ago in a bright red sweater given by a dear friend I reflected on the fact that red is a common Christmas color. Everyone wear’s red. You want a new sweatshirt for the season its usually red. Emma’s new baby Christmas outfit is red (thanks to her darling Aunt Braelyn ) I have a new red cordoroy skirt (or I would have if the blasted thing would fit my big hips), David loves his burgandy faux suede shirt. It struck me at this moment how we cover ourselves in red. So in the spiritual realm, we cover ourselves with the blood of Christ. That is after all a reason we celebrate Christmas right? Christ came to give his blood for us. To cleanse us so that we might be as white as snow. “I’m dreaming of a White Christmas” sings through my head and a smile dances on my lips. It got me to thining what other things do we use for Christmas that could show an anology?
Christmas lights, to symbol the star that showed the shepherds the way. Pretty packages, well, I havent come up with one for that. A tree, the family tree that made it’s way through the David line to Christ. Etc Etc Etc.
It is time for me to go worship and prepare my heart for the celebrating of Christ’s birth. Why do I find Christmas so important? Because without a birth there could be no death, without a death there could be no life!
MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my readers!
It was a year that we were going to go see my Grandparents for Christmas. Of course we were excited…We hadnt been on a vacation in 8-10 years! The live in the midwest and we are as far west as you can get….Sunny California. It’s kind of difficult to pack up a family of 10 (at the time) and head on over in a big Ford 15 passenger van. If you have seen today’s gas prices you can understand. It takes a lot of saving and planning. Probably this was one of my more memorable one’s because it also was the start of a courtship between my husband. The details are too embarrasing to tell right now about how we decided to get more serious… perhaps another entry someday…
So, the night before we left my handsome future husband comes to wish us goodbye. There are suitcases everywhere and pillows and blankets and everything. We say our goodbyes and at 5:30am the next morning…. we depart.
5 days later;
The day before Christmas. WE had been at Grandma A’s house for 3-4 days and were heading out to visit Grandma H for Christmas day. 8 hour trip. It was so nice to see them again and my Aunt and Uncle and their girls were able to make it up too! It is kind of funny to me how my Grandma H had two boys and the eldest one (my Uncle) has 3 girls and my daddy has 7 girls… but he did manage a boy or two. Anyway, back to the story. Christmas. My Grandpa has old-timers and so he ended up opening both his present and Uncle S- . He didnt understand so we also got to go mall shopping! What fun! It was so fun, I dont really remember it at all. Except daddy did get a Iowa state University shirt. He will tell you that that is the best college in the world. Go Cardinals! That Christmas I recieved a lovely sweater and a pansy cross stitch kit (I had JUST finished the same one the same day. Luckily, Grandma didnt notice). Our stocking we opened at Grandma A’s house. I had a whole bunch of embroidery fun in them. I do remember my sister Braelyn mentioning that it wasnt a very fun Christmas. I couldnt understand why she said that? I mean, what’s not to love about Christmas? Family, fun and friends and most of all, the reminder of a perfect babe in a manger!!!!!!!!!!
We came home after 2 weeks (almost 3?) from vacation. It was a beautiful homecoming. I saw a familar car parked out front. It could only be one man, yes, we surprised my handsom future husband. He was making small house repairs all over and boy I think he ended up more surprised! See why I married the guy??
Yes, I will remember that Christmas forever!
When I was in my early teens I read a book by Ginny Aiken titled, Camellia. In this book you find a very pregnant Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker and her own self, Camellia. I always wanted to be her. To run a very homey bed and breakfast. To have a welcoming home. To be able to have homemade quilts decorating my home. Ahh yes… In the book she makes Zuccini bread and Apple butter. I never really thought about it, but I have done that. David and I love to enjoy a fresh morning with the smell of Apple Butter that has been cooking in the crockpot. We love that spicy smell. I have made zuccini bread a few times because Zuccini is cheap. While I am still not a good quilter, I have a good friend that is one. My home is filled with Cathe quilts. I am blessed in the fact that my hubby didnt die when I was 4 months pregnant and he loves me dearly. I gotta hand it to the southern women. The hold onto the great traditions. They love to hold the home together. They make their men meals that will appeal to their appetite and not just the stomache. Their home is the magazine model and we mimic it in our own suburban place. Sir Thomas More said, “Ahh the country life.” I think he knew what he was talking about. How I long to see some green acre’s and a smell a good fried chicken cooking and biscuts flaking in my mouth. I guess that Proverbs 31 woman is still being worked inside of me. Now to put what I know into practice!
The pounds are going away! I am in a Biggest Loser Holiday edition. Our goal is not to gain any lbs this holiday season which is very difficult when you are making lots of goodies, forgetting to eat so you pig out, and you are too busy to do any exercising. The upshot, if you have a very good scale, you can loose 5lbs in a few seconds. How you may ask? Well, here is what I did. First I weighed myself. 162 (hey, I am a 5ft 9″ gal!) Not exactly what I was hoping for. So I decide to shred some clothes and see what happens…. ugh, I gained 2 lbs doing that. Ok, undies go back on. Weigh myself again, 162. hmm…. I get on the scale and weigh again. 165.5 . WHAT?! I grab Emma to weigh her…. 174. I get her off, 162. So I am just stuck with that 162. David says, she cant be only 12lbs. So I step back on… 157!!!!! WOO HOO! And so my dear friends, that is how you can loose pounds this holiday season… Reason with your scale…. Add clothes on, dont take them off.
More from our home journal, With Christmas being next week ( are you in denial too?) I have been baking my holiday gifts and trying to get so much sewing done. To help make ends meet I have also excepted a position at Glow Source. I do the replacement batteries. I can take them home and do them. It’s been very convienent, unless I start them just before dinner. ;) So my days are quite busy with being a mom, wife, homekeeper, and the all soccer mom.
Here I end, to wish you all a Merry Christmas.
This is a Christmas gift for my Brother and Sister in law and their family. The two smaller loaves are for Christmas gifts for friends.
I dont think she knows what she is getting…. But as you can see, she loves it! 
It was eleven years ago today. I was 8 years old. I remember that week. Sunday the preacher had given us an invitation as always to come forward and be baptized. For some reason it struck me more this week. I asked Daddy what it exactly meant on the way home. Why did he keep asking people to come and be baptized? Daddy explained it so I could understand. I read my bible a lot that week. I wanted to understand. I rememeber asking my Mother for different verses that Daddy had quoted. I believe it was on a wednesday (Clarinet lesson) that I went to Mumsie and said,
“I think I need to be baptized.”
“Why do you think so?”
“Cause Jesus said we should. I want to go to heaven someday.” I dont remember saying more but I am sure I did. I bet mumsie did think once or twice if I just wanted to partake in the communion which was grape juice and crackers. A real treat for us and maybe there was a part of me that did. I’d like to think it was entirely goodness or a desire to be on my part. 
Daddy came home from work early after Mumsie explained the situation. She called Mr. Ennis and his wife who was like a grandma to me and we headed over to the church about 15 minutes away. My Daddy baptized me. Something really shocking is, I was baptized in pants! Yep, green or pink ones. Those were the only ones I had at the time. Daddy asked if I believed taht Jesus Christ was the Son of God. I nodded. Daddy pushed me all the way under. My feet popped up and he pushed those down too. Gotta make sure that she is truly dunked eh? I believe they sang, “oh Happy Day” probably like a funeral march to Mumsie’s delight…NOT.
So, 11 years later. I have come a long way. Emma was baptized 1 week and 1 day old. Interesting for me to think about. I have been purified so many times but each purification reveals another weakness or spot that needs refining. I often forget that I have been washed with crimson blood. I am being cleansed to be whiter than snow. The blood that has cleansed me and made me whole is from the one who is pure white, the unspotted Lamb!
It is near Christmas and Handel’s Messiah is being played all over. I can’t help but think that God opened me up at this time because each year at this time, Messiah has a deeper and deeper meaning.
Pomegrante Jam Recipe with pictures.
1. Peel as many pomegrante’s and you think it will take to make 5 cups of juice. This is long and tedious work. It is ok to peel some, refridgerate the seeds, peel some more, refridgerate, etc. This is what I had to do since I have Emma.
2. Once you have your seeds all ready, you juice em. The juice should sit out atleast 24 hours for the foam to rise. Scoop it out with a spoon and then we are ready for the next step.
3. Now, Emma was fussy at this point so I have no more pictures but here is what you do. In a sauce pan put the juice and heat it a wee bit, add the pectin, stir til boiling. Add 3 cups of sugar and bring it back to a boil and stir for 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Pour into sterilized and ready to go jars. Set to seal (about 24 hours). Can take up to two weeks for setting.
Enjoy!
I made these this year for our annual ornament exchange. While I am not exactly pleased with how they turned out…. they are cute! I made them from a certain kind of batting, black floss and a button. The ornaments were made for less than $5.00 and I have enough of the batting and floss to make SEVERAL more… hmm… maybe Christmas gifts??? The pattern I made. Pretty easy really, just put circles on top of each other, cut out and voila- a pattern!
Enjoy! Make em as a easy craft with your childre. Blanket stitch instructions are found http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/2006/11/stitch-school-blanket-stitch.html
