Encouraging Deep Roots

I feel so disorganized this year. Normally, I put up all the decorations the same day we decorate the tree. However, that did not happen this year and it's taken me about a week and a half to get it done. They are all up now and look so pretty. I never go crazy with the outside of the house. I do put up a wreath on each door but that's about it. This year we have a live wreath that my neighbor gave me. I made a centerpiece. I love pulling out the different decorations each year because there is usually some special meaning with them. Here is a manger that my sister-in-law brought back from Haiti years ago. It's hand carved. This is a manger that was handmade for my children when the boys were little. Some ladies from a church that supported our ministry in the city made it. All of the kids have enjoyed playing with it at one point or the other. Now that the boys are older, it's Emily who plays with it each year. Close-up. I love having a fireplace this year beca...

I got a package in the mail today from my mother and it had a beautiful surprise in it. I knew that she has been making an afghan, but I didn't know it was for me! Here is a close-up. The best thing is that it matches my living room. Isn't it beautiful? Thank you for my Christmas gift, Mom! I love it and you!!! :-)

Each year for Advent, we do a Jesse Tree. This is a tree, or a large banner with a symbolic tree, or a branch that is decorated each day, with ornaments or objects that represent Old Testament events from Creation to the Birth of Jesus. The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. I found a little table top tree and threw some lights on it. I printed pictures to represent each aspect of the history and laminated them. We read a scripture that correlates with an event, discuss it, and then hang the ornament on the tree. The pictures are things like the world to represent creation, a ram to represent how God provided a ram to Abraham instead of sacrificing Issac, and other things like that. The kids love doing this each year. We start on t...

Last night and tonight have been a great time to catch two awesome sights up in the night sky - Jupiter & Venus. They have been to the lower right of the moon and look like two very bright stars in the sky. Usually, the camera bombs at taking night shots but these turned out pretty good. Venus is on the left and Jupiter to the right. Even the moon cooperated and I got a great shot of it. I could of stayed out all night, except it was about 30 degrees and I was freezing!

This was a new recipe and they are outstanding! I was trying to come up with a great recipe for a cookie swap I'm going to on Sunday afternoon and these would of been great except there are going to be almost 30 ladies there and I would have to make a dozen pans. I don't have the time or money so that idea went by the wayside. Combine 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter together. Press firmly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. In a saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour immediately over baked cookie base. Note: Drizzle this over the top so it covers every part of the base. I dumped mine in the middle and tried to spread it which started to break apart the base, which is why it looks yucky. Bake for 10 more minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle wit...

These cookies are very easy to make and can be as chewy or crunchy as you like. If you like a chewier cookie, just bake them a minute or two less. Combine 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt in a bowl. In a heavy saucepan, melt 10 Tbsp. butter over low heat, add 12 Tbsp. cocoa powder and blend well, until smooth. Stir in 2 cups of sugar until well combined. Add 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract and 4 extra large eggs, one at a time. Add flour mixture and mix well. Cover teh dough and refrigerate until well chilled (at least 2 hours). The dough will never get really stiff, but is won't roll into nice balls if it's warm. Roll the dough into 3/4" balls, then roll in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookies sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 8 minutes. Enjoy!

We had a wonderful day today. I think this was one of the most relaxing holidays I've had in a long time. It was good food, lots of laughter and fun. I found a napkin fold that I tried out. The table looked very festive. We had a separate table for the kids. Normally, you cook all day and the meal lasts about 15 minutes. We spent nearly 2 hours just eating, talking and enjoying one another. Lily was a very happy baby today. I think everyone had fun. I hope you all had a very blessed day with family and friends.