Christmas.....is coming......fast!!!

I am in the throws of getting ready for the big day. Tree is up and decorated. Mantle is beautifully endowed with many, many stockings and lights. And two small trees wait patiently for many small hands to embellish it with love, ornaments and strings of clutter.
I am making a few of my gifts this year. Doggie treats for the canine in the family, some super cool S'more kits, and herb garden boxes. I will try to get the pictures and instructions up yet this week for those who would like to try them also.
Each year since the passing of my Father, we have my Maa come to our Christmas Morning festivities.....which include a huge breakfast, consisting of freshly made biscuit's and sausage gravy, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit, coffee and juice. I am not sure why this is our traditional breakfast, other than our Son loves biscuits and gravy and our daughter loves cinnamon rolls, and it seems logical to make what they love because I love them so.
The table this year will be a copy of a picture I found from Real Simple Magazine. The picture above is the one I found and will be the inspiration for our Christmas table this year.....how cute is that!!!!!!
Our most important "tradition" is that before we begin anything on Christmas Morning, we open our Bibles, someone reads the Christmas Story (last year was Aiden's first time!) and my wonderful, Godly husband prays over our family, the day and gives glory to our Savior. This is the tradition that I love the most....the reason for life. The reason for love. The hope of nations.

Photography

I LOVE photography! I love taking pictures, being creative (seems to be my nature) and looking over all the lovely subjects that I have captured.
I use my family as my main focus....after all, they ARE the best looking subjects ever!!! I am showing you a photo of our Daughter and her Husband, our Son and his Wife. I sadly do not get to use our Son or Daughter-in-law as often as I would like, as they live 1,ooo mile from us. And I would love to pepper this page with our next generation, but for safty's sake, I will restrain myself....but know, they are the cutest of God's creations!!!! ;o)
My husband, also, has the photo bug and does a wonderful job! I keep him in stitches over some of my "creative" photo's, as I love to take pictures of things like doors, sidewalks, flip flops and feet!
I will never make a living at photography, unless the Lord wills it, and I am ok with that....life, in still life or jumping up and down, is still a blast, and I am documenting it all!!!
Have a blessed and amazing Thanksgiving!!!

Ducks In A Row......

Sorry for the time off....I have be smitten with a bit of a cold and feeling yucky. (that is the proper wording for it....hehehe)
Well, it is less than a week away from our annual Thanksgiving Dinner!! I have my book (recipes and menu) ready, well, that has been ready for a few weeks, as I make out my menu and it is in stone, no changes...ahem...well, one small one this year.
The table extensions are up, and I am ready to roll!!! It will be small this year, only 12. However, we did have a Thanksgiving dinner last week with out of town family.
How about you? Are you looking forward to your time with family and friends?? I sure am.....I put up a picture of our daughter and son-in-law to depict the looking forward that I am feeling about Thanksgiving this year. I am not sure I am "longing" as seems to be shown in the picture, but wait, maybe I am! Longing to show Christ to our family. Longing to spoil them. Longing to show love, be loved and laugh, as we do so much at family gatherings.
I am grateful, loved, content and fullfilled. God is so good. this has been a rough year, this year of 2010, but it has grown us, strengthened us and made us even more grateful. Life really is GOOD with God!!

The Week Before Thanksgiving.....

Well, last week flew by, I will write more on that another day!, and if find myself in the throws of getting ready for our big Thanksgiving Day Dinner. How did that happen so quickly??????
Well, menue is planned, table is up, table decorations are made, invites are handed out, and all that is left is to make the food!
Wait a MINUTE!!!! All that is left???????? Shame On Me!! Where is my Attitude of Gratitude???? Thankfulness???? Gratefullness????
Today, I am grateful for an amazing week of family, family, breath in my lungs, jobs, cars, all the blessings I have each and every day!!
But most of all, I do not want to go into the Thanksgiving week without my sights set on loving my Lord and Savior. HE is why we all have what we have. HE is how I know what my eternity will play out. HE is why I am.
Thankful in every way....I am!

Flat Bread

I had some ladies over for a Girls Night Dinner last month, and I made a flat bread to go with the Italian Dinner that I made. It was not MY recipe, but was wonderful none the less. I made up recipe cards for each of the girls and sent them home with it, so that they could make the bread for thier families if they wished. It was a fun evening of laughing, eating and sharing....love those ladies!

Here is the recipe, and the photo above is what the bread does look like when finished!

Herbed Flatbread
Makes 16
* 1 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
* 1 teaspoon active dry yeast * 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for surface & hands
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for bowl
* Coarse salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar or honey
* 1 large egg whisked with 1 tbls water, for egg wash
* Sea salt, for sprinkling
* 1/4 cup fresh rosemary or thyme (or a combination)

Directions
1. Place water in a medium bowl; sprinkle with yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, oil, 2 teaspoons coarse salt, and the sugar. Stir until dough forms.

2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; knead with floured hands until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough stand in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in volume, about 1 hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces; cover with plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece to roughly 4 by 10 inches on a lightly floured surface; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with egg wash; sprinkle with sea salt and herbs. Repeat with remaining dough, arranging 4 pieces per sheet.

4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until crisp and golden, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool on sheets on a wire rack.

Busy??????

I was told by my daughter that I must be too busy lately, as it has been 4 days since I last updated my facebook!
Well, if getting hugs, changing diapers, wiping noses, playing in the yard, taking short walks to my Mother's house with a little one, laughing, wrestling, tickling and the occational load of laundry and cooking are a reason, then yes! I am busy lately!!! What joy to be that busy!!!
I still need to keep my focus on Whom is the Keeper of all of this, but I believe with all my heart, that this week of "busy" was given as a huge gift by my Keeper and it is with great joy that I accept this gift. We never know what will come tomorrow or even in the next hour. But I know my Maker, and if all of this is over before I want, He is still my Lord and Savior, righteous and loving.
Thank you Lord for this gift of busy, even if for a shorter time than I would like...I still count Your blessing as pure joy. Thank You, Thank You, and may I please You.

Family

Well, we recived the most amazing suprise this weekend....our wonderful children decided on a whim to come for a visit!!! Can I tell you how excited we were...no, because it cannot be put into words!! God is so amazing, that at the end of a very trying week, he choose to bless us, not financially, but with love. The most wonderful love.
Our little L is stuck to her Nonni as is always the case when we are together. The picture above is proof of how she is...and Nonni is NOT complaining!
Our home is filled with laughter, family, food and fun! There has been lots of football, in the yard and on TV, lots of giggles, belly laughs from the adults as well as children and talk of the what the Lord is doing. So completely cool is the life of a Christian Family. So cool.
I pray that you all have an amazing Monday, and that the Lord blesses and fills your lives as He has ours. God is so very, very good.

Thankful Friday

This is the month in which we all turn our thoughts to being thankful. I, however, have been deep in study of Gratitude for about a year now and have even taught a class on it. Gratitude journals are a great thing...we have sooooo much to be greatful for in this life. I believe that the Lord turned my thoughts that way to prepare me for the past 8 months of un-predictable situations, sorrows, and loss of many things.

Gratitude. If I were to write out all things that I am grateful for, there very well may not be enough hours in my day to do so. If I were to write out my frustrations and angers, it would probably fill a page of a notebook. Funny how that is. When I am frustrated or angry, it seems that it is all consuming and nothing is bigger than it is.....but really????

God has shown me this one thing....NEVER DOUBT IN THE DARKNESS WHAT GOD HAS SHOWN ME IN THE LIGHT. Your truth? My truth? Do I see that when I am in that state of darkness? If I allow God too, He will remind me of it....He is good that way. But, my mind has to be bent in that direction, not fully focused on the one page of frustrations and anger, but still remembering the endless lists of gratitude. If I leave that open, even just alittle, God will show His light and illuminate all the lists of gratefullness and soon, I can focus clearly on Him. My countenance is brightened and life is much easier to deal with.

Gratitude....a wonderful, life changing event.

Blessing Mix

A few years ago I made these blessing mix bags for our Thanksgiving guests.

I would like to share the recipe with you, so if you decide to make these, you have time to get all accomplished before the big day....which by the way is 3 WEEKS FROM TODAY!!! How did that happen!!!

Blessing Mix

2 Cups Bugles 2 Cups pretzels 1 Cup raisins 1 Cup candy corn 1 Cup peanuts 1 Cup M&M's Chocolate Kisses

Bag to give to all your guests by mixing all but the kisses and put into bags and attach the following note. put the kiss on top of each bag.

Note: Bugles - shaped like horn of plenty, a symbol of our nations abundance. Pretzels - arms folded in prayer, for a freedom sought by those who founded our country. Candy Corn - the sacrifices of the pilgrims first winter, food was so scarce that settlers survived on just a few kernals of corn. Peanuts - promise of a future harvest, one we will reap only if seeds are planted and tended with diligence. Rasins - harvest gifts from our bountiful land. M&M's - memories of those who came before us to lead us into a blessed future. Kiss - the love of family and friends that sweetens our lives.

If you would like a printable lable, you can go to a site called: organizedhome.com

Have a wonderful Thursday!!

Thanksgiving Menu

I am in the midst of making out my menu for Thanksgiving. I think this year, I will cook the turkey and the ham and allow my guest to bring all the sides....this will afford me the time and ability to make the appitizers and desserts! (which are my fave to make for sure!!)

So, I have decided to make an Italian inspired appatizer table: Mini Italain Meat Balls (served in my ceramic fondue pots), Tuscan Stuffed Mushrooms (my hubby's favorite!) and an Antipasti Platter full of Italin meats and cheeses....but a small platter as to not have anything waisted.

And for dessert.....3 Sugar free choices and 3 full sugar choices. We have a few diabetic relatives, and I always want offerings for everyone to enjoy. The thing that I have incorporated lately is, "small bites" desserts. Portion control if you will. Works well, satifies and does not leave regret....unless you consume like 20 of something!

What will you be focusing on for your menu?

Thanksgiving Table

How will you decorate yours?

This is how I intend for ours to look...with the pumpkins that I made and showed you how in the post below.

Have a amazing Tuesday!!!

Random Thoughts.......

It is Monday. Not the most exciting day of the week, and for many, the most dreaded day of the week. But for me, it is Monday.

We had a very full weekend starting with a Trunk or Treat event that my daughter and I participated in. Our "theme" for our trunk was Howdy Cowboy!!! We dressed with our hats, boots, six shooters (pink of course!) and lots and lots of candy to give away. About 150 children came through and we had a blast!!!

Next, my husband and I climbed up on my Mother's roof to tar and roll on the roofing due to a leak. I was COVERED in tar and was quite the beauty queen when it was all done....no pictures please!

Then my daughter and I watched Beauty and the Beast. I had forgotten what a great movie that is!

Sunday....my favorite day....Church, teaching Sunday School and then home to settle in front of the TV for an afternoon of Football! My daughter acutually has a ring tone of the Monday Night Footbal Music and I am the only one in her phone that she has attatched to that ring. Funny, but true, I watch all the games.

Then, back to church for Children's Choir...I am one of the leaders and LOVE the children, thier personalities and the funny things they say and do....LIFE IS GOOD!

Finally, my last thougth for this blog is: VOTE TOMORROW!!! I am not endorsing a party or person, just simply the right and privilage that we have in this United States of America to vote! Please do so.

Have a wonderful Monday all!