Christmas with the Crouses

Christmas 2012 was a little different this year.  We spent it at Mom and Dad's instead of at Grandma's.  (We got to see her a few days later.)  Mom knocked herself out with decorating, presents, and a lot of really good food.  My brother and his family were there.  The kids had a great time playing together.  It was a Christmas to remember.

Stockings on Christmas morning.

I think this was from Christmas Eve- gag gifts.

Elijah's first Christmas

Waiting

Games

Sammy with Uncle Jeff setting off a rocket

All the cousins

Enjoying some down time with a new book, Hokie blanket, and pillow pet

All tuckered out after a fun day.  This made Papa just a little happy.

Christmas Parade

Trucks, motorcycles, more trucks, a few Santas, and some horses.  A little candy.
That sums up the Christmas Parade last week.  We had a great time with friends at our spot in front of the local coffee shop.

This is Mr. Sanders, one of Lucy's favorite people.

A Great Blessing

It is cold and windy and even a little white outside.
Perfect in my book.
The kids are all on the couch with popcorn and a Christmas movie.  I have plenty to do around the house- just the normal stuff plus wrap some presents.  For now, I'll sit with the kids and my coffee and the tree- and recount some of what I am thankful for this Christmas.
Last Sunday night we had an advent service at church.  We worshiped together and it was beautiful.

Can you see the worship team?  We are so blessed.  And of course there is Brian- the pastor (!!!) of this church plant.  I loved that six months ago we were not meeting yet and here we are having our first advent service.  For some reason it was a little surreal.

A few of the kids even sang.

I count this church plant as one of our greatest blessings this year.  For the church itself.  But also for the people.  Most weeks I leave somewhat overwhelmed and grateful at the many people who serve week in and week out, to set up chairs and the sound system- then take it all down again.   For those who teach Sunday school, who set up and serve in the nursery.  For people who sweep up and empty trash.  For those who stuff bulletins and welcome people in.  For those who plan and lead worship. For those who lead home groups and for those who go to them.  For those who bring food and coffee.  For those who encourage their pastor.  For those who meet during the week.  For every person that comes on Sunday morning.  For our mother church that sacrificed greatly. For the leadership.

 For those who pray.  

For the truth of the gospel that is held out to all every single week.

For Jesus- this is His work and He is faithful to grow us all and change us by His grace.

"To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever.  Amen."

1 Timothy 1:17

Christmas Tea

Even though it was not a bit cold outside, today was the day for a small, Christmas tea with three ladies from church.  Kayla and I had a lot of fun getting ready.

 We got out the Christmas dishes and decorated the table.

We baked some lemon cranberry bread and Grandma's coffee cake.

The company was delightful.

Such a nice afternoon with friends.

The coffee cake is my slight adaptation of Grandma's recipe.  I usually only make it between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  It's always our birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas morning. 

Grandma's Sour Cream Coffee Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup oil (scant)

1/4 tsp salt

3 rounded tsps brown sugar

2 rounded tsps cinnamon

4 eggs

Grease and flour tube pan (I used the mini-loaf pan this time- it made four mini-loaves).

Mix first seven ingredients with the blender well.

Add eggs one at a time.  Beat well after each one.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes in tube pan.  30ish minutes in mini-loaves.

Glaze while still hot with 1/2 cup sifted confectioner sugar and 1 tablespoon warm water.

Lucy's 3

Here's our latest birthday girl.  She's 3!  When did that happen?  I think having a baby around Christmas leaves you with lots of added memories- like how very cold it was the winter she was born and how much snow there was.  How we walked an outdoor "mall" the night before she came in the hopes of getting presents bought and labor started.  How Nancy from church brought us dinner on Christmas Eve of all days and how Brian cooked a turkey on Christmas Day.

 

Lucy is and always has been a sweet girl.

She's pretty easy going, although let's be honest- she's 3 and has her own opinions about things which she's not afraid to make loudly known at times.

She still loves fruit more than anything. She'll choose berries over a cookie most any day. 

She still loves the guys.  I sometimes look around at church to see whose lap she's in: Grandpa's, Mr. Sanders', or Mr. Sam's.  I'm  thankful she's so loved.

For her birthday she didn't want a cake.

Clementines and cookies. 

 
She can often be found by herself singing and preaching about the Holy Spirit.

Loudly.

 One of the very nice things about Lucy is how she does go off and play by herself for long periods of time.  In this picture, she was having church with the little people and her baby.  I heard this:

"Give thanks to the Lord for he is good!"

Sometimes she just makes us laugh because she does "grown-up" kinds of things.  Like drinking coffee (juice) and listening to the funnies with Kayla.  She loves to be read to.

We love our sweet girl with all her funny expressions, all her hugs and kisses, all her giggles.

Happy Birthday Lucy!

Mom's Christmas Cookies

The best thing about these cookies today, beside how good they smell and how pretty they are, is that I know my mom is baking them in her kitchen this afternoon, too.
She has made this recipe for years.  I don't know where she got it so to me, they are Mom's Christmas Cookies.  Enjoy!

Mom's Christmas Cookies

1 pound chopped dates

1/2 jar chopped cherries

1/4 pound walnuts/pecans

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 sticks butter

2 1/2 cup flour

1 t. baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs. Mix well.

Mix the dry ingredients and mix in a little at a time to the sugar/butter mixture.

Stir in the dates, cherries, and nuts.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes.

*We have a nut allergy in our house so no nuts at all in our cookies.

Still delicious!*
 

In His Tender Care

I wondered how I could feel so alone with my thoughts in the middle of Walmart on a Saturday in December.  But I did. 
And I fought tears most of the time.
My guess is that has been pretty common in our country over the past 24 hours.  There is such sadness at such great loss.  Who has words for it? 
For some reason this keeps running through my mind from "Away in a Manger:"

"Bless all the dear children

In Thy tender care.

And fit us for heaven

To live with Thee there." 

Pictures Return!

 

 Is this going to work?  I took some advice, mixed it up, and think we've got it!  Pictures are back!
I'm not actually ready with a good post but that's ok for now.  I love our Christmas tree.  It's beautiful!  We cut it down last week, something we haven't done in a long time.  Sammy LOVED carrying around a saw.  There's a lovely, if faint now, scent of pine in the house.
Our school schedule is abbreviated lately.  We've kept up with math and language arts and spent extra time reading aloud.  Today we spent time listening to Handel's "Messiah" and learning a little about him and oratorios.  We also did a little research on the origins of Christmas trees and found Martin Luther linked to them 500 years ago.  We baked and took treats to our favorite librarians yesterday.  Afternoons  have been spent listening to books on cd- "The Penderwicks," "Ramona the Brave," "Ella Enchanted," "Frindle," and "Freddy and the Ignormous."  It is so very nice to see how much they all like listening and I love the quiet it affords me!
Last night Brian and I had a night out given to us by a sweet college girl from church.  And someone was sneaky and picked up our check after dinner at Outback.  How fun was that??

*Lucy turned 3 on Monday.  A birthday post is on its way.*
*Don't miss the meteor shower tonight!*

The Boys

It is driving me cRAzY to not be able to post pictures.  Stories about the kids just aren't the same.  I'm thinking I'll have to pay now to keep putting up our pics.  We'll see.
For now though, I have to share this before I forget it.  Brian's growing a beard- maybe that's what prompted Jack (age 10) to declare this (with a lot of enthusiasm) at lunch:
"I seem to be cursed!  I haven't shaved in over 10 years and still no beard!" 
I laughed for a long time.  That kid has a great sense of humor.

From Sam this morning:
He wanted a snack.  I said "How can you be hungry already?"
"It's not that I'm hungry mom.  I just want a snack!"
I get that.  My new love is Mint Chocolate Chip M&Ms. 
I don't need to be a bit hungry to eat those.

Christmas Read-Alouds

Yesterday we read Christmas books and had hot chocolate. We'll do the same this morning, too!  I do love good Christmas stories, stories that take us past the commercialism and the pull for more "stuff."
Here are a few we've enjoyed.

We finished The Coat Hanger Christmas Tree by Eleanor Estes.  So far I've enjoyed all her books and this was no exception.  Marianne and her brother want a Christmas tree; their mother says no- over and over.  Their friend Allie lives on a barge and has a tree but not a house.  It's sweet to read how their friendship grows and how though they may not get exactly what they want, they get something better.  (I could not find a picture of the cover to post!)
A Cynthia Rylant classic- to me anyway!  In Silver Packages, An Appalachian Christmas Story, children from a poor town await every year the train and the gentleman on the train who throws silver packages for them.  One boy comes back when he's grown, and brings the same kindness, just in a different way.
 Since I am a sucker for nostalgia and simplicity, I also love this book by Cynthia Rylant.  We are reminded of a little girl's childhood in the country with her grandparents, and especially of Christmas in the country with them.  Such a sweet book.

Also on our Christmas reading list:
Who Is Coming to Our House? The barn animals anticipate the arrival of Mary and Joseph.
Santa's Favorite Story  Santa explains to the animals of the forest that Christmas is not about him at all.
The Legend of the Candy Cane  A cozy story of how a village learns about Jesus through a candy cane.
We're also reading "Christmas chapters" from different books. like "Merry Christmas" from The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.
And for any grown-ups who have time to read themselves, I love Miss Read's Christmas by Miss Read.  In it you will find two "short" stories of a village Christmas.  I read it every year.

Linking up to Read Aloud Thursdays