Remembering Christmas

As I look back on the past week or so, I think:  people.
We traveled a few times.  Some of the kids and I went to see my grandmothers.
We all spent Christmas Eve and Day at my parents with my brother and his family.
We had the weekend with Brian's family, both here and in Damascus where there were lots of aunts and uncles and cousins.
There is a richness in our family that I don't want to take lightly.

As we got closer to my grandma's house in the mountains of North Carolina, I could not help but let my mind wonder to when I was little.  And do you know what my heart rests on?   It's not the presents. It's the people, of course. 

*Grandma Lucy and Mom in the kitchen cooking for what seemed like all day Christmas Eve.  Opening the screens on the doors, even though is was freezing outside, because the windows were fogging up- it got so hot in there! 
                  Cooking + a wood stove in the basement + lots of people= Toasty!
*It always seemed that someone- one of Grandma's brothers or nephews or nieces- was popping in to say "Merry Christmas" and maybe stay for a while.
*Us kids walking up and down that road by ourselves to see great-aunts and uncles.  Their homes were also warm and they always had candy.  I think we had four, maybe five, houses to visit.
*Christmas morning: up early!  And tearing into presents while Papa and Grandma watched with a cup of coffee in their hand.
Then...
*Pulling into Papa and Grandma Crouse's driveway on Christmas Day.  In my mind I can always see Grandma at her kitchen window working on another big meal for all of us.
*Uncle Dennis carved the turkey with an electric knife- for some reason that fascinated me.
*Grandma always had her radio on and though it played many songs, "Star of Bethlehem" will always be what I remember hearing in her kitchen.
*Opening gifts one at a time so we could see what everyone got.
*Papa Crouse always had apples- sometimes a basketful.

Those are some of the bits and pieces that stir up a bittersweetness in my heart.  Those folks that have gone on- I miss them terribly at Christmas especially.  In some ways I'd love a quick taste of it all again.  I'm so thankful for that gift.

I wonder- what will our kids remember?  What will be special to them when they look back?

Christmas Baking

Baking plus a cloudy, cold day plus candles and Christmas music makes for my kind of day.  Kids have been in and out of the kitchen- I'm glad they like to help.  Much of our baking will be used as gifts but we enjoy snacking on it, too.  We've made several pans of gingerbread lately, pretzel treats and mom's Lemon Cranberry bread.  Some of our favorite Christmas recipes are here.

We dipped soft peppermint sticks in melted chocolate.  Probably the most fun for kids and certainly easy.

Last week we made a batch of these Oatmeal Fudge bars and gave most of it away.  Today Sam helped make another batch.  Maybe I should say I helped- he did most of the work.

Have you made the Muddy Buddies recipe off of a Chex cereal box?

  Addictive.  

It calls for peanut butter so we substituted soy butter.

And as an added bonus, I received this in the mail from

Amy at Hope Is the Word.  Her blog is full of book reviews.  Love it!  She also hosts Read Aloud Thursdays, which I occasionally link up to.  This is the first blog giveaway I've won.  Thanks Amy!

Around the House and a Few Books

It is still silent in our house except for the tapping of this keyboard.

The tree lights are on but other than that it is dark.  I kind of crave this bit of time lately.  We'll just say the kids are getting a wee bit excited about Christmas and not too interested in school.  So the older two have a couple of loose ends to tie up today and then it's Christmas break!  There's a little baking and delivering of treats to do so it should be a fun day.  Then tonight the boys and I are headed to the Steven Curtis Chapman/Third Day concert in Roanoke.  First concert and Jack especially is excited!!  We were given tickets and are grateful for them.

*On another note, it seems we have Christmas birds.  Most mornings we find them in the garage.  Once, a bird nearly flew into my head- that was one of my first clues that we had visitors.  Another time Kayla was looking out the living room window and announced ,"There are birds in the garage!"  Not quite sure how they are getting in.  Did they just forget to fly south?

*In my book stack lately:

Home and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson   I just love these books.  She draws me in these lives!  I feel the tension between what's in Ames' heart and what he knows to be right and they aren't always the same.  He, and other characters, are so torn.  Can we not relate to that??

I was given a book called Letters to Pastor's Wives and it is excellent.  Different pastor's wives wrote letters on various subjects and the wisdom they have gained from their experience is beautiful.  Even if you aren't a "ministry wife" I think you would glean greatly from it.

I am Half Sick of Shadows, a Flavia De Luce mystery by Alan Bradley is next.  She's an 11 year old sleuth in 1950s England.  This novel takes place around Christmas.  

Finally, for advent readings I always pick up Come Thou Long Expected Jesus, edited by Nancy Guthrie.  She chose selections across the ages: Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards, Spurgeon, Augustine, John Piper, Tim Keller, etc...  Each one ministers to my heart and brings it far past the busyness and sometimes frenzy of the season and back to a broken, needy world that was given a most holy, humble and beautiful gift.

A Big Step

Tonight marked a significant step in the life of the little church plant we call Providence Presbyterian.
We elected elders and deacons.
We officially called Brian as the pastor of PPC, instead of the planting pastor.  (I think those are the right words.)
And the church voted to petition the presbytery to allow us to "particularize" or become our own church and no longer a mission church.
If all goes well, our church will particularize March 1.
Wow.
I have to say it is humbling to see all God has done in His church.  It seems to me that there has been beautiful and sometimes painful growth flowing throughout this body.  Those two things often go together, don't they?
It also seems to me that PPC is a community of grace.  Not perfect people doing everything right but imperfect people seeking to love and encourage  and serve each other.  I really love that ministry happens across the board.  Brian and I are neither the best at nor the only ones pursuing  hospitality, service, or anything else.  It's the church learning, failing, forgiving, growing, loving.
We are grateful for it all.

Lucy Turns 5

 

So the baby of the family turned 5 yesterday.

Sigh.  This morning she looked at me with huge eyes when I picked her up and said, "Mommy!!  You can still hold me even though I'm5!"

I think she had a great day.  We had a little party in the morning complete with a gingerbread man cake that ran away and left clues for us all around the house!

Sam loved being able to read the clues.

 

 

We found the little guy back in the dining room and ate him up before he could get away again.  You could see on the littlest one's faces that they kind of knew this couldn't be real and yet they weren't convinced that it wasn't either.  Cute.

We had a taco dinner with Granny and Granpa.  

We do love this little girl.  She is super sweet and affectionate, giving multiple hugs and kisses all day.  Don't be fooled though.  She has spunk to rival us all.  She prefers camo and superheros to pink and princesses.  She likes trying out accents- especially a British one lately.  Her dance moves are pretty interesting, and Kayla says she's crazy.  She asked for a trampoline, a hot tub, and a debit card for her birthday.  (She didn't get any of those!)  She still likes to go off and play by herself for long stretches.  Fruit continues to be a favorite with her- clementines in particular.  She might be little but her personality is big and we are so thankful for our Lucy.