December Review

Brian got 2010 of this blog printed for me for Christmas.  I love looking back through it but I also love watching the kids read through it, too.  They laugh and ask each other "Do you remember?"
That in itself makes me want to be diligent about posting pictures and stories so that they will be able to remember lots more.
So, here are some pics from our December, pre-Christmas.

Everyone helped decorate the tree but these little guys hung around the longest.

Jack was an innkeeper in the Christmas program at church  

and Kayla was a wiseman.  

I loved how she got herself all set up on the couch.  

She turned 2!

Decorating sugar cookies, very carefully with more than enough of everything in the end!

Clementine buddies.

I don't have pictures of these things but we had fun caroling at the retirement center, delivering goodies to friends young and old, reading lots of Christmas books, watching "White Christmas" and eating real, not microwave, popcorn with friends, and more that I'm probably forgetting.  I think it was a pretty good month.

Got Ham?

Trying to get back to somewhat normal today.
Normal routine, normal food (meaning not a steady diet of sweets!), normal sleep, etc...
I am one who likes to take down the Christmas decorations right after Christmas.  Still need to do the tree but I think I've gotten the rest of it.  I like how neat everything looks when it's been put back in its place.  We also need to figure out what to do with all these new presents.  We cleaned out last week but still, when the kids all get even just a couple of new things, it adds up.
Jack has been beside himself today- he got a fish tank for Christmas and set it up today.  Tomorrow- the fish!  He has read so much about them and is sooooo excited to finally have his own.

For dinner tonight, I tried something a little different.  We still have a good bit of ham left over so I found a soup recipe then tweaked it.  I really liked it!
Here's my version:

Ham and Vegetable Soup

4 cups of chicken broth

1 can of diced tomatoes

some barley

Boil those, along with some pepper and basil.  (Adjust boil time to whatever the barley needs)

Add some chopped ham and veggies.  The recipe I saw called for mixed frozen vegetables but I used some green beans, corn, and chopped carrots that I already had.

About 10 minutes before serving, add some noodles and cook until tender.

I made some corn muffins to go with it.
Yum!
It was a little salty so next time I'll either reduce the chicken broth or add a little water.

Just Licking

She still cannot stay away from all the candy on the gingerbread house.  We know she's trying again when we hear the random piano notes as she climbs.  She said, "I not eating, Mom.  I just licking."  Oh that makes me laugh!!

Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve.  Finally!  My kids are just about beside themselves with the waiting.  It's a little different for us this year since we are home and not at Grandma's today.  I think this is the second or third time in my 38 years that I haven't been there.  We will go on Monday but there is a little tug in my heart to be there now.  Today.
Funny how tradition can run so deep.  I love the smells from her kitchen.  Right now my own smells a little like a grandma's.  One thing missing:  the smokey scent from the woodstove.  At Grandma's, either one of them, it would be warm (maybe hot) inside and cold outside.  And you know, I don't know when there has been a fire in those stoves but it's still a part of my Christmas memories.
Another thing that sticks out in my mind is the Santa radar.  One of the local tv stations would break in and show on the map where Santa had been spotted.  We would squeal and hurry off to bed, so excited, believing that he was close.
With all that sweetness tucked in my heart, there are new things I await now, like our Christmas Eve service. 
I love the singing.  I love coming together as a church family to worship.
There are other things I look forward to.
One of my favorite thing about travel time on Christmas is to see how quiet so many homes look from the outside.  Many of them with driveways full of cars.  And I wonder what's going on inside.  I imagine family catching up, reminiscing, enjoying a big dinner.  I always hope it's a joyful time.
And surely I am excited for my children to experience Christmas for themselves:
*the delight of birthday cake for breakfast
*the pleasure on their faces as they open presents
*the time they can spend with their grandparents and great-grandparents- what a blessing that is to us all.  *the fun with cousins
*hearing again the most wonderful story ever told
I wonder what their memories will be, what they will hold dear.

Sticky "Bums"

Let's just say Christmas came a little early to our house.
Brian and Kayla have an annual baking tradition.  Well, at least for two years running.
They make these sticky buns, which Lucy calls "sticky bums."  Ha!  That makes me laugh.
Anyway, these two work on the rolls the night before- and I do mean work.
The dough rests all night then they finish them up in the morning, and we have a delicious mid-morning snack.
The texture is impressive.
The smell, fantastic.
But the taste, out of this world!

Reminders

It was still dark out this morning.
I sat by the lit Christmas tree.
Sammy was in his new tent in the middle of the living room.
"Mom?  Why was Jesus born?"
So we started to talk about this question, yet another big question from Sam.
Some of things I heard:
"What did the angel tell the shepherds?"
"So God was a baby? Oh yeah, so God and Jesus are the same guy."
"Tell me more about baby Jesus, Mom."
I have loved these sweet moments with Sam lately.
They are so good for me because I quickly get worried over all I "need" to do and then I get grumpy.  Who wants to be grumpy at Christmas, of all times?
I need to be reminded over and over, by Lucy singing or by Sammy asking questions or by whatever means necessary, that Christmas is about one thing.
Him.

Short and Sweet

Today has had its ups and downs, I guess like most days.  The downs are kind of getting to me but it's rest/nap time and all is quiet.  Things usually look up after this part of the day.  I found this Christmas book, Christmas in My Heart, A Timeless Treasury of Heartwarming Stories, and sat down with it for a few minutes.  The story that caught my eye is "A Day of Pleasant Bread."  Short and sweet.  Here's a couple quotes:

"As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.  And thus I drift along into the holidays- let them overtake me unexpectedly- waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 'Why, this is Christmas Day!'  How this discovery makes one bound out of bed!"

and

"Do you know, the more I look into life, the more things it seems to me I can successfully lack- and continue to grow happier."