Be Strong and Courageous

This was the year of the Christmas photo card. I think we had just about 50/50 between the cards and the picture ones. It was fun to see how the families we know have changed and grown over the year and a blessing to hear from so many. I have been having trouble up loading my photos more than one at a time and hope that I can update In the new year. Blessing to all!!

This is factory just down the road from our home that always has this stream of steam coming from it. On this particular morning the colors of the sky were so soft behind it. I was a bitter cold morning about 7 degrees and the steam rose in a pillar. It was just beautiful to look at. I pulled over one morning on my drive from dropping off Keith and watched the sun come up over the Yakima river. It was so bright and intense. The bare trees make for such a gorgeous forefront to the scene. I stopped again the next day to watch the moon set behind the Selah Hills. It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful God's creation is and that we get to enjoy day in and day out.

We finally caught up with the Toys for Tots on their final weekend out. Great fun to be a part of it. Donovan wanted to know if the "army guy" was going to bring the toys back to our house? funny. I had a great time baking up cookies for our children's Christmas program at church and for the kid's teachers. Jello spritz, Snickerdoodle, Chocolate mint chocolate chip, and Oatmeal Cranberry white chocolate.

The snow was so mushy by day 3 that all we could do was walk in it and Addysen wanted me to spell her name in the snow, I offered her a Big Heart instead. The frosty stuff was still stuck to the tips of my maple leaves, very beautiful. I am still trying to work on my macro lense process for better pictures of smaller things like icicles on leaves. The back yards are all still open right now, no fences. The snow was all still fresh back there. Addysen was trying to make snow angels in the harden slush, that was not going so well for her, but it was a good try.

Facebook Nicole Lee Spellman : "Is so Glad my kids are super excited for Christmas. The last year has been full of so many emotions that having something to be excited about makes of happy"

This is how I what I love waking up to, a Warm cup of coffee, with the Reminder that Jesus is First, in all things and above all things. So this is one of the yummy gifts I made this Christmas, We handed them out at Emma's party, to coworkers, moms at Mops and friends alike. We made cookies for teachers this year. In all there were 4 main kinds - Peppermint, Hazelnut, Vanilla Caramel and Coffee, some with marshmallows, some with out. You basically just add layers of cocoa, creamer, coffee, and marshmallows of you choice to pint jars. It makes 4 mugs worth. You add the entire contents of jar to 3 cups HOT water on stove, and divide into 4 mugs to top with milk. YUMMO!

So Emma is now 12, I know stop the presses but believe it or not she is. She does just sparkle, I really do enjoy the creative singy little being that she is. She wanted a tea cup cake but it was too heavy to flip over so we decorated the bottom of it as well and had a good time.

This is the Christmas Banner that I finally finished last week. It was fun to do, sort of like scrapbooking, lots of pieces and textures. This is an ornament my Grandma made out of a wood spool. She is my inspiration in all things creative, she painted and cooked like no one I know. I miss her very much, especially around the holidays. Ok so decorating and then getting 5 kids to sit and focus at the camera, was just not happening. Hey no one is crying in this one. Andrew trying to take on the entire Turkey leg, the leg won. It was just too much, but he had fun trying. The yummo turkey, well not exactly, the breast meat was great but the dark meat got way too tough and no one had any left overs. Next year we are going to do just the breat and add a ham for Emma.