A New Thing

“This is what the LORD says— he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.”- Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

Happy New Year to you! I'm not sure what all new things 2009 will bring, but I am thankful that God does! I am so thankful that He is making a way in the deserts of my life & bringing forth streams in the wastelands...I look forward with anticipation to what new things He has for us this year. (And here I sit, right as the New Year rings in! I am hearing fireworks shooting in the neighborhood & notice that it is just now Midnight!) There is something so wonderful about new beginnings, fresh pages to be written, new ideas to be thought, new lessons to be learned...after-all who doesn't like something new! Each New Year, new day, new minute is a precious gift!

I pray that you will enjoy all of the "new" things in your life this year, trusting in Him who makes all things new!

And, not to write off the past year too quickly...I too am thankful for a wonderful 2008...here are just a few photo hilights from the last year...(in very random order!)

Note to self...or perhaps New Year's Resolution...get more photos of the kids together!

Let Earth Receive Her KING!

Yes, JOY to the world! The LORD is come!

The waiting is over...the expectation relieved...the Savior has been born!

Luke 2:10-11
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.

I pray that your Christmas Day will find you full of joy as you celebrate the birth of the King with your loved ones...and full of wonder as you remember the tiny Baby born in a stable.

Merry Christmas to all......................................................
.....................................................and to all a good night!

Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange

Well, last night was a fun evening in our house...I hosted the Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange started several years ago by my dear friend Katie, who has now moved out of state :-(

Back in November I was reminded of the fun event by another dear friend Jen...so we began planning and anticipating. It seemed so far away at the time, but in true "Holiday Time" fashion, the night was upon us before I could blink!

I have to say it was a lovely evening with about 20 gals getting out their oven mitts to bake up some delicious treats! Everyone had such a nice time eating, socializing & of course sharing cookies! Here are a few pictures of the wonderful treats...and even more arrived after I took the pictures!

The Dining Room Table....laden with treats!

And the buffet table with a 4-tiered display...and there ended up being more cookies on other tables in the room!

Let the Cookie Exchanging Commence!

And of course my kiddoes were having a ball sampling a few of the delectable sweets before bedtime...I didn't get a photo of Sophie, she was too busy running around the house from her sugar high!

Darcy saying MOOORRRREEEEE!

Darcy's grin & punch moustache! I tried to get a picture of the cute little shimmy dance she did after every bite of a cookie...let me tell you, the girl enjoys her treats all the way down to her toes!

Jack enjoying his favorite...my very own White Chocolate Cranberry Almond Bark!

Oh, and I should have taken a picture of my Festive Punch! (I'll work on being more blog-minded next time!) Anyway, I make this punch it for parties all the time & it ALWAYS disappears quickly...I usually end up making at least 3 or 4 batches. It is a beautiful bright red & looks so pretty in a glass pitcher or a punch bowl. So here is the recipe...and the great thing is you don't really have to measure the ingredients...you CAN NOT mess this one up.

Festive Punch

Ingredients

Frozen strawberries

Chilled Pineapple Juice

Chilled Soda (Sprite, Ginger Ale, choose your favorite...I especially like to use the Cranberry Ginger Ale that is available around the holidays)

You just dump the bag of frozen strawberries into your blender (do NOT thaw). Top it off with about 1/2 of the can of Chilled Pineapple Juice and blend it all up!

Pour that into your serving dish or pitcher (only fill your pitcher about 1/2 way). Then top that off with the Chilled Soda and stir....Yum-yum!

The best thing is you can mix it up with different frozen fruits & a variety of sodas for different flavors. Enjoy!

It's the Most BUSIEST Time of the Year!

Not much to post today (and please excuse my poor grammar in the title!), but I realized a week has escaped me & I have not blogged a thing! Along with all the wonder, comes a lot of busy preparations & I have been in the midst of Christmas concerts (that the kids sang in!), finishing my Christmas shopping (*still* not quite done!), working on Christmas cards (nope, those aren't in the mail yet either...and my annual letter, well not this year!), working on photo books for the grandparents, preparing to bake cookies & treats...and the list goes on!


My Heart's simple plea...


Dear Lord, please help me slow down & enjoy this wonderful season! Amen.


So maybe my Christmas Cards will bring New Year Wishes...and the Photo Albums can probably wait until after the New Year, too...that way they can include Christmas!


Oh, I know, a friend sent this via email the other day & I have gone back to it many times to re-read it...it has been just what I have needed to be reminded of.


1 CORINTHIANS 13 CHRISTMAS VERSION



If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir’s cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another’s home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.

But giving the gift of love will endure.

Merry Christmas!

– Author Unknown.

(The email I received said Author Unknown, but I Googled it & a few places list it as 1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style ©By Sharon Jaynes. So I Googled that some more & here is her original post http://www.sharonjaynes.com/devotions/archives/1Corinthians-13-Christmas-Style.htm. By the way, it seems to be a popular poem this Christmas...I found dozens of blogs with it posted...so I suppose I'm not the only one who needed this reminder!)

This Moment on Monday...

Just a pretty lazy Monday around our house...I'm catching up on business work & the girls have been busy making messes, playing dress-up & just generally getting into mischief!
Here they are just a few moments ago...they found a long string of wooden bead garland & were running all around the house with it dragging behind them! And I just let them have fun while I prayed that the string would not break!

Isn't this a grin that just spells mischief!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year...

I do think Christmas time is quite full of wonderful things...the lights, the smells, the colors...and one of my favorite events is the annual Ladies Christmas Tea at our church. This is only my third year attending/decorating, but I think it started many moons ago, and boy, is it a spectacular event! Over 85 tables (8 per table, so that's nearly 700 ladies!) gather on a Saturday afternoon for tea & refreshments, singing, speakers & general festiveness. But the BEST part of this event is the tables themselves...people sign-up to decorate the tables and man do they go all out! It is like a wonderland just walking through the immense room taking in all of the pretty china, the festive centerpieces, the whimsical, the traditional...there is a little of everything!

I decorated two tables again this year & here are a few pictures...

(I painted the bird houses last year & am using them again this year. I think they make for a fun, whimsical table setting.)

My mom & I will be sitting at this table with some friends for the tea.

Here is a picture of the bird houses in my kitchen window at home, where I'm using them this year.
This is my more classic table setting. I don't know who will be sitting at this table, but I hope they enjoy it!


I think you can get a feel for the scale and grandeur of the event from these shots...

And here are just a few of the MANY gorgeous tables! Some are very elaborate, some are very simple, but each and every one is beautiful. A couple of the tables used mis-matched teacups for a very pretty effect. I had to run back this afternoon for a final touch after picking Jack up from school & so he went with me. After I finished with my table, we walked the room to admire all of the tables. I was commenting to him that I thought I might use some mis-matched tea cups next year and he replied, "Yeah, they are all different & special, just like God made every person different & special." Awww, I just love the way his 7 year old mind puts things like that together! I praise God for how He created my Jack!
Now for those tables...