Merry Christmas.....

Just a quick note to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! We have a wonderfully full house this Christmas and it will be so much fun having everyone here for the big day! We attended the Christmas Eve service at our church this evening and it was so nice! The children are tucked away waiting for Santa to arrive and the cookies are waiting for him as well. Our tree is overflowing with presents for all, but most importantly we are surrounded by loved ones! Gramma has arrived safely and we are enjoying the time together! Tomorrow will be presents, cinnamon rolls, turkey dinner and precious time together! May you all have a blessed Christmas!

Snow Much Fun.......

So, we took the kids to the sledding hill and it was fun while it lasted. Obviously it was very cold! The hill is quite high! It was a bit intimidating for little Zoe but she braved it a few times before she had enough of the cold snow. Haali chickened out at about the same time! :) The snow is wayyyy more fun from inside with a nice hot cup of cocoa! This is a picture of the three of them headed down the top of the hill on their sleds. Zoe sat with Haali on a traditional sled and Mitchell went down on his super fast body board. I was a good girl and watched with Mandie. :)

Mitchell was taking advantage of the warm gear that we have around the house for this sledding trip!

Haali has just finished sledding here and is attempting to get the snow out of her wrists. She is definitely not a cold weather girl, so this was a very special deal for her! She even pulled Zoe up the hill in the sled!

On a completely separate note, I went to the doctor and I have simply pulled my muscles in my lower back. I wish it felt as simple as it sounds! They gave me a shot and some meds as well as signing me up for physical therapy. I am already feeling much better! Tomorrow we are headed out of town for a few days but I will get back to "Bloggerville" as soon as we return! All of you have a safe and blessed weekend!

Time together......

Well, Mandie and Zoe arrived safely yesterday afternoon! :) YEAHHH!!! They were welcomed with more snow. Mitchell went out and shoveled for an hour so that they would be able to get in the driveway. In order for Mitch to be able to get all three cars in the driveway, we had to go out and clean the whole drive out. That was a bit of a mess and awful because I wasn't able to help. But, Mandie and Haali got a good head start before Mitch got home and we managed to get all three cars in by about 8 pm. I told Mandie, Welcome to North Country! Needless to say, she is hoping that this is not an assignment that Jason picks up in his time in the military.

I am still hurting quite badly and am having some difficulty getting around, so I have an appointment today at 1. Praying that goes well! This morning Mandie put up some berries and angels that I had been meaning to get to and I thought I would share it with you. The sign was a gift from a dear friend, Dawn, last year for my birthday. I am putting a picture of the complete doorway in for you to see as well. We are taking the kids to the sledding park in a few minutes, so I will post a few pics tomorrow! Have a great day!

How Very Kind.....

My Grandma over at Knitting Paths of Life gave me this award and I am so very humbled by this award! How very kind! Sooo sweet of her! This is an award that is so close to my heart as good deeds are what I believe is our duty towards others!

I am giving this award to my sister Mandie at http://armywifeismylife.blogspot.com as she has touched many hearts with her kind postings. She is dealing so well with her husband being deployed and just a huge encouragement to me. So Mandie, here is this award for you! You deserve it!

On that point, this is a wonderful time to do something kind for someone! We tend to get so rushed with the season and caught up in the day to day activities that we may be a bit more snippy with those around us. Take a few minutes to do something nice for someone else, just because. Maybe leave a generous tip for your waitor or waitress, shovel snow for your neighbor, or take a plate of cookies to someone you have been meaning to get in touch with and just haven't been able to find the time.

On a side note, I have thrown my back out and am in a bit of pain. My sister and neice will be arriving today (YEAH!!) and I really want to enjoy my time with them. Please pray for quick healing if that is God's will, and for safe travels for my sister!

Thank you so much~

Love, Kristen

More decorations and a tag.....

Some of my DH's Santas are scattered amongst the gnomes, angels and Joseph and Mary here. I thought I would share more of his collection with you. There are so many stories that go along with these wonderful pieces! On the step you can see a Santa dressed in blue and silver holding a lantern. That is a Santa that I picked up for him while we were visiting everyone in Ohio and had made a trip to the Football Hall of Fame, which I am pretty sure I enjoyed more than the guys! :) He of course, is the Dallas Cowboys Santa. Right in front of him is a praying Santa which is just so perfect if you ask me! I love that there are more and more images of Santa praying! My husband never buys the Santa's for himself and I tell you that I could post pictures everyday and never show them all, but here is an attempt to show a few more!

Now, I have been tagged by my Gramma over at http://knittingpathsoflife.blogspot.com to take part in the eight things questions, so here goes. I will try not to bore all of you! :)

Eight things I am Passionate about....

God

My family

Crafting

Honesty

Repentance

Forgiveness

Loving

Church Family

Eight things I want to do before I die.....

Lead many people to the Lord

Enjoy grandchildren (long from now, did I say long???)

Live in the country with my husband

Graduate (finally) from College

Volunteer on a historical site

Write a book or two

Catch up on my scrapbooking

Visit every state in the U.S.

Eight things I say often........

Amen

Thank you

I love you

I'm Coming...

Darlin'

Time for breakfast

It's time to start school

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO (Green Bay Games!)

Eight books I have read lately.....

Going Home

The Storekeeper's Daughter

The Quilter's Daughter

The Bishop's Daughter

Power Prayers and Petticoats

Psychological Tests and Measurements

Psychological Guidance and Counseling

The book of Luke (The Bible)

Eight songs I listen to over and over......

In my Daughter's Eyes , Martina McBride

Breath of Heaven , Amy Grant

Brave , Nicole Nordeman

Jesus Take the Wheel , Carrie Underwood

It's Only the World , Mandisa

God of Justice , Tim Hughes

Somebody's Hero , Jaime O'Neal

Mary Did You Know , Kathy Mattea

Eight things that attract me to my best friends.....

Honesty

Sincerity

Faith

Kindness

Genuine Nature

Understanding

Candid Conversations

Common Interests

Ok, I am not tagging anyone as most of you have done this, however, if you haven't and are interested, consider yourself tagged!

In the Christmas Spirit......

Well, we had quite a storm this weekend here in North Country, but we are thankful that it wasn't as bad as it was originally forcasted to be! We, here in town, only have about a foot of snow. Now, let me explain that for me (a Western U.S. girl) saying ONLY a foot of snow is quite remarkable. We were forcasted to get up to 31 inches just over the past day and a half! So, now you see why I am thankful for our foot of snow. Having said that, I look out the window and see white everywhere and find it breathtaking! When the new fallen snow is still the purest of whites and glistening from the sunlight peeking through the clouds it is something that absolutely makes me stop and thank God for the natural wonders here on earth! I am sitting in my chair with a hot cup of coffee sweetened with a decadent chocolate creamer and relishing the beauty before me. Inside, the tree is trimmed, the stockings hung, and simple reminders of the beauty of the season are everywhere.

Today I sit trying to imagine what it was like for Mary and Joseph to make their way to Bethlehem with the remarkable blessing that they carried. Who among us now would accept the awesome responsibility that was placed on their shoulders? I pray that I will be able to keep the sense of wonder and awe that I have for our salvation today in my heart and mind throughout the year and share it with others. The perfect gift of Salvation is never ending and I pray that it is the most prevalent gift of the season.

Homemade Therapy......

I took some time earlier in the week to make a few ornaments. I needed to make one for a dear church friend and the other for an ornament exchange we during MOPS on Tuesday! For those of you who were curious, MOPS stands for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers. It is a wonderful Christian organization that was designed to support mothers of young children.

The ornament that you see above was made with some pieces of wood that my DH cut out for me years ago! I had intended to make some ornaments and just never got around to it and was so very glad that I had them waiting for me down in my basement! I decided to attempt these projects freehand and was very pleased with the outcome! They were just so fun to make! Heidi you can see a bit of my simple fabric garland in this picture. :)

This one was from the same stash that my husband had cut and was equally fun to make! The painting was so much fun and I used a simple hobby wood gingerbread man and painted him as well. The hangers are both made with copper wire. This was my husbands idea and I just love it! I had originally intended to use jute, however, our drill was not available so he used a dremel tool to put the fine holes and used some hobby copper from his train stash! He is really big into "n" gauge model trains. This was so therapeutic! I had so much fun making these and with my final exams this week it was much needed relaxation!

What do all of you like to do to relax or unwind????

Be sure to check out my poll on the right side of my blog! :)

Instructions for wreath..

Okay everyone, I know I had shared this previously but there are several ladies asking for the instructions. So here it is ladies! I used a grapevine wreath, three different ribbons cut in 1/2 inch strips, three rusty bells, and card stock for our verse in the middle. This is so simple as there is no glue at all necessary! I began by tying one bell to the base of a strip of ribbon about 12-14 inches long. Next, tie a few knots in the ribbon to create texture. For any small details enlarge the picture above. I simple found a piece of the grapevine that I could tie the ribbon to and always tie twice to ensure that it holds. Then take a small 3 inch piece of contrasting fabric and tie one at the base by the bell. Now, using a contrasting strip of fabric that is about 8 to 9 inches long, tie the next bell to the end and then tie a knot somewhere in the middle. Now, tie this one to the grapevine wreath about an inch and a half to one side of the first ribbon. Tie a contrasting strip of fabric (3" long) to the base by the bell. Now, using the third color ribbon, repeat the process once more, tying this an inch and a half to the opposite side of the first strip. Now, use one strip of each color and tie them to the top of the wreath to form your bow. It is not necessary to have a hanger as a hook or nail will go into the wreath itself. Now on your piece of card stock with the verse printed on it I used (Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice Philippians 4:4) punch a hole in the center and using the strip of fabric of your choice tie it to the bottom side of the top of the wreath (again, look at the picture). Now just take a few strips of 3" fabric and tie them randomly around the wreath! Enjoy!! I hope this helps you all!!

December MOPS Craft....

Here is a picture of the craft that we made yesterday for our December MOPS meeting. I just love this craft. I originally received one of these as a gift from a neighbor when we lived in Arizona. After that, the PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) made several of them and they went over quite well. It was so perfect a craft for the month of December. Not only is it a precious ornament it is simple and very inexpensive to make. This is made using craft sticks, hobby wood stars, hobby wood balls, white felt, raffia, ribbon, straw, and some card stock for the Bible verse. These cost us only $2.25 to make!

These craft sticks do get cut, so there is quite a bit of prep work involved, but if you were interested in making them slightly larger, you could use full size sticks. You would simply purchase the balls and stars in the appropriate size. To begin, build the "frame" of the manger by hot gluing two sticks at an angle for the roof of the manger. Then glue the two sides straight down on either side. Now, glue the bottom stick of the manger on top of the two sides (this will be the smaller stick). At this point you have what looks to be the outside frame of the manger. Now, turn that over and you will glue on the back of the manger which are five craft sticks that go from the bottom of the manger up to the top. For more detail look at the picture above. Next, turn the manger back over and lay a piece of ribbon over the top center of the manger. When you glue the next layer of the manger on, this will create a secure hanger for your ornament once you tie it. Now,* glue your roof top on one piece at a time, then your sides and then your base (again the base is the smaller piece). Repeat from * four times. Your manger should have five layers. Next take a square piece of white felt that measures about 2 inches across and cut it into two triangles. Now take one of the triangles and roll it until you have what looks to be a swaddling for the baby Jesus. All you have to do at this point is tack a tiny bit of hot glue to hold it closed and glue the wood bead at the opening of the swaddling! You have a baby Jesus. Glue some straw into the base of your manger, then glue baby Jesus into the straw. Next, glue a star (we painted ours with glitter glue) at the top of the manger as is seen in the picture. Make a small bundle of raffia and tie it together with a small piece of the raffia. This get hot glued to the very top of the manger.

On my computer I printed out

John 8:12

"I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

To that we simply attached a piece of the same ribbon used on the top (about 3" long) and tied it to the center support on the back of the manger. Thanks to all of you who participated in this craft. I hope these directions are clear enough for you!

Special Delivery......

I was so surprised this weekend when I received a package from my Aunt Heidi for Christmas and it had so many wonderful things in it! I just had to share it with all of you!

The Christmas stickers you see on the far left are just beautiful and 3-D! An egg poker to make soft boiled eggs, a candle holder that is a beautiful cream with gold flecks throughout, seven books, four patterns (cross stitch), and two CD's.

Man oh man, this is like an early Christmas! I just love the patterns and am so anxious to get started on these after the holidays! :) I have recently finished the books that I had on hand and am anxious to try these books out now. They are a stitching mystery series. I just love these types of books as they are not filled with the gory details but still intriguing.

The CD's bring special memories to my mind. When I was little and my aunt still lived at home with my Grandparents in Ohio, I remember going into a sunken room just off the kitchen and the garage where the record player was. My Aunt would listen to her records, play her flute and I loved to listen or sing along. I definitely believe that this was the beginning of my love for music. They are both Sandi Patti and the Friendship Company. I just love her voice!

Thank you Aunt Heidi! Not only did I receive some wonderful things but wonderful memories as well! Hugs and Kisses!!!

More Santas.....

This is a picture of a Santa that my Gramma Nancy over at Knitting Paths of Life made for my husband last year. I just love this guy! Please do enlarge so you can see the detail with which she painted it. The clothes are actually fabric! It is wonderful! This hangs just inside my dining room as you are about to enter the kitchen.

The first night of our Christmas play went well! Mitchell did wonderfully on his part and the entire play was just extremely touching! We managed to sing through our teary moments and we all pray that someone asks Jesus into their heart as a result of the story that we portray and the conviction with which we portray it.

One of the verses from my morning devotions that I would like to share with you is,

Psalm 139:14

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works.

Good morning everyone! This is a few pieces of a set that I picked up last year and I just love it! In my kitchen pictures you can see the cream and sugar pieces by my coffee pot. This sets in the dining room so I like to keep the salt and pepper handy there. The small pewter trees you see in the background are special as well. They were sent to me years ago by my Aunt Heidi and they are place card holders! :) Aren't they adorable!

I am very much in the Christmas Spirit this year. Today is the first of four days of our Christmas play at church. It is a wonderful tribute to our soldiers. Letters from each of the wars that our country has been involved in will be read by family members, some by soldiers, and it is so touching. The play is ended by a story from a little girl to her Dad who is deployed in the current war from our own church. We have to sing after these touching stories which is challenging for a boo hooer like me. :) There is focus on the Christmas story throughout the letters as well as singing by the choir and wonderful solos as well. Mitchell will be singing "Away in a Manger" with one of the nice young ladies in our church and it sounds wonderful! I don't know if any of you have heard the Point of Grace version of "O Holy Night", but it is beautiful and the ladies in the choir will be singing that as well as many other beautiful Christmas songs. We spent time last night working on it during our dress rehearsal and had a wonderful time! So, if any of you prayer warriors out there are so inclined, it would be wonderful if you would pray that our play would reach those who most need to hear about Jesus!

Santa's Everywhere.......

My husband is a collector of Santas! They are usually everywhere this time of year. This year we have put out the first two boxes we found, that was our agreement. This house is a bit smaller than others we have lived in and it might be a bit crowded if we put all of them out. We have yet to count how many we have, but it is definitely something I am curious about. Next year I will have to do some counting. I know that there is a rogue snowman in the picture as well, but it is one that my hubby and I painted together very early in our marriage, so he earned a place with the Santa's. :) The doily you see on the bottom shelf is the smaller one that goes with doily underneath the centerpiece on my dining room table. This shelf sits in the same room, so they compliment each other nicely.

On a totally separate note, my dear friend Jodi shared an inspirational word with us yesterday at our monthly MOPS meeting, and God has put it on my heart to share it with you. In this time of year we are all excited to see the lights, bake cookies (or at least eat them), watch those wonderful movies that we love from our childhood and maybe some that have worked their way into hearts as adults. Truth be told, there is something that is beautiful about seeing presents under the tree as well! The joys of Christmas! But not so fast..... Where is our focus on Christ in all of these worldly things? In remembering that Jesus is the reason for the season, we must also remember that the only reason that we have that beautiful account of history is because of the Bible! As Christians we often turn to authors such as Beth Moore, Joel Osteen, or maybe even a Wanda Brunstetter book for our good Christian read. The question then becomes, Are we replacing God's word with this "fluff"? Psalm 119:11 reads, "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." There is absolutely nothing wrong with reading these books of course, but one thing we can not do is replace our time in the Bible with the work of these wonderful authors. When Jodi shared this with us yesterday, metaphorically speaking, my feet were extremely sore from being stepped on so severely! I am very guilty of this! So, I have decided that there will be devotions for me every morning! I would love to share one verse with you this morning........

John 8:32 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!

So, this Christmas season and in all the season's to come, let us not forget to thank God and honor him in all that we do. Let us also be thankful that we are able to celebrate Christmas and openly worship God the Father!

Wintery North Country....

OK, so WELCOME to North Country!! :) Mitchell is loving the snow. He has been out to shovel the snow on our and our neighbors sidewalk and driveways several times already! This picture was taken yesterday before we got much of the snow that we have now. We have MUCH more now. I drove myself to church last night for our rehearsal for our Christmas Play! That was a bit nerve wracking, but I think more so for my hubby who worried about me being out in the snow. BUT, Mitchell is absolutely making the best of our new environment and loving it so much! It is beautiful, I have to give it that! Now, we have Haali who does not the cold or the snow. This is how she spends her spare time when she isn't with her friends or at a youth function!

So, for my dear, dear sister in North Carolina, enjoy the warm weather this winter! BOOO HOOOO!!!! Hahahahah! I will pray that I am able to appreciate all of the blessings that come along with the North Country rather than the irritants. :)

Christmas Centerpiece......

This is our dining room table centerpiece. It was ohhhh so simple to make and I just love it. The wonderful thing about it is that I can reuse the base for other seasons. The oversized doily that you see was made by my Great Gramma and was made using regular yarn rather than crochet thread. My Aunt Heidi sent it to me a few years ago! Thanks, Heidi! :) It is about two feet across. Inside the base which I found in the craft section of Wal-mart for a mere $10, There is potpourri that I picked up in Ohio last year. Here is a wonderful tip for storing that seasonal potpourri that you don't want out all year long, but it holds it's smell through the season. Put it in a large zip-loc storage bag along with a brown sugar disk. I usually put a cinnamon stick or two in with my winter mixes. They retain their scent wonderfully and it saves you from having to throw away perfectly good potpourri! I put some cinamon scented rose hips, pine cones and red bulbs in as well (which you can't really see in this picture, sorry). Then I placed some poinsetta and holly in the center. This was super simple, but I just love it!! So, do any of you have ideas for centerpeices that you would like to share???