My Favorite Christmas Quote of 2008

As Madison opened a pair of diamond stud earrings on Christmas Eve her reaction was:

OH WOW! Are these real?

Really? They ARE?

Um........Mom............I don't think I'm that responsible.

The True Meaning of Christmas

Merry Christmas sweet friends!

Ring and Run- Part 2

Here are the last three days of poems and gifts for our Ring and Run!

Ten lords a leaping would be an awesome gift,

But they got stuck while jumping through a white snowdrift.

We had to be content, you see, to watch the popcorn fly.

So we’ve added a sweet topping to it for you to try.

(big tin of popcorn)

Those eleven pipers piping reminds us of our plumber,

To leave him on the doorstep would be a real bummer.

Now make your water piping hot, and fill your cups with care.

We’re giving you some hot chocolate we know you’ll love to share.

(hot chocolate)

We simply can’t believe this game is almost through.

We’ve had a jolly time bringing these gifts to you.

With only one more night, don’t you wish you knew,

Just exactly who we are and why we’re doing this for you?


Christmas Eve has arrived, and on this our last night,

One dozen drummers would be a grand sight.

But the noise of their drums would hurt your head,

So eat all these cookies we bring you instead.

The thing to now remember, if you’ve had lots of fun

When next December rolls around you make the nightly runs.

Make sure you pick your family with tender, loving care

‘Cause its fun to get to spoil them at this special time of year.

And so we wish you a joyous Noel,

We know that you’re hoping our name we will tell.

But our name stays a secret, we just cannot share.

It wouldn’t be right, no it wouldn’t, so there!
Merry Christmas!

Christmas Swap 2008

My sweet friend Becca, had a blogger Christmas Swap that I participated in a few weeks ago. Vonnie, who is a such a sweet lady (who NEEDS to start a blog) sent me an absolutely fabulous and wonderful package.

Inside was:

This beautiful card

This precious little Guardian Angel

This fun and festive Christmas bracelet

A gift card to one of my favorite places in the whole wide world

This absolutely beautiful cross

Thank you Vonnie for such a fabulous package full of wonderful treats!!

Ring and Run

I'm a girl who loves traditions and when I read about this tradition last year I filed it away praying I would remember it this Christmas. It sounded like so much fun and something we would absolutely have a ball doing. Thankfully I did remember it and this year we began the tradition of Ring and Run.

Ring and Run is based very loosely on the song The 12 Days of Christmas. Here's how it works. You choose a family to surprise and every day for the 12 days leading up to Christmas you leave a little treat on their doorstep along with part of a poem, ring their doorbell, and run away!

We chose a sweet family with 3 little girls and I cannot tell you how much fun we have had buying and delivering little treats for them! Although this tradition is supposed to be totally anonymous, we altered that rule just a bit and let the parents know what we were up to. Sneaking around in someone's front yard might tend to cause the police to get called and so we wanted them to know that we were not prowlers or burglars and filled them in on what we were doing. The girls still have no idea who we are- and we are definitely trying to keep it that way.

Below are the gifts we have given so far- along with the corresponding poem. I won't post the remaining gifts until after we have delivered them but if you would like a copy of the entire poem in Word- just email me (slmfar@msn.com) and I'll be happy to send it to you!

This glad Christmas season is so full of fun.

We’re happy to share with your family, then run.

How grateful we are that you’re playing our game.

You’ll now find that Christmas won’t be the same.

The song that we sing twelve days in a row

Won’t get tiresome with treats from friends you know.

But to keep up the mystery and the fun,

You won’t know who we are until we’re all done!

Each night we’ll bring something

Please don’t watch for us coming.

If you catch us too soon,

It will spoil the fun that’s coming!

Tonight calls for a partridge for your pear tree,

But partridges are tough catches, you see.

So, how about some canned pears, instead of a birds.

And a pair of Christmas books full of words.

(canned pears and 2 Christmas books)

Tonight we have turtles & doves coming your way.

Eat all the chocolate you may.

Because in your family you have quite a few,

We’ve left on your doorstep more than just two.

(Dove candy and turtle bathtub toys)

Hens are chickens

If they are French or not!

Here is chicken soup

To heat in a pot.

(little individual chicken noodle soup cans and chicken shaped crackers from Target)



Four calling birds, we can’t pay the fare,

For all we have is a purse full of air.

As Christmas approaches, and calls you must make,

Don’t use these gold coins or the phone you may break.

(gold covered chocolate coins)

On the fifth day of Christmas with things rather tight,

It’s important to us that we all travel light.

Gold rings are too heavy (and so are gold buckles),

So please be content with sweet rings on your knuckles.

(ring pops)

Six geese-a-laying– an interesting sight.

One of them squawked and they all took flight.

What they left in their nest, you’ll just have to look,

But with these you won’t want to cook.

(Silly Putty eggs)

The 7th day of Christmas and we are half way done,

Remember no peeking or you’ll spoil the fun.

On this day of Christmas, how nice it would be,

If seven swans a swimming your family could see.

The pond was quite empty since the swans have gone south,

We only found goldfish to put in your mouth.

(a big box of Christmas goldfish)

On the eighth day of Christmas, we’re busy as a bee.

Eight maids-a-milking, no where do we see.

But there in the barn we spy a tasty sweet,

Milk Maid caramels, what a treat.

(Milk Maid caramels)

Nine ladies dancing would be too big a crowd,

Besides their music is way too loud.

We have for you Christmas songs,

That you can listen to all season long.

(a kids Christmas CD)

So Now We Know Her Middle Name

Our dog Belle is so cold natured- she shivers almost constantly during the winter. We tried putting a sweater on her last year and she freaked out each time we tried to put it on so we finally gave up. This year we were determined to get her used to it and she seemed to be doing better. However, yesterday morning this is what she looked like when I left for work:

I took this pictures moments before she went and laid down in her bed in the laundry room- with the warm blankets we put in the dryer for a few minutes to warm her up.


However, this is what I found when I got home from work:

That silly dog managed to take that sweater completely OFF- without tearing it in any way.

How funny is that?

I'm thinking her middle name must be Houdini.

What Would You Give?

If money were no object and anything were possible,
what are three gifts that you would give away this Christmas?

While You Were Sleeping

Let it SNOW! Let it SNOW! Let it SNOW!

Maddie's first snow angel!

Making a snowman is hard work!

But she figured it out!
(with a little help from Daddy:)

Christmas Choices

Christmas Choices


1. Tinsel or NO Tinsel?

NO Tinsel


2. Colored lights or white lights?

White, white, and only white


3. Fruitcake or gingerbread?

Gingerbread, but only if it's soft.


4. Bows on packages or no bows (just lucky to have the presents wrapped)?

BOWS- and lots of them! I mean..........come on, I went to Baylor!


5. Shopping done early or shopping done at the very last minute?

Done early- but always go out and find a few more things at the last minute.


6. Santa or no Santa?

Santa


7. Open presents Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Christmas Eve- except for Santa



8. Real tree or fake tree?

Love real but have fake now because it's easier and less messy! I used to worry constantly that a real tree would die before Christmas, no worries with a fake tree!



9. Christmas cards: always, sometimes, or never?

Every other year.



10. Christmas Eve at home or at church?

Church if we are in town.

Now it's your turn. What about you?

Belle of the Ball

This is what happens when you send your very girly 12 year old daughter to the store to buy a sweater for your very cold natured dog who shivers constantly.

Poor Belle.

Bless her little heart.

Snail Mail

The term "snail mail" came up in my class earlier this week.

As is often my custom, instead of giving an outright answer when one of my students asks me what something means, I tried to lead my students to the answer. After the typical 10 year old response of "Is it mail that a snail delivers?" was shot down I decided to help my class figure it out by giving them a hint.

So, thinking this would totally give it away I said..............

It's how I used to send mail to friends when I was your age.

One little boy in my class immediately got a really excited look on his face and raised his hand high- complete with the "Oooh, oooh, oooh" sound effect.

I called on him, feeling confident that my hint had helped him figure it out and he said...........................

It's mail delivered on a horse, right? Like the Pony Express?

Um......excuse me?

I know I'm not a spring chicken and could even be called oldish but exactly how old do I look?

The Pony Express ran in 1860.

Good night nurse.

If you'll excuse me now......I'm off to buy some wrinkle cream.

A BUNCH.

What In the WORLD?

In addition to their search engine, Google is constantly coming up with new and exciting bells and whistles programs. Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Health, Gmail just to name a few.

But their newest venture absolutely takes the cake! As I read about it in this article, my mouth actually fell open in disbelief. Seriously.

It's called Mail Goggles. Basically it's a part of Gmail that was designed to stop people from sending embarrassing e-mails while drunk by requiring you to do math problems. You choose a level of difficulty and must do 5 problems correctly in 60 seconds in order for the email to be sent during the weekend hours of 10pm and 4am.

Basically it's a breathalyzer for your email.

All I could think of while reading this article was........are you kidding me?

Is this what our world has come to? Is there really that much of a problem with people sending email when they are drunk? How do they even manage to type or simply run their computers while drunk?

Seriously? Mail Goggles? Good night nurse.

Persistent Girl

This is an exact transcript of a message I found on my answering machine last night when I got home from getting my nails done.

It was from Maddie (who was at dance) and she said:

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mom?

Mamma?

Mommy?

Mamacita?

Mooooooomy?

MOOOOOOOOM?

Mother?

Mooooother?

MAMA?

Mom?

Mom?

Click.

That girl cracks me up! She's a little on the persistent side huh?

(And as you can probably tell from that message, I am prone to be home and not answer the phone. Isn't that terrible?)

A Bed of Kindness

One of my very favorite Christmas traditions in our home starts today and I am so excited!

In our home we do not put out baby Jesus in our nativity scene until Christmas morning. As we prepare for Christmas our goal is to prepare a manger for him that is warm and cozy.

So, Beginning on December 1st we each strive to do kind things for people that we encounter. Each evening at dinner we each list the kind things that we have done that are above and beyond and are ways that we have shown kindness to others. For each kind act that we perform, we lay a piece of straw in the manger for baby Jesus.

Our goal is to have as much straw as possible by Christmas morning so that Jesus has a nice warm place to lay his sweet head.

This tradition has been such a blessing to our family. It's wonderful to hear what Maddie and Honey have done during the day for others and it really helps to make each of us aware of those around us who need help. It also helps to keep us focused on the needs of others instead of on ourselves. And I don't know about you, but I sure need that reminder some days!

Slow Fade

This song by Casting Crowns is one of my current favorites with such a powerful and true message.

It's a great reminder that the little choices that we make each and every single day- those that seem so minor and insignificant- are truly important and have consequences.

It's a reminder that because each choice is so important we must continually seek God's wisdom- so that we make the right choice.

It's a reminder that one sin doesn't usually cause someone to fall- it's one sin after another after another after another that leads to devastation.

It's a reminder that although we cannot undo the mistakes we make, we can learn from those mistakes so that we don't make the same ones again.

It's a reminder that we don't move away from God and a relationship with Him in one single instant but slowly fade away from Him, one act at a time.

It's a reminder that we must protect our hearts and minds and watch what we fill our minds with.

It's a reminder of God's mercy and grace and that He always forgives us when we come to Him with a repentant heart.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I John 1:9

Pecan Pie Surprise Muffins

These are a great way to use up any leftover pecan pie you might have after Thanksgiving! They are absolutely fabulous fresh out of the oven. I made these for Madison's teachers and as soon as they came out of the oven I immediately ate half of one and I don't even like pecan pie!

3 slices pecan pie, frozen - homemade or frozen

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 t baking powder

1 t salt

2 T sugar

1/4 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin or spray with flour-added Pam. Cut each frozen pie slice into 4 chunks. Place one pie chunk in each muffin tin. In a small bowl, beat together egg, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg mixture; stir just until blended. Spoon batter into muffin tins, covering pecan pie chunks. Stir together topping ingredients (sugar and cinnamon) and sprinkle evenly over muffin tops.Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes; remove from muffin tins.
Makes 12 muffins

NEVERENDING Thanksgiving Prayer

It's 4:00AM, Where Are YOU?

On Your Mark...........................

Get Set.................................

SHOP!!!!!

Blessed and Thankful

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Blessed Beyond Measure

As I stop today to thank God for the
many, many, many undeserved
blessings in my life
I am truly in awe of His love
for me and for you.

We truly are the apple of His eye,
the bee in His bonnet,
the Cool Whip on his pumpkin pie,
the cherry in His Sonic Diet Coke.

Regardless of how many times
we lose our tempers,
are ugly to those around us,
snap at others,
are selfish and thoughtless,
He loves us simply because
He is who He is.






And because of that fact
we are truly
Blessed Beyond Measure!


On this day of Thanksgiving
my prayer for you today is that you
are reminded
over and over and over again
how much God loves you!


Happy Thanksgiving sweet friends!

Thanksgiving Inspiration

This morning I'm running around like a crazy woman in my grandma's apron cleaning and cooking and preparing for Thanksgiving for my sweet family at our house tomorrow.

So instead of reading my silly ramblings, here are some fabulous and thoughtful posts that you simply must read. These truly touched my heart this week and I hope they will touch yours.

You Choose

Running (not that kind of running)

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

PS Here's one more link that is guaranteed to make you laugh your Thanksgiving head off! Be prepared because it's a HOOT! Fun Things to Do On Thanksgiving

Randomness on a Tuesday Morning

I got to see a sweet childhood friend this weekend. I've known Dia for FOREVER (at least since we were 5) and haven't seen her in at least 20 years. What a treat it was to get to catch up with her and meet her absolutely adorable 2 and 1/2 year old daughter! Old friends are so special!







How cute is this Thankful garland hanging from my mantle? These pics do not do it justice (my camera stinks and I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new one)- it is truly adorable. I saw it on the Emmie Cakes website and just had to buy one. You can buy the garlands either assembled or unassembled (which is how I ordered mine) and in many different styles and for many different occasions- birthdays, Christmas, baby showers just to name a few. So fun!




I saw these in my new Sur La Table catalog last night and absolutely cracked up! They are Onion Goggles and are sturdy plastic goggles that feature a comfortable foam seal that protects eyes from onion vapors; with anti-fog lenses for maximum clarity. For only $22 you can have your very own pair. What a hoot!

As I am super busy preparing for Thanksgiving with my sweet family this song keeps running through my head over and over and over again from Adam Sandler on SNL back in the good old days(please forgive the not so nice part of the song).