HOW LONG IT TAKES TO MAKE A GUMDROP TREE...

Longer than you think!  It was time for my annual Christmas craft night with my little neighbors.  Inspired by this, I thought we would make gumdrop trees.  This was a home-made gift from my sis-in-law several years ago and it has amazingly held together!  I display it every year.

It starts out pretty fun - sorting and tasting each color!  I found out from the package those weird flavors are anise and clove.

Dixie the cat had to check out our gumdrop tree making!

12 hours later....JK!  But they did take a while.  Little one had to take a break.

 On to Christmas pennants!  These girlies are getting to be experts at sponge painting and hot gluing!

Their burlap pennants hanging on the stairs

The finished products and two little girls on a sugar high!


Fun times!  I was also blessed to get to hear the entire 3rd grade Christmas program, song by song.  Nothing like hearing two little girls singing!

 Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

DINNER WITH THE COLLEGE KIDS...

We had our final dinner of the semester with our college kids! On the menu:

Country Pot Pie with Cheesy Bacon Crust

Green salad, Fruit Salad

Squash Casserole

Green Beans

Blackberry Wine Cake

Apple Crisp

Ice Cream

 I enjoy doing this but it stresses me out a little, too.  I seem to do this to myself a lot!  The type A personality in me, I guess.  I always have fun once we sit down to eat, though.  One of these days I will just order pizza.

We were glad to see our nephew and his girlfriend!  They just got back Tuesday from the PacRim tour.  They traveled the world this semester and I'm sure learned more than we will ever know.  They said the best food they had was in Japan.

They're the cute ones in the back!

Lots of pretty girls!

The evening ended with my son getting his friend to model his creation for the Plastic Fashion Show.  It's a required project for one of his art classes.  You can tell he was really into this...(NOT - no comment on how long he spent).  So they all ran out to the fashion show.  I was too tired and had lots of dishes to wash but I bet it was pretty good!

Wishing them Happy Holidays and a great Finals Week!  

TWO RANDOM BEAUTIFUL THINGS...

Easter eggs in December!  There's a lovely couple in our Bible class that regularly shares eggs from their henhouse with everyone in class.  I picked these up Sunday!  Aren't they beautiful?  Organic, too.  I'm sure they could start a business but they choose to give.

Here's something else I want to share with you.  I listened to some of her album for a long time yesterday.  A beautiful song written by a beautiful girl.  She's a year older than my daughter.  Her mother passed away from cancer a few years ago, and had taught college math with my Dad.  She's poured her soul into this music.  Enjoy.

SWEETS AND SERVICE...

At our congregation we tried a new women's activity we called "Sweets & Service."  It was a Christmas brunch/craft/service project.  We decided we wanted it to benefit a local nursing home.  I racked my brain to come up with a way to keep 140 ladies busy for 90 minutes!  The organization and all the materials needed were frying my brain.  With a lot of prayer and some help from my good friend and we pulled it off!  Had a lot of help from our women's committee members as well.  

We had tables for crafts, gift bag decorators, card signing, bag filling, and ziplocing cookies - lot of jobs to be done!

The assembly line of goodies to go into the gift bags!

Lots of Moms and daughters came - loved that!

Sweet ladies signing home-made cards!

Our craft -  doorknob hangers!  They were all unique!

About 25 of us were able to deliver the gifts to the nursing home.  We sang a few songs, handed out gifts, and put the doorknob decorations on their doors.  It was a good thing to do for people who seem forgotten by our culture. 

Jesus was always reaching out to the forgotten ones.  I hope the spirit of Christmas giving touches your heart and you are able to do something similar this season!

"It is more blessed to give than to receive."  Acts 20:35

STILL PLAYING DRESS-UP...

for a school project they're working on, they say.  Right.  

Love coming home to this!  Another reason to continue my pack-rat ways.

BURLAP CHRISTMAS...

I've got a thing for burlap!  If you would've asked me a few years ago what I thought about burlap I would've turned my nose up at it.  It was that ugly rough background of all the bulletin boards at church during the 70's!  I distinctly remember olive green and gold colored burlap.  But people grow up and sometimes love the things they hated in childhood!

So this is one of my Christmas burlap projects.  A simple burlap pennant.  NO SEWING NECESSARY.  Yep, you heard right.  You can do this with just a little scissors, paint and hot glue!

Steps:
1.  Cut burlap flags to size desired.
2.  Stretch out twine to length desired and space out flags.  Leave long ends.
3.  Fold over the top to make a "hem" with twine inside, hot glue CAREFULLY.

4.  Flip over to front side and sponge paint the letters on it.

5.  Embellish with ribbons or whatever you like!

I actually added more ribbon after I took the picture.  And if you are really industrious, you could make two of them and spell out "Merry Christmas."  I'm keepin it simple.

FUN AND EASY!

CHOOSING JOY...

is not always easy.  Sometimes it takes a while.

After some unexpected news from the doctor, I have to think about it, talk to some friends about it, complain about it, and finally pray about it (which should have been my first response).  Then I can think about JOY.

I've been blessed with 30 + years of a normal female cycle and 3 healthy pregnancies.  So I guess I shouldn't be surprised that something weird might happen.  Without going into too much detail (don't mind sharing in person if you are wondering), I thought I was going through some kind of early menopause.  But after problems for nearly a year, the doctor is recommending removal of ovaries and uterus, of course, in DECEMBER.

But, why not?  I can see the Lord prepared for it to happen now.  A women's event I'm helping with is happening this Saturday.  It will be done.  Many years I have a Christmas party at my house between the Bunko group, Bible class or family.  This year everyone else is hosting - my sister's had the party planned for a year!  And the trip we thought we might take between Christmas and New Year's hadn't really materialized yet.  So no reservations to cancel or anything.  Hopefully my husband and kids will step up and do all the Christmas things for me while I'm physically down!

I don't think it's a mistake that Verse of the Day today was Phillippians 2:14, 15.  "Do everything without grumbling or complaining."

So, please, REMIND ME if you don't see me smiling.  "CHOOSE JOY."