Let Go of Christmas Perfection...

Sweet Hayley, over at Firefighter's Family, just put together a fabulous post about the pressures we face as women in our media-saturated society, so full of Pinterest glamour and Instagram perfection and shiny Facebook fronts.

(Honest insert here> I love Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook!<)

And with Christmas, the pressures and inadequacy can really pile on, can't it?

But don't give it a place in your life-choose something different, choose to be content.

Choose to be real.

Haley gently and truly reminded us:

"My problem is not my mess. Your problem is not your mess. Our problem is pretending we don't have one. Everyone has a mess. In fact that's the very reason, in very simplistic terms, that Jesus, while every bit God, came in the form of man to Bethlehem, to a very big mess:

Birthing room? Sweet moments? Perfect circumstances?  Warm welcome? Not so much.

Humility,

Sacrifice

Obedience.

That's what He's about.

That's really what Christmas is about.

Let Him have your mess.

Merry (real) Christmas."

I love what these honest women shared through their thoughts and pictures. It's awesome! You'll get to see a picture of one of my messes, too, and you know you wanna see that. ;)

Christmas Crates

I have two wooden crates flanking my front door, filled with wood pieces, lights, and fresh greenery. I need to add pine-cones.

 

I can't decide if I love it or think it's a little on the tacky side, but regardless, they're staying until after Christmas because I'm too lazy to do anything different.

Christmas Eve Service 2009

 

The following pictures are from, as the title indicates, our family's Christmas Eve candlelight service outing~
 held in a large, beautiful church near my parent's home.

Some remained at home with the stomach flu, but those who could hold their food down enjoyed attending together what I hope might remain a family tradition!

Naomi & Caleb

Hosanna & Ian

Dad & Esther

Grandpa & Grandma N., Keturah, Seth

Frugal Christmas Gift Ideas

My dear friend Amy F. has been posting all sorts of goodies on her blog, and I was especially intrigued by her list of Christmas basket ideas. She links to this article titled,

"How to Make Thrifty Gift Baskets"

and then follows with her lists of suggestions which are great for filling baskets or as single gifts:

Christmas Basket Ideas, Part 1

and

Christmas Basket Ideas, Part 2


I think you'll find a lot of fabulous, thrifty gift ideas!

Christmas Day Breakfast

Christmas in Indiana!

Three of my lovely sisters~ Mara, Naomi, & Keturah~ prepared funnel cakes for breakfast. For many years we have been trying to find the "perfect" recipe, either homemade or a store-bought mix, without success. Finally, we found The One! This is hot, powdered sugar fried Perfection:





Just the right amount of soft/chewy/crunchy, and never oily-even rivaling Silver Dollar City's famous funnel cakes!

And then, to balance it all out, I decided to make fruit salad:



The fresh pineapple was fabulous. So that was our Christmas breakfast-simple and sweet. Always something special, but never the same from year to year!

And the funnel cake recipe? Where to find it, you may ask? That's a funny answer. This past summer, while in Branson, Tom and I went along with my family, the Nails, to visit nearby College of the Ozarks. They had a gift shop of items made by students at the college. We loaded up on jellies, apple butter, and pancake mixes. Then, on a whim, Mom decided to try their funnel cake mix just in case. And it was superb!


Here is a list of products available through College of the Ozarks.

Christmas Eve Prayer for my Children

Hush! my dear, lie still and slumber,
Holy angels guard thy bed!
Heavenly blessings without number

Gently falling on thy head.

How much better thou 'rt attended
Than the Son of God could be,
When from heaven He descended
And became a child like thee!

May'st thou live to know and fear Him,
Trust and love Him all thy days;
Then go dwell forever near Him
See His face, and sing His praise.

Isaac Watts
1709

A Little Light in the Darkness

Christmas Bouquet

Sometimes a girl has to buy herself flowers! :) I thought this bouquet ( $3.99 from Aldi's!) was quite lovely with it's crimson tones. The red pears are from Aldi's too. Yes, I shop there a lot...great prices!
I cleared my island of all the accumulation, sprayed it down with a lemon verbena counter-top spray, and put together this little centerpiece. I may add a few tea-lights.
Tom came home and said, "Wow! Our island looks so big with just that on it!" Very funny.
Although few and simple this year, we are all enjoying the seasonal decor.

Snowball Cookies and Snowflakes on the Tree:: Cozy Winter Evening

Last evening we pulled out some Christmas decorations. I'm a simple girl who doesn't like to get overwhelmed by Christmas Clutter, as I call it, so our tree is an artificial pine tree that we decorate with a white winter theme-snowflakes, icicles, birds.
Hosanna and Caleb decorated it by themselves last night!

We also enjoyed hot Snowball Cookies (recipe below) and hot chocolate.
Tom's brother Andy and his wife Amy came over, too. They are close neighbors and good friends. We listened to holiday music and caught up on our lives. I held Baby Ryley and loved it. Amy and I knitted on the couch. She made an adorable hat for Ryley! Quite a cozy evening. We should do it more often...

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup chpd nuts
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Blend ingredients in order listed. Roll into balls and bake at 350 degrees for 15-2o minutes. Roll hot cookies in powdered sugar to coat well.