Christmas....A Little Late this Year.

This post goes along with the picture of the post below.
Well, I finally got a Christmas card ordered!  Note the date: December 27. I like to send picture cards and we were not all together until Christmas this year. I usually try and get a picture at Thanksgiving. But Andy was in Arizona visiting family. I made sure that we got a picture when we got home from church on Christmas Sunday-- before we ran off to my Mom's house. Luckily, Alissa knows how to set up the timer on my camera! I thought the picture was pretty good for a spur of the moment job. I was impressed with the selection of cards that share the true meaning of Christmas at Shutterfly. I ordered a few of the below style and more of another style (because of cost). I also ordered a book of our vacation that we took last May in Myrtle Beach.  Mmm...I am seeing a pattern here. Procrastination. At least I still remembered our vacation to write about it :)  So....Merry Christmas (a little late)!

Stationary Card

For Unto Us Religious Christmas Card

Custom Christmas cards are always available at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

The Christmas Snack Carrier

A great way to deliver caramel corn and snack mixes.

Sewing with...Faith Hope & Love

Faith Hope & Love Christmas Skirt

Here is a new Christmas skirt that I sewed up for a Christmas craft show this past weekend and for my Etsy shop: Adorable Blessings This Faith Hope & Love skirt pattern is an easy pattern to sew up and perfect for a beginner. The best part is that the purchase of this skirt pattern helps benefit children from all corners of the world. Create H.O.P.E. Designs uses 100% of all funds generated to benefit designated foundations serving orphans and their communities.

Cute Snowmen!

Kristy, over at Hopeful Threads, is having a fun sew-along for the month of November, using patterns purchased from Create HOPE Designs. Click on the above link if you would like to join in.

Easter Dresses

It has been so cold this spring here in Ohio. The snow is almost all gone but it seems like the cold weather won't let go. (I made up these Easter dresses a few weeks ago.)  This inverted pleat a-line style was popular last year in my shop. So, I decided to bring it back this year in a different fabric. The fabric is Moda's Bunny Hill by Lily and Will. The dress is available in three colors: green, pink and blue. If you look closely you can see that there is a bunny hiding in the Cottontail Toile fabric. So cute! I have sold my samples and even sent one to Madrid Spain. Luckily, I have more fabric to make some more. The fabric is from Stitches n' Giggles  Click here to visit Stitches N' Giggles They have great service and great prices.

Heart Art

Look what we got in the mail today from our college daughter.

What can be sweeter than handmade Valentine's Day cards?

We LOVE them all!

Thanks Alissa!

New Banner

Lots of new dresses and bibs and lounge sets in the shop~Christmas colors!  Polka dots, stripes, damask, snowflakes, reindeer and Christmas trees all in festive reds,pinks, greens and blue. My old  banner just didn't match. Look what Sarah made me:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/adorableblessings Love it! Thanks Sarah!

Mother's Day

 

I had a great Mother's Day! All the kids were able to be home for the weekend. I started out the day with breakfast in bed. Josh made me pancakes and fruit salad.  Next, we went to church. I had nursery duty and I got to enjoy some sweet babies.  We had a delicious lunch prepared by the girls: Skillet Beef Stroganoff, breadsticks salad and later- a yummy srawberry dessert. The younger boys picked out roses with the help of their Dad. The girls got me some great travel items for our upcoming trip. I just love the homemade cards!! In the afternoon, we went to my Mom's for a dessert buffet.  A great day!

Christ the Lord is Risen Today!

He paid a debt, He did not owe. I owed a debt, I could not pay. I needed someone to wash my sins away...

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." John 11:25

Easter Activities

After the egg hunt at Grandma's house. Cousins counting their eggs to see if they found them all. It started to rain so we had the egg hunt inside this year.

Isaac searching for eggs.

Rice Krispy Treat eggs...

and rabbits. They had whiskers made with Fiber One cereal. (At least they were a little bit healthy.)

Isaac's favorite item in his Easter basket. Well... he really liked the candy too.

Artsy eggs.

Being creative.

Working on the Rice Krispy Treats. We were laughing because I got Alissa's elbow all sticky.

Happy Valentine's Day!

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. I John 4:8

An 8,306 Mile Journey

We made up three Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes this year. Shortly before Christmas we received an email that our boxes had been sent to Botswana. We received a tracking number by paying for our shipping online. How exciting to know where our boxes ended up!

When we first started making up shoe boxes, the kids would always try to scan the pamphlets for wrapping paper that looked like ours. We never did recognize any of our boxes. However, one year we did receive a postcard from a girl in Moldova who had received one. This is such a great mission project that the boys can really relate to. They enjoy picking out toys, candy and school supplies that they thought a boy their age would also enjoy.

Time Management for the New Year

"One reason we are so harried and hurried is that we make yesterday and tomorrow our business, when all that legitimately concerns us is today. If we really have too much to do, there are some items on the agenda which God did not put there. Let us submit the list to Him and ask Him to indicate which items we must delete. There is always time to do the will of God. If we are too busy to do that, we are too busy."
— Elisabeth Elliot (Secure in the Everlasting Arms)

Wow! This really hits the nail on the head. Another quote from one of my favorite authors~ Elisabeth Elliot. I have read that we can tell a lot about a person's priorities by looking in their checkbook. I believe that it is true that we ultimately use our pennies or minutes on what is truly important to us.

Christmas Lists

Christmas Lists
December days are filled with lists-
the presents I must buy,
ingredients for cookies,
new recipes to try,
packages to mail, and
Christmas cards to write-
my lists defy completion,
though I labor day and night.
And as the month keeps rushing by,
the stress mounts and I find
a certain lack of purpose
in my ritualistic grind.
I need to put my lists aside
and seek what wise men found-
that "peace on earth" that angels sang
to shepherds all around.
For God's gift still comes quietly,
and as my heart is stilled,
my Christmas list becomes
a list of promises fulfilled.

Kathy Schriefer
"The Family Treasury of Great Holiday Ideas"

Awww...

Awww...look what I found. Tim and the kids went shopping yesterday and this was left for me on the coffee table. One of the boys gave me his advent candy for the day. We have a little cupboard with little doors and cubbies that I hide a bit of candy in. This helps us to count down the days 'til Christmas.
We went shopping on Friday and the boys had to model these cute hats. They look happy here. This is right before they decided that they had had enough ( and I still needed to get groceries). Their shopping stamina isn't too good. What is it with guys and shopping?

For Unto Us a Child is Born..

This is our first manger scene- A Christmas gift from my Mom when we were newly married.

This is a birthday gift I received from my sister and brother-in-law years ago.

This nativity was made this year by the boys at our Homeschool Co-op. Even styrofoam cups and paper bags can be used to glorify God.

This wooden manger scene was a handmade Christmas gift. I had envisioned it over on the left side of the house. I came home from shopping yesterday and found that my husband had placed it directly in front of the front door.
Look how awesome the shadow from the spotlight looks over the front door. I just love how this emphasizes the real meaning of Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Thanksgiving Creativity

I found this Mayflower craft here. The boys did a great job making it. Each family member got 5 slips of paper to write what they were thankful for. It was fun to read them all!

We got the idea for these fall cookies from Woman's Day Magazine here.

But, we used Tim's Aunt's recipe for the cookies. This recipe comes highly recommened. Nice consistancy, good flavor, and no chilling time.

Cut-Out Cookies

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 scant tsp. baking powder

3 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time-mixing thoroughly between additions. Add vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder together and mix with butter mixture. Roll 1/4" thick and bake at 400 degrees for 4-6 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes 3 dozen cookies.