Abbi is 1 year old!

This year has flown by. And I have an amazing way for it to end. Today is my only daughters first birthday. She has been a delight from the beginning. Always smiling, laughing, and trying to figure out what to get into next. She has definitely benefited from being the 3rd...and the fact that she is the only grand daughter on my side! I have mellowed some through the years, since my Noah was born. She is so sweet. She is going to be a little chatter box from the way she already "talks" to me. I cannot imagine our family with out her!

Happy Birthday my little Abigail! I love you so much!

Merry Christmas 2009

I will be taking some time away from the computer for a few days to spend time with family and friends during the holidays! I hope you and yours have a joyous time together and remember why it is we have CHRISTmas! Happy Birthday Jesus!

I will leave you with my 3 favorite Christmas songs!

Sunday Session 12-13-09

Matt.10:8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

Deuteronomy 26:1-3 (New International Version)

¹ When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, ²take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the LORD your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name ³ and say to the priest in office at the time, "I declare today to the LORD your God that I have come to the land the LORD swore to our forefathers to give us."

Only 27 days until...

my baby girl is a year old! I cannot believe how fast this year went. My sweet baby will be one on December 30!

Our Advent Activities

I have been wanting to do an Advent type of activties for our family for a while. This year I just sat down and did it! It is hard to think of something for all of the kids to do, but I think what I have planned will work. I just want the kids to know that Christmas is about more that just Santa! Here are a few of the things we will be doing this year.

*Hang wreath on the door and make a paper chain to count down to Christmas Day

*Write a letter to Santa and deliver it to Macy's

*Write letters to Clyde who is overseas and to my brother who is in the Air Force in CA.

*Hang up our stockings

*Go to our Christmas Parade (Our's passes right by our neighborhood!)

*Make mini ginger bread houses (out of graham crackers)

*Make Christmas shortbread

*Make Christmas trees (out of a sugar cone and green icing)

*Read the legend of the candy cane and have some

*Address Christmas card and drink egg nog

*Go shopping for teacher gifts and wrap them

*Make salt dough ornaments to give as gifts to neighbors

*Find pine cones and make bird seed feeders

*Have hot chocolate, with whipped cream

*Have an indoor picnic

*Make gift for the grandparents (it's a surprise or I'll tell what it is!)

*Go to some local events: hayride through Life of Christ, looking at Christmas lights, some church events.

I got a lot of ideas from this sight: Our Home With God. Lot's of good ideas!

I also have a short Bible verse to read each night.

What does your family do to celebrate the Holidays? I need some more ideas!

Menu Plan Monday 11-30-09

I know I am a day late, but I didn't really have time to get on the computer yesterday. I was in the kitchen ALL day! I made cookies for MOPS cookie exchange, and some more cookie dough, 2 breakfast casseroles for our MOPS meeting, and then made dinner! I was tired by the end of the day when I thought about doing this, and decided to go to bed!

Monday-cubed pork and baked mac and cheese

Tuesday-spirit night for Noah's school, maybe eating with my parents

Wednesday-Baked ziti

Thursday-marinated sirloin steak with caramelized onions, scalloped potatoes and carrots

Friday-Birthday party for my niece Grace

Saturday-Layered Mexican Bake

Sunday-leftovers

I love the Kraft Food and Family magazine. That is where a few of these recipes came from. Enjoy your week, ours is a busy one!