Hope for the New Year

Lately I've felt like I am stuck in the mud. Life seems to be so difficult. I've had that blah feeling too much. I am physically and emotionally drained and find it hard to make progress. In thinking of the new year, I am hoping to get some things in order. It's not that my body will feel much better necessarily or that I will feel emotionally energized all the time. However, my focus is on hoping in the Lord - that He can change me and my life. I look to Him for guidance so I can organize my life a bit more and renew my mind. I desire more peace and joy in my life and will do the best I can to make that happen. I pray the same for you.

Wishing you blessings in the New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your family a joyous celebration of our Savior's birth and salvation!

Blessings, Lisa

Date Time

Flowers, chocolates, and a nice dinner for two... I'm sure that's what you are thinking about, right? Think again. This time imagine a mother with her four year old son, fondly following him around the dollar store with a smile and a warm heart as he carefully chooses Christmas gifts for his siblings. Follow that up with a hot meal in a cozy booth at Taco Bell. Yep, that's the date I had the other day, and it was absolutely lovely. I love having date time with my children, and they love it too. They often ask for date time, whether it's waking up early to play a game or make breakfast together or going out somewhere for a short while together. It's so wonderful to hop away from the busyness of life and bond with your children. If you haven't done it in a while or not at all, think about giving this gift to your children over the holidays. Plan a date with them, individually or a couple of them together. You will feel blessed, and so will they!

Blessings,

Lisa

The Blessing of Snow

Snow - some people love it; some people hate it. I happen to love it, except for when it is tricky to drive around in it. Otherwise, I absolutely think it is a delightful blessing that is given to us to brighten up our Winter days. Winter is going to be cold, sure enough! Winter is going to be dreary and gray much of the time, yes! When the snow arrives, I appreciate its display of beauty and brightness. To me, it is the highlight of winter! Even today, I was sitting in my parents' house, watching snow fall down in their quiet, wooded backyard. My dad and I agreed - it was so peaceful!

I think there is a real blessing and peace to the arrival and presence of snow, especially at Christmas time. I just love having snow for Christmas!! Who doesn't? I love seeing the Christmas lights aglow amidst the white blanket background as it snuggles us into our homes for time well-spent together! Lovely!

Yes, I'll take the snow every winter! Thank you, Lord, for the snow!

Hope you are able to enjoy the snow a bit!

Lisa

Christmas Tree!

Well, my Christmas tree is finally up and decorated. I just need Bri to help me trim the top so I can put my angel up there. A few years ago I finally delved in and decided to figure out a design for my tree. Up until then I had a mismatch of ornaments I had collected over the years. I realized that my more "elaborate, decorative" friends had a "theme" to their tree, so I felt a bit of pressure. I went with red and gold and tied some other things in bit by bit. Little did I know, I would finish off my living room in the same colors, so the tree works out really well. We bought a "real" tree, and I just love it! We usually make the splurge each year and get one. It's one of those special touches to Christmas for me.

I have a separate kids' tree in the family room. It houses any ornaments the kids want to display as well as any others I might want to keep that don't quite fit into my "theme" tree. The kids' tree is nice and colorful and cutesy.

I hope your holiday preparations are going well.

Blessings,

Lisa

Pony Party!

Last week my daughter turned six years old. She wanted a pony party. Being pregnant, I have been under the weather quite a bit lately. I didn't even think about many of the party details until the last minute. About two days before the party, I was hastily searching for a pony cake. I had already rectified in my mind that I would be making a box cake to make things simpler. Lo and behold, I found a Betty Crocker, You Tube video that showed how to make this lovely pony cake, and I found the instructions on their web site. I was a bit rushed with all of the chilling in between to make a successful crumb coat of frosting, but it still turned out quite nicely. If you have a young girl who loves ponies, I'd definitely encourage this cake. Not only does it look so adorable, it tastes absolutely marvelous as well. :-)

Blessings,

Lisa