Toasty Buns

I can't let this year get away without documenting Teresa's favorite place in the house--in front of the EdenPure heater!
It has many uses--a table to play on, a chair, and, mostly, a bun warmer! If she isn't standing in front of our kitchen heater, she is probably standing in front of the living room one. Sometimes she will take a few bites of food and run over to stand in front of it during a meal. Once in awhile Nathan will challenge her for warming rights. It's a good thing we have two!

Dec. 29

Wow--we are quickly approaching the New Year! As promised, here is a little recap of our Christmas festivities.
We started out with David's family on Dec. 18.


Christmas Eve was spent with my family in Eureka. My grandma, who is 91, joined us for the day, too.

David got his very own autographed Holly Hoffman t-shirt from my mom & dad. The shirt was designed by two women with ties to the Eureka area.

Then it was time to get dressed up for Christmas Eve mass.

Landen had to help Santa's elves on Christmas morning and put the new wagon together. Those elves must be getting lazy! (The scoop shovels they got are further proof of this!)

Teresa got a new tea set.

We also shared our Christmas Day with David's parents. Grandpa & Dad got in on a stomp rocket battle. The stomp rocket was my toy of choice this year--all of the boys on my & Santa's list got one. As you can see, boys of all ages love them! (Dad had to get a little extra fire power.)


We finished up Christmas Day with the extended Melius family, and the 26th with David's mom's family. I don't have any pictures from those celebrations. I suppose I was too busy eating Christmas cookies & drinking hot cider. :o)
Happy New Year, everyone!

Santa Starts Them Young

I promise I will post a real Christmas synopsis soon, but for tonight I will leave this snippet.
Last Thursday (the 23rd) as we were coming home from having supper in town, there were jackrabbits hopping back and forth on the road.
Teresa saw them and excitedly said, "Baby reindeer!"

Powerful Words

For much of my life I sang Christmas hymns and carols, but never paid much attention to the words I was actually singing. This year I have been giving more attention to the words of these prayers put to song, and it makes them all so much more meaningful.
I love the traditional hymns and also have some favorite contemporary Christian Christmas songs as well. Most of these are on my Christmas playlist. One of my favorites, Chris Rice's "Welcome to Our World," is not, though, since it wasn't on the site.
I heard "While You Were Sleeping" for the first time a couple of weeks ago, although it was released a few years ago. This one is on the playlist. It is Casting Crowns' variation on "O Little Town of Bethlehem." I think it is absolutely beautiful and so very powerful.
I hope you enjoy it and it finds a place in your heart as you prepare for Christ's birth in just a few days.

"While You Were Sleeping"
Oh little town of Bethlehem
Looks like another silent night
Above your deep and dreamless sleep
A giant star lights up the sky
And while you're lying in the dark
There shines an everlasting light
For the King has left His throne
And is sleeping in a manger tonight

Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

Oh little town of Jerusalem
Looks like another silent night
The Father gave His only Son
The Way, the Truth, the Life had come
But there was no room for Him in the world He came to save

Jerusalem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
The Savior of the world is dying on your cross today
Jerusalem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King
While you were sleeping
While you were sleeping

United States of America
Looks like another silent night
As we're sung to sleep by philosophies
That save the trees and kill the children
And while we're lying in the dark
There's a shout heard 'cross the eastern sky
For the Bridegroom has returned
And has carried His bride away in the night

America, what will we miss while we are sleeping
Will Jesus come again
And leave us slumbering where we lay
America, will we go down in history
As a nation with no room for its King
Will we be sleeping?
Will we be sleeping?

United States of America
Looks like another silent night


Kissing the Face of God
Morgan Weistling

The Tribe Has Spoken

In case you were one of the three South Dakotans not tuned into the "Survivor" finale last night, our hometown girl Holly Hoffman made it to the final 4 before being voted out. I was so proud of her that I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be if/when it happened. It helped that she made it to the Finale show and we were able to watch her all season long!
David and I have often commented over the past 10 years of "Survivor" what it would be like to have someone we know on the show. Would they act differently? What would the others say about them? How would it change our perception of the competition?
We just had our chance to find out, and, (except for the shoe-stealing incident), Holly carried herself with the grace and determination she is known for, no one ever said anything too terrible about her, and we enjoyed hearing the little insider information of their living conditions, etc. that she was able to give out throughout the season.
In November, my godson Jordan asked if I could get him Holly's autograph. At the time, I didn't know if she was doing autographs, but I was pretty sure that she would agree to do that. Not only was she gracious enough to send a 5x7 autographed picture for Jordan, but one for each of our three kids as well. They have them proudly displayed among their special tractors--that is a place of high honor in this house!
What a fun season it was for these "Survivor" fans. I am grateful that our children's new "Survivor" role model is worthy of their admiration, too.
Thanks a bunch, Holly. You made us all proud!

Safety First

Last night, Landen found our baby monitor. I still have it connected to our room so that we can hear anything that needs to be heard from downstairs.
He asked me, "Why is this baby detector still down here?"

One Step at a Time

Since the fall, I have dusted off the treadmill started walking again. I still like my WiiFit, but realized since September that I can burn more calories faster using one of the walking workouts preprogrammed on my treadmill.
It was one of those things I had to wait for my children to get a little older to do consistently--until this fall, I wouldn't have been able to get a couple minutes in before being interrupted. It is now so much the routine that the kids just know that Mom goes walking after breakfast while they watch a TV show or two. I look forward to my morning walk ALMOST as much as I look forward to my morning cup of coffee!
Exercise has never been a huge part of my life. That's probably because whenever I started to exercise, I would see the areas I was weak in, become overwhelmed, and give up. Or, I would get in a routine of walking, etc., then take a couple days off and completely get out of the habit.
I started out 2010 exercising because Mama Mii was a bit round around the middle. It is now nearly the end of the year and I have lost 11 pounds almost completely because of the extra moving around.
This month is maintaining month. I don't want to live a life where Christmas cookies are forbidden.
There have been other benefits, too. Walking has taught me to keep my mind in the moment more than I have done before. I noticed early that as soon as I got to a tougher stage of the workout and started thinking about all the tasks ahead of me in my day, keeping up a fast pace became much more difficult. I had never noticed how much this thinking and fretting ahead of time zapped my energy to live in the moment.
I used to be pretty skeptical of the studies that said exercise can help depression as much as a prescription drug. This time of year--with its shortened and cold winter days--is usually the most difficult for me. This year has been completely different. I have to say that I feel just as well as I did when I was taking a prescription for my depression.
In fact, that was my main goal when I started this new routine in my life--to be healthier and feel better.
The rest is just icing on the cake. Mmm . . . cake . . . .

You Know You're a Mom When . . .

you decide which is more important at the moment--using the bathroom or getting a drink of water--because you know you'll be interrupted before you can complete both!

Semi-Homemade Gingerbread Cookies

Remember last year when I made gingerbread cookies and substituted about everything except for the ginger? Well, those were good, but this recipe is even better--and easier!
As much as I watch the Food Network, it is rare that I actually make a recipe from a show. When I saw this one, though, I couldn't wait to try it. It is from "Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee." They roll and cut out sooo easily, which makes this recipe a keeper!
Our cooled cookies are waiting for Landen to get home so the kids can start decorating.
Semi-Homemade Gingerbread Cookies
1 package sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice (I split it between allspice, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, and cinnamon.)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine & chill for 1 hour. Roll on a floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Bake for 8-9 minutes.

P.S. The Christmas card crisis is over--I will now be taking such projects locally! :o)

Arrrrghh!

Hit the panic button!
Operation Christmas card has hit a snag! The photo collage I designed wasn't developed correctly. Picnik.com will do it right, but will only guarantee a 12/24 delivery.
I have now decided to go local. I'll hopefully find out tomorrow if that store can come to my rescue and print them!
What's a compulsive Christmas card sender to do? Worst case is they will get out after Christmas day.
To me, that is like taking a baby home from the hospital with no name. It's not like there wasn't ample time to plan! :o)

I'm Baaack . . .

and I am in the Christmas spirit!
The Labeling/Stamping of the Envelopes Phase of Operation Christmas Card is complete and the Letter Phase is waiting for approval. Hopefully the Photo Order will arrive in the next week so that the Stuffing may begin!
I've just been feeling so cozy this week, wanting to decorate, bake, and enjoy being in my nice warm home.
Tomorrow is the State Oral Interp Festival and the last day of my job until March. As I look forward to tomorrow and am anxious for how my team will do, I am also thankful for the additional time and attention I can give to home projects after we are done for another year. It's just that seasonal change. As the weather gets colder, I start to hibernate for the winter. . . with plenty of chocolate to get me through!
It is all about balance for me--I need enough outside work to want to be home and enough time at home to want to get back to the outside world. It is quite the balancing act--that is for sure!
But, anyway, back to the Christmas spirit. My brother-in-law shared an email this past week. The words "Hallelujah Chorus" got my attention, so I clicked on it. I am so glad I did and want to share it with all of you. It is amazing!
If you have never seen a flash mob, it is a bunch of people staging a surprise performance in a public place. The first one I ever saw was on "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" last summer when a group of students started dancing and cooking in the middle of their college campus.
This new flash mob, which just happened in November, brought tears to my eyes. I love the "Hallelujah Chorus." For a group of people to choose that song to sing in a shopping mall food court just seemed so unexpected and yet so appropriate.
When we get caught up in the Christmas shopping and wrapping and awkward pictures with screaming kids on Santa's lap, God is always there reminding us what Christmas is all about!

Are you curious?
Go to www.casttv.com and type Food Court Flash Mob in the search box.

HE SHALL REIGN FOR EVER and EVER! AMEN!