Hello There.....

No, you're not at the wrong blog, it's still little ol' me, just a little different sporting my new reading glasses.

See the kids and I went for our eye exams a few weeks ago and it turns out that my eyes are great but since I do a lot of reading and crocheting, computer stuff, the doctor felt that I needed some reading glasses to help me out a little.  It's so weird, I'm not used to seeing myself in these and though my family says I look super cute, it's going to take some adjustment.  HA!

So where have I been?

Well, I've been busy, real real busy with paperwork and enrollment forms to get my children signed up for Connections Academy.  And guess what?  They're officially approved and they begin homeschooling January 3rd.

To tell you that I'm excited about it would be a total understatement, I'm thrilled, I'm giddy, I'm just ready to remove them from their horrid school and begin now, but I have to be patient, see there's no need for me to pull them out now when next week Friday they will begin Winter Break.  So we're all eagerly anticipating this new adventure and you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be taking you all on this journey with us.

Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments and words of encouragement on my Homeschooling post, it really helped me feel so much better knowing that I'm not the only one to have gone through this roller coaster and also knowing that there are so many of you out there willing to offer advice and help to a new homeschooling mama.  It means the world to me, really makes me feel like I have THE BEST blog readers in the world.  So Thank you :)

I've also been crocheting a little.  Pretty Crochet Slouchy hats.  It was meant for me but I think I have a big head because it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it, but look at how adorable Jasmine looks?

And the best part?  I started this hat one night, crocheted for about an hour and then finished it the next evening after about 30 minutes.  Super easy, super quick and adorable.

If you want to try the hat for yourself, here's the pattern I used.  It's the Pretty Puffs Slouchy Hat.

I know this is a short little post but I have to go visit all my Cooking Thursday participants and there's a Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel that I really want to see, so off I go, wishing you a very warm, cozy and restful night.

Cooking Thursday - December 9

Won't you join me and share with us one of your new recipes, or an old family favorite, you can even throw in a recipe for homemade soaps or detergents (just remember to specify).

For the guidelines, you can go here.

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It's December and that means Christmas, which also means baking cookies, lots and lots of cookies for the home and for gifts.

From now until the end of the Month, I'm putting up the Cooking Thursday Christmas edition, feel free to share all your holiday recipes, but if you don't have one to share, you are more than welcome to continue sharing any of your favorites for us all :)

Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookies

Credit:  Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Spice Island® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats.
• Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
  
  
  
  
  Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Yield: 4 dozen

Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball by Donita K. Paul - Review

 
Book: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Authoress: Donita K. Paul

Pages: 226 Publisher: WaterBrook Press
Formats: eBook, Hardcover

Goodreads: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

Genre: Christmas, Christian Fantasy, Christian Fiction Romance

Tagline: "Mischievous matchmakers, two special tickets, One unlikely couple"

Do you ever pick up a book that just makes you smile?  A book that you read and it leaves you with that good feeling inside?  No violence, no sex, no racial slurs or bad words, just downright goodness happy feelings?

That is what this book did for me, it was one of the fastest reads I've had in a while but it was so sweet and so poignant to the meaning of Christmas, family, acceptance and one of the things I most loved about it?  One of the main characters, Sandy, is a 24 year old girl with Down Syndrome.  I just LOVE that the author chose to do that.

I love the resounding theme of faith and love throughout the story, I love that there's a tiny little bit of Christmas magic thrown in.

Such a sweet story, I highly recommend it and especially for this time of the year.  If you enjoy Classic Christmas reads, you must add this one to your list.

Rating:

This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

Happy Homemaker Monday - December 6

The weather in my neck of the woods:
Pretty chilly this morning, now if we could only get some snow, I would be happy.  Ha!


Things that make me happy:
Spending a day with my family


Book I'm reading:
The Blue Tattoo - The story of Olive Oatman


What's on my TV today:
Catching up on the DVR plus a few Hallmark Christmas movies I recorded


On the menu for dinner:
Meatloaf, Mashed potatoes


On my To Do List:
Laundry, laundry and more laundry
Run to the library to fax the last documents for my kids registration
Maybe get some Christmas shopping done.


New Recipe I tried or want to try soon:
Bread Rolls

In the craft basket:

Finishing up my last pockets for the Advent Calendar

Looking forward to this week:
Baking Christmas Cookies.  Got a few to make


Tips and Tricks:
Can't think of one right now



My favorite blog post this week:
No blog reading yet


Blog Hopping (a new discovered blog you would like to share with the readers):
Home Joy



No words needed (favorite photo or picture, yours or others you want to share):

Lesson learned the past few days:
That when plans don't pan out, it's usually NOT a bad thing, it means there's something even better waiting for you.


On my mind:
Homeschooling, almost done with the kids registration and we're all super excited.  They only have two weeks left at that miserable public school.  YAY!


Devotionals, Scripture Reading, Key Verses:
[Jesus said,] "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me - just as the Father knows me and I know the Father - and I lay down my life for the sheep."

— John 10:14-15 (NIV)

Let it snow.....Let it snow.....

You may be wondering where I've been, what rock I've been hiding under or what planet I zoomed off to.  I swear I try so hard to update my blog and keep it current but I find myself scrambling for some free time to do it in.

It's been busy around here folks, super busy.  I've been running around enrolling my kids in Connections Academy and when I'm not doing that, I'm doing housework and paying bills and doing groceries and preparing for Christmas.

Yesterday we got to head up to Flagstaff to get our own Christmas tree.

Plans never go as you imagine, matter of fact I think I can count on my hands the times that we've planned something and actually had it happen exactly as we envisioned.  But, we've long learned that when they don't, it's for a reason and usually something much better than we anticipated.

So it happened this weekend.  Our plan was to drive up to Flagstaff, go to the Arizona Cut your Own Tree Farm, find the most beautiful tree and then enjoy some fun in the snow.

We LOVE snow, having come from Idaho, we MISS snow, so this was something we were all dying to do.

We were also going to spend the night at a hotel and then explore Flagstaff a little more and head back home.

Didn't happen.  Why?   Because for starters, there was hardly any snow in Flagstaff, you could find some here or there but it was just disappointing.  Then we find the place to cut your own tree and we're envisioning it to be sort of a farm or something with acres of trees and yadda yadda.  Nope......it's a little tree lot with the saddest looking trees we had ever seen.

So no snow, no tree and very sad, disappointed kids and parents.  We decided right then and there that it was pointless to stay overnight, we should just head back home and find a tree somewhere else.

Then we remembered, on the way in, we drove by a Tree Lot and it seemed to have some pretty decent trees for sale, what would it hurt?

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise.  The minute we drove up, Curt and I focused in on the most stunning tree, just standing there against the truck.  My thought was "this is going to be expensive and I really don't want to spend too much money".

WRONG!  Not only was the tree way cheaper than it would have been at the other place, but the one we fell in love with was not yet sold.

And right next to the tree lot?  A small accumulation of snow that kept the kids entertained for quite a while.

Nothing says snow like a good snowball to the head HA!

And the favor is always returned.

Right as we were leaving Flagstaff, we made a quick stop at Fort Tuthill's Luke AFB Recreational Area.  We saw the most stunning sunset, surrounded by pine trees and the scent of pine cones and quite a bit of snow for the kids to play in.

And here she is, our beautiful Christmas tree.  I don't think these pictures will do it justice, it absolutely leaves us breathless everytime we see it. 

Can you see that the angel is right up against the ceiling?  It's ONE tall gorgeous tree.

So yes, our plans may not have gone as wished, but it couldn't have worked out any better, we came home content, tired and thankful.