merriment

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“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,

and we are better throughout the year for having,

in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.”  ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

I made a potato stamp.  Have you made them before?  It’s very easy, just be sure to use your knife carefully.  I wanted to do something meaningful on the backs of our Christmas cards and this is what I thought of; the cross.  Jesus came as a baby to live his life here on earth until He gave Himself up for us on the cross….and the cross remains as a beloved symbol of our Savior, and our Christianity.

Caleb did the stamping on some of the cards and told me to write, “Caleb did this” on them.  (I only wrote it on one of them. heart)

My kitchen sink was dirty, I was too tired to go upstairs and too tired to drape myself over my deep bathtub, so baby had a bath in my bathroom sink.

Absolutely adorable.  I love giving her a bath.  I’ve used Bert’s Bees for Seth and Sarah, so just the scent alone makes me happy now.  

This is a really happy moment.  Little ones in my lap, reading our current favorite Little Golden book.

A common sort of merry moment, at my house;

A new Christmas thing:

I took Davy and Caleb with me to the grocery store and we couldn’t resist this PLASTIC and WATERLESS snow globe.  I asked Rich to guess how much I paid for it and he said five dollars.  “NOPE!” I said triumphantly, “It was only 3.99!”  From the other room, Ethan commented pleasantly, “Well, it does look kind of cheap.”  I had to laugh at that.  No, I say this is a wonderful snow globe for the little children.  They love it.  It plays several different Christmas songs as a little fan whirls around small styrofoam balls.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: 

the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.  ~Burton Hillis

My mom and dad bought this Minnie Mouse Christmas dress, for Gracie, years ago.  

I love Sarah Joy’s little legs and feet and those baggy socks and the way she’s biting her lower lip and her hair bow.  heart

 

Christmas is the season for kindling the fire of hospitality in the hall, the genial flame of charity in the heart.  ~Washington Irving

 

Sing hey!  Sing hey!
For Christmas Day;
Twine mistletoe and holly.
For a friendship glows
In winter snows,
And so let’s all be jolly!
~Author Unknown

 

Favorite Christmas cookies:

Russian Teacakes

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 teaspoon salt
  Powdered sugar

  1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla in large bowl. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds together.
  3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly on wire rack.
  5. Roll warm cookies in powdered sugar; cool on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

 

0 thoughts on “merriment”

  2. PS-Burt’s Bees…..I used that on my first baby, and since the baby stuff is called “Baby Bee” I started calling her that, or Ariana Bee, and it stuck…I still call her “Bee” or “Miss Bee”. 🙂

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  3. i love that pic of Sarah in the sink….she’s getting so big. she looks sooo much like seth 😉 beautiful moments. i love the Cross stamp as the reminder of the real reason for the season

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  4. We love that Golden Book too!  It is so sweet.  Davy looks very grown-up (and wearing his pj’s he HAD to have, too).  Sarah is just so sweet and squeezable.  Your stamp is nice- great idea!  How was the party?

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  7. We made Russian tea cakes at our house, this week. You’ll have to call them Ms. Cherylyn’s cookies, since my girls call the Jell-O ones Ms. Shanda’s!!! That Grace sure is precious! All of your children are, but she’s at an especially hug-able stage right now!

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  8. I love Burt’s Bees too.  It smells soo good..Cute snow globe. Sometimes those cheap little things are the most special to the kids! Russian Tea Cakes taste so wonderful. I think we’ll make some tomorrow!Such a cozy post with a perfect title to go with it…Merriment. =)

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  11. A dear cozy post. Today is so rainy here, it has seemed very Christmasy to me. I have been working on cards too, and love your stamp! I brought some presents out to the living room, hoping I will get some wrapping help tonight. Little Sarah looks so adorable in the sink, I am so glad you shared her with us. It made me smile. I have baby itis…I am so excited about my Grandbaby that I am always looking at baby things. We are having a baby shower next week while the “kids” are out from Colorado!How are you feeling? I have a sore throat. Hoping not to get real sick, so taking lots of stuff.

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  12. i always love when you post…love the snow globe…we do not have any of those in our house, but i’m sure the kids would find them quite fascinating.little Sarah is getting so big!! o my! wishing you and your lovely family the very Merriest of Christmases!!blessings~R

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  16. hi shanda…….LOVED the photos, as usual.  the one of sarah in the bathroom sink is too cute – she just fits!  and of course we would have the same favorite christmas cookies!  the ones i make are called pecan fingers (because they are shaped more oval, like a finger) and come from a 1958 version of the electric company holiday cookie book, but it’s the same ingredients with a slight variation on amounts and mine are baked at only 250 but for 50 minutes.  my mom always made these cookies and were by far my absolute favorites.  so, i carry on the tradition by doubling the recipe and eating at least half of them myself!!

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