Fresh eggs, recipes and homemade Christmas cards-DPP day 3

This year we decided to make our own little cards for the children to hand out.  We started with 8 1/2 cardstock in black, white and light blue.  Glitter pens and markers, a few stamp sets and some fun foam shapes. Here's what we came out with!

My little hens are doing so good!  I'm so thankful that they have continued to lay eggs for me.  I usually collect 3-4 per day and a few times we've got 5 from them.  Which is really great considering I now only have four hens.  You don't want to know what happened to the others.  I still have some roosters though.  

Oh, I just love baking during the Christmas season.  My whole family likes to have little tins sitting around, filled with all sorts of goodies!  And for the week before Christmas I like to have my family's favorite meals ready to serve.  

Camille and I were planning our menu for Christmas week.  Here's what we're having. 

Monday 21st:  Potato-Corn Chowder w/Homemade Croutons

Tuesday 22nd:  Baked Ziti w/Steamed Veggies & Garlic Biscuits

Wednesday 23rd: Shepherds Pie w/Brown Gravy, Carrots & Butter'd Bread

Thursday 24th:   Broccoli Braid w/Barley & Sesame Sticks

Friday 25th: Chunky Beef Stew w/Brown Rice & Corn Cakes

One of the reasons I chose these items for our menu is because they're easy, quick and some of them can be made that morning or even the day before.  I can just pop them into the oven and have a hot, hearty dinner ready for comfort on those cold nights! 

Beginning this Wonderful Season-DPP Day 2

Last week our family went over to decorate for Christmas at the Koehoorn's home.  We had lots of food, fun and laughter together as we began our celebration for this very special season.

Camille and Chasity have been friends for a long time now.  Where was Joey for this pic??

Here's Bridget with her Mom, Brenda, and brother, David.  I love this pic.

Jody, Tanner, Camille, Garrett, Austin and Micaylah.

The only ones we're missing were Jud and Heidi. 

December Photo Project '09--One thing I miss...

...is having my evergreen, holly berry trees.  I love seeing the bright red berries against the deep evergreen of the leaves. 

Now, we have pecan, maple, oaks and crepe myrtle trees.  Here is a quick pic of the young'ns under one of the gorgeous maples.  The leaves are everywhere and look so pretty fluttering down as the breeze blows.  Last week though, the guys did the last yard work of the season and blew all the leaves, small branches and debris into a huge pile and then we burned it.  Everything is cleared and ready for the cold weather. 

Thanks Tammy for encouraging me to do the DPP last year.  I think I'm going to enjoy doing it again this year...even more.

~Good Coffee, Good Food and Great Friends~

Growing up I remember always spending the holidays with my family.  There were so many kids running in and out of my Grandma's big house on the lake, adults and young people laughing, joking and sharing memories. My Daddy always went hunting early the morning of Thanksgiving and more times than not, brought home the deer that would last us several months of great meals. Oh, we always had turkey with the trimmings and would sit around my Grandma's huge table eating, talking and just being together. My Mama could always make the best creamed (mashed) potatoes ever! I loved it and have the best memories in my heart.  I will treasure them all my days.
After I married my beloved husband, I moved to another state.  One thing I couldn't bring with me was my sweet family.  Traveling back every year to visit with them, especially during the holidays was something my husband made a point to do for me. In the last 4 years it has been very difficult for us financially, to be able to travel. My heart breaks any time I even think about it. 
But with trials come victories!  And God will bring joy to those seeking Him!  Over the last 10 years the Lord has brought a very special family into our lives. Every holiday that we are both home, we spend it together.  Either at our house or at theirs.  God has a way of easing the heartache and bringing happiness at the same time.  I'm not sure if they know how much they mean to our family, but I think they're getting a pretty good idea of how truly special they are.  

Thanks Jeff, Bridget, Tanner & Jody for becoming our family.  We love you!

What a great time we had for Thanksgiving! Did you say we're coming to your house for Christmas? 

TESTIMONY!!!

How about this?!!!  Here where we live, surrounded by mountains, it can get very cold, very quickly. The forecast has been calling for freeze warnings along with dry spells(which means fires).  

Now, everyone has been touched by the decline of our economy here in the US.  I don't know anyone who hasn't been affected. Other nations are seemingly facing economic difficulties also.  Well, we are going through yet another job loss with my husbands career and are literally making it day by day...
BUT, "I HAVE A TESTIMONY!"

God is on HIS throne and takes care of his people.  I'm so thankful I know HIM! 

There are a few other choices besides electric that someone could use for heating their home: natural gas, wood log fireplace, or propane.  Here we have propane, which means that we have to schedule the propane company to come out and deliver the fuel from their huge truck and fill up the tank that sits to the side of our house. It isn't something that would go unnoticed by anyone, including the neighbors.  

Well, for the last 4 weeks, we have had some pretty cold temperatures.  It has fallen down into the lower 30's at night and we have had to keep the heating lamps going for the fowl.  I remember about a month ago, my husband said we were going to NEED to get the tank re-fueled for winter, because it was on '0'.  We weren't sure how we were going to do that.  It costs about $2.50-$3.00 per pound to get fuel.  And the company will NOT come out and re-fuel for less than 100 POUNDS. Ok. Do you see where this is going?  And to top it off, you need to re-fuel at least 1 time during the winter months if you only get 100 #'s.  Are you getting the picture...

HERE'S THE GAUGE...IT'S ON ZERO  
I just took this pic early this morning--Ha!

BUT WE KNOW A GOD!!!  THE ONE TRUE GOD OF ALL CREATION!  HE CARES ABOUT US IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE KNOW IT CAN ONLY BE HIM WHO PERFORMS THE MIRACLES!!  

On the night that we were getting some super cold weather, my husband went over to the fireplace (it's a gas log f/p, and heats the entire house), and began to light the pilot light.  We asked him what he was doing and he just said, "I'm gonna light this thing and see what happens." Just as calm as he always is.  The kids and I all smiled big and said, "In Jesus Name!" It just seemed natural for us all to say that.  That was the end of that and we sat down to eat dinner together.  In a minute, flames came up out of the logs (gas logs have a thermostat, my husband set the thermostat as he lit the pilot light). We all began to laugh and clap hands and thank God for what HE just did!  We knew God had done it.   But that's only the start...

YES!  WE KNOW A GOD!!  THE ONE TRUE GOD!

 It's been about 4 weeks and that fire is still burning!  We have had temperatures down into the lower 30's and this house can get very cold.  We haven't had one single night (or day) that it has been cold in this house and we have all slept warm, and snug and toasty every night.

HERE'S THE FIRE...STILL BURNING AND WARM AND COZY

What a powerful GOD we serve!  
Ok. For those of you who may DOUBT...fyi:when the gauge gets down to about '5', EVERYONE knows YOU MUST HAVE IT RE-FUELED--A.S.A.P.!!!   It will not run when it's lower than that.  You just don't take that chance. WE all know to get the thing filled back up.  Only this time God's the one who took care of it..and just to kick that 'ole serpent in the face...
...When the f/p kicks itself off, sometimes I'll just go over to the thermostat and turn it up a little bit just to see the flames...and say to myself, "Ha!!!  Look at that! My God is sooooo GOOD!"