Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

The girls and I went to see the Nutcracker Ballet ( a couple of weeks ago), I left my camera in the van so this is the only picture I got. We enjoyed our day together. We did a little shopping before the ballet.

We finished our gingerbread log cabin tonight. It was a four day process. It really helps mom to have to have those steps....

Day 1: Make the gingerbread, I love this recipe. I found it online last year but I do not know who to give credit to, so if it is yours please let me know so I can source you, they truly are wonderful cookies.

 Best Gingerbread Cookies Ever

Cream together:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup molasses

1 egg, beaten

Sift together:

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

6 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water

Mix dry and wet ingredients thoroughly and allow to chill overnight. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut desired shapes, Bake at 350 degrees on lightly greased cookie sheet for 8-12 minutes, depending on size of cutter used. They should be golden brown, but not too darkened.

The frosting recipe is just simple confectioner's frosting. Beat together:

2 cups powdered saugar

 1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 Tbsp. whipping cream

You can add food coloring to this icing if you want to get detailed in th decorating. But these cookies are so good that they are delicious even without the frosting.

Love that overnight part now that I have readers, the recipe says chill overnight. Finished for day 1.

Day 2: Roll the "logs", bake and cool. Finished with day 2!!

Day 3: Make royal icing and assemble walls(Here I called in a structural engineer, aka Dad, I needed help)

Patiently waiting for Dad.

Dad helping made it all the more fun! He is the funny one plus he lets the blessings eat more candy and icing than I do.

After the walls were assembled, I followed sweetheart's directions and cut out and baked the roof pieces and a few more logs for support. Then, a tooth needed pulling:

Now, I have to teach her to sing "all I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...."

I don't even know the words past that!

Day 4: The roof

Dry fitting.... so far so good.

As you can tell, we do this purely for fun and we actually eat the thing, it is food for crying out loud!! I am  not going to just throw it away. We decorated it sparsely because it is a log cabin and we were going for rustic. We would not win any awards, this is just a life long tradition that I have desired to be a part of. I always loved the December issue of Good Housekeeping when I was a kid, last year I did not see one gingerbread structure in the magazine when I picked it up at the checkout line, that magazine went back into the rack.

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!! Why doesn't that dog look at the camera? I think she was too busy looking for a squirrel. Emmy is our dog's name, she is a spoiled chocolate lab. She does work for a living from September 1 until the river freezes, she fetches up ducks for my duck hunting husband. The rest of the year she sleeps! And yes, it is a real fur hat!

May the Lord find us faithful.

"Therefore the LORD Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a Son, and shall call His Name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14).

"6 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His Name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince Of Peace. 7 Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

"1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... 3 All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made... 14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only Begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth" (John 1:1, 3, 14).

"And without controversy great is the mystery of Godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory" (1Timothy 3:16).

"And I will shake all nations, and the Desire Of All Nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of Hosts" (Haggai 2:7).

"I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto Me, Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee" (Psalm 2:7).

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the LORD" (Luke 2:11).

"And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel" (Matthew 2:6).

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5:2).

"30 And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His Name JESUS. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the LORD God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David" (Luke 1:30-32).

"33 And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the Power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that Holy Thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (Luke 1:33-35).

"But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the Law" (Galatians 4:4).

"7 But [Jesus] made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of The Cross" (Philippians 2:7-8).

"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He [Jesus] also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil" (Hebrews 2:14).

"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God" (1John 4:2).

"16 For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham. 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:16-17).

"1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed... 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with Child" (Luke 2:1, 4-5).

"6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn" (Luke 2:6-7).

"8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night... 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:8,10).

"And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (Luke 2:12).

"Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men" (Luke 2:14).

"15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the LORD hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15-16).

"Hath not the Scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?" (John 7:42).

"And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, Who is called Christ" (Matthew 1:16).

"22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, Which said, Thou art My Beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased. 23 And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli" (Luke 3:22-23).

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 1:18).

"And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn Son: and he called His Name JESUS" (Matthew 1:25).

"Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him" (Matthew 2:2).

"Concerning His Son Jesus Christ our LORD, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh" (Romans 1:3).

"And again, when He bringeth in the Firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him" (Hebrews 1:6).