A New Game

We didn't get to this little game today but I am reading through the instructions tonight so we can play tomorrow.  We are on break tomorrow!!! Yahoo!!

Merry Christmas

Just popping in at the end of Christmas Day to leave a few phone pics.
Yesterday, cinnamon rolls were dropped off by a dear friend and tucked away for a Christmas morning reheat (they were yummy!) I also made an egg/sausage egg braid to reheat to go along with the cinnamon rolls. This morning these two dishes were placed in the oven to warm while we opened stockings and gifts. After breakfast we sat around for a bit and then it was time for me to ready myself for the cooking. And cook I did. It was like Thanksgiving but more work as we only had one other family coming. But we will have leftovers for a couple of days!
We had our big meal and retreated to the family room. Eventually we played some games, the kids more than adults. After the kitchen was cleaned I was ready for dessert and knitting. I finished a hat for Elisabeth today!
Then the electricity went out for about 5 minutes, my husband hung this flashlight so we could see. And the Blessings scrambled for their headlamps. 
Pictures: light hanging in the darkness  I am thankful for The Light that came into this dark world to be Salvation for mankind.
Benjamin and Daddy with the little guy's personality shining bright
Benjamin playing with a game.

The Freezer is Officially Full

Last weekend the Man of the House got a moose. Now the freezer is full.

Benjamin loves to help grind the moose meat, he helped push the meat into the grinder for a while. And then he was finished and went off to the next thing.

He enjoyed this job.

Cookies and the Swap

The girls rolling and cutting cookies, they rolled and cut about 12 dozen plus.

 

The swap was at the home of a friend, we had chips and queso and a hot cocoa bar and cookies!!

 

My co-host bought cookie tins for everyone, they were cute gingerbread tins and one snowman tin, I asked for that one. Yes, I am different!

The table of cookie varieties

My two and the baby of the swap house.

Some of the other daughters of the mother/daughter swap participants.

I attempted white chocolate dipped marshmallow peppermint stirrers for the cocoa.

Elisabeth’s cup of cocoa

And, me with my mouth moving. I must talk a lot, at least when I am with my friends!

We were able to send cookie tins to two families in our church who have Mommas going through cancer treatments.

Prayer request: I have two friends undergoing chemo treatment right now. Would you pray for them?

And a Week Later I Finally Post the Birthday Pictures

 

Here is the breakfast table all ready for the birthday boy!

Elisabeth rigged up this balloon drop for when Benjamin woke up.

He ran out so quickly that I could not get his picture.

Door closed with four year old inside.

Door open and boy ran through so quickly no picture was to be had.

He got trains

 

And he is four!

His funny face

Giving Mommy some lovin’ while making his frosting and fondant.

His candle

The cake, I am not a cake decorator as you can well see but we have fun in the process so that is the important part.

Time to blow out the candles and eat cake with a brand new happy to be a four year old.

Winter Solstice

Today was the day of shortest sunlight, we begin gaining from here and boy am I thrilled about gaining daylight!  I shared a video clip on my facebook page that some one made of today. The sun barely scoots across the horizon. And now we gain, little increments at first but gaining none the less.
The photo isn't wonderful but today was about -35 to -43° all day and ice fog made for horrible visibility. I took this around 9:45 a.m.

Cookies, cookies and more cookies

A friend and I planned a small cookie swap. I decided to do gingerbread cookies and attempt to flood icing them. Oh, why do I do such things to myself? I honestly thought I would have to make batches of a  drop cookie quickly the day of the swap plus put together a hot cocoa bar.
Thankfully, walking away from the cookies the night before was a great idea. The next morning the cookies tasted fine and looked okay. I will never be a cookie decorator, and that is fine because I don't want to be one.
I ended up making lots of cookies because the first kind wasn't enough for the swap so I made a different recipe and good thing we like gingerbread cookies because we have some around here.

Candy making and -30°

Today was day one of candy making and tonight the temperature is about -30° which helps chill the peanut butter balls outside very quickly before dipping in chocolate.

Four

Benjamin is four today!

Snow, Snow and More Snow

 

About a foot of snow has fallen in the past few days. Today I ventured out with the Blessings to shovel and play.

Elisabeth

Judith

Levi

Benjamin, he will be four on Saturday!

Me

Playing King of the Mountain

My Blessings

Down the road

Snow everywhere and piled high

The path Levi made to get to the side door and the wood pile.