The Sweetest Moment

Year's ending. These are good days for remembering, and for thankfulness. A year of bountiful, good gifts... so much grace. These are days for drinking in the fragrance, for beholding the beauty of a bouquet lovingly fashioned moment by moment. To reflect on the the faithfulness of the Father and to know that His faithfulness will continue in the new year... this, I believe, is the sweetest moment of all.

Goodbye, Hello

Goodbye couch-cozy.

Hello, food.
Hello, inspiration.
Hello, woodsy walk.

Hello, again, couch-cozy.
Goodnight moon.

Post-Christmas Hush

Oh, hello. I'm whispering to you from my cozy place on the couch tonight. I hope your Christmas was lovely... ours was. That is, it was lovely until I was stricken with a mid-holiday stomach bug. Bah and humbug! Thankfully, the rest of the family has remained healthy.
Our days have been slow and easy lately, as we all prefer them to be during Christmas vacation. Despite having a rather painful and gurgling tummy life has been pleasantly lazy. I've been enjoying my nest on the couch, we've watched movies together, and read plenty of books. Cooking has been kept to a blessed minimum.
While I've been dreaming of making a cute cell phone case and reorganizing cluttered corners, the professor has taken down the Christmas tree and packed up every last decoration. He's also been tidying kitchen cabinets and drawers. How's that for having husband who champions my dreams?!
The house was full of the most beautiful winter light today. Perhaps tomorrow it will inspire me to emerge from my couch-burrow...

Savior

For unto you is born this day in the city of David
a Savior,

who is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

Christmas Rainbow

Here's wishing you days that are merry and bright...Merry Christmas!

Little Green Trees

Gold Party Clothes

Red Ribbon

White Marshmallows

{Christmas Color Week}

The Horn of Salvation

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from of old... Luke 1:68-70

Christmas Cookies

As we've done in recent years, the children and I have had fun painting our Christmas cookies this year. {See!} Even Sister got in on the action when she usurped the step ladder upon which Little Brother was standing. There was a minor kitchen brawl. Sister won long enough to climb herself up to the steel work table, partially paint a cookie, lick the paintbrush, and then eat the cookie before moving on her sugar-dazed, merry way.
I used a new recipe for our cookie paint this year and am so pleased with it. It has a sweet, pleasant flavor and dries glossy and hard. I like to mix up one recipe and split it into four small cups, giving each cup of paint a different color. We use clean, cheap plastic paintbrushes. Sometimes they get licked.
Sugar Cookie Paint
Mix together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of milk, 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup, and 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract. I like almond. This mixture will be a stiff, spreadable consistency. For easier painting, keep adding small splashes of milk, stirring between each addition, until you reach your desired consistency... for us, that's runny but not too runny.

Vintage Green Thread

Because I've been very busy in my workshop at the dining room table!

7:45 a.m. Morning Bedside

Small Town Christmas Parade

A happy, heaping helping of Mayberry... with sprinkles!

A Star and a Sceptor

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near:
A star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
It shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.
Numbers 24:17

December Twilight

Cozy Morning

December has a way of shortening the distances between family and friends. I love that. My oldest nephew came to visit us for a few days. He is a precious bundle of five year old amazingness. While he was here our days were full {school for my boys and homeschool for him}, festive {we made ornaments and painted Christmas cookies}, and fun {crazy boy-cousins busy at play}. There were some cozy, endearing moments as well. All of it made my heart smile.

Morning Watering

Merry, Merry

Every WhoDown in Who-villeLiked Christmas a lot...

Servant

Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
Matthew 12:18

Daybreaking

This weekend take time to move slowly. Enjoy the warmth of a mug in your hands on a silver, frosty morning. Breathe deeply the fragrance of pine. Delight in the small things. Savor. And be thankful.

Peek-a-boo