BUSY...FUN...FAMILY CHRISTMAS TIMES...

Christmas at our home was warm and cozy and full of love.

I love this little book too, it has spaces in it to record family
memories and recipes and traditions about our family, and
I have done that. I love to get it out every year and read it,
remembering the great Christmases when our kids were small.

Our sweet Jack left us to spend his Christmas in Heaven.


It broke my heart, he was the sweetest cat I have ever had.
He was so kind and so full of love. He was a little wild, stray
kitten that I found. He was hurt and limping on three legs and I
gathered him up and brought him home. His immune system
was not good and it beat him up constantly, he was never really
well. He would get big sores on his body that wouldn't heal because
of allergies. Finally, he was so miserable I took him to the vet and it
was determined that it would be best to put him down. I miss him so
much, he taught me precious lessons about love and faith and life.

We have been busy...first our grandson Kelton

had a birthday, turning seven years old.

Then I was busy baking my chocolate bundt cakes...

And delivering them to our neighbors for Christmas.

Then this little one, Sophia, came for Christmas,

and you know that made me very happy indeed!

My daughter Lindsey and her baby Sophia

who is now 4 months old and acts like she is

about 6 months old, she is so smart and sweet!

It really made Christmas for me, to have such

a little angel in our home for Christmas time!

Sophia would sit on her 97 year old great grandma's lap

and just stare up at her with such sweet love, touching

her face and trying to share her binky with g- grandma.

None of my children sat up until they were 6 months old.

Sophia is 4 months old and sits up for long periods of time.

She sat like this for over an hour, tearing open her gifts and

squealing with delight over each gift! What joy she brought

to each of us!

She got a sweet little Tartan plaid dress...

Her daddy got a shirt from the college he just graduated from.

She got a polka dot tutu with tons of ruffles...

And lots of books, which she loves...

a soft baby lamb, like her...

Grandpa Ron got some ties...

a leather jacket...

Lots of kisses going around and laughter and happiness.

Grandma Julies was so excited...

because she got a beautiful jewelery box that she had wanted.

Looks like Santa dumped his bag of goodies for Sophia!

She loves her tutu, it makes a girl feel so...girlie!

Lindsey relaxing along with her two little dogs

and ours. Everyone seems to love that big chair!

Our children make us happy as they sit and visit with a

very hard of hearing 97 year old grandmother, honoring

her, and us, with their respect and love given to her. And

in return they are given so much joy because she is such a

fun, chatty grandma. We are all so blessed to still have her.

Christmas 2010 was such a wonderful one for us.

Lots of delicious food to share...

Some of our sweet grand daughters...

and grandsons, and son...

Lots of fun visiting and good food. We hung out together all

day and into the evening. Family, the best company there is.

The grands playing a game...

The two youngest grandsons, Kelton and Caleb,

went down to the horse corral, making a game of

jumping from one of the big round bales of hay to

the other, falling a bunch of times but making it

sometimes...never tiring of the challenge or the fun!

Yay, they made it to the top!

The horses come along to see if the boys might toss them a bit of hay.

Pretty soon Kelton's mom comes to bring

them back in because it is so cold, and we

know how boys just never seem to notice!


The fun continues...next post!

I hope you all had a great Christmas too!

OH, CHRISTMAS TREE....whats in your branches?!

Do you have this problem?

Among the cedars, spruces, and hemlocks all was peaceful and quiet.

It was as if we entered a world where strife and man made problems

were unknown. There was a gentle murmuring among the branches

overhead. The air was filled with the tangy, invigorating fragrance of

the evergreens.

When what to my wondering eyes did appear but my sweet kitty cat
hiding in there!

I guess the comics really do mirror life after all!

Heap the holly! Wreath the pine!
Train the dainty Christmas vine-
Let the breath of fir and bay
Mingle on this festal day-

Let the cedar fill the air
With it's spicy sweetness rare.
Wake the carol-sound the chime-
Welcome! Merry Christmas time!
( Helen Chase)

I do hope your Christmas will have a little touch of Eternity
in it, among the rush and pitter patter of it all. It always
seems such a mixing of this world and the next- but that
after all is the idea!


MERRY CHRISTMAS

ENJOY GIVING YOURSELF AWAY!

I have loved this little book for years! Have you heard of it?

It's a cheerful book full of great ideas that will bring you and

those around you happiness, and help to make your world a

happier place to live in.

He teaches us to always obey those warm hearted impulses

when they come into our hearts. And tells us that if what we

have to give may be just warmth of heart, that is enough. If

we think of our heart rather than our purse as the reservoir

of our giving, we shall find it full all the time!

He teaches that it takes bigness of spirit to praise the great

and the successful, instead of envying them. And he quotes

George Matthew Adams who said; "He who praises another

enriches himself far more than he does the one praised. To

praise is an investment in happiness...The poorest human

being has something to give that the richest could not buy."

He says that more than anything else, the world needs the
healing influence of a great surge of simple thoughtfulness
and kindheartedness. Such a surge is beyond the power of
the world's rulers. It must start with US, as individuals.
One thing is for certain: When we set out to give ourselves
away, fully and freely. our hearts make direct connection
with that great central source of light and power, God, the
giver of all good things.
~~~~

I hope you can get your hands on this little book and take it
into your heart, it has changed my heart and it fits hand in
hand with the scriptures that teach us the same thing.


I am making candy today...the easiest candy there is!

MICROWAVE FUDGE

Stir together:

1 (lb.) box of powdered sugar
1/2 cup of baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup of milk
1 T. vanilla

Stir together in a 1 quart dish,
Top with 1/2 cup butter.

Microwave 2 min. Stir til smooth
Blend in 1 cup chopped nuts
Pour onto wax paper lined 8x8 pan
chill

Delicious and it could not be easier!

MICROWAVE CARAMELS

In a micro-safe bowl combine:

1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Cover loosely with parchment or wax paper.
Microwave for 4 to 5 min. or until butter starts
to melt. Now, whisk to combine. Microwave for
4 to 5 min. more. Whisk well. Now do it again for
4-5 min. then whisk again.

Now add the Vanilla.
Also at this point you can add:
nuts, I added 1 c. sliced cashews.

Our caramel into a pan that has been buttered.
Chill for 1 1/2 hours or til just firm. Use a buttered
knife to cut into 1 " squares.

You can wrap each piece in waxed paper squares
or place in candy cups to give or serve. Store at
room temp. for up to 2 weeks. Makes about
50-60 pieces. SO GOOD!

Caramels are definitely my favorite candy!

These are fleece scarves all wrapped up to be given for Christmas.

I have been making these scarves...9 of them...for all my

daughters and DIL's for Christmas. They were so easy!

Just cut two 4" pieces of fleece from a 64" wide
piece of material, sew them together at one end.
Then sew a regular stitch, right up the middle of that
long strip, pushing the fleece forward. It will sew gathered,
if you want more gather, sew up the strip again, doing the
same thing. It gets twisty as you do this. So easy and so cute!

I got this great idea from a friend who is so very creative!

From the blog..Just Another Hang Up...She is such an

inspiration to me.

Last post I told about this bundt cake that I make every year

for all my neighbors..20 of them...And several of you wanted

the recipe so here it is! It makes a lovely neighbor gift, I do 3

at a time in my oven...they are SO GOOD. Have fun making it!

HEAVEN'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup of baking cocoa
1 cup water
1 small pkg. instant
chocolate pudding.

Mix all of this together,
for 4 minutes. Pour into
a well greased and floured
Bundt pan. (I just use Pam
spray to grease pan)
Bake for 45 minutes in a
350' oven. Take out and
cool for 15 minutes in bundt
pan, then tip out onto a nice
plate if giving as a gift or serving.
Cool for 30- 45 minutes

GLAZE
(Glaze when the cake is still
slightly warm.)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T. soft butter
1 to 1 1/2 T. Milk,
(or lemon or orange if you
prefer a flavored glaze)
Mix together and pour over cake.

You can also decorate cake
with seasonal sprinkles, nuts, or
crushed candy canes etc.
Sometimes I fill the center hole of
the bundt cake with candy etc. before
I wrap them up. I get the cellophane wrap
at Walmart.

Have fun my friends! This might be my last post until after Christmas,
So I just wanted to again, send each of you all my love and THANK YOU
for your friendship and sweet kindness given to me this past year. It has
meant so much to me! Love you all...MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D

READY FOR CHRISTMAS...

A fun last minute idea that is quick, easy and yummy!

NO BAKE CHRISTMAS TREE COOKIES

Combine in a sauce pan;

36 large marshmallows
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp. green food coloring
1 tsp. almond extract

Cook and stir over low heat until
marshmallows are all melted and it's
all blended nicely. Remove and gently
stir in 4 cups cornflakes, stir til well coated.
Drop by tablespoons onto wax paper. Using
a 3" Christmas tree cookie cutter, shape trees.
Add red hots for decorations, press a cut
Tootsie roll for the tree trunk. Makes 2 doz.

I have been trying to get pictures of this "horsing around game"

that goes on here at our place every afternoon, and I finally got it!


The horse on your left is Mr. Red, the previous horse we had grew up
with Red and they had this same game going on everyday too. Here is
how it goes. Red gets a thick stick, about 10 inches long and he gives it
to the other horse. That would be Jeff, at first as Jeff came on the place,
he had no idea what the heck Mr. Red was trying to get him to do! He
finally caught on as Mr. Red forced him to do it!

Red pushes the stick to Jeff's mouth, Jeff tries to run off but Red heads
him off and herds him to stand still. He then pushes the stick to Jeff's
mouth and makes him take it in his teeth. Now the fun begins as they
have a great tug-a-war with the stick! This goes on for a good hour and
it happens everyday!

Just as Jeff gets it and then tries to get a hold of the stick,

Mr. Red yanks it away so Jeff can't reach it! Jeff tries over

and over to get it with Red keeping it from him !

Finally Jeff gets a hold of it and they tug it back and forth.

They are really serious about this and have quite the tug a war!

But Mr. Red always wins this game, he gets the stick back

and won't let Jeff get it again and just when Jeff was getting

good at it too!

Toward the end Jeff has had it and rares up and he will not play

any longer! I have not seen horses do this before, like I said it goes

on everyday, and sometimes Red will find a part of an old hose and

it gets played with. The horse Red grew up with was a big beautiful

black horse. When this horse died, Red grieved something awful and

when Jeff came, he didn't want anything to do with him. one day I saw

him trying to teach Jeff this game and I knew that he had now finally

excepted him as a friend, but now he was the boss horse and Jeff finally

learned the game! They are now best friends and we love them, they are

the best horses to ride! Never a worry about bad behavior from either one.

This is my cell phone or was until my golden dog found it!

We had been gone for a couple of days and when we got home,

I got out of the car and was throwing Cougar's ball for him, it

must have fallen out of my pocket because a few days later,

after looking everywhere, we found it out on the lawn all chewed

up! I think he was trying to text me don't you? LOL Good thing

my 2 year contract was up, it allowed me to get a new one!

Well, Christmas is nearly here and Santa's on his way,
I am just sure I saw him on my porch the other night!

I love our tree as it starts to get dark, it sparkles in the

window as the sun sets and it's just so pretty every night!

Utah's Ballet West was just chosen as best in the country!

NY Times dance editor Alastair Macauly, made a trip all

over the country judging ballet companies and he said;

"Utah's Ballet West's Nutcracker, is the oldest in the country

and the best production I have seen, it is the best discovery

of my Nutcracker marathon!"

I just love the Nutcracker at Christmas time!

I have been baking these for all my neighbors.

They are double chocolate bundt cakes, they are

fairly quick and they taste awesome! I love to

make them every year.

I make about 20 of them, they go pretty fast as I do 3 at a time.

I hope you make time to cuddle up with your loved ones

and read good Christmas books together. I love this most

of all...nothing like a cup of hot chocolate and a plate of

goodies and some books and blankets and loved ones!

The story, A Christmas Dress For Ellen, was written
about a relative, she was a cousin of mine.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all my sweet friends...have the

best Christmas ever this year, and remember what the

REASON FOR THE SEASON IS... and then, Christmas
will be full of JOY and PEACE.