Traditions

I've let Rachael do the blog posts this month.  She's very diligent and I find myself busier than I think with my three kids.

I just wanted to share a few traditions we enjoyed (and are still enjoying) this Christmas and New Year's.

  

Christmas Eve, wearing jammies from our Auntie

Our Tree

One my family started this year is called a Shepherd's Dinner.  We learned about this from some friends we made in Lompoc, CA where we used to live.  A Shepherd's Dinner is a simple and easy way to remember the birth of Jesus Christ--the reason we have Christmas.  You dress up like shepherds, unless you're my kids who have a hard time enjoying the dress up clothes.  You eat a simple dinner of things shepherd's might have eaten.  We ate pita bread, humus, dates/raisins, apples, bananas and oranges, ham (although I think pig is non-kosher, so we kind of cheated with that one), string cheese--it's an easy way to have easy in pieces, and nuts.  We drank water and we enjoyed our food by the Christmas tree lights while sitting on the floor.  After it was all done, we sang some Christmas carols.  It was really awesome and I'm glad we invited another family over to share our tradition with us.  I felt this was a simple way for our family to focus on Christ and his simple birth.  

Our Shepherd's Dinner

Another tradition we have (or mostly me) is that I have to watch "Its a Wonderful Life" every Christmas season.  There's soooo much I love about this movie and I always cry when I do watch it.  I'm amazed at the lessons I learn from it every time.  It's just soooo good!  I'd share my favorite line, but my favorite changes every year.  

Randy and I have combined some traditions we had growing up into our Christmas day.  When we wake up with our kids, everyone has to be dressed and have their beds made.  Then we gather as a family and have family prayer in mom and dad's room.  This comes from my family.  I don't remember a single Christmas we didn't do this.  It reminds me to slow down and give thanks for all our gifts, especially the Gift of Christ's Love rather than just rushing to the tree and presents.  Randy grew up eating Goldenrod Eggs for breakfast (before opening presents).  So, we have this for breakfast before presents too.  Goldenrod eggs are delicious!!!  An easy and super tasty breakfast.  Here's the recipe:

hard boiled eggs: whites and yolks separated afterwards

Sauce:

2 Tbl butter

2 Tbl flour

salt and pepper to taste

1-1 1/2 cups milk

Melt the butter in a pot, then add the flour.  while on medium heat, slowly add the milk as the sauce thickens.  Add the salt and pepper as you like.  Chop the hard boiled egg whites up and add to the sauce. (about 3 eggs was enough for 1 1/2 cups of milk)

Then make some toast.  Break the toast up in pieces on your plate, pour the warm sauce on top and then crumble 1/2 - 1 whole egg yolk on top.  My kids didn't really go for it, because Sam has a thing against all sauces and Haley just wasn't into something new.  But Randy and I loved it!!!  We used three hard boiled eggs among us and it was just the right amount of eggs and sauce.

Making Cookies for us and friends, another tradition

Our yummy treats to share!

Even though we couldn't be home with our family in Utah, we are happy for the traditions that help us feel close to them and to enjoy this Christmas season.

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!!!

Sarah

Hot Chocolate Kits

I've been meaning to put together Christmas gifts to five to friends and neighbors for several weeks now but have quite gotten to it. Despite all my best efforts to start early this year, it's recently come to my attention that Christmas is a mere few days away. 

It's OK though because what I planned to do is actually pretty simple- Hot Chocolate Kits! And let's all be honest here. We love our neighbors, but we don't love them all $40 or even $20 worth. These hot chocolate kits are super economical and are perfect if you need to make a bunch. You probably already have some of the items in your cupboards waiting to be gifted. 

First, I had some mini dessert a spoons left over from my daughter's baby. I got out some chocolate chips from my baking stash and zapped enough in the microwave to dip the spoons in. Voila, chocolate covered spoons! Just let them dry on some wax paper. 

I got out some holiday tins, another find from the dollar store, and began filling my kits. You could use baskets, boxes, or just group the items in cellophane.

I already had white cups on hand, the kind that are perfect for hot beverages.  You could decorate them with holiday washi tape or stickers. If you're giving this to a neighbor with kids, maybe put the stickers on as part of your kit so they can decorate their own cup. If you don't have paper cups ready on your pantry, again, the dollar store is a cheap place to find some.

Then start filling up your kits with foodies that would go great with hot chocolate! Some of the things I used were:

Pirouline cookies

Candy canes 

Mint cookies

Marshmallows 

Chocolate dipped spoons

Red striped paper straws 

Chocolate Santas

I put each item in clear, self-sealing bags to make it look nice, but ziplock bags would work just as great. I even dug out some stickers I had made last Christmas glad to finally put them to good use. The straws were also another left over item I had from a BBQ over a year ago! 

Here's how one of the finished kits turned out! Pretty cute if I do say so myself.

So if you are like me and it just occurred to you that Christmas is in two days, (that's right I said In TWO MORE DAYS!) then this is a great last minute but thoughtful gift you can put together quickly. It'll be just in time to deliver on Christmas Eve. Maybe keep a couple on hand for that friend who brings by a gift even though you didn't know you were close enough to be "gift giving friends." Or put it together for yourself. Nothing makes a winter blizzard bearable like some hot cocoa. 

Christmas Letters...

This is it. This is the year. The year I finally get to write a Christmas letter! You get to summarize all the wonderful things that happened in your family throughout the past year, catch up with people you never hear from all year long until you get their Christmas letter, and brag about the wonderful things your children do, and wish everyone in one fell swoop Merry Christmas and Happy New Years'!

The Christmas Letter can be thought of as a primitive form of Facebook. For you youngsters out there, its an actual piece of paper that has words on it, and it comes in an envelop with curbside delivery. It usually printed on beautiful holiday stationary with a border of poinsettias of a little image of the Nativity in the corner, sealed together with a fun Christmas sticker.

Now that I have a little family of my own, it's more acceptable to write a Christmas letter. Yes I could just choose the latest design from Tiny Prints and add a darling picture of my daughter for all to see. "Merry Christmas from the Smiths," the only type added. But typing out a Christmas letter takes a little more thought and lets you share with others your gratitude for all the blessings you've received throughout the year.

If there's only one or two young kids in your family, your mom tells everyone about the new words you're learning, what grade you're in at school, what your Halloween costume was. As you get older it boils down to who you're dating and what job you have. If you're an adult still living at home, the language is tricky. You don't want your mom to announce to everyone that you're a failure - you're unemployed or something. I lived at home between graduating for college and getting married. While I basically had the basement to myself and came and went as I pleased, it's not like living at home until you're 24 is an accomplishment. My mom attempted to make it sound like a wonderful thing, that I was living in my "own apartment style living downstairs." I made her take it out and just say I was keeping busy by working and dating. This also makes it sound like I was dating lots of people, instead of the truth, not dating anyone.

I got a sneak peak at my Grandpa's letter this year since he still hand writes his and my mother types it out for him. It's a big deal if you make an appearance in this letter because with the family sprawling out bigger and bigger every year, there's only so much room on a one page letter and and so much to cover. You have to do something big to get rewarded with such an honor. Back when there were fewer than 30 cousins your high school graduation or new job may have been enough. But that doesn't cut it anymore. Unless you're serving an LDS mission or recently had a baby, kiss your chances goodbye. With little Liberty joining our family, our chances this year are good.

While sharing all your fun and excitement the  year has brought, the most important and exciting part about writing a Christmas letter is getting to share the spirit of Christmas by expressing your love and thanks for the Savior, Jesus Christ. My grandpa's always expresses his testimony of the birth of the Christ child, and his gratitude for this beautiful time of year. Whether I've "made it" in the letter or not, this part truly is my favorite part of reading Grandpa's Christmas letter. And I'm looking forward to putting our own thoughts about the true meaning of Christmas in our own.

What a marvelous time of year Christmas is. When its cold and dark outside, we have the Light of the World to bring us warmth, peace, and joy. The birth of Jesus in that humble stable in Bethlehem gives us the most wonderful reason to be cheerful and full of joy. It truly is most wonderful time of the year.

Dollar Store Decorating...

I have the most beautiful wreath to hang on our front door at Christmas time: beautiful faux boughs of blue spruce, twigs woven in to give it depth, big pine cones, and pretty heather and lemon leaves throughout. And my husband hates it. He thinks its too big. I just keep telling him he hasn't learned the art of leaving the house without getting tangled in the wreath yet.

So when I had the opportunity this year to make my own wreath with real cedar, I jumped. I figured I'd have the wonderful smell of  real pine and make my husband happy. All the supplies to make the wreath were provided and it was free!! Someone had even gone around collecting extra pine cones to add. I just had to bring anything extra if I wanted to add it. Of course I was late to the wreath making so I had to finish the trimming when I got home. Its been so cold out that I flipped my wreath hanger around on my front door so I could do my decorating from the cozy confines of my living room.

 I made sure to hit my local Dollar Tree to get a few things. There were some great looking berries that I tucked in here and there for a little pop of color. I found this great ivory poinsettia flower with just the right amount of glitter. The best part is the clip it has so no glue gun needed on this project! Just clip it in where you want it. 

I already had a spool of some sparkly green ribbon in my stash. With a 4 yard piece, I used the same "folding" technique to make my bow that I used in making our witch hat. Check out those instructions here! Since my ribbon was 3" thick, I used a small piece of floral wire (also from Dollar Tree), to keep it all together. I kept the wire ends long and used it to attach it to the wreath. 

I had another ivory and gold ribbon that I wanted to use, but it only had gold foil on one side. Have you ever struggled with making a bow and getting the right side to stay "out." Here's the trick I use...

 I still fold my ribbon back and forth, but after each loop I twist the ribbon over in the center so the back side if facing up. This way, when you fold the ribbon back over for another loop the right side will be facing up. Just keep twisting the ribbon in the center each time you make a loop. Again, I used wire to secure it all together and secure it to my first bow on the wreath.

I clipped in my flower and for the finishing touch I hung a glittery gold dove from the top of the wreath with some floral ribbon. Done! All together, I only spent 5 bucks! And I think I got a great looking wreath that also smells wonderful.

 I asked my husband what he thought of our new wreath and if it passed the not-too-big test. He said it was nice, but I could still trim a couple branches. Well, guess you can't win 'em all.

The Big Fat Christmas Lie.

W

e lied for the first time to my baby girl this past weekend. She's only 4 months so she's probably not affected that much. But I plan to keep up this lie. I'm supposed to protect and love her, shield her from shady creeps and con-men, including future high school jocks, and here we were, planting the seedy seeds of deceit. What did we lie about you ask? Well, we put her on Santa's lap and that was it. We didn't have a big philosophical discussion about whether or not we were going to follow the mainly commercialized tradition of Santa Clause, whether it was so-called idol worshiping or taking away from what Christmas is all about, we just did it. Our parents did it to us, and we turned out OK. No feeling of resentment or ill will towards our parents; no doubts of our faith have crept in because of Santy Clause. This is how the lie went down...

She slept for nearly the entire family party, for which I was grateful, but I was worried she'd miss the big moment when Santa showed up! I wanted her awake for the big moment when she'd get to sit on a strangers lap and I could take a picture! He wasn't really a stranger, one of the cousin's spouses who got roped into putting on the big red suit this year. Poor guy was sweating from the heat. Who wouldn't in a giant velvet outfit with fur cuffs? She loved it. She stared at him with her wide grin and bright eyes, and that's why we did it. Because Christmas is a magical time full of wonder, especially for little children. Don't get me wrong, she's no dummy. She's bright as can be and right away flipped his beard up to reveal the backing was nothing more that a piece of white fuzzy fabric, not even a real fake beard. "Quick, get the pictures while she's smiling!" And that was all there was too it. Easiest lie I ever told. And now I have a picture to save for all time of my daughter's first time meeting Ol' Kris Kringle. 

I remember the last Christmas that I believed in Santa Clause as a child very vividly. I remember because it was the year Santa saved Christmas! At least I thought he did. I wasn't as savvy as Susan Walker in Miracle on 34th Street I guess.  I had asked for a ukulele that year. Seems a little nerdy now, but it was the cool thing to get since all the kids at school were learning how to play them. Now I had asked my parents for one, because I was beginning to suspect it was them all along. When Christmas Eve rolled around my mother told me she had tried to get one, but there wasn't one to be found. She had gone shopping too late in and told me not to be too disappointed. Of course I believed her - why would my mother ever lie to me? Oh the irony.  

Needless to say, my hopes were dashed. There was only one last resort, I had to write a letter to Santa!  I remember going straight to my room and scribbling out my desperate letter telling Santa that he just had to get me a ukulele because my mother had tried but couldn't. I begged and pleaded and even wrote "You are my only hope." I presented the letter to my dad so that he could mail it, but after a quick skim, he decided he first better read it out loud at the party for all to hear. I realized I was being mocked after the laughing ensued. Even still, I was just sure Santa could fulfill my Christmas wish. I bundled up with my dad and he took me to the post office at 11 pm Christmas Eve. Apparently by 3rd grade I hadn't yet figured out how the post office worked.I truly believed it would get to the North Pole in time for Santa's elves to crank out one more ukulele for me. It was before midnight after all, Christmas hadn't come yet. 

When Christmas morning came, I looked at all the presents under the tree and there wasn't a single box shaped like it should. Wait, what was that triangle box up on the mantel? My very own ukulele. It worked! Santa got my letter! He saved Christmas! I'm sure my parents gave each other a sly wink once they realized they had convinced me for at least one more year of the existence of St. Nick.

Does it mean because we've introduced Santa that we aren't teaching our daughter the true meaning of Christmas? Is she too young still? 

I was going to do the decorating myself. Not really the kind of thing my husband gets into. And Liberty is much to young to do much other than stare at the mesmerizing Christmas lights as I try to string them evenly on the tree. But if she's not to young to introduce the story of an ancient jolly man who lives in frigid temperatures while employing all the world's elves to make toys, flies around the world on a sleigh with eight tiny reindeer just to squeeze into your chimney at night, the only man who's been pardoned in every county to commit breaking and entering to leave gifts and eat the cookies you really want to keep for yourself. While she may not "get" who Santa is, she's bright and I'm sure she's pickin' up some of what we're puttin' down. So of course she's old enough to teach her the TRUE story Christmas. The story of God sending His Son to Earth as a tiny, innocent and beautiful baby boy, born in a stable to Mary and Joseph, where humble shepherds came to see and worship Him. In fact, I'm sure she could teach us a thing or two having come straight from heaven not that long ago. While I'm handling the majority of the holiday decorations, we'll be setting up the nativity sets together this year.

-Rachael