Rainy Day Photoshoot

Kami took me out for a photoshoot with her new camera a few days ago. You can see more pictures on her blog. http://www.contentinthecountry.blogspot.com/

Our Christmas Tree!

We planted 50 Noble Fir trees on our
property roughly 6 or 7 years ago.
This year we cut down our first
home-grown tree! It is over 10 feet tall!!!

The Story of a Fallen Saint

All was well early on the morning of December 13th, St. Lucia Day. The cinnamon rolls rose wonderfully and came out bubbling and golden brown, perfect! The hot cocoa didn't burn and there were plenty of mini-marshmallows to top the children's cocoa. All the batteries in my "candles" were working and I even found a red ribbon to wear! On my way downstairs to the boys' bedroom I tripped on the second to the last stair but recovered nicely and didn't loose the tray of goodies.
On my way upstairs to visit my littlest sister I tripped again , only this time as I was almost to the top...I lost everything! Cocoa was dripping down the stairs and all over me. I was alright and walked away with just a bruised shin. (Those wooden stairs are sharp!) Everyone was so sympathetic they even brought me breakfast in bed the next morning! Ben (7) really liked the idea, so the next morning he decided to get up bright (I should say dark!) and early and cooked all of us eggs! His service comes a little earlier than I'd like on a weekend...I happened to glance at the clock while turing over and it was 5:45a.m.

Thus ends my story of the "fallen saint". (To find out more about St. Lucia Day read my previous post about it.)

Advent Wreath

Ever since my family read about the von Trapp family's advent wreath that they hung from their ceiling in Austria two years ago, we've wanted to make one too. Only this year have we finally got around to it! It was perfect timing...the power was out, due to the tremendous storm that passed through our area earlier this week. Of the numerous trees that were down blocking our driveway one so happened to be a holly tree and there were a few Cedar boughs laying about. I butchered the holly tree and gathered the boughs...

I'm very pleased with how it turned out! Ben had saved the metal from a wreath from last year (for some odd reason!) and we had been using it to hang out barn coats on! Very handy and it looked kind of rustic too. So, I just "borrowed" it and used it for the base. It is now haning from a log over our dining room table. It was lots of fun and kind of romantic eating by the cadle light shed above us from the wreath while we ate our dinner with the power out under our Advent wreath! "Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!"

And of course I had to include the decorations I added beneath my American Indian "ancestors". ;)

The Hallelujah Chorus

Yes...this is what Kami and I are playing along with three other girls. We're planning on playing it for Christmas in church. It's uh...16 pages long. :o)