A Very Flakey Christmas

 

 

 Christmas started early with my family Thursday

 

 

 

Then continued with meeting this sweet girl - and her mom and sister

 

 

and sliding around on the ice pond

and tracking Santa  

and cute Christmas outfits

and cousins playing                                       

                  

                                                                                                     and family gathering

                  

and snow!

Spreading Cheer

I was first introduced to Mexican Hot Chocolate as a junior in college when my folklore professor brought some in for us to try during our section on Mexican folklore. I buy it occasionally and this place in Del Ray has a great version called Lucy. I found a recipe for it and thought it would make for great Christmas presents.

It was really easy to make. I borrowed a food processor, mixed everything together, and put it in the food processor a little at a time. To make it present-ready, I put the chocolate in 16oz mason jars, leaving room for little marshmallows.

Using the lid as a template, I traced it onto Christmas scrapbook paper to insert in between the parts of the lid.

                 

Next using Picnik, I created little tags that I printed on the back of snowflake scrapbook paper and cut them out with scrapbooking scissors and punched a hole in the corner.

With some ribbon, the tags were secured to the jars and bags.

                  

It Happened At Christmas

As a birthday present, my husband gave me How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I was so pleased. My sister has this amazing collection of Christmas movie classics that I've missed having around. I do have a few: Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, Mr. Kruger's Christmas.

But lots of movies happen at Christmas: You've Got Mail, Serendipity, Home Alone, Little Women, The Shop Around the Corner. There are probably more, in fact I see listing for movies like Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Never seen them. (For the record, It's a Wonderful Life just happens to end during Christmas. The reason it's shown at Christmas time so much is the people that owned the movie forgot to renew the copyright, so the networks were able to show it really cheaply.)

My husband and I have been deciding if While You Were Sleeping is a Christmas movie. I say it is, he says it's not.  I single this one out because it may be my favorite movie ever ("These mashed potatoes are so creamy!"); I can watch it a lot. I know it doesn't focus on Christmas, or Christ, or Santa Claus. But most of the movie takes place in the week between Christmas and NYE; the family invites Lucy for Christmas; they open presents and have Christmas dinner.

What do you think?

A Christmas Video (or two)

This may be the cuttest telling of the Christmas Story I've seen in a while. I love the sheep and the star and the cute little angels and....well just watch. Enjoy!

These Christmas videos are also tell the story of the events of Luke 1 & 2 and Matthew 2.

A Christmas Tree Story

Christmas is my favorite time of year.

One year, I started putting up Christmas decorations after Thanksgiving was finished and went non stop all weekend: lights around windows, swag along banisters, trees with ribbon and baubles and handmade trinkets. I was quite possessive of the way the trees and the decorations went up. Christmas felt like my holiday, my time of year, a time I share with the Savior. I was supposed to be born on Christmas Eve, but came a couple weeks early, probably so I could take in all the twinkle lights for that extra time.

As I’ve gotten older, I don’t spend the whole weekend decorating. There were several years, when I was living with roommates, that we did very traditional trees, red and gold. It matched our lovely red couches.

This year, after looking at a few less desirable artificial trees, John and I bought a live tree. My. First. Ever. We found our lovely tree after much discussion and tree holding and wandering. A lovely 6-7 foot Fraser Fir. She smells divine. We brought her home and set her up, but we’re unable to trim her for several days. The appointed day arrived and I wanted the hours to go faster so I could get home. I thought about organizing all the lovely baubles my friend Brittany helped me to put together and even using paper airplanes and left over ribbon from the wedding. I was worried that the idea in my head wouldn’t, couldn’t come out. When John got home, we put on the lights. Happily John got distracted (did I say that?), so I was able to put the ribbon and the ornaments how I liked them. When I was done, she was exactly as I had pictured her. I added and old tablecloth for her skirt. She then told me her name was Myrtle.

For the first time ever, I’ve been able to put my tree topper on the tree. A pretty cream and glitter snowflake. I found it a couple years back. This year it’s extra special since I’m now a Flake.

Can you believe Christmas is almost here? We will be in Evanston, WY by the end of the week!

Twinkle Lights

Last night, two of my roommates and I got out our Christmas decorations. We put up the tree (but did not decorate it - that'll wait for our 4th roommate to get back from vacation) and put out other things - my decorative tree collection, Ash's nutcrackers and Singing Santa, Gertrude's candles, grandma's German spinney thing.

When it was finished, I reflected on how much I love Christmas lights, especially white ones. The colored ones are great and fun, but the white lights remind me of stars and lead me to reflect on the night the Savior was born.

This morning I was listening to Elder Cook's talk called Let There Be Light! He talks about being a beacon to the world, following the light of Christ as we stand for what is good and right in the world. He sandwiches his talk by referencing a song that was popular during World War II about the lights being turned out in London so the German planes wouldn't have targets. At the end of his talk he says, "We look forward to that beautiful day when 'free hearts will sing when the lights go on all over the world.'" He's making reference to people standing up for morality, but thoughts from the night before came to my head. I thought of dark neighborhoods near where I live with Christmas Trees in front rooms, candles in the windows, twinkle lights on trees and bushes. I thought of the simple beauty this bring to these neighborhoods and the hope that comes from taking the time to notice it. How wonderful it is that we celebrate the birth of our Savior, the Light of the World, at the darkest time of year when these small lights have the greatest effect.

I'm grateful for this time to celebrate the birth of the Savior, to remember his life, and his ultimate sacrifice that we all might live with our Father in Heaven again.

Merry Christmas!