Nativity Scenes Part I

I am planning to write a series of posts about our nativity scenes that we have set up in our home for Christmas.  Each one is special in its own way.

The first is a small wooden ornament that I bought in Leavenworth, Washington.  In August 1977 three high school friends and I went camping in Leavenworth.  We had graduated from high school in June and we were all leaving to attend college out of state.  My folks let me drive.  No cell phone or GPS, just a map and inexperience.  We camped at the Leavenworth KOA.  It was a special adventure.  We had a fun time.  When I unpack the small wooden ornament I remember old dear friends, being ready to leave for college, how young I was and our dear Savior's birth.

 The spun glass and gold nativity ornament was bought when Hubby and I were just married.  I got it at Mervyns in Everett.  Though very fragile it has survived almost 25 years, many, many moves and new homes.  We now live in our ninth home and pray to stay.  I wouldn't want to move all my Christmas collections!  It reminds me that  home is where Hubby and I are together, that our marriage is a blessing and of our dear Savior's birth.

A Weekend in December

It was a fun, busy Christmastime weekend for me.  On Saturday I went on the Bethany Christian Services Christmas Home Tour.  Shelly, Nelia and I always go and this year Deb joined us.  We ran into Holly touring and she posted here.  We had a great time, it is always so inspiring.  It was fun for me to see Marv and Linda's Ranch since I graduated from high school with them.  It was gorgeous!  I swooned.  Linda is very creative and I could see in their home that God and family are their daily focus.

 Sunday evening our church hosted a Christmas Cantata, a 70 voice choir and 23 piece orchestra.  The music gave me chills it was so beautiful.

After the Cantata, Hubby and I hosted a little party, a light supper for 16 guests.  We had fun preparing, cooking and baking.  I used my  new old  place card holders to label the buffet.  One of the recipes was called, 'Oh-So-Retro Swedish Meatballs'.  I loved the name and the meatballs weren't bad either.

 I haven't started my Christmas baking so I decided to bake two layer cakes for the dessert buffet.  The Coconut Cream Cake recipe came from a Gooseberry Patch cookbook.

 I mixed the sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream and began to have second thoughts.  This is a lot of goop.  Where would it all go?  Well, if only I could follow a recipe I would have baked the cake in a 9x13 pan and the goop would have stayed in the pan.  Right?

 But I wanted layer cakes so I baked the cake in three 8 inch pans.  It got a little overdone, but I figured it would be a goopy mess anyway so it could be a tad dry.  I put down saran wrap, waxed paper and the cakes and then I poked holes and poured on the goop.  I have no photos of what happened next...  I spread and I poked and I pressed that goop into the cakes.  It was a MESS.  I wrapped and put them in the fridge on Friday afternoon.  On Sunday I poked some more and spread the leftover goop into the cakes.  I made the whipped cream and glued it all together, I added a bit of cream cheese to the whipping cream to make it more like glue.  I needed glue at this point, or cement would have been helpful.  After I had the whipped cream sticking everything together I wrapped saran around the outside of the cake, left the top open and put it in the fridge.  Oh, and I said a little prayer.

 The tough part of serving  a layer cake is that you have no clue about it's taste or texture until you serve it.

It was good, creamy, not soggy and lots of coconut flavor.  Make it in a 9x13 inch pan and it will be an easy holiday dessert.  Make it a layer cake and you will have trouble.

After the guests left I went in the kitchen and the coconut cake was gone!  They must have liked it!

Oh wait a second, there is a wedge of cake laying on the counter.  It slid right off the pedestal and was hiding  behind.  Sneaky, slippery cake.

I also baked Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cream Cake.  It wasn't pretty either.  It was tasty though.  My plan to have a gorgeous dessert buffet didn't really happen but it was a tasty dessert buffet.

If you'd like the recipe for Pioneer Woman's Coffee Cream Cake the book is available at the Lynden Pioneer Museum Gift Shop. Yes, that is a shameless plug for the store.  Hah!

Christmas Royalty

On our trip to Snohomish, WA Hubby and I visited a beautiful shop named the Sweet Bee.  As I was making my purchase (I found a tree skirt) they were unpacking inventory.  They had white, soft owls that were adorable.  They were pairing them with tiny glittering crowns that a local craftswoman had made.  I swooned.  Since I had found my treat for the day I left them behind.  Then when Hubby and I got in the car my wheels started turning and before we'd gone too far we made a stop to find white owls.  We didn't have any luck in the Burlington Micheals.  But you know me I could not let this go.

Last night we went to town for groceries and Hubby suggested stopping at our local Micheals.  I resisted.  After all, I had pushed any reasonable husband to the limit the day before.  He insisted and thank goodness!

I found Martha Stewart tinsel glitter, corrugated silver paper and the OWLS!  Not soft but really pretty and white and glittery.  I danced to the check out.

 And then I made mini crowns for owls.  Why?  Because I had nothing better to do.  No baking, shopping, wrapping or cleaning.  Hahahaha.

 To attach the crowns to the owls I used Zots aka snot dots.  I put it front and center on the band, where you see my finger).  Then I slipped the crown over the hanger and pushed crown to the Zot.

 I hung them on the tree.  And then I happy danced.  First of all, they are adorable and second of all they cost under $3 each, instead of $20 each.

 The crown pictured below is solid Martha Stewart tinsel glitter.  Please excuse the glare,  that would be some serious Bling.

 I think I'll name this one. The Royal Princess of Snow.  

Or the Queen of Winter. 

Or Lady Snowy Winter Season.

Look at those jewels!  She must be the Queen Mother.

OWL stop now, but you get the idea,  I am a tad excited about my owl royalty.

TIP:  I saw white Owls at Grandiflora today if you want to crown some owls.  And I left a few at the Bellingham Micheals.

Grandma's Prayer for Generations

Yesterday Hubby and I went to Marysville, WA.  Back to where it all began, where we met and fell in love.   We went to visit Hubby's Grandma in Marysville.  She will be 98 years old this month.  A Godly woman, still very sharp, but getting frail.  She visits on the phone with her sister who is 102 years old and lives in California.  Grandma mentioned that she won't see her sister again.  Not until we all meet again, I reminded her.  Grandma is a blessing, a prayer warrior and still has a great laugh.  Yesterday she told us her birth story.  It was different in 1914.   

All Grandma wishes for is for all of her family to know Jesus.  I love her and am grateful for her.

After our visit with Grandma we drove to Snohomish to file a police report.  Our insurance needed us to file a report and supposedly it saves us $300.  But then we went shopping in Snohomish.   Hubby decided it really didn't save him much.  I love Snohomish and when I lived closer I went there a lot.  A sweet downtown with many shops and a hometown feel.  We had Thai for lunch and then browsed

 The store windows were gorgeous.  They glare but you get the idea.

A beautiful sleigh, bright colored packages and a gorgeous vintage party dress.
It takes me right to the place I want to be.
The snow is lightly falling and the only sounds are the bells on the horse's harness and Hubby humming a carol.  There is a cozy fur robe tucked around us.
And the vintage dress fits me.

Honestly, this is my Christmas brain.

Whoa there sister.  Wake.  Up.

You're stuck in Everett traffic.

Girl, you need to work at the museum, get groceries, make a trip to Best Buy, sort gifts, make another list, bake two layer cakes, call in a favor from your brother, catch up the laundry and ironing and get your Christmas organized.

Why is it so easy for me to get caught up in the things of this world?

Take a deep breath, read the Word and remember the Advent season for what it truly is, a time for reflection of our dear Savior's birth.  

Grandma's focus on the season is so real.  She can't decorate, bake, shop anymore.

She just has the Christmas story and it is enough.  Grandma reminds me of Mary, humble, praying, and praising God.

Mary’s Song in Luke Chapter One

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

⁴⁷     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

⁴⁸ for he has been mindful

    of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

⁴⁹     for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

    holy is his name.

⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,

    from generation to generation.

⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones

    but has lifted up the humble.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things

    but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,

    remembering to be merciful

⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,

    just as he promised our ancestors.”

⁵⁶ Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

Prayer-

Help me, Lord to spend time in prayer for my family today.

I want to be more like Jesus, more like Mary, your servant, and a blessing to all generations.

Thank you for a special day yesterday, visiting Grandma and spending time with my husband.

Amen.

Wreath Restored

 The shiney brite wreath had a bad storage experience.  Hubby pulled the ornaments off the ring and each other.  It was a pile of shiney mess.  I bought a new glue gun(BiG), lots of glue sticks and I got busy.  This time I wound old tinsel garland around the foam and glued it on.  I hope it helps.

 It is back, above the mantel, its rightful place of honor, shining for another Christmas.

It makes me smile!  The season may begin.

Isn't it grand?

My guys fight over who gets this beauty when Mom croaks.

I like to think they want it to have a place of honor in their homes, however; that is not the truth.

They want to take it out back with a pellet gun for target practice.

Not nice!

The End?

Everyone is having troubles with Blogger.  I wasn't because I had paid $5 in January.  This weekend my blogger crashed in spite of me paying the fee.  This morning my laptop died.  Was it from Blogger?

The bells got a makeover, the pictures are in the wrong order but its as good as it gets on Blogger.

This could be the end of the blog for me.  I hope I haven't lost all my photos stored on the laptop.

The house is decorated, the cards are mailed, parties are planned.

Merry Christmas, my friends!