A Homemade Christmas

  Thanks goes to Ruby Showalter for this idea. (above) I didn't have the cute ribbon she used or much seasonal paper to work with , but this hangs in our living room.

 

 The "LOVE" one kinda "happened" when I was messing around trying to get inspired. And the following idea of putting candles in baby food jars comes from a magazine but I tried to make them a little more seasonal.


 So what are Your inexpensive and simple
 decorating ideas?  I'd love to put a few more things up, yet.

Spaghetti Brain

What's the point of a blog with no new updates? But sometimes my spaghetti brain is going into too many directions to settle down into a nice rhythmic flow of words. So bear with me if this blog makes no sense or is just a humble -jumble of topics.
  Some days I just want so badly to call up my friend, Elaine who passed away of breast-cancer June 10th. I want to talk, ask questions, lend a listening ear, I want to be able to travel to Virginia and sit with her again and laugh and cry and drink tea with her. I want to go back to the last time I hugged her, and hold on a little longer. We both knew it would be the last hug. It was so hard. She told me how hard it was to let go of life when her children needed her so badly. I wish I would have understood better. I wish I could have encouraged her better.
  I remember as a school teacher and boarding with the Highs, she "begged" me to tell her anything I noticed about her that she could be a better person, a better mother. Now as a mother myself, I want to go back to her and ask her for advice and tell her what a wonderful job she did!
  Lately someone asked me to please consider making a phone call to talk with/ encourage someone. My reply? " I'm too scared." The next day Todd Miller preached an excellent sermon on Courage. Wow. Sometimes, I am such a coward ! I plan on making that call tonight and I'm actually looking forward to it in a shaky sort of way.
  Someone else needs help and encouragement. They are on a slippery slope. Would I please invite them into my home? And fear whispers, " You fail too much already! How could you ever help someone else? Besides, you still have so much to learn about being a mother and wife, how do you think you could  'reach around' emotionally?" But another gentle voice whispers, "Maybe I want you to do this for your own growth, don't let fear limit My Power!" I don't know what the next half year holds but I'm glad I don't have to rely on my own strength !
   Joyce Meyer says, " Everything we run away from has power over us; everything we go through, we conquer."  and Jesus says, "My strength is made perfect in weakness."
   I'm grateful for my children who can be so frustrating and yet so fun and sweet. This morning, Hannah comes to me, " God made a little baby just for you!" she announces as she gently places her dolly in my arms. And instructs this "new" mommy, "You must rock her and feed her!"
   To Heidi, i ask, "are you adorable?!"   "No!" She says, "I'm Heidi".   and the other night her daddy wanted her to say, "spaghetti".  Her reply, " I tant!..I'm too little !" and she continues to refuse to say it upon request or even if bribed with candy, but if she forgets herself and is copying her sister, she can say it rather well. hmmm. Stubborn, I say !
  And I'm looking forward to taking a trip with my baby and my man to Indiana this Thursday. He has a "business meeting" on Friday. It's only three hours or so long but his way is paid. I'm hoping for some fun quality time :)
   When I started this blog I was thinking maybe I'd get on the subject of baking, but I guess not. Here's something though, I like to make..want to join me for some?

  I

Birthday Week

 Here's a big THANK YOU to all who send kind wishes on my birthday ! My whole week was a rather fun, though busy one, with family from Minnesota around, I didn't plan much. Most days My SILS, Rosie and Verena and Rosie's 2 little boys, came up for part of the day and we worked at scrapbooking/ card-making. .something I enjoy but rarely take time for. Mom also came up one day and Grandma Laura did twice.
  I also was able to get some outside work done. It's so unusual to be having such a mild brown November. Monday evening we enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal at church with the school. "Turkey-in-a hole" was a mouth watering success!
  Tuesday evening Mom, Grandma L, Verena, and Rosie took me out to eat for my birthday and we did a little shopping also. It was a special evening but the fun was quite diminished when I got home and discovered my baby had cried most of the evening and a daughter had wet herself making the evening a bit stressful for hubby.
  Wednesday evening was prayer meeting. Jacob was song leader and I was group leader for our little prayer group. What a blessing to pray together with friends. Verena spent the night.
  Thursday I was delighted to see what gift God had sent..finally the ground was white :)  The girls were so excited and anxious to get out in it. So we scooped some up and they ate it with spoons. After packing Jacob's lunch and making him breakfast I went outside and played in the fluffy stuff for a bit. I told them it was hardly enough to make the snowman they wanted but gave in and made a mini-man for them.  Meanwhile Verena whipped up some yummy pumpkin pancakes and sausage which we enjoyed after Rosie and her boys arrived. I said that food tastes 90 times better when someone else makes it. I did a load of laundry and more scrapbooking. Mary Emma sent up a big bag of groceries with lots of yummy stuff to make some easy meals. Very special! i also received a box from my mom and now have a new book to read ..sometime.  For supper  we all ate at Grandpa Gingerichs.
   Jo Hershey had invited me over for Friday. Liz, Julia S, and their children were also there and we had a nice relaxing visit and lunch. And the ten preschoolers played nicely for the most part. It's so nice to connect with other moms and share stories and tips.
  Jacob called as I was about to leave. He came home from work early and we left again around 5pm. Grabbed a bite of supper on the run and then met Greg Drabek, his wife and daughter in town ( a guy Jacob works with) and they bought us tickets to watch  "Courageous". We really enjoyed it even though the children got a bit restless till the end.
  Today Jacob is working. I'm not getting much done on the homefront. I have a toothache that tylenole hasn't knocked out and am rather tired for some reason.  Hannah is praying for more snow since our last stuff didn't last real long. I would be happy with that !
   Happiness is... a clean house, a smiling spouse...giggling girls, soft baby curls...snow in its splendor, a heart of surrender.
   Signing off.....Jan