A Cool Video About Christmas Getting

Candy Cane Cookies

Quelle Horreur! We didn't get to our activity today. But both today's project and tomorrows are edibles, and one is a drink and one is not, so maybe we'll combine them...

Instead, I will share, via the magic of Betty Crocker, one of my favorite Christmas Cookie recipes:

Betty Crocker's Vintage Candy Cane Cookies
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 egg
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red food color
2 tablespoons finely crushed peppermint candies
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Stir together 1 cup sugar, the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food color into 1 half. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375ºF.
3. Stir together peppermint candy and 2 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
4. For each candy cane, shape 1 rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane.
5. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. Immediately sprinkle candy mixture over cookies. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Instead of peppermint extract, we have found that almond extract actually tastes yummier. Often I do half peppermint and half almond. :) We make these every year, and they really mean "Christmas" for me. I remember being very small and getting Mom's Betty Crocker recipe book out--the one she got for her wedding, I believe--and finding this recipe. Mmmm!

No Room in the Inn

On Sunday, Hubby and I took the girls to Bethlehem! Ok, so not the REAL Bethlehem. But it was pretty darn believable! Every year, a local church puts on a production called "Journey to Bethlehem". It's meant to be an immersion experience, to help you feel and understand what it was like in Jesus' time and why His birth was such a miraculous, hope-and-joy giving event.

And they did a great job. The one problem was the long wait...first in a hall in the gym, then in the gym itself where we watched a trailer for the production and a video about the making of, then in the actual church where we enjoyed the beautiful Christmas decorations and live Christmas music. It was very pretty, and I enjoyed all the different places we waited (and was glad that we weren't waiting in only one spot at a time, and that it wasn't quiet waiting, as Ginger was in rare loud form that evening :P). But it was still a long wait. However, it was worth it.

Apparently they used to build and tear down the set every year, but then someone got a vision for making a permanent structure to use as Bethlehem. Wow! What an investment of faith into the community. Anyways, they build this beautiful brick structure that takes you through what it was like to experience Bethlehem, pay taxes and be registered for the census, as well as what life was like back then. On the road, we were warned of thieves and wild animals and encountered beggars and lepers. The lepers had to call out "unclean! unclean!" as they passed us, and we were admonished by our "cousins" (our tour guide) not to touch them lest we become unclean. I found that part to be moving and powerful. Tons of actors in costume and character, as well as live animals and real objects to interact with--from food to scrolls to coins to woven baskets...the "artisans" in the "marketplace" were really sewing, spinning wool, and turning pottery.

We start on the road, and then wind our way through the city, encountering gruff Roman guards, paying taxes to the Roman magistrate, petting animals, and "buying" stuff. We visited the moneychangers and interacted with the shepherds. We got to see the angels come out and declare the moment of Christ's birth, and then go with the shepherds to see baby Jesus (under a Christmas-light star, lol). It was very beautifully done, convincing, and moving. I unfortunately didn't get a lot of pictures because I was carrying Miss Ginger the last half of the production. But it was neat, and worth the drive and wait. Afterward, there are refreshments and a chance to donate. But not to the production--it was free, after all. No, a chance to donate to the Auburn food bank and a local outreach that provides safehouses for women and children escaping abuse. I let each of the girls stick some money in, and I was glad for the opportunity for hands-on giving.

If you live in the area and get a chance to go next year, seize it! :)

For me, I was hoping to experience the humility and simple beauty of Christmas, as well as give my kids a visual history lesson. Kids really soak that kind of stuff up, and so I was glad to provide them with an opportunity to remember Christ's birth in a very real and connected way. All in all, I think my goals were accomplished and we had a good time.

Waiting in the church for our tour number to come up:


Asking some wise and learned men about whether the star in the sky was pointing to the Messiah:


Outside Bethlehem:


A Roman Soldier:


Moneychangers:


Live animals!


The Inn with no room...

Christmas in the Village

I love spending time with family and friends! :) For our Christmas activity on Saturday, we went with my mom, 2 sisters, my nephew, and my brother-in-law-to-be to Country Village! They'd advertised reindeer rides, Christmasy activities and Santa's arrival via airborne sleigh. The reindeer were actually shetland ponies in reindeer garb (OMGTEHCUTENESS), but the ponies weren't cooperating by the time we got there lol...Sparrow did enjoy a pony ride nonetheless (Ginger wasn't interested). We rode on the train with my mom, which Ginger DID enjoy immensely. They have a play area, so the girls spent quite a bit of time on the pirate ship "The Jolly Rodney" and the merry-go-round.







I'd picked up my mom, and my sisters were picking up my nephew and joining us later, so we had some nice one-on-one time with her. We had dinner in the village at one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Stella Mia (but too fancy and spendy to go often), and I had the Mango Penne, which was probably one of the yummiest pasta dishes I have ever had. We did some window shopping, and got some hot fire-roasted chestnuts, and met up with the rest of the gang to await Santa's arrival. I didn't get any good shots of the event, but basically it was a lit wire-and-steel-bar sleigh with wire reindeer forms wrapped in Christmas lights, that was on a zipline, starting on top of one building and ending near the stage.

I don't know why, but it was kind of comical when it became clear that Santa was in a free-fall down the zipline--the reindeer crashing into the pole and the whole thing jerking and wobbling back and forth, we wondered if Santa was going to be tossed out! He was fine though, and after giving a speech, invited all the kids to come and get a candycane. So I waited in a long, long line with my nephew and Sparrow (Ginger, again, was not interested). I did score her a candy cane, though. Carolers in traditional garb were on the stage singing Christmas music this whole time. :)



Me and Nephew on stage after getting a candy cane:


After that we did more shopping, got a big bag of delicious, fresh kettle corn (and watched how they made it), played on the playground again, and just enjoyed the sights in general. It was fun! I love it when businesses get into the Christmas season :)

Mary, Did You Know?

We had an activity on Friday, but what I'd like to talk about instead are some musings I had on that day.

Driving on my way to the bank, I heard a song I'd never heard before on the radio, and I was captivated. Faith Hill's new song "A Baby Changes Everything", is a poignant look at Mary's difficult circumstances surrounding Jesus' birth. There are a few songs about Mary that are played around Christmastime, but this is by far my favorite...beating out even "Breath of Heaven" and "Mary, Did You Know".

The focus of my musings wasn't on this, but it needs to be said. I am not Catholic or Orthodox, so I don't revere Mary the same way they do (or in some cases, falsely worship). But I also don't go along with the strange inclination of many Protestants who would have the opposite extreme reaction to Mary. It's almost like, "Don't talk about her, she was just a regular girl, nothing special, if we talk about her we'll take away focus from Jesus and it'll be like we're worshiping her!!" Nonsense.

Mary *was* an ordinary girl. But she was also a girl of amazing humility and faith. God didn't choose her because she was perfect, but because she was humble, willing, and trusting of Him. We could learn a lot from her faith. And Elizabeth called her "blessed among women". You can't tell me that she was the chosen vessel to carry our Lord and yet is unimportant. She is an integral part of Jesus' life and ministry, because she affected Him and nurtured Him, and fulfilled prophecy and scripture. She bore the Son of God. That's huge! I'm not saying we should worship her, but we can rightly learn from her and give her a place of honor and esteem. She was a hero of the Faith, just as Paul and Abraham were. My friend Rita pointed me to this Femina article about her, which is worth the read: Blessed Are You Among Women

Anyhoo, first I want to share the lyrics to the song that set me on my musings:

Teenage girl much too young
Unprepared for what's to come
A baby changes everything

Not a ring on her hand
All her dreams and all her plans
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

The man she loves she's never touched
How will she keep his trust
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries
Ooh she cries
Oh ohhh...

She has to leave, go far away
Heaven knows she can't stay
A baby changes everything

She can feel it's coming soon
There's no place there's no room
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything

And she cries
And she cries
Oh she cries

Shepherds all gather 'round
Up above the star shines down
A baby changes everything

Choir of angels sing
Glory to the newborn king
A baby changes everything
A baby changes everything
Everything, everything, everything
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah

My whole life has turned around
I was lost, but now I'm found
A baby changes everything, yeah
A baby changes everything

Poignant, no? And what struck me as I listened to this beautiful tune was what a powerful pro-life statement Mary's story really is. You see, most women who seek abortions are in a "crisis" pregnancy. For whatever reason, it's the wrong time to have a baby (if they ever want to have one at all). It runs the gamut from "I don't want my body to change" (of course that's too late) to "I will get in trouble" (of course, proof of the actions aren't what makes a person guilty--rather, the actions themselves) to "I'm too poor" (despite the availability of not only social services but the many resources offered to struggling families and crisis pregnancies specifically through churches, private organizations, and crisis pregnancy centers).

Some people contend that this is the sole reason people choose abortion. They just feel desperate, trapped even, and it seems this is the only way out. If we could only help them with better social services and make everyone less poor, magically people would choose less abortions. From my own experiences, I can tell you with surety that no matter how desperate the situation is or seems, if abortion is an anathema to you, you will not choose it. And conversely, if abortion is an attractive and readily available option, you will be more likely to choose it even if your circumstances aren't in any way desperate. There are the rare exceptions of course, or those who would harm themselves rather than have a baby (or even get an abortion--back-alley abortions have increased, not decreased, with the social acceptance, availability, and normality of abortions. And of course, the original numbers on the "prevalence" of coat-hanger abortions were exaggerated).

Mary is a good example of this. Think of what a desperate situation she was in. She was pregnant, a young girl, engaged to be married. Abortions have existed for centuries, before Mary's time. Many of the most extreme pagan ancient cultures had abortion as socially acceptable, along with human sacrifice and all that. Sometime I'll write about that. In fact, I keep touching on topics that deserve entire posts or three on their own. But too bad :P I must stay focused! Abortion was taboo in her culture, but living where she lived, it was undoubtedly available.

Who would believe her that she was an immaculate conception? Having a baby at her age? She was promised in marriage to Joseph, but it seems that their wedding wasn't totally imminent. Scholars place her age anywhere between 12 and 16. This wasn't just a matter of offending your parents, this was a matter of life and death. She could be stoned. Joseph, for his part, when he found out, still had love and respect for her and planned to divorce her quietly. Perhaps his reputation was on the line too, but to bring her public humiliation and shame was to perhaps condemn her to death.

Yet, Mary's immediate response was acceptance and humility. Of course, her situation wasn't normal. She didn't sleep with a guy outside of marriage and get pregnant. That wouldn't matter to outsiders, of course, but SHE knew, and that must have bolstered her faith and courage. And that's my point. Of course, I am not trying to say that she would have chosen abortion otherwise, that would be pure speculation. I am simply saying that she accepted whatever was to come with grace and humility and faith. She accepted the life within her as precious, and no circumstance could wrest that from her heart.

When you KNOW that the life you carry is, indeed, a little life capable of potential (maybe not "Maker of the Moon/Author of the Faith", but who knows--the baby you are gestating might be the next Einstein or G.K. Chesterton!), how can you destroy it? Mary's circumstances were beyond desperate, they were dire. Her life was truly in danger. I've seen women in desperate circumstances, circumstances you could match point for point, choose two completely different outcomes. The difference? Abortion was an unacceptable alternative for whatever reason to one, and abortion was VIEWED as the only viable option to the other.

This is one reason why I am constantly harping on the need to address abortion legally, within the government. It is the reason that ultrasound machines in Crisis Pregnancy Centers change minds and save lives. We will always have the poor and desperate. It's up to Christians to step up, but the reality is, there is already so much framework in place for dealing with this--it's just not visible, or at least not as visible as Planned Parenthood. We cannot ignore the rights of the unborn just to satisfy the comfort of their mothers. Certainly, we must be compassionate, caring, and generous. But being poor has never been a legal excuse to rob a bank, being hungry or cold has never been a legal excuse to steal food or shoplift clothes, and being angry or inconvenienced has never been a legal excuse to murder--except of course in the face of abortion.

If Mary's story shows us anything, it is that life is, indeed, precious, and God has plans for the unborn--not just Jesus, but He promises plans for every single person. Even unintended pregnancies, or children born from sinful circumstances. They are not destiny-less, second-class citizens. God's great mercy and compassion extends to them, and so should ours. From the most humble of circumstances--and rather difficult ones as well--He unfolded His plan to reconcile the world.

A baby does, indeed, change everything.


Youtubes of the songs mentioned:
A Baby Changes Everything by Faith Hill (already linked it above, but hey why not).

I didn't mentioned this one specifically (the "maker of the moon" line comes from here) but it's a must-hear: A pretty cover of "Labor of Love", even if you don't listen, READ THE LYRICS. Amazing. They are beautiful. It was written by Andrew Peterson.

Breath of Heaven, written by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant, performed by Amy Grant

Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry and Buddy Greene, performed by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd

Nostalgia

I apologize, I am behind on my posting. Not on our activities, but on my posting. :P

I had a pretty happy childhood, all things considered. Sure, our family had its dysfunction, and I had your typical childhood happenstances and issues. But overall, it was a pleasant childhood and I credit my parents mostly with that. Well, and God. :) I'm sure He had a heavy hand in all of that ;).

Ever since I was a small child, I wanted to be a mom. And I wanted to recreate some of those aspects of my childhood for my own children, because they are what I hung onto when the days were dark. I wanted to give them roots, memories, and connections. So I purposed that I would carry on some of the family traditions and make my own. I'm all about family, and all about tradition. I can even remember being as young as 6 and knowing that someday, if I ever had a daughter, her middle name would be the same as mine--just as my middle name was the same as my mothers, and so on. And while the first name changed just about every 6 months ;), I always knew I would pass that on. And I did.

One thing that was special about both my parents, but especially my mother (or maybe I just remember her more?) was their ability to make every day, ordinary occurrences special and magical. Every year during the Christmas season, we'd watch a few particular movies that happened to come on TV at the time. We'd look forward to them all year.

One movie that my Grandma recorded for us (she had cable! and knew how to work her fancy VCR!) was "Home Alone". And some of the lines in that movie are classic among my family. We still laugh about memories surrounding that particular movie. It's kind of a violent movie, filled with bratty behavior, so I waited to share this particular movie with my kids. But this year, it seemed appropo. So on Thursday, our activity together was drinking eggnog and watching "Home Alone."

The girls enjoyed it, and I was transported back in time, cherishing the connection to my past--my siblings and I all together on the family room couch (we used to all fit! Now our hips get in the way LOL) watching and laughing--and my future--my precious girls. We enjoy other viewings of movies, like "Elf" and "It's a Wonderful Life" (my all-time Christmas favorite, and I cry every single time). We like to watch movies together (within reason of course for the girls), so it's a pleasant and often conversation-sparking thing we do. And I LOVE Christmas movies especially :D So I enjoy sharing them with my kids.

There wasn't any particular spiritual point to this activity, but sometimes expressing Christ is simply expressing His love and principles to each other. We won't take anything but each other with us to Eternity (and even that, or rather the degree, is under some debate), and I firmly believe that people and relationships--with God and with each other--is The Point.

And when we purpose to live a life of peace, joy, and purpose, the connections we create naturally flow out of goodness and kindness. Love is the operative word. Sure, it might not be the most fun thing for the parent to read the same darn book 50 times in a row, or watch the same movie until your kids get sick of it, which is usually FAR after you are. Yet, it brings you closer together. Practicing service and love to each other can only serve to better you and the people you are serving and loving.

And I encourage you to connect to your own past, and find the beauty and joy in the traditions that shaped you, and share them with others you love. It's just all the more special and wonderful that way. :)

Christmas Carols

I should probably get to posting something other than politics and "25 days of Christmas", but hey, at least I'm posting again :D

For today's activity, we took a carol, analyzed it, and sang it. I chose "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing", and used the handy free online Christmas songbook for reference.



One reason I love hymns in general is they are so full of rich Christian theology and meaning. Christmas carols of this type are no exception. I wonder how many people just sing along, and how songs like this get lost amid the many renditions of "Santa, Baby" without people realizing the deeper meaning. Anyways, I chose it because we read from Luke 2 last night, which is the mentioning of the herald angels and the shepherds. So we went through the song, learning about its meaning and history. I taught the girls (sort of haha) to sing the first verse. :) It was wonderful to cuddle together and sing a favorite Christmas song, especially after enlightening ourselves of its special meaning. :)

A Special Bedtime

Today's activity was a special bedtime story. When I was a little girl, my aunt gave me a special book. Somehow it survived my childhood, and I have treasured it. I love the illustrations, the story, and the message. So now I read it to my children at Christmastime. The cover is ripped a bit at the binding, the pages are worn, but it is well loved. I look at that book as a special gift of love from my aunt Robin, and remember her fondly when I read it. And I remember my mom reading it to me, which I also recall with much fondness.

So we got our jammies on, got up on my bed, and grabbed our little jam jar glasses of Martinelli's sparkling apple cider. I put a bowl of Anna's Gingerthins in the middle, and first we took up the Bible. We read the Christmas story from Luke, and talked briefly about why the shepherds were so excited. We concluded that they were joyful to receive their Savior, and we briefly talked about what that meant. My point for this exercise was to impress the idea that Jesus is most precious and important thing you can receive, He is God's gift to the world, and the best gift we can give to others aside from ourselves.

While we were still sipping our sparkling cider and nibbling on our gingerbread thins, I took up the aforementioned book, "A Special Gift" by Steve McKinstry and Lucy Rigg. :) It's the charming tale of a lucy bear named Lucy and her family. In the hustle and bustle of Christmas (referred to as Jesus' birthday), they forget about another birthday--Mama's. On Christmas Eve, Papa, Lucy and Benjamin set out to find the perfect gift to let their Mama know how special she is. They think and think, and search and search, and can't find anything that is special enough for their mom. When they are almost out of time, Lucy gets an inspiration. Meanwhile, back at their house, Mama has been baking and cooking up a storm in preparation for Christmas Eve supper. A knock on the door heralds a huge package tied with a big red bow (spoiler alert!) and when she opens the package, she finds her family inside!

I think many lessons can be found from this sweet little tale. What I pulled from it tonight was an extension of our discussion following the Christmas story in Luke. The best gift you can give someone is yourself, because what's most important on this earth and in the next are people. We can't take our dubloons, but we can take our connections. We can take love. God's love gifted Jesus to us, which is why we celebrate Christmas. And just like Jesus, we can give of ourselves as well. We can give of ourselves, and most importantly share the gift of Jesus with others. Jesus matters most, people matter next, things aren't as special or important as we are.

Interestingly, this led on Arianna's part to a discussion about homeless people and how we can help them. This was quite out of left field for me. She just randomly asked "Why are people homeless?" in the midst of this discussion. It blessed me that her thoughts turned to the less fortunate when I spoke of giving. She made several comments along those lines, actually.

Anyways, I think that my goal was quite nicely accomplished. We had a special snuggly family time together. We enjoyed an aspect of the Christmas season. We enjoyed treats. We read a special nostalgic book together. We read God's Word. We spoke of the greatest gift, Jesus, and of our ability to give of ourselves and of Jesus and how people are more special and important than things. And it even sparked a touch of goodwill--thinking to serve others, looking beyond the specialness of ourselves and recognizing the specialness and import of others, even those "low on the totem pole." I am blessed.

25 Days of Christmas

It's here! IT'S HERE! It's Christmas time! The best time evah! Anyways, I've purposed to do a Christmas-related activity with the girls every day. Today we decorated our windows!



My sister dropped by, and was watching our nephew, so we all had fun with this activity. We took some coffee filters and cut some pretty designs into them to create snowflakes! I do realize that snowflakes are not quite like the ones we have cut out, but hey. Imagination sometimes trumps realism! (Also I've quite forgotten the trick folding to make a hexagonal snowflake as per nature >.>)

Our first activity of December was, therefore, making decorations and then decorating our windows. I'm trying to insert meaning into our festivities (or point out the meaning inherent, as it naturally exists and flows), and it seemed that in this season of advent preparing our home for the coming of guests, the holiday, and the King seemed a natural place to start. Our decorations usually aren't flashy or all-encompassing, but we did get started.

But I want to pause a moment and talk about my purpose for this activity--decoration--and how it relates to the deeper meaning of Christmas and Christianity. For me, the reasons to decorate one's home--whether for a holiday/seasonally or just in general--are many. While we should be humble and modest in some respects, we also find a place for beauty and even extravagance. All we do should be unto the Lord, and that includes decorating! Whether simple and minimal or fancy and extravagant, our tastes should reflect not only ourselves (character, personality, needs, tastes, principles, morals, focus, etc) but also our Lord. I want to be careful to say that I'm not trying to build an argument for the morality and necessity of decorating one's living space, but rather offer a perspective on how creating a pleasing environment can be a good (even godly) thing. Why?

I believe that how we present ourselves is important. I am, ahem, learning in this area. I am no expert. But how we present ourselves to the Lord, to each other, to our families, and to the world matters. A home is a sanctuary for the family, a place of relating, learning, and growing. It is also the launching point for all ministry. I think that the Apostle had a point when he talked about a qualification for an elder being one who had his home in order. If we treat our possessions terribly, or take them for granted, how can we be trusted with much? How can we be trusted with the more eternal of possessions? (And I'm preaching to myself here, lest anyone get any ideas) Having our home in order, a place to rest and grow and be with the Lord is important for all ministry, but especially the ministry of hospitality.

And the holidays have many opportunities for hospitality. While I don't ascribe to feng shui, I do recognize that there are principles of decoration that do affect one's level of calm and happiness. Decorations can set the mood. Christmas is many things, many things, and it is at once both humble and festive, quiet and jubilant, hoping and receiving, giving and accepting, contemplative and emotional. When guests come to my home, I want them to feel the hope and joy and peace of the season. So with our decorations, my girls and I will hopefully minister a little rush of endorphins to a weary soul. :) Not only does it keep us focused on the festive and beautiful nature of Christmas, but it may minister to others as well.

Related to this is, indeed, the concept of advent. We are not from a liturgical background, and do not do a strict observance from any specific branch of the Church, but we do follow it in some measure. I began to keep advent when I wanted something to keep Christ the focus of the season. How are making snowflakes related to advent? Well, they may not really be, but here's how I see it...Advent is a time of preparation and expectation (a time of hope, joy, light, contemplation and even penitence). Our King is coming! The Christian celebrates both the first coming of Christ (His birth) and the second coming (which is obviously yet to come) during this time. If your husband or parents are away on a long absence and you realize they are coming home, what do you do? You clean up (penitence--although I really am more on the 'contemplation' side), you make ready. And it is not a sad occasion, but a joyful, happy one. A "bring out the fatted pig" kind of occasion. You put on your best clothes and smile, right? You want to look your best--why not our homes?

The home has been used in many allegorical ways Biblically, and while the inside (us) is most important, the outside (tangibles and observables like our homes) is important too. So when I make my home ready for the King, I'd love to make it nice! And that is where our lesson took us today. In this season of waiting, we are making ready, and making beautiful. Also, it was a good lesson on using scissors and glue (mostly for Ginger's benefit, haha).

So, we cut some snowflakes. Nephew's nap precluded him and my sis from staying long, so they didn't get to enjoy the rest of the festivities. We turned out Christmas music, ate a candy cane, and decorated green cellophane Christmas trees, more snowflakes, and red/silver holographic foil ornaments.

My little one has a dress-up dress on, this is when Sis hung up all the white snowflakes we'd made before she left:




Here is my little one cutting away (by the way, prior to the lesson about scissors? SHE CUT HERSELF BANGS. Yup. >.< Fortunately, she somehow did a good job. o.O She does have a bit more of a mullet now however...)


Works in progress:


All done! (Ginger decorated that tree) The girls' room windows decorated:


(Sparrow's tree)


Our bedroom:




Kitchen window (Sparrow made almost all of those snowflakes!)


Sliding Door:




My favorite ornament that Ginger made by herself:


It's definitely not Martha Stewart, but I love it :)