What Our Christmas Cookies and Tree Looked Like

So this year the boy was all about Santa. Yes, he still knows that Jesus is the main guy, but this year we saw The Polar Express and I read the book, with ALL the voices, to his Kindergarten class before school let out for winter break. So he was really excited about Santa this year.

I decided that since the boy and I would be home together, we'd make iced sugar cookies. This is what we came up with.

The Christmas cookies, one of each style.

Texas cookie has a silver droge, so that Santa will remember where he is.


Tree cookie, so pretty yet easy to do.


Snowflake cookie. These were my favourite to decorate.


The Candy Cane. An upsidedown "J" for Jesus


I loved how these stocking cookies turned out.


The star cookie really was that sparkly. :-)


Here are a few shots of the Christmas Tree, some with a flash and some without so you could see the glow behind the red bows. I just love that!








I hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures. If you have any questions on how to decorate cookies, let me know and I'll be happy to share the technique. :-)

Happy New Year!

And a Good Time Was Had By All

Well, this year we had a very different Christmas from our norm. Usually we get together with the hubby's family and there is a lot of rushing here and there to get things done, but this year we were all on our own, which turned out to be a nice change. The hubby and the boy made muffin-muffins for breakfast and we started our day.

We went to church as a family on Sunday morning and instead of us sitting separately (because of choir usually singing), we sat together. It's been so long since we'd done that. I had forgotten how nice it was sitting with my husband and son. That aftern oon, I pushed through some laundry and the hubby prepared the turkey and dressing. Then we all sang 'Happy Birthday' to Papa over the phone. :-)

Sunday night choir was singing at the Candlelight Service, but we only had 3 songs, instead of 7-8, and I was able to join hubby and the boy for communion and the rest of the service.

There were quite a few people there that I had not seen for a few years, mostly my old daycare group. They have a grown into their adult bodies and they are all in their 20's. Man, I feel old. :-)

When we got home the hubby fed us the Turkey & Dressing he had been cooking all day. The boy picked out the prettiest of the cookies I had made for Santa and I told him that before I went to bed I would put out a glass of milk for him. We finished our dinner and we put the boy to bed and said our prayers. From the morning until we went to bed Christmas Eve was a joy filled day.

On Christmas Day the boy came into our bed around 6:45am. He didn't know if Santa had been here yet and didn't want to jinx his coming by being awake. We all laid under the electric blanket until 7am. Then we couldn't wait any longer!! We led the boy into the living room and he saw the little pile of presents. I had noticed on the dinning table that Santa had left a 'Thank You' note for the boy on the table and "he" had eaten the cookies and milk!

The boy was a bit nervous about getting what he wanted for Christmas this year. He thought that because we were broke that he wouldn't get anything for Christmas, so were we. But we lucked out and the boy only wanted 4 things: 2 Chevron cars, the movie Cars and a Remote Control car. We got him one of the Chevron cars he wanted(couldn't find the other one) and the movie Cars and How to Eat Fried Worms, plus a couple of other things that we found over this past year. The hubby and I got movies for each other. All in all, it was a really nice Christmas.

We went to my folks house and celebrated Christmas with my family. That was nice too and we all exchanged gifts. Mom & Dad got a picture of the boy with his name and the year on it so Mom could remember who he is(she's got alzheimers). My sisters received prayer journals and earings that I made for them and a small pic of the boy. We had Christmas dinner at my mother's house for the first time in about 17 years. It was really wonderful.

We still missed having Christmas with the hubby's family, but it could not be helped and we ended up making new memories for the boy.

Here's to another happy memory and to a lifetime of many more. Blessings to you and yours for the Shorts.

Praise Report

Praise be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

My beloved mil is well enough to be asking for her lipstick, which if you know anyone of her generation, is an important thing to those ladies. The nurses told her that if she's asking for cosmetics that she has worn out her welcome in ICU. Praise God!!!

She still has a long way to go for full recovery, but the danger zone is behind us and we look forward to spending some time with her after Christmas.

Thanks again to all of my friends who prayed for her and my fil. The prayers were answered and we are greatly appreciative!

God's Blessings to you all and blessings to your loved ones as well. mhn.

Update

Here is an update on the mil. She's talking now and is getting better. She still has a long way to go, but her improvement is quite encouraging. Thank you all so much for the prayers and well wishes. They are much appreciated!!


The boy is on Christmas vacation until Jan 3 when he returns to school. The job hunt will resume then. Wish us luck! :-D


MERRY CHRISTMAS!<----- I know it's early, but I'm feeling the spirit this year! :-D

Oil & Gas

Get ready for the rant zone..........


Ok. I really shouldn't complain about the price of gas in America because other countries pay much higher prices at the pump.

Now that you know I know others pay more than we do...HEREIGO!



It is completely ridiculous that the price of gas is anywhere near the prices they were this summer and are now! We should only be paying .95 per gallon, at the MOST! It's not like we don't have plenty of crude here on our own land, alot being in Texas, Oklahoma and Alaska!

If we stopped buying from OPEC and started using our own resources then alot of the foreign oil issues in the country would cease to exist! I just can't fathom how our government(who in all fairness has been doing this since its inception) can continue to patronize the countries who want to see us blown off of the face of the Earth! Pleeeze! They want to blow us up, call us corrupt AND charge us an arm & a leg for their products! Does anyone else see something wrong with this picture???

Seriously, if a local store had treated you only with bad service you would have dumped it and shopped somewhere else! It is way passed time for us to dump OPEC and start using our own resources for fuel.

Science has come A LONG WAY since we started the industrialization of America. I think that we can drill for the oil and refine our product as well as taking care not to disturb the spotted grub worm(I know that there is no such beast, but hopefully you get my point.).

Rant over.

Well, It's Official

I'm on the hunt for gainful employment. The hubby calls me a "Job Explorer!".

I sent my resume to a fellow worker at one of the other offices where the hubby works. I had interviewed at a childcare facility, but so far, nothing has come of it. So we have decided to try for something a little higher on the food chain.

We REALLY need the fundage and I think the boy would enjoy going to afterschool childcare. He's such a social being that it would be good for him to interact with more children throughout the day.

If you pray, please keep us in your prayers.

Also, Gammie is VERY ILL. She is in the hospital with several illnesses one of them being pneumonia. Please pray for her and Papa as he is pretty worried and stressed himself.

Thank you so very much. mhn for short.

A Little "Twisted"

Some of the dancing is a bit disturbing seeing as it is a song about the birth of Jesus, but I dig the song. Enjoy!