Christmas is Coming. . .

And we are snowed in!

Dear Reader,

Thank you so much for dropping by our home.

We feel as though we live in a giant snow globe, as we've been experiencing a steady, beautiful snowfall here the past couple of days, with more snow in the forecast! Hopefully the power stays on, till we get hold of a good wood stove for heat and cooking (Really, we were going to get one last summer, but you know how that goes!).

We've been getting ready for Christmas here, although we don't believe you can ever really be "ready", just like having a baby!

Our church had a Christmas pageant which required us to be in costume, so the children and I went there, while Ken was doing his "Christmas Carol" last Saturday. Frankie had so much fun wearing a dress!

Don't you love Frankie's stylish shoes?

Little Shepherd Boy

A Woman's Work is Never Done!

It really did help us to feel that we were living back in Jesus' day, as the program commenced. I don't know how the women handled those long mantles while caring for a baby and cooking! They must have tied them back most of the time.

The older girls have been running "day cares" for Evangeline and Frankie lately, while the others do lessons with me (Or I work on presents). They have a lot of fun doing it, and by the time they're old enough to babysit, they'll be very well-prepared, I'm sure!

Evangeline is going to have quite a doctor's bill to pay, with her babies ending up constantly in the hospital! They always have "febers".

We found this fun tutorial for flower garlands to decorate the ceiling, and have been making lots of them (This time we've foregone our "less is more" motto.) for the parlor.



This is the second year we've done "Kris Kringles" for each other. We got the idea from Tasha Tudor's Take Joy Christmas book. We drew names from a hat (AnnaMarie gussied them up a bit) to see who we would have, and then our job is to try to do a special secret act of service each day till Christmas Eve, when we all guess who our "Kris Kringle" was.

Oh yes, and we were given two Christmas cats, "Noel" and "Clara" (Named after the girl in the Nutcracker), who are not so sure they enjoy all the loving they are getting!




May you have a blessed day,

Marqueta

Now

One looks behind him to some vanished time
And says, "Ah, I was happy then, alack!
I did not know it was my life's best prime--
Oh, if I could go back!"

Another looks, with eager eyes aglow,
To some glad day of joy that yet will dawn,
And sighs, "I shall be happy then, I know;
Oh, let me hurry on."

But I--I look out on my fair Today;
I clasp it close and kiss its radiant brow.
Here with the perfect present let me stay,
For I am happy now!

~Ella Wheeler Wilcox