I AM 2!!!

It's been a quick two years!

Yesterday was Pumpkin's Birthday.

Note to Self: Don't plan a Christmas Tea the same week next year. Too much to do all at once. I've also decided not to add anything else to December's calendar--unless Sweetheart wants to do something wonderful with me. Otherwise, as of November 29, my calendar is closed for the year. I'm thinking there is already too much!

Christmas Tea

Here is the post I did when I guest-blogged over at Advent for Evangelicals last year. Although Lindsey has chosen not to update the blog for 2007, you can still have lots of fun browsing the archives from last year.

Christmas is such a delightful time of year to welcome others into our homes. Why not invite a friend, or group of friends over for tea? Even if you've never hosted a tea, it's quite easy to do. Even if you don't like to drink tea, hosting a tea party can be a wonderful and relaxing time.

I often choose to add other drinks myself to my tea times. Hot spiced cider, hot chocolate, and coffee are fine additions on a cold day. Likewise, if you're in an area that's warm at Christmas feel free to serve punch, lemonade, or even iced tea. Besides, this time of year there are many delightful Christmas teas available. Whether you choose a regular tea, a flavored Christmas tea, or if you prefer an herbal brew, there is a flavor for everyone.

Depending on how many people you are inviting will probably determine how you serve the tea. When I am serving tea for a large group, I usually fill an electric percolator/urn with water that will stay hot as long as it's needed. I set teapots by the urn and a selection of teas, both loose leaf and bags in a pretty basket nearby. I encourage guests to brew their own pot of tea in whatever flavor they choose.

If I am just having tea with a friend, I will simply use my kettle on the stove and brew a pot myself of whatever flavor she chooses. I keep sugar cubes on hand, but they are not required. Lemon slices are nice if you have them. It's a nice touch to fill a creamer with milk for the tea. (Real cream is too strong for tea. Also, do not add both milk and lemon to a cup of tea as the milk will curdle.)

What shall you serve at a tea? Anything you like! Tea time foods are best when presented in beautiful bite-sized treats with lots of fresh flavors. My tea menus are varied based on how many people are attending, the time we'll have tea, and how much time I want to spend preparing things.

The basic tea menu consists of savories, scones, and sweets. For savories I usually make tiny tea sandwiches with a variety of fillings. Egg salad, chicken salad, tomato sandwiches, cucumbers sandwiches, even mini turkey sandwiches are easy and economical. I have made sausage rolls, as well as quiches for teas as well.

The important thing to me is to use fresh ingredients and present everything in as pretty of a manner as possible. I make the sandwiches open-faced as well as with two slices of bread, depending on the filling. Yes, I cut the crusts off, usually after I've assembled them. I also use a variety of cookie cutters for fun shapes. I usually make my sandwich fillings the day before the tea to let the flavors blend. I assemble the sandwiches as close as possible to the serving time. I'll then cover the platters or plates of sandwiches with a damp sheet of paper towel topped with plastic wrap and refrigerator them until needed.

Next, I love to make scones. They are so easy and versatile! I'll add some dried cranberries, orange rind, and pumpkin pie spice to half of my scones for my Christmas Tea on Sunday so that they are full of the flavors of the holidays. I'm planning to sprinkle the tops with red decorating sugar one the plain scones as well to make them as festive as possible. I'll serve them warm with whipped cream, jam, and lemon curd.

Finally, the sweets are served! Actually, you may serve in courses, or just put everything out buffet style, whatever is easiest for you. For sweets I love making things like trifles, steamed English puddings, sweet breads, shortbreads & cookies, and something chocolate. I've baked both pumpkin and banana breads today as well as a batch of fudge. Plus, I have ginger cookies and madeleines in the freezer. This allows me not to be trying to do everything at once and at the last minute. Easy shortcuts include purchasing pre-made goodies from a bakery. I've even seen those little frozen cream puffs served at teas as well. They are pretty popular.

I love going all out for a tea. I enjoy using all the beautiful things I have been blessed with. However, most of what I have has come from flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales, and gifts. I have spent very little on my tea things. So often we wait to be hospitable until everything is perfect. I encourage you not to do that. Life is so much more fun when we let others in, even if the floors need vacuuming, and the dishes don't match. Yes, you can do everything and go all out. You can also keep it incredibly simple. The important thing is taking the time to sit with someone and be her friend.

Is there someone you could invite over to tea to take a break from shopping? Maybe you and a friend could have tea while you wrap Christmas gifts together. Tea time is fun as a family! Take some time while you decorate the tree for tea. Maybe tea time can be a special part of your Advent time when you are quiet, gathered around the Advent wreath reading, singing, meditating. Stop to enjoy a cup of tea. What about a special quiet time with your husband after the kids are in bed? Brew something warm, and get a special snack. Take some time to reconnect. Need to slow down? Tea time for one is also a wonderful break. Keep it simple and delicious. It's the time taken that counts more than what you eat or drink.

Because I like having people over, I try to keep some tea treats on hand, in the pantry or freezer. This allows me to set something up quickly and easily which encourages me to open my home more often. Remember that 1 Peter 4:9-10 says, "Offer hospitality to one another...Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others." Having a tea time is a wonderful way to express hospitality. I heard a speaker last Fall say something that I'll never forget: "Hospitality is to bless, not to impress."

As much as I enjoy setting a pretty tea table, I want do it to serve and honor my guest, not to impress her. I can tell the difference in myself. If I am focused on blessing someone, then I am relaxed and able to overlook the little things that go wrong, but if I am trying to impress her, then I am usually nervous and uptight, and worried about every little detail. This makes me not as fun to be around! I encourage you to keep your focus on blessings others this Christmas season. It will make it more fun for everyone, including yourself.

Can you tell what I'm getting ready for?

Thankful

Finally, time to light the candles.

Sweetheart read Psalm 67 to us tonight at dinner before we began feasting.

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us

and make his face shine upon us,

Selah

2 that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

3 May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,

for you rule the peoples justly

and guide the nations of the earth.

Selah

5 May the peoples praise you, O God;

may all the peoples praise you.

6 Then the land will yield its harvest,

and God, our God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us,

and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

Thank you, Lord, for Sweetheart.

I had always wanted a cornucopia basket. I remember drawing them and making them out of construction paper as a child in school. Last year I found one at Michael's after Thanksgiving for a dollar. I bought it and loved using it this year.

Plus, it's another edible centerpiece since I made our last one into the pie.

Yum.

Something sweeter than pie.

I am blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving

"Give thanks to the LORD,

His lovingkindness is everlasting."

Lord, we thank you for the many blessings you have given us.

Thank you for our families.

Thank you for creating a world of beauty.

Thank you for love.

May we be ever greatful to you, today and everyday of our lives.

Hello

Life is good. I good eight hours of uninterrupted sleep for the first time in probably (?11?) months and awoke before anyone else. I peeked out the window to see a world lightly frosted with snow. It's so pretty. Even prettier to me as I don't have to try to drive in it. I love working from home.

Poor Sweetheart; he left early to allow for a longer commute, but called to say he was going to end up late as they've closed the highway a mile north of us. It must be a bad wreck as there is not enough snow to warrant closing for that.

I've been getting ready for tomorrow this week. I briefly looked at my Thanksgiving Plan from last year to get my stuffing recipe that I couldn't find and realized I was a lot more organized last year. No bread cornucopias this year! I only had Pumpkin last year and he was still napping twice a day.

Yesterday though was very productive. I baked five loaves of bread so that I'd have enough for dinner last night, tomorrow's dinner, as well as for the stuffing. I cooked my centerpiece (a pie pumpkin from the farm up the road) and made one pumpkin pie for Sweetheart to take to work today. I've got the other disk of pie crust and the filling for our pie to put together today or tomorrow. I made dinner for last night and tonight using the crockpot and did a lot of dishes.

Today, I'll assemble the stuffing, the Sweet Potato Souffle, the cranberry relish and prep the asparagus. We'll see about the pie, as it will just depend on Pumpkin and Dumpling.

I am able to actually sit down for a moment, as Dumpling is napping and Pumpkin is having some...alone time. He's almost two and has decided to hit when not getting his way. *sigh* The time-outs seem to be helping as this is the first one he's had in a week, I think. He was in there once or twice a day for a few weeks there. Time to go get him and have our post-time-out chat. Then--it's off to the kitchen!

Here's Dumpling in the darling outfit Kelli sent to him. Thanks again, Kelli!

Here's Pumpkin looking sooo grown up and not in time-out. :)

Thanksgiving

Hi

Dear Grandma,
I hope you are having fun in Italy. I guess that's why you haven't come over to play or dance with me since you and Aunt Linda are off having too much fun. I miss you. I'm glad you'll be home next week so we can talk on the phone. Ciao!
Love,
Pumpkin

What a fun little thing!
I think it must be a Pumpkin Spice Latte, myself.
Want one? Go here.
Even I don't just drink tea all the time...

Constancy

I was struck by the message on this sign we saw on our trip to the Falls last weekend. Few places on Earth have been open nightly for over 100 years. Imagine. Every night. I've struggled to make dinner ever night of the week since I've been at home these last two years! In fact, the lovely people at Chick-fila were our chefs this evening.

The plan was for Chicken Noodle Soup. I baked the chicken last night and boiled it off for hours. I planned to skim the broth and add all the veggies this afternoon.

What wasn't in the plan was a baby who cried for the better part of three hours. Poor little Dumpling. He was just inconsolable. (Poor Pumpkin and Mommy who had to listen to it!) I've just gotten Dumpling off to sleep. I'm taking a few minutes to blog right outside his room on the chance that he will awaken again.

Back to the point of this post. Open nightly for over 100 years is quite an accomplishment. I can't think of anything I've done nightly for 35 years, except breathe. Can you? I haven't even slept nightly, and that's not to be blamed on the kids. I remember all-nighters in college, etc.

I wish I could say even that I've prayed nightly for 35 years. But I can't. I remember learning to pray as a child. I only remember praying at my grandparents' houses. It was a combination of "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" (both the standard prayer and the one including Brother Jake's Peanuts), "Hail Mary", "God Bless Everything I Can Think of to Mention", and "The Animal Fair" which is actually a poem not a prayer, but for some reason my Grandpa always recited that one along with the peanut prayer. I never did catch all the words to "Hail Mary", but I can still remember "The Animal Fair". I think I've digressed again. Sigh.

Could I say I've prayed nightly for even the last five years? I would like to, but I know I've been asleep too quick too often. We are told to pray without ceasing in Scripture and I do pray throughout my days and often nights. Different things come to my mind at different times that turn me to prayer. Sometimes I awaken and know that I'm awakened to pray. It maybe for a loved one, but sometimes it's even been for people I've never even met, usually for Christians in China that I've read about from Voice of the Martyrs.

My desire is to pray more. Not just fleeting snippets here and there, but more concentrated and focused prayer. My sweet sister gave me a Prayer Journal when she came to visit last month. I've enjoyed using that, but need to put it someplace where I'll read it throughout the day.

So many of my prayers these days are so myopic. "Lord, help this child to stop crying!" is a common one. "Lord, help me and guide me in this situation. What should I do?" is another. I want to remember, though, to pray for all the needs that are so much greater than my little life.

If you think about it, pray for me in this area. I desire a more disciplined prayer life and time of prayer. Some of it's that need for some sense of routine and control in my life which is sorely lacking these days. I pray that it's with a sincere heart to connect to Him and not just a need to feel in control on my part.

This has turned out to be a rather disjointed post on my part. Sorry. It's the best I could do right now though. Is it possible that listening to crying really destroys brain cells, or is that just my imagination?

Here's some additional pictures I took last weekend.

The Lake of Shining Waters

The water was so blue, as was the sky, that it made the snow on the distant mountains seem to pop.

Baby Bear~Just a part of all the wildlife in the mountains!

Another Beautiful Autumn Day

On Sunday morning we got up early, as little boys do not care about Daylight Savings Time and do not desire "gaining" an extra hour of sleep, we packed some snacks and piled into the van for another Family Adventure. An hour later we pulled up to the Boulder Falls. Lovely.

We spent awhile just wandering around and enjoying the beauty of the day. There was a crispness to the air and a goldenness to the light. I sat on a bench for awhile nursing Dumpling and taking pictures of Sweetheart and Pumpkin. It was wonderfully relaxing to sit and breath in the gentle pine fragrance. Surrounded by beauty and the majesty of God's creation, it made for a wonderful time of worship and prayer. Enjoying a day with the ones I love, laughing and living in the moment beats just about any other way I could have spent the time.

We continued to drive up the canyon to a lake and a little town. I took a few pictures of the lake which may get posted later. It was incredible. The water was so blue, as was the sky, that the whiteness of the snow on the distant peaks seemed to fairly pop out at you. I'm not sure the pictures will do it justice.

Thank You, Joanne

Here's a picture of Dumpling in the adorable onesy that Joanne embroidered for him. Isn't it cute? She is a sweetheart. I'm so lucky to have made a virtual friend into a real-life friend with her.

Pumpkin's New Pajamas

Grandma and I found these way cool pajamas last weekend. Pumpkin loves "Cars". We don't watch a lot of movies, but this one is his favorite. It might be Sweetheart's favorite as well, although he is pretty fond of "The Incredibles" as well.

Pumpkin loves Lightning McQueen and can CA-CHOW!!! really well. He learned it from Daddy. The pajamas match his Lightning McQueen toothbrush and his little set of forks and spoons. Oh dear.

I especially love the hairdo just after his bath. Look at that grin. That's our boy!

I'm Still Here

Blogging has been quite sparse since the arrival of Dumpling. I find that we I actually have a free, quiet moment it's usually used trying to sleep, clean, or exercise. All the usual times I used to write are now gone.

It's hard to adjust to having no routine at all for me. I like routine. A lot. Without routines I feel out of sorts and somewhat lost. I also discover that I forget to do a lot of things. Sigh.

I think the only type of routine thing I've done lately is to plan our dinner menu for the week. Now that I'm back to doing all the cooking again it helps. I've got two or three emergency meals left in the freezer from the huge cooking day I did before Dumpling arrived, but I'm trying to save those for when I am completely desperate. Now, to readjust the regular cleaning schedule to accommodate our new life.

Well, this will be a short post as Dumpling is in there making noise. It's 3:30 in the morning. I am up from having nursed him. I was hoping he'd go right back to sleep. Guess he needs some rocking.

Will post again as able, hopefully with something more interesting to say...