Our Handy Dandy Christmas Tree

This is a tree made out our family's hand prints. The original thought was to make these into Christmas cards for the grandparents but then I didn't know how to send it without folding it all up. Now it has just turned into festive wall decoration. Just zoom in real close grandparents, its almost the same.) I was thinking that this will be twice the size when we have 8 kids! Now our family has five people but then it will have 10. A good family home evening idea for anyone looking for an activity. Merry Christmas.

Addicted

I admit it, I am addicted to cookies. Usually the classic chocolate chip walnut variety but I've been branching out since Zach can only take so many of those. It is a rare day NOT to find homemade cookies in my house and it is usually a good indication that some will be in the works/oven soon. Yesterday I splurged and made white chocolate chip macadamian nut cookies. I say splurge because if you are the shopper in the family you know that Macadamian nuts cost over 5 dollars for a tiny bag worth about one cup or one recipe's worth of nuts. Oh, but they were good-no better than good- wonderful. So wonderful in fact, I may or may not have eaten 6 cookies in the process and had to wake up at 6:00am this morning to P90X some of those calories off.

Old Faithful

(actual picture of cookies I made)

These are a change of pace- an orange shortbread cookie with melted chocolate on top. Other favorites include triple chip butterscotch, oatmeal raisin, sugar cookie, and gingerbread. This does not include any of the other pies, cakes, fudge, caramels and variety desserts that frequent my kitchen. Now that I think about it, my BMI should be somewhere in the obese range.... hummm...maybe I should cut back a little. Well perhaps after the New Year. I can't back down now, just when the baking frenzy has begun. We are 6 and counting for goodie deliveries this season and going strong. Just call me Mrs. Fields. Happy Baking People!

Peace on Earth

Gabe's first Primary talk

Out of the mouth of babes.

I have a cousin. His hame is cousin Roger and he is going on a mission to Panama. When he gets there he will teach the people about Jesus. This is the Missionary book "Preach my Gospel". It helps the missionaries know what to do and say. We can be missionaries too. We can invite people to church just like we invite our friends to our house or to a birthday party. We can share our testimonies about Jesus or make good choices and be a good example of keeping the commandments. It is important to love them like Jesus does. I believe in Jesus and Heavenly Father and I know they love me. The devil and his people don't follow Jesus and Heavenly Father. I know the church is true. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Passover and Elijah

I just finished reading an excellent book called Celebrating Passover: A guide to Understanding the Jewish Passover for Latter-day Saints by Marianne Monson-Burton

It takes you through the rich history and symbolism of this ancient feast and how to celebrate your very own Seder complete with recipes and script (Haggadah) Since I'm on the Relief Society committee I would like to do one of these Passover feasts as an activity in the Spring. We shall see if anyone else is as excited about it as I am.

This book confirmed one of my Passover suspicions as well:

"On Easter Sunday 1836, during the Passover festival when Jewish families around the world opened doors and invited him to enter, Elijah appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the newly dedicated Kirtland Temple. There he restored sealing keys that permit families to be bound together eternally.

The importance of this date is underscored by an amazing astronomical coincidence that links the date of the Saviors resurrection with Elijah's return in this last dispensation. The Jewish lunar calendar and our modern solar calendar do not often align, but Elijah's return in 1836 occurred not only during passover week, as anticipated by the Jews, but also on an Easter Sunday calendrically similar to the proposed date of the Savior's resurrection, being both April 3 on the Gregorian calendar and 16 Nissan on the Hebrew calendar. Mormon scholar John P. Pratt said, "The Easter of 1836 was calendrically the most similar in history to the Easter of A.D. 33. [the year that Jesus was crucified] And if the earth's orbit continues unchanged, that Easter should retain this distinction for another three thousand years. The year 1836 was the only such occurrence in the nineteenth century!"

This is obviously much more than a remarkable coincidence. Elijah's return occurred on the exact anniversary of the resurrection, which emphasizes the essential and holy nature of the priesthood restoration..."

That is one Passover that is vitally important to Latter-day Saints.

Thankful For

My little heathen Indians

And easy crafts inspired by Gabe's preschool teacher

(Gabe got his at school and I made David's when he saw Gabe's hat. )

I'm also grateful for a husband who spends his day off recovering my kitchen chairs

I know, the plastic isn't too classy, but when your heathen Indians are 4, 2, and 1 sometimes you just have to go with practical.

I am thankful for

Snow Angels

And yes, he did actually throw that snow ball at me and hit me, but at least he missed the camera.