Once again I involved the 3 year old in the activity, carefully guiding him in the use of the needle. We used raffia for the garlands, along with dried orange slices, cinnamon star ornaments, and rose hips. If you don’t have rose hips growing on the back forty, you can use cranberries, but they will…
Continue ReadingSparkly, Smelly, and Sweet
We did a Christmas Craft this week. I had seen these lovely, sparkly birds in Martha Stewart last year, but with a newborn, I didn’t have a chance to make any. I still had the cinnamon I bought in bulk so we made them together during Claire’s naps this week. I didn’t have the old…
Continue ReadingStarting to look a lot like Christmas
Ha – this isn’t my house, but I did make the decorations and wanted to show you.Roping for 5 lamposts.Giant wreath with lights on picture window.Front entrance.Door swag.This customer calls me every year to have me custom make her decorations. I love working for her, and this is the only outside order I did this…
Continue ReadingQuick, before the next holiday is upon us!
It’s just not right to take such lovely photos of our Thanksgiving and not post a few of them!Cider from our orchard saved in the freezer: definitely something to be grateful for! Fresh, Whole Wheat Egg Bread…And Pumpkin Bread! the napkin art was supposed to be turkeys. Claire loved the sweet potatoes! Her first Thanksgiving…
Continue ReadingWeird Wednesday: Traditional Thanksgiving
As I raced through Super Walmart yesterday, I noticed a display of thanksgiving feast foods on sale. What struck me was there was almost an entire thanksgiving spread – all in cans. Canned yams, canned gravy, canned beans, canned cranberry sauce, canned pie filling, etc. Through the rest of the store I’m sure you could…
Continue ReadingOn the Tenth Day of Christmas, My True Love Gave to Me…
I think this is my favorite Christmas Tradition that we’ve started in our own family. Each December I celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas by giving Jeremy a gift on each day leading up to Christmas. (Now, the Twelve Days of Christmas actually starts with the 25th and is a countdown to Epiphany, but we…
Continue ReadingChristmas Traditions, Part Three
Don’t we all just love the melodies of Christmas? Yesterday at Church we sang our way all the way through the whole Christmas section of the Hymn Book – I loved it! “Angels We Have Heard on High” is one of my all-time favorites, but I also love the more unique carols, like “One Small…
Continue ReadingChristmas Traditions, Part Two
The first year we were married, I was real serious about trying to start some traditions that were just ours for Christmas. I tried new recipes and got a bit stressed about it – I thought it was so important to hurry up and start some traditions ’cause that was one of the most special…
Continue ReadingChristmas Traditions, Part One
For the next week leading up till Christmas, I’m going to do a series of posts on Traditions at Our House. I know there are a lot of young-marrieds and mothers who read this blog, and I thought it would be inspiring and fun to share how we have begun to create Christmas traditions in…
Continue ReadingIt’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…
Happy Thanksgiving
I love the holidays for all the traditions. When I married into the Holden family I learned to love a new tradition – Lasagna as part of the Thanksgiving Day Feasting. We usually celebrate with long time friends of the Holden’s, the Scordatos, who are Italian. They make the best lasagna you’ve ever tasted –…
Continue ReadingMom’s Birthday (finally!
We celebrated Mom’s birthday about a week late, due to various family members being out of town. We had a lamb roast (thanks, Aunt Becky!) and made it our Resurrection Celebration, too.Here’s Mom opening presents with her grandson. Mom and I examining Anja’s lovely gift – more on that in a later post! Dessert: Swedish…
Continue ReadingTrina’s New Year’s Resolutions
People’s feelings on New Year’s Resolutions vary. Some people think they are dumb, some make them religiously every January and forget about them by February. I am a list maker, and believe writing down personal goals is a big step toward accomplishing them, so I do make New Year’s Resolutions (or, N.Y.R.’s) most years. You…
Continue ReadingThe New Year’s Party
I was lazy and didn’t take my camera to our New Year’s Eve celebration. It was kind of a “let’s just enjoy the moment” idea. In the end I regretted it, ’cause we had so much crazy family fun, you won’t believe it unless you see it! The party was at my mom and dad’s,…
Continue ReadingChristmas Day – finally
Quick! before the new year! Gotta post the last of the Christmas photos! 🙂These are from the afternoon at Dad and Mom’s…The only mar to Jesse’s day was accidentally touching the stove. Thankfully, Beppe had fresh aloe in the windowsill, and withing moments, the pain was forgotten. Christmas Dinner – Turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes with…
Continue ReadingPreparing to Celebrate: our Christmas Card
I got the last ones addressed today! I am putting this on the blog because I was not able to send one to everyone in my address book! I did a Christmas card for the first time this year, mostly to keep in touch with the family and friends who don’t have internet – like…
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