Wednesday Wonder: O Holy Night

 

Hello dear Friends!

I hope you're having a wonderful Wednesday. We remain in north pole mode up here. Lol It snowed several more inches yesterday and it's cold and cloudy today. It looks and feels like a winter wonderland and we're loving it!

We picked up our baby Girl last night so she's back in the nest and we've been gabbing away all morning. I alway miss her and just love her so much.💗

Last night we went out to dinner with the C's and then went to the Christmas concert that's held each year at the church Matt and I go to. The concert has the choir and orchestra from a local university. It's always so good and especially the acoustics in the church. I thought for today I'd share some video of O Holy Night they performed. It's my favorite and always gives me goosebumps and chokes me up. You can click on some video clips below the pictures. 

Christmas blessings Friends! ❤️💚

We got there early to get a more decent seat - it always fills up!

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello and happy Monday Friends ~

I wasn't sure if I'd have time to pop in and do a post...but I'm working to do a quick one. When I get a chance I'll come around for a visit too! My in-law's head back to AZ tonight so we will be occupied today. But I have a little time this morning to say hi and I hope you've been having a wonderful holiday season. ❤️💚 

I look forward to seeing what you've been up to  - have you been having jolly holidays??

Matt & I had a magical Christmas here. We actually got some snow and had a white Christmas -which added to the special. We've been back to rain now - boo. So it's been brown and ugly again. But Christmas was dreamy and fluffy white. We did a fun pasta dinner and gift opening with my kiddos on the 23rd. Then we had a wonderful Christmas Eve brunch with my Mom and my Bro & SIL - until they had to leave early because my SIL's Mom was having a health issue. Thankfully she is doing well now 🙏🏻 

Christmas Eve night was mass and fun game time with my kiddos. 

Christmas Day we spent the whole day with my in-law's. My kids were with their Dad, and my in-law's came over from their air b&b and we wore pj's all day, had a yummy ham dinner, played cards and watched Christmas movies. It was wonderful and so relaxing. 

We also took my in-law's out for a fancy dinner for their 50th anniversary on the 21st. Matt took the days after Christmas off of work so we we had more quality time with his folks doing activities, like one afternoon we went to the movie Wicked too. 

It was awesome having my kiddos both staying here at the house. Matt's folks usually went back to their air b&b in the early evening. So we then came back home to late gamer nights, snacks & laughs with my kids. They also enjoyed hanging out with Matt's folks. Especially Annie hung out with us a lot. :) 

Everything was just how I hoped and dreamed for our first married Christmas together. An absolute perfect ending to this incredible year we've had! 

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

some coffee with protein creamer and a little piece of cherry kringle because it's still the holidays 😋

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

errands, New Year's groceries, Christmas with our friends, extra hospice work time later in the week for me, plans that Annie & I have together

THINKING ABOUT:  

How crazy it is that 2024 is already coming to an end. Reflecting a lot on what an amazing year it's been. My many abundant blessings. The goodness of our Lord. And that I continue to be excited for all that is ahead! ❤️🙏🏻

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

Still all the festive decorations around. It's been so gray and foggy out and I'm hoping for either sunshine or snow ahead! So tired of gray or rain out the window - it's so not normal for the northwoods

CURRENTLY READING

My new awesome herb book I got from Aaron for Christmas. It's called The Cook's Herb Garden: Grow, Harvest, Cook

by Jeff Cox & Marie Pierre Moine

ON THE TV TODAY:

We watched Carry On from netflix: a kind of a fun thriller, movies taped, food network shows, still catching up on TWD, jeopardy

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - 

TUESDAY -  

WEDNESDAY - 

THURSDAY - 

FRIDAY - 

*still trying to decide on menu this week and finalize our NYE plans - might be going out...or might make a bunch of fun snacks for staying in. Have some fun ideas for some snacks and games to play. 

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

 read, play on my ipad, play games, watch movies

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

 I think "cheater" cookie dough packages from the store can be nice to keep on hand when you don't have time to bake homemade. But sometimes I like to embellish them to make them more my own. Like these peanut butter cookies that I pushed chocolate and butterscotch chips into. They've become a Matt fave. And then, voila!,  you have some fresh cookies for the big ornament cookie jar! Lol 😉

FROM THE CAMERA:

I felt so loved and spoiled this Christmas. Matt got us these pj's to wear Christmas day and I just loved them and thought they were so sweet. I received so many fun and thoughtful gifts but highlights were a book on herbs and their uses (for when I garden this summer) and an herb tool & other goodies from Aaron. All of the tools and things I need to learn to make homemade sourdough from Annie. And so many fun little things from Matt - but there were 2 things I especially loved that I received from him. First was a towel warmer, because he heard me say how I love to dry the load of towels to coincide with when I shower to have a warm towel when I get out. So he got me a cool tool that can warm towels, your robe, blankets etc. But my favorite gift was one that he must have spent hours working on...he made a leather bound book of our big epic year. It's about 30 pages long. He wrote it all -made it all rhyme and arranged all of the pics. It moved me to tears and was so thoughtful and romantic. He even added some current pics of the season and even looked ahead ending it about our NYE. Here's just a sample of some of the pages and the ending he wrote:

😢💗 just love this and him so much!

And some more Christmas and holiday moments:

This house is in our neighborhood - we often walk or drive by it. I especially love it at Christmas time and always call it the Kevin McCallister house because it reminds me of the movie Home Alone. 

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For safe travels for all this holiday season and keeping everyone healthy. For those who have heavy hearts during the holidays - that God grant them peace. For my SIL's Mom's continued healing. For a friend (& family) that recently lost her husband unexpectedly and very young. 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

I hope you've been finding endless joy this holiday season. And that you've been treasuring time with those you love and hold most dear. As our hands are poised on the calender - ready to turn the page to 2025...may you reflect on your abundant blessings and look forward to a brand new shiny year ahead. One that I pray is filled with many more blessing ahead. 

I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.

Happy Homemaker Monday

Hello and happy Monday Friends ~

How have you been doing this holiday season so far? I pray you're finding lots of moments of peace and joy. ☺️❤️💚

We had a lovely weekend. We watched some Christmas movies. We ran errands on Saturday and went to church. Then out to dinner with the C's (celebrated Mr's C's bday which is this week) and came back to the house and played cards until late. Then Sunday we went to a Christmas concert. Our local college has singers and an orchestra come and put it on in our church (amazing acoustics!). It always gets me in the Christmas mood and their rendition of O Holy Night each year (with an amazing soprano) gives me goosebumps. I'll share a little piece of video of one of the songs below. 

Matt watched some football on Sunday but I was busy organizing and wrapping gifts. :) We had watched the Packers together on Thursday as they had that night game. Sadly, they lost but put up a good fight to the Lions - who have been really tough this season. 

This morning I was awake extra early for me... so I brewed myself a cup of coffee - added in a peppermint stirrer for fun, and put on the tree and Christmas music and had some quiet devotional time in a comfy chair across from this pretty sight:

Then watched as it got lighter and lighter outside, along with Bubba who was also enjoying the tree view. And we both sat until it became full daylight out (even if it is a gray gloomy day). 

Around our area some got some snow over the weekend, but we only got rain. :( So I'm still dreaming of a white Christmas over here. ❄️

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE IS:

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE THIS MORNING:

frosty mint coffee pod today with some chocolate mint premier protein in it (it's really good!)

ON MY TO DO LIST THIS WEEK:

errands, groceries, Ruby's haircut, shopping with Annie (she comes home this week!), finish wrapping gifts, Christmas projects, hospice work

THINKING ABOUT:  

Thinking about how much I've been enjoying the holiday section on my ipad coloring app. Lol 😉

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE

I don't like the icky gray out and rain sprinkles. It makes me feel unmotivated. But I'm still enjoying the cozy and Christmas music. Bubba keeps trying to grab my hand while I type this. Lol So he's being my buddy this morning. 

CURRENTLY READING

The Christmas Project by Maxine Morrey

ON THE TV TODAY:

  Survivor, Jeopardy, Ghosts, Shark Tank, Holiday Baking Championship,  hallmark movies taped, Christmas movies taped

ON THE MENU THIS WEEK:

    MONDAY - roast chicken, mashed potatoes, not sure what veggie yet?

TUESDAY -  pasta with marinara +meatballs, roasted broccoli with lemon, cheddar bay biscuits

WEDNESDAY - chicken almondine I didn't end up doing last week, salad (will share recipe later in the week)

THURSDAY - leftovers

FRIDAY - out for dinner

TO RELAX THIS WEEK I WILL:

wrap gifts, craft, read, watch movies with Matt

TIPS OR SOMETHING TO SHARE:

FROM THE CAMERA:

northwoods wrapping workshop (aka the dining room table)

out to dinner with the C's and love how places are festively decorated now

We loved the Christmas concert time at church and they did several numbers by candlelight

Some moments around home - I loved when we still had snow last week! 

Some moments from today! My Hubby had to be off to a work meeting - even though he works from home he sometimes needs to still get dressed up and go out in the world. Lol He looks so handsome when he does. I sure love him! ❤️

Here's a bit of video from the Christmas concert:

PRAYER LIST:

 For an end to the conflicts all over the world and anyone living in war & fear. For peace and unity in this country, especially from hate and shootings or violence.  For anyone sick, suffering, in pain, fear, loneliness etc ... that God bring them comfort and peace. For safe travels for all this holiday season and keeping everyone healthy. For those who have heavy hearts during the holidays - that God grant them peace. 

For Christ's Light and Love to cast out the darkness everywhere and help the world find its way. 🙏🏻

PRAYER, INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OR DEVOTIONAL:

Holiday blessings to you all Friends! Have a wonderful week! I'm hoping to join some more blogmas posts this week too. 

Today I'm sharing this with Sandra of Diary of a SAHM for Happy Homemaker Monday.