Christmas 2012 Here and There

 Gift card wreath for Mia's teacher. This was from the whole class.

 Making cookies with the family the week before.

 Nate was quite the creative decorator. Bell, Tree, etc. 

 Ellie ready to leave for her school Christmas party.

 Roasting squash for the salad.

 Opening new Christmas pajamas the night before we did our Christmas.

 Slept in the basement by the fire. A first for us.

 This was in a gift that Ellie gave to Nate and I. We opened this after she opened hers. We laughed.

 Quarry Drive Myerstown

 Uncle Ted gets pounded.

How we love our Ivy Jane

 Zion Grove

 Pond at Clear Springs Farm

 Out for a hike on Christmas Eve Day

 Shopping at a Farmers Market. Nate had to buy a pie.

 Many thanks to Carla and her family for joining us at the cabin.

 Niece Lisa

 Thanks to Darrin, Elizabeth was rescued from the mud.

 Nate finally gave in and unwrapped his snuggie. A gag gift from his sister Carla.

Mia being an artist this morning. Anyone from the Martin clan know what this is?

Merry Christmas

Chocolate Pretzel Bark

1 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 10oz bag mini pretzle sticks
2 cups chocolate chips
white chocolate
sprinkle of sea salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat butter and sugar in a saucepan until boiling. Cook on medium for 2 - 3 minutes until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
Set aside.
Line an 11x14 inch pan with parchment paper. Line up pretzels in a single file as best as you can. Pour sugar butter mixture over the pretzels and pop into the oven for 8 minutes.
Pull the pan out of the oven and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Return to oven for 3 minutes. Pull the pan out and spread the chocolate all around.
Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. This depends on the saltiness of your pretzels as well. Be careful.
Melt white chocolate in the microwave on 50% power until smooth. Drizzle over the Pretzel bark. Allow all of this to cool. You want the chocolate completely solid again. I put mine in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 
As if this wasn't enough fun all ready! Now you get to break it apart and share with your friends. They will call you blessed. Just like I called Yvonne when she introduced me to this stuff. It was on my list to make for this Christmas.
Store in air tight container.

So Busy

The other day I felt very smart when I realized I could set an alarm to go off at that particular time on particular days of the week. (on my phone) It did not seem smart when it went off in the AM instead of 3PM. Yeah.

Have I mentioned that I procrastinate? This week, just days before Christmas with many things on my to do list and a fundraiser to cook for this weekend... I was staring at a painting. Its been bothering me, I can see it from the treadmill and I brought it up with me one day this week and painted over it. Then I had artists remorse due to not loving it, and I was almost late to get Ellie off to school and I really wanted to sweep the floor before I went to bake cookies with Mia's class.  So, if I do not get the Christmas pajamas hemmed in time... I can thank the painting that had nothing to do with Christmas.

If you need new Christmas music do check this album out.

My sister in law loves Christmas. (guessing here... 2002 or 2003)

We love you Sonya!

Anniversary 2012 {11 Years}

 Sock/shoe envy.

It was not perfect but it was lovely. We did not always have the right shoes on. The right coat. We never found the flea market, but stumbled across other fun stuff instead. What looked like it was 4 blocks away on the map turned into 40 blocks. We took the subway back. Dozed off during the musical. Oh dear! Must have been all that walking. I made a new dress for the occasion, it was knit and it grew. I was stepping on it and my shoes were soaked. Marching on! My purse was too heavy because my camera was in it. There was really good food. Lots of people. It was loud, so loud. There was all the time in the world. We are country people, but we love the city.
We're back now and my house seems quiet. The children are naughty and they need to be reminded to blow their noses. Last night at the same time, there was the oldest blowing on a toy flute, the other singing "Angels We Have Heard on High" and the youngest asking "Mom, where we going?" every 30 seconds. We had so much fun and yet we're so glad to be home.