One last look

One last look at all the memories. All the mementos from the years past before they go back in a box. I love Christmas ornaments. Every year growing up my parents always bought us kids an ornament, it was always a big outing as we would all search for that perfect ornament. As a parent now I have carried on the tradition with my own kids and family and each year along with the ornaments the kids choose for them self we choose an ornament for our family that represents that year. We also purchase an ornament at each vacation we take, I liked the idea of an ornament as opposed to a nick-nack that stayed out all year, I think the novelty of it doesn't ware off the way it would if it were out all year. I love putting up the tree each year as we take out the ornaments and remember when and why we bought each one. Here are a few of our favorites and their stories.

Nathan's last year of college he had to take a science class to graduate. The only class being offered before graduation was an ornithology class (the study of birds). Most of the homework was required field work and since he worked the weekends were the only time he had to complete it and since the weekends were are only family time we went with him. It quickly became more than just homework but favorite family obsession past time. We continued to explore birding sights long after the class was over and all our kids received their own birding binoculars for Christmas. It is still a favorite family outing and before each vacation we study up on which birds might be in the region we are traveling to. The bird pictured is just one of our many bird ornaments but this one is a Black Cap Chickadee, our families favorite because during the spring in they would fill the tree outside out apartment at our Washington home.

I bet you can guess where this is from. Yes our Disney World vacation. You would be surprised how hard it was to find a Mickey Mouse ornament though, we searched all the parks till finally finding this in a small glass shop at Epcot. I knew the ornament for this trip had to be Mickey. Colden's hero and the year he finally got to meet him. It is a great memento from a great family trip and brings back many memories.

I love nativities and this one brought back lots of childhood memories of snuggling up with my sibling in our new Christmas PJs  and watching a Charlie Brown Christmas.

Nothing really significant about this one, it is just my favorite I like the simplicity of it.

This Nativity was a gift from Nathan's great-grandmother, Mamo, the Christmas before she went to be with Jesus.

This is the family ornament that was picked for this year. An empty chair. The reminder of the loss of our beautiful baby boy whom we will never forget.

There are times I look at beautifully coordinated "Martha Stewart" trees and wish mine looked like that, but only for a moment. I wouldn't give up my non-coordinated, collective tree for anything.

Gluten Free Christmas Baking recipies added!

I think I finally perfected my favorite Christmas cookie recipes as gluten free. I discovered a good GF flour mix (any mix with sorghum flour is my favorite) and after trial and error I found the right flour to liquid mixture...I hope.

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I made old favorites and new soon to be old favorites

They all turned out great and were a hit at our first family Christmas event of the season.

I still have one more recipe to perfect the all time family favorite, Swedish Wafers.

I discovered that most any cookie recipe can be converted into Gluten Free by just adding extra eggs or liquid. My favorite flour mix is Deby's pastry flour. Remember GF cookie dough will be slightly more sticky than other cookie dough and will seem slightly under baked when it is time to take them out, don't bake to long or cookies will get hard as they cool and very crumbly.

Swedish Wafers

2C. GF Flour

1C. Butter

1/2C Whipping Cream

Colored Sugar

Mix butter, cream and flour, cover and chill one hour. Roll 1/3 dough in 1/8in thick (keep remaining chilled)

cut dough with 1in round cookie cutter, prick with fork and sprinkle with colored sugar if desired. Bake at 375 F for 7-9 min, do not brown. when cooled make into sandwiches with cream filling

Cream filling

1/4 c butter soft

powder sugar

2 Tbs whipping cream

1tsp Vanilla

cream together butter, vanilla and cream add enough sugar till thick enough for filling.

 variation add 2tsp instant coffee to filling and sprinkle cookies with cinnamon

Raspberry-Almond Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 C butter

2/3C sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

2C GF flour

1/2 C seedless red raspberry jam

1C powder sugar

2-3 tsp water

1 1/2 tsp almond extract

beat butter, sugar, and extract till smooth add flour. Mix in flour. chill 1 hour.

Roll into 1 inch balls. Using your thumb place indention into center of each ball, fill with 1/2tsp jam. Bake at 350 F for 10 min. After cooled drizzle with  icing made from powder sugar, water and almond extract.

Chocolate Blossoms

1/2 C butter soft

1/2 C shortening

1C sugar

3/4 C cocoa powder

2tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 Tbl milk

1tsp peppermint extract

1 1/2C GF flour

peppermint kisses

beat butter, shortening, sugar and eggs. Mix in sugar, milk, extract. Add cocoa, flour and baking powder.

Chill 1 hour. roll into 1 inch balls (dough is very sticky so you may want to dust hands with cocoa powder or flour) bake at 350 F. for 10-12 min (dough will seem slightly undercooked when ready, do not over bake) as soon as you remove from oven press unwrapped kiss into center of each cookie

Chocolate chip-cookie dough truffles

1C butter soft

1/3 C packed brown sugar

1Tbs vanilla

1C GF flour

1C mini chocolate chips

8oz of chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate)

1Tbl shortening

mix butte, sugar and vanilla. add flour and chocolate chips. roll into 1/2 inch balls and set on wax paper chill 1 hour.  melt 8oz of chocolate and 1tbs shortening in double boiler till smooth. Using fork dip cookie balls into melted chocolate letting extra drip off then placing on wax paper place back in fridge till chocolate is hardened.

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Nothing very unusual or exciting about this pregnancy or delivery, other than the fact I had just done this 13 months previous. After going into labor while walking the mall we stopped at Chili's for dinner...I wasn't about to be stuck eating hospital food for dinner. We were waiting for someone to come pick up T from the hospital, he wouldn't sit in the waiting room with the grandparents so I carried him up and down the hall as I walked to progress labor. The nurses thought it was the funniest thing they had seen in a while. After a short time we had our baby girl, she looked so tiny at 6lb 6oz.

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November 22nd was to be the day. I would spend the 21st cleaning, packing and shipping the 2 kidos off to grandmas before getting a good night sleep and heading off to the hospital around 7am. After a restless nights sleep I shook Nathan awake at 7:30 on the 21st to tell him we needed to go to the hospital...now!
with a frantic call to get the 2 picked up we speed off to the hospital. Getting frustrated with the lack of urgency from the check-in staff Nathan final grabbed a wheel chair and wheeled me to the delivery room himself. At 9:20 we had a baby girl who after what seemed like the longest min. of my life finally cried and was quickly whisked away to the NICU as Dr. and Nurses frantically worked on me. Once the crisis seemed to be under control Nathan went to find out what was going on. Unknown to me I had had internal hemorrhaging and the baby had swallowed lots of blood and one of her lungs collapsed. The Dr. told us that if I hadn't gone into labor and had been induced as planned 24 hours later neither one of us would have survived.
But by the grace of God we walked out of the hospital 4 days later with a beautiful, healthy Reagan Elaine Grace.

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Thankful day 13

Thankful that on month ago today God gave me (and continues to give) the strength to survive the hardest thing I have ever had to do....say goodbye to my son.

Thankful day 12

Thankful for a Saturday to spend with my family and no agenda

Thankful day 11

Thankful for all the men and women who served our county and gave their lives for our freedom. special thanks to my grandfather, grandfather-in-love and my brother.

Thankful day 10

Thankful for the beautiful 55 degree weather we have been having, not ready for the extreme cold and snow yet.

Thankful day 9

I am thankful for my wonderful family and family-in-love. I have amazing parents, fantastic brothers, a great sister. Wonderful parents-in-love, awesome brother and sister in-love and a sweet nephew.
And many many more lovely people that joined my family when I got married.

Thankful day 8

I am thankful that even in times of crisis God is good

Thankful day 7

Thankful for a day to connect with a friend and try new yummy food.

....12....

I can't believe my oldest is 12!!! it seems like it was not to long ago I was sitting in my doctors office 3 weeks past my due date explaining to the Dr. that I did not care who or what delivered this baby but I was not leaving until the baby was born. She reluctantly agreed to induce me that afternoon after a lecture about needing to be prepared for a 2 day labor because I wasn't ready. 7 hours after entering the hospital he was born. That is so Telan's style wait f.o.r.e.v.e.r to decide to do something but then once decided do it no delay. T didn't walk till 13 months but then he ran, didn't talk till 18 months but then it was full sentences. His life motto don't do anything till you can do it right. If we can just teach him that there are positive things that can be learn from trying and failing I know he will do great things because once he learns he will have great success.

Happy Birthday to my wonderful boy

Love
mOm

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Thankful Day 6

Thankful for the love and support from our church family

Thankful day 5

Thankful for a time with family and new friends celebrating Telan's 12th birthday.

Thankful day 4

I'm thankful for the small break I get on Friday's to read, chat with friends or just relax while my kids enjoy swim lessons.

Thankful day 2&3

2. Thankful for my amazing husband.

• Works hard to provide for us.
• Listens to my ramblings, hopes, dreams,
• Supports all my crazy brilliant ideas.
• Understands that when I go to the store (without kids) for milk I will get lost for at least 2 hours is the time warp zone called Target
• supports my addiction to the show Parenthood, candy corn and Karen Kingsbury
• stays up late with me even though he has to be at work early
• Never forgets my birthday or our anniversary ( I can't say the same for me)
• Loves me through thick and thin

Love you babe






3. I am thankful that it is eggnog and apple cider season!

Thankful Day 1 (making up for yesterday)

I am thankful for my amazing kids. They are so great and have been amazing this past year. They welcomed a new baby into our home with open arms and never complained about the changes that were made. They were great brothers and sisters to one that wasn't really theirs. They were so strong and understanding when their little brother was removed from our home ( wish I could say the same for their mom). I am thankful for the view into my children's hearts this year. I know they will all accomplish amazing things.

Dear T.J.

Dear T.J.
I have so enjoyed being your mommy this last 6.5 months. Your are such a joy. I don't know why God chose to take you out of our family but I do know that He has a plan for you. I continue to pray that God will show grace and mercy on us and return you to us soon, it breaks my heart to think He may not. There are moments when I'm not sure how our family will function without you, you fit so perfect that without you life seems to be missing something and doesn't run as smoothly. Funny to think a baby made our life run smooth. We love you so much and miss you more than I thought possible. I will continue to pray for you to come home and that God will grant us the blessing of being part of your life and to know the joy of watching your grow up with your brothers and sisters.

See you soon

Love Mommy

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Colden Asher.

Seven years ago Colden entered the world in his own time...early. I had it all planned, after moving across the country at 7 months pregnant and not having our moving van following until later, we planned to be induced a week early so our possessions and family would all be ready. But he couldn't wait and  made his appearance 3 weeks early. Didn't he understand that for a mom who is a planner to arrive early when I had no stroller, car seat, baby clothes, crib...all the stuff that would be arriving in the truck 5.days. later. was not very nice. In the last 7 years I have learned that that is how Colden operates, on his own time and usually earlier than I like. I have learned to love it about him. No one can tell him when and how. He knows what he wants and how he's going to get it and nothing stops him...well maybe Dad every once in a while.

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 Happy Birthday to my happy, blue eyed, never say never, passionate boy. I love being your mom

       and pray that your passion and barbarian attitude will never be squashed and that you will grow up to do great things and be a world changer for Christ.

~mOm