Advent - Week 1

How in the world is it already Christmas? When I think back to Christmas when I was little, I can't tell you the gifts I got. I can tell you, however, the traditions we had and the activities we partook in. Because of that, it's my goal to do an advent calendar with Cooper every year. He may not remember the toys. But he will remember these traditions.

This year I helped create an advent calendar for NewPointe families. So, in November Cooper, Andrew, and I did most of the activities for the website. The only bummer about having done the advent is that we've already done the activities and aren't doing them with everyone else! However, I have created a make-shift advent this year. Each day we read a bible verse, a Christmas book, and do an activity.

Here are the first week's activities:

Day 1: Hang Christmas lights to remember who the true light is...Jesus!
We ended up decorating for Christmas at our house this day.

Day 2: Make a felt Christmas tree.
I saved last year's so it was an easy and fun activity.

Day 3: Serve someone to shine Jesus' light.

When I asked Cooper how he wanted to help serve, he said "I want to help you drive your car." We went with grocery cart instead.

He also helped me pump gas.

And when we got home, I let him drive the car in the driveway.

Day 4: Make a Jesus ornament.

He wrote "Jesus" on his own.

Day 5: Make a Gingerbread Stable.

I got a bunch of outdated candy from the discount grocery store. Sunflower seeds on the roof, black licorice on the walls and the manger. Blue candy for Mary, purple for Joseph. Green candy straws for the grass. Lemon heads for baby Jesus, and the head of the angel (the white and yellow thing to the right of the stable). We used marshmallows and toothpicks for the star and the angel. 

Day 6: New Phila Christmas parade.
Turns out, it snowed during the time this parade was going on, so we skipped it. We still read the verse and book with Aaron.

Day 7: Dover Christmas Lighting and Parade.
This was actually a very fun event. It was small town cheesy, but also small town wonderful. Aaron was here to partake in the fun with us. Yahoo!

Waiting for the lights to go on and for the parade to start.

Cooper and Uncle Aaron.

Cooper and Mommy.

Cooper and Daddy - excited? Trying to stay warm?

Right after they turned on all the lights in the town square.

Then the parade started.

The art studio was in the parade. 

I don't think they wanted their picture taken.

This is where we will take Cooper to see Santa this year. Speaking of which, he knows what he wants. Check out the video below of him telling me what he wants for Christmas.

making more room.

Cooper took this picture yesterday while we were driving. He said he wanted to take a picture of the sky.

We are part of a church that is constantly growing, expanding, and adding more staff. We are so blessed to be a part of a God-sized, Only God, vision. With the addition of more people comes an important task for us. We need to make more room for them. Not in space at church. But in our lives. We must open our doors and arms of friendship to these people.

We live in an area where people have deep roots. And I mean DEEP roots. Most people that live here were born here, and so were their parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. Deep roots. When we go to Cooper's games, everyone knows everyone. They all went to school together. They know each other's families. Then there's us. Our roots are scattered. My family uprooted and moved to Florida. While my immediate family is there, the rest are in Kentucky. Andrew's family is in Florida, too. Andrew and I spent the first 5 years of our marriage in Florida. Our roots are in those places. And we are like sprouts here. Just beginning to show up out of the ground. The longer we're here, the deeper our roots become, but can easily be transplanted somewhere else.

In Florida, most everyone is a transplant. They have moved there from somewhere else. Friends became our family. We spent time with our families on holidays and big occasions, but our friends were also part of our family and played just as important a role in our lives. When you didn't have the family around - your friends became your family.

You can imagine the culture shock it was to us when we moved here. Everyone does stuff with their family. After church, they go out with their families. On weekends - they spend time with their families. When your kids have a sports game or some other organized activity, families show up. On holidays, their families. It was one of the hardest parts of moving to this area. We are just now feeling as if we have friends that consider us part of their family and vice versa.

Andrew has been hosting interviewees a lot the past month. All of them out of state. All of them wondering if this place could be their home. And I have prayed for them. I have prayed for clear direction for them because it's hard on transplants in this area. One guy particular was very much a people person. He is renewed by being around other people. He is single. I told Andrew his biggest hurdle will be loneliness. Andrew and I were lonely when we first moved here, but at least we had each other to come home to. This guy is single. It's going to be tough for him.

That's why it's up to us. It's up to us to continue to create more room for others. People on staff, friends we meet at the library and park, our neighbors. We have to have open arms of friendship. Sometimes we become too comfortable with our regular friends and shut others out. Or we are afraid to open our arms in friendship because we know it is going to create a different relationship with your regulars. Everyone misses out in those instances.

To be a part of a group of friends that opens their arms to others is amazing. I am so thankful to the people that have opened their arms to us. I'm so thankful that I've taken initiative to get involved in a women's group, a couple's small group, story time at the library, and staff wives functions. The people I am meeting and getting to know are wonderful. It's been awesome to do life with these people the past two years. I can't imagine what life would be like for us had no one opened their arms to us and made room for us to be part of their lives.

Because others have done this for us, I will keep opening our home to others. I will keep opening my arms in friendship to others. I will constantly be finding space to make more room for others.

Of course we could tie this into Christmas. There was no room for Mary and Joseph to stay in Bethlehem. They ended up in a stable. While no people could make room for them, the animals did. How blessed those animals were to be part of an awesome story! All the people that turned them down missed out on a truly amazing adventure. They missed out on being part of a miracle. They missed out on welcoming our savior to the world. What are you missing out on by closing your door?

Make more room, people. Make more room for others.

Thankful.

This week during one of my quiet times, I read Psalm 103. I realized while reading it that while I have a lot to be thankful for, to HIM goes all my thanks.

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me." Psalm 103:1-2

The chapter goes on to describe all the good things He does for us. Here's the list I made from reading the chapter.

• He forgives all my sins.
• He heals all my diseases.
• He redeems me from death.
• He crowns me with love and new mercies.
• He fills my life with good things.
• He renews my youth.
• He gives righteousness and justice to those treated unfairly.
• He is compassionate.
• He is merciful.
• He is slow to get angry.
• He is filled with unfailing love.
• He won't constantly accuse me.
• He won't remain angry forever.
• He doesn't punish me for all my sins.
• He doesn't deal harshly with me.
• He has removed my sins - as far as the east is from the west!
• He is like a father.
• He is tender.
• He is compassionate to those who fear him.
• His love remains forever.
• His salvation extends to the children's children of those who obey his commandments.

"For his unfailing love toward those who fear him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth." Psalm 103:11

His love for me is big. His love for you is big. We have all we need in him. Let's be thankful.

Thanksgiving #TBT - Cooper's first.

I'm smarter than you.

This morning Cooper came downstairs and proclaimed:

"Mom, I'm smarter than you."

Oh really? You are?

"Yeah, cause I'm faster than you."

Um, ok. Whatevs.

......Fast forward to nap time...... 

We hung up some lights in his room. He pointed out that one of the lights wasn't working and again made a proclamation. This time about why the one bulb on the strand wasn't working.

"I think it's because of the heater."

Yep, you're smarter than me, alright. 

#thiskid #funnykid #momissmarter #lovehim

"Smack that baby" - a bread recipe

I have been meaning to post this since MARCH! Yep, you read that right. March. 8 months.

There are two reasons I decided to post it now.
1) Many of you have asked for the recipe.
2) This weekend I'm going away with my friend, LeeAnn. She is the one who taught me how to make this delicious bread.

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We all know that sometimes my time in the kitchen turns into a disaster.

So it makes sense that I have decided to make bread instead of buying it. Ha!

I realized it is WAY cheaper to make bread than to buy store bought. Plus: it tastes better. Minus: calories.

I tried a round of baking on my own. The bread tasted ok but was really dense. After some research I thought maybe I killed the yeast with water being too hot. Or I didn't measure the yeast right because I had instant yeast.

I decided to call up my good friend LeeAnn. She is a great cook and amazing at teaching you techniques in the kitchen. She graciously agreed to teach me how to make bread. When she came over, she told me to get out my camera and publish the process on my blog.

So, here you go...how to make basic white bread.

Cast of characters: Flour, oil, sour cream, yeast, sugar, water. Not pictured: salt and butter.

Pour 2 1/2 cups of warm water into a bowl. Make sure the water is not hot...warm. Lukewarm might be a good description of it. Pour a heaping tablespoon of yeast into the bowl of water. (It did not matter that mine was instant). Stir with a wire whisk.

Next, take a tablespoon of your 1/4 cup of sugar and stir into the yeast and water with a wire whisk. The sugar activates the yeast. Set a timer for 8-9 minutes and let the yeast activate.

Your yeast is activated when it looks like this.

After you have let your yeast activate, stir in the rest of the sugar with a wire whisk.

Next up: sour cream. You can use anywhere between a couple tablespoons and 1/2 cup of sour cream. I only had a little bit of sour cream left in my container so we used what was left. A nice little dallop.

While stirring with your whisk, mix in 1/2 cup oil (I use canola) and 1 tablespoon salt.

Now you can start adding your flour. You will use between 6 and 6 1/2 cups of flour. Mix it with your whisk until about cup 3 or 4, when the dough starts getting stuck in the whisk. Then you can use a spatula,  adding flour until the dough is a texture that you can easily handle without it sticking to your hands.

Now you can start to knead the dough on a floured surface. Don't put your fingers into the dough, instead cup it kind of like you would a newborn baby, and fold over toward you. Then using the base of your palm, push away. When it becomes long, turn it the opposite direction and do it again. There is not really a time table to this. You just keep doing it until it's soft and our hands don't really stick to it. You might need to add flour to the surface a couple of times.

Once it is the right texture, mold it into a nice little circle, like this.

Take a stick of butter (or oil) and lather up your bowl. You are going to place your dough in this bowl to rise. The butter/oil prevents it from sticking to the bowl.

Put your dough in the bowl, and turn it on both sides, getting butter oil on the whole surface of the dough.

Now let your dough rise for 90 minutes (or until your dough had doubled in size).

This part is also what messed up my first batch of bread. My house is just not warm enough in the winter. Especially the kitchen. LeeAnn and I put it over a vent, in a warmer room, and it still did not rise. We ended up having to place the bowl on the stove, with the oven and a couple of burners turned on low to make it warm enough for the dough to rise. When I tried it the first time, my dough did not rise. At all.

Now here comes the fun part! Once your dough has risen, punch it!

Then take it out and as LeeAnn said, "Smack that baby", getting all the air bubbles out and move it around like you did when you kneaded it.

Once it's been pretty well smacked down, cut in half with a knife.

Form each half into a nice loaf shape and place in a greased loaf pan.

Let rise another 30-45 minutes. When the top of the dough has risen to the top of your pan, it's time to bake it.

Bake your loaf in a preheated 375 oven for 30 minutes. If you have a digital thermometer (I don't) it's great to use it when baking your bread. Once the inside temp of the bread is 200, it's done!

I let mine cool a while then take out of the pans. Then I let them cool a little more before slicing. Your bread will (or should) be nice and soft inside.

Yum, yum, yum! Andrew loves to eat a piece of this bread soon after it comes out of the oven with some home-made jam!

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LeeAnn is a great friend. She is also quite talented with cooking, baking, teaching, and hospitality. 

Check out her Bed&Breakfast Facebook Page and "like" it to get more recipes for yummy cooking.

Want to visit her B&B? Click here to check it out.