currently

Three things I know to be true about myself:

1. gift giving is stressful but gift receiving is even worse,  maybe I am picky or ungrateful, but I really struggle with receiving a gift with grace.

2.  this time of year is so hard,  the lack of sun, and lack of exercise, makes me want to stay in bed all day long.

3.  I can fan girl with the best of them when it comes to Harry Potter.  I have been re-watching all the movies and have ordered the illustrated books for myself the boys,  and I bought "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" for my own stocking.... Ben just rolls his eyes.



Listening to:

Gungor: One Wild Life trilogy
I haven't bought or really listened to Christian music for almost 20 years,  but I am glad I found this band.  They sing about a faith that is difficult and confusing, yet wondrous and free, plus they are  incredible musicians.  Each song is different so it is hard to even place them in a genre, but if you are looking for sacred music, check them out.


Reading: 

I just finish Big Magic by Liz Gilbert,  for the second time, this year and I loved it again, 
my favorite quotes:

"good enough is effing good"

"done is better than good"

"don't try and win over the haters, you're not the jackass whisper"

"we must risk delight' he wrote 'we must have stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world"

{speaking of her parents}
"I learned how to be a rebel from them because -just beyond the reach of their basic good citizenship- my parents did whatever the hell they wanted to with their lives"

{this is how I feel about my parents too}

In the Kitchen:

My Mom's Double Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies

cream together:

1 1/4 cup Butter

1 1/4 white sugar

Add & beat:

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp peppermint flavoring

Combine in a separate bowl;

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 salt

2 cups chocolate chip

2 cups broken candy canes

drop on cookie sheet,  bake 350F for 8-10 minutes

{these cookies may have helped secure a relationship

 with a certain farmer from Manitoba 15 years ago}

My family loves these but apparently they love my buttertarts even more:  Dexter took a plateful of Christmas baking to school on Friday,  the container he brought back was empty except for the buttertarts, when I asked him about it he said he told his friends he didn't know what they were because He Didn't Want To Share. 

Anticipating:

We are heading to Florida next week for nearly 2 weeks.  We will have sometime around Florida with just the 5 of us and then we are on a cruise in the eastern Caribbean with Ben's parents, sisters and their families.  We are all ready for a vacation, especially Ben who is still working many night until 10pm, some sun and time away from the farm will do us all good.

Here are some more photos from our photoshoot with Karla Danae

 

LJH