MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well after planning and packing for days and hours - we are loading up and shoving off for New Mexico in the morning. Who knows when we will leave - Merl is still trying to figure out how to fit all the gifts in the van - snow pants and boots for the day we hope to go sledding in the snow!

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to our dear friends and family who so bless our lives.......may the Lord Jesus Christ become real to you and yours this Friday.........

Blessings and Love,

Tracy

gingerbread cookies

Gingerbread cookies are another favorite here at the Miller house. More cookies that need to be rolled out and cut! Yikes. Most years I only have the endurance to make them once. This year I have already made 4 batches (in two sessions). That was a little much. All my helpers hung in there for a few rounds but then were gone to play outside......however I didn't mind that so much. Here is a true confession - I sort of like to bake alone......not always - but quiet is not a bad thing! Music, coffee.....I'm just sayin'......

drawings

Each year I like to encourage the kids to draw the nativity scene - or other Christmas themes. I love viewing things through their eyes. Here are a few artistic pieces from this year (if you click on the picture it is easier to see) .....

Ryan's perspective

Madison's viewpoint

peppernuts

Peppernuts are a 17 year old tradition in our family and it was given to us from the Miller side. It is an old German recipe from the late 1920's - a treat we used to receive from Merl's mom every year at Christmastime. After almost 10 years of marriage I believed I had accumulated enough experience in the kitchen to attempt preparing them......as I felt they were a bit labor intensive. I believe I was 8 months pregnant with Ryan at the time - in my tiny little kitchen working hard most of the afternoon. When Merl got home from work that day I immediately wanted him to test them.......he chomped and chewed several and said, "Hmmm......something is missing." "Don't you tell me something is missing!!!!!" "Sorry, but something is missing." After further investigation I discovered that I had omitted the most important and key ingredient!!!! Anise.

Well let me just say that it has taken years of working at it but I now have confidence that we are producing full quality peppernuts! In the original way of making them, one rolls pieces of the stiff dough into pencil like strips to later cut into the small disc shaped cookies. This year Allison received darling little cookie cutters from her Aunt Sarah - so we rolled the dough out and used the cookie cutters. I think we have now decided this is our new favorite way of doing it! We love to give them away for Christmas - only problem is it is hard to keep from eating them all while we are making them and having any left for others!

Peppernuts waiting their turn for the oven

Cooling time

Cutting peppernuts the "new way"

One of my lovely assistants

The finished product waiting to be eaten or packed away!

nativity

We love nativity sets at our house! Our first one was small and glass. After we began having children we decided we wanted a nativity set that the kids could handle and play with. We invested in some nice pieces that are near indestructible and try to add one a year. Merl's brother Loren made the beautiful stable we set it up in. Along the way we have been given a Playmobil set as well as a little wooden one. I love having them around so the kids can play with them throughout the month.

Our favorite "fancy indestructible nativity"

Some of the playmobil pieces

sweet

more sweetness

wood nativity

jesse tree

In my own family growing up we used a beautiful homemade advent calendar that my mom and dad created out of felt to count the days leading up to Christmas. Over the 25 days it basically told the Christmas story. We read coordinating scripture verses and my brother and I took turns putting the ornaments on the tree each night. When we were married and would spend Christmastime at my home, Merl was introduced to the tradition and after we had children he decided we should have our own.

A Jesse Tree is a tree which holds ornaments representing biblical events from Creation to the birth of Jesus. The Jesse Tree is named from Isaiah 11:1: "A shoot will spring forth from the stump of Jesse, and a branch out of his roots." It is a vehicle to tell the Story of God in the Old Testament, and to connect the Advent Season with the faithfulness of God across 4,000 years of history. The Branch is a biblical sign of newness out of discouragement , which became a way to talk about the expected messiah. It is therefore an appropriate symbol of Jesus the Christ, who is the revelation of the grace and faithfulness of God. (Dennis Bratcher)

Merl made our tree and the ornaments himself. Each evening as a family we gather to talk about the explanation of the symbol on the day's ornament, read scripture, pray and sing a Christmas carol......not always picture perfect....but helpful in preparing our hearts.....

advent

One great Christmas tradition we are continuing in our home is something my family did from ever since I can remember. We celebrate Advent which is the period of time beginning with the fourth Sunday before Christmas and ending with Christmas Eve. This is a time to prepare ourselves to celebrate the first coming of Christ. Advent is a time of reflection, thanksgiving, anticipation, and worship. As we were reminded today in our church service, Christmas is also a time to look forward to a time beyond now - our promise of a new heaven and a new earth - the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13). Because of Christ - we have redemption - there is an eternal plan for us. He came to bring meaning and significance to all that we do.

The advent wreath has a purple candle for each Sunday of Advent. (1) represents Hope (2) Peace (3) Love (4) Joy and then a white candle to be lit on Christmas Eve - the Christ Candle. Every night at dinner time we read a scripture verse and light the candles based on the week. After dinner is cleaned up we move on to the living room for another tradition - our Advent calendar - or Jesse Tree. More on that later......

christmas change

Each year we try to find more ways to purge the selfishness and materialism of our culture from our own family Christmas - and truly turn the advent season into a celebration of Christ and what He means to the world. I have found the Christmas Change website to be challenging and have great ideas. Read the blog section, watch the videos - be challenged.