Our Christmas 2010 Cast of Characters

As the time and date on this picture attests, everything was ready and waiting just moments before the first welcome headlights appeared from Arkansas. Laura with her husband David and children Nathan and Megan made the long trek from Ft. Smith on Wednesday, December 22. When they drove into the driveway, I could finally proclaim, "Christmas is here! Christmas is here!" We had a quiet dinner and cookie-decorating session with the kiddoes before everyone headed to bed. Ahhhhh. A house with people upstairs.

By early afternoon on the 23rd, Matt and his wife Katie with their sons Luke and Seth arrived from Wynne, Arkansas (via Birmingham where they had been with Katie's family). Shortly after that, Julie with her husband Brian and their four daughters came in from Huntsville and my Dad (better known as Gramps) and sweet Stepmom June arrived from Troy. Suddenly, the house was buzzing and VERY lively!

3-year-old Maggie found a comfortable spot in the den to enjoy some juice. She was a little under-the-weather on this occasion, but at Thanksgiving she announced to her boy cousins that she was a princess, so they needed to kiss her. They refused to comply, but her Cousin Megan was willing. :)

Matt and his wife Katie enjoyed some adult conversation with their brothers-in-law before dinnertime while Seth and Maggie worked on decorating the Mele Kalikimaka tree. Matt pastors Wynne Baptist Church, and Katie manages Matt, their boys, and all the challenges of being a pastor's wife. She's a jewel.

Penelope got a new pair of sunglasses to enhance her pretty Christmas dress. She's a little blonde-haired, blue-eyed waif who can slip away quickly and quietly if we're not careful to count noses on a regular basis. She's beginning to talk a lot but still needs an "interpreter" for a lot of her words.

My Dad (Gramps) looks remarkable to be 83 years old. Don't you think? We are all so blessed by his good health and very sharp mind. He keeps us all straight . . . still! Standing next to him is Julie's husband Brian, something of a Paul Bunyon look-alike. :) He has his own electrical substation repair and maintenance business called AMP -- in case you need anyone for that kind of job.

Laura's husband David is particularly fond of Facebook games right now -- Farmville and Frontierville -- in case you want to sent him some "gifts." On a normal workday, he works with prosthetics and orthotics. Laura teaches math for two on-line universities and is the MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) coordinator at her church.

Here is Julie holding Rosemary and my stepmom June Collier is holding Penelope. Rosemary arrived with a pretty outfit on, but, well, accidents happen and her clothes needed to be dried for a few minutes. Julie wears many hats. Besides homeschooling Allie and meeting the needs of her growing family, she is also active at Whitesburg Baptist and has many friends. Her home is a constant hub of hospitality.

Rosemary must be hoping that some new clothes are in some of the packages with her name on them. Her latest trick is waving. We're just beginning to uncover the nuances of her unique personality.

Nathan LOVES trains, so Granddaddy "just happened" to have a train set they needed to assemble together. They were both intent on their job while Megan quietly kept them company.

Sisters in the kitchen!! Don't I have pretty daughters??? They are both SO busy and live so far apart. Moments like this are rare.

5-year-old Luke is a great kid and a model kindergarten student. We like keeping up with the score during Auburn games. He got a camera from Steve and me and made hundreds of pictures starting the minute he opened it. He loves to arrange things and lets me know if my decorations need tweaking.

Nathan, Megan and I spent a little while decorating sugar cookies to be enjoyed by the rest of the crowd. I readily confess that tasting was involved, too. Megan particularly likes "doing it herself" and is convinced that she can do anything her brother Nathan can. :)

The first thing we needed to do when Seth arrived was celebrate his 4th birthday, which is actually on December 20. He was particularly glad to get this Cam Newton #2 jersey. I suspect he'll be wearing it on January 10 when Auburn plays for the National Championship. If you ever meet him, ask him to show you how his Daddy preaches and also ask him Cam Newton's phone number. :)

Before we opened presents, we had a short "program." Well, if your Grandmomma was an elementary music teacher I bet you'd have a program, too. Now wouldn't you? First, Allie read to us from Luke chapter 2 -- which was very impressive to the other grands. Then, we sang some Christmas songs, and Allie played "Jingle Bells" on her violin. She is pretty much self-taught and does a remarkable job (says the very biased grandmother).

Now, here's something that is not easy to do -- getting all 8 grandchildren in one place at one time so we can make their picture. We didn't promise that they would stand still, but aren't they beautiful? Going from Steve's lap to mine, you have Penelope, Megan, Luke, Allie, Seth, Nathan, Maggie and Rosemary is in the floor in front of Allie. Just think by next year there will be 2 or 3 MORE!!!! Julie's 5th child is due in June, and Matt and Katie will be adopting one or two children from Ethiopia within the next 5 or 6 months.

Julie's family left a little while after the presents were all unwrapped. Laura's and Matt's families spent the night and then headed on to their in-laws on Christmas Eve morning. Steve and I were alone for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning, but we were savoring the moments we'd had, remembering the funny things said and done, and thanking God for His amazing blessings to us. What a treat to wake up to the beautiful snowfall on the 25th!

On Christmas Night, we hosted a gathering of my mother's siblings and their offspring that has gone on for as long as I can remember -- so, at least for 60 years. The icy roads kept a few at home, but 44 managed to make their way to our house. My Aunt Gloria brought her famous dressing, and my Aunt Joyce brought her much-anticipated creamed corn. My Aunt June came with a ham, and my Uncle Milton sent the shrimp. The others brought scrumptious casseroles, salads and desserts.
I am blessed to be a part of such an outstanding extended family -- all are godly people, pillars of their churches, and so loving to each other.

Steve and I consider our children, in-law children and grandchildren to be gifts from God, and we are so grateful to be a part of their lives. We love them unconditionally.

I have been aware this year of friends and acquaintances who faced this holiday season without a loved one who was with them just last year, and I have prayed for peace and comfort during this painful, sad time.

I don't want to ever take for granted the joys of this past week. So, now, in the next few days I'll put the decorations away and make my resolutions for 2011, and like Mary in the Bible, I'll "treasure up all these things, pondering them in my heart." Luke 2:19

Pea Pickin' Cake

Well, there are no peas in this cake, so I'm guessing that the name comes from the fact that it is "Pea Pickin' Good." Did you grow up with that expression as I did? I found the recipe in the Sharing the Legacy cookbook recently compiled by the ladies of First Baptist Church in Decatur, AL. specifically for the purpose of supporting the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions (Southern Baptist Convention.)

It is easy to make and very light -- which would be good to serve after the upcoming heavy meals. I only had two decent cake pans, but the recipe calls for 3 layers. If possible, I think that would be the way to go.

Cake:

1 box Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix

1 small can Mandarin oranges, undrained

4 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, oranges, eggs, and oil. Pour batter into 3 well-greased cake pans. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool.

Icing:

1 lg. can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 small box vanilla instant pudding

1 lg. Cool Whip, thawed

In large bowl, combine pineapple with pudding mix. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread between layers and on the top and sides of cake. Refrigerate.

Happy Eating!

"Just the Right Amount of Wrong" -- Is that possible?

Giant Christmas ornaments shaped like Vegas showgirls?? Are you kidding me?

Acres upon acres of slot machines and gaming tables?

Hour after hour of putting money in and waiting for the bells and sirens signaling a big win . . . that never really comes.

Much to my consternation, I find myself this morning in a place I would have preferred to spend my entire life without ever visiting -- Las Vegas, Nevada, a city that is proudly nicknamed "Sin City." Steve is here for a state-of-the-art veterinary symposium. He is being taught by the best in his profession. He likes it when I travel with him, so here I am, the week before Christmas, when I should be home baking, finishing all the shopping, watching Hallmark holiday specials, and making sure the pipes don't freeze. There are several good newses in all of this. One is that the weather here is warm and sunny, whereas back home folks are facing record low temperatures. The natural scenery of mountains, desert sand, and cacti is beautiful and very different from North Alabama. Another piece of good news is that I'm known for being able to entertain myself. I refuse to be bored, and I love "scaring up a plan," as my oldest child likes to describe it. Steve is having all of his meals with colleagues at this symposium, except for tonight when we'll have a date. I've been researching shuttle schedules and good restaurants within walking distance of their stops and have a fun route planned for this evening. We should be able to get some exercise AND enjoy a delicious dinner.

The big bad news, of course, is the whole atmosphere, attitude and focus of this lavish, sensual, and yes, sinful city. My purpose today is not to debate the pros and cons of gambling. My worldview has been heavily influenced by an almost 40-year marriage to The World's Most Conservative Man and the belief that God desires that we be good stewards of all He has given us. My mind just doesn't work this way. The reasoning escapes me. I keep wondering which is more disturbing -- the young couples quickly getting off the plane shouting, "All right! Let's do Vegas!" or the elderly people with their walkers and wheelchairs maneuvered beside the slot machines? And the alcohol consumption. It matches the sign in the lobby -- "Let it flow, let it flow, let it flow."

The retail stores don't have much in common with my financial reality either. Yesterday as I was strolling one of the huge malls, I picked up a purse on one of the sale racks to get a closer look. Price tag? $995.00!!!!! And, I'm sure it wasn't the most expensive one. Give ME the money to go INSIDE the purse instead, please.

A billboard slogan we passed on the way from the airport a couple of days ago has stayed on my mind. As is true in many cases, the picture was suggestive, but the words were what grabbed my attention. "JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WRONG" How could anything be further from the truth of God's Word? How could any words be more contradictory to what I tried to teach our children? Could there ever be "just the right amount of wrong" in ANYTHING? Doesn't the word "wrong" here mean sin? Does a perfectly-adjusted degree of sinfulness exist, according to God's standards?

I have been convicted this week about holiness. God's perfect holiness, yes, but also His instructions that we, too, are to be holy.

Leviticus 19:1-2 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, 'You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.' "

1 Peter 1:15 "But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior."

What does it mean to be holy? The definitions given include the phrases "to be separate," "set apart," and "consecrated to God." A quote from Lynne Chapman, an editor for Christian Living, says it this way: "We have never been holy, perfect or pure on our own and we cannot work hard enough to be deemed holy. We are sinful. God's mercy was extended to us when Jesus Christ died on the cross as payment for our sins. He took our sins and we received His holiness. In view of that mercy we are holy -- set apart for God's purpose."

My prayer for today and for the rest of our time here is that God will guard my heart, that He would give me the strength to resist sinful temptation, and that He would allow me to be salt and light in this very dark place. Already, my clothes and manner of dress stick out somewhat, and my prissy Southern-ness is obvious to everyone with whom I speak. Now, "let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Two Great Recipes

Don't you just love having the holidays as a "good excuse" for trying yummy recipes? Tonight I fixed two new items that Steve pronounced stirring successes. The top picture shows the Spinach/Chicken/Mozzarella Bake before it went in the oven, and the second picture is a plate of the Peanut Butter Snickers cookies. If I had some confectioner's sugar, I would sprinkle a little on top just to make them look a little more festive. But, the taste makes up for any plain appearance on the outside.

SPINACH/CHICKEN/MOZZARELLA BAKE

9-oz. package prewashed spinach

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, uncooked

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 Roma tomatoes, sliced

1 c. sliced mushrooms

1 packet dry Italian salad dressing mix, prepared with Balsamic vinegar

2 c. shredded mozzarella or Parmesan cheese

1 6-0z. package angel hair pasta or rice, cooked

Place the spinach in the bottom of a coated 9" by 13" baking dish. Place the chicken breasts on top of the spinach; season with the salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes and mushrooms on top of the chicken. Mix the Italian dressing mix according to the directions on the package, substituting Balsamic vinegar for the regular vinegar. Pour the dressing over the spinach, chicken, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Top with the cheese. Bake at 350-degrees for 40 minutes. Serve over the angel hair pasta or rice. Serves 4.

PEANUT BUTTER SNICKERS COOKIES

1 c. butter, softened (use real butter and not margarine)

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 c. white sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

Mix until fluffy.

Sift together -- 3 1/2 c. all purpose flour, 1 t. soda, and 1/2 t. salt

And add to the first mixture.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours or put the batter in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Also, put a package of Snickers miniatures in the freezer for awhile, too.

Wrap 1 to 2 tablespoons of batter around each Snicker and place on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.

Bake at 325-degrees for 16-18 minutes.

Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

After eating all that healthy spinach, maybe you'll feel better about savoring one of the cookies.