Our very tall pine tree.....on the ground!!  We had some hard winds all night.....but goodness! I didn't think we had that much!

It just missed the outhouse, and just missed the fence, well....some of it. The wood fence anyways. It smashed the wire one.

I am standing against the house here.....that is how close it came to the house! Thankfully it took a different direction! Leah said that she thought that she heard a crack sometime last night.

We are certainly going to miss it! We'll have to plant another :-)

And all the water.....the snowmen are kind of in the middle of it  :-0 (sorry the pictures are blurry, it was raining and the camera wouldn't take clear ones unless I got right up next to it, but then I would be standing in the water!)

 Have a Merry Christmas!!!

         "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

                                                                           Isaiah 9:6

This is what we are all currently working on for tomorrow :-)  Ahh.....yes. I almost forgot. A few main dishes might be nice.     But don't they just look so tasty?

And, mmmm......don't look at all those dirty dishes in the background......someone needs to get busy!

But don't stop here.....keep looking at the posts, and go wish Jessica a happy birthday!

...the first of the Seven Sisters was born.

We love you!!!

      I am now officially finished with my Christmas present making and wrapping (okay, except for ONE present that five of us are going to do together)!  I also got most of my part of Christmas dinner done!  :-)  We like to get that done ahead of time so we only have to heat it on Christmas day. It makes for a nice (sorta) relaxing Christmas day.  I guess, the "only" part I have to do still is baking three kinds of cookies (that I'll do tomorrow).....but the cookie dough is made!  

Something else that we need to do before Christmas is cleaning.  My goodness can boys make a mess of their toy box(es)!  Uh, yes...they do have two. Actually, they have a "toy-corner".

This is after. I didn't think to take a before picture, but believe me, you could hardly walk in that corner before! And it is right beside the dining room table. So sometimes that makes for hard eating.   Both boys were very, very helpful with cleaning it up! They helped me through the entire process! 

Coming up (so stay tuned!):

Are you curious? Can you guess what this is for (not which person, it's for me of course! )?

:-)

A vegetable that has been showing up on the table more often......

The recipe? Well, it's not a recipe really.  Here is what I think I put in, about....

3-4 carrots, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 summer squash, sliced

1/2 of an onion, chopped

some broccoli, chopped

4-5 T. butter

a yellow pepper, diced

Cook with lid on skillet for about 30 minutes (stirring consistently)....or until the vegetables are soft.  We make two pans of this to go with dinner...sometimes more. 

You can add any vegetable to this....and amount doesn't matter. Just do it till it looks good!

Enjoy! :-)

...hope it doesn't melt it! :-)

Here is a movie review on the 2008 version of Little Dorrit, based on the Charles Dickens novel.

The Characters

Amy Dorrit

Arthur Clennam

William Dorrit

Mrs. Clennam

Rigaud/Blandois

Mr. Meagles

Mrs. Meagles

Pet Meagles

John Chivery

Mr. Chivery

Fanny Dorrit

Edward "Tip" Dorrit

Fredrick Dorrit

\

Flora Finchling

Mr. Merdle

Mrs. Merdle

Edmund Sparkler

Mr. Pancks

Tattycoram

Affery Flintwinch

Jeremiah Flintwinch

Henry Gowan

Miss Wade

Mrs. General

Maggy

What's it About?

This movie is about a young woman named Amy Dorrit, who was born in the Marshalsea Prison for debt. She meets a man named Arthur Clennam, who's mother is keeping a secret that involves both Arthur and Amy.

Positive

~Because it is a Dickens novel, the characters and plots are so complex and intertwined. It keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Negative

~There is one part in Episode 2 that absolutely should be skipped, a (what we call it in our famliy) "boy-girl" part.

~There are a few deaths that are rather gruesome that I would suggest that parents look at if you have children 12 and younger or ones that are sensitive to that sort of thing.

~Very very very mild language

I very highly suggest this movie, it is so suspenceful and exciting, you won't want to look away!

God Bless You,

 Taylor