Monday, December 31, 2012

Goodbye 2012

2012 is coming to a close. I'm having my usual low-key night watching New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark.

 
 Blessings for a wonderful 2013.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas.
 

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Hawk

A couple weeks ago, I happened to look outside and saw this huge bird. As I was trying to get the first picture from inside the house, it moved and I only got the tail.
Then it went further into the yard.  I think it was a Cooper's Hawk. 
All I know is that it was huge, and there wasn't any other wildlife around...
...except this squirrel that I saw in the tree next to the feeders. He wasn't moving at all and didn't for several minutes even after the hawk flew away.
 

Friday, December 21, 2012

Blizzard of 2012

Our first major snowfall of the season dumped over a foot of wet, heavy snow on Central Iowa. What a beautiful sight! The not-so-wonderful part of it is that it started as what I like to call thick rain and now everything has a sheet of ice on it.
Schools were closed. Businesses were closed. Interstates were closed. 
I was one of the lucky ones that didn't lose power. There was only one time throughout the day that it flickered, but that was it. 
The spiral tree didn't survive the weight of the snow. It had one section of lights that wasn't working so I'm okay with losing it. I'm just glad I hadn't gotten around to putting a new one out yet.

 
The trees are really weighted down. This evergreen usually reaches almost to the house. I only lost a few small branches from the front trees. 

Schools were closed again today, but work was open. 
Enjoy the white Christmas!
 

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Annual Christmas Candy Making Day

A couple weeks ago we had our annual candy making day. This year we had a new idea...candy mice! There are several videos online that we found.
They were really easy. All it takes are cherries with stems to dip in chocolate chips, Hershey's Hugs, and sliced almonds. 
After you dip the cherry, lay it on its side and place the Hug. Then place the almonds between the two for the ears. The chocolate acts as the glue to hold it all together. 
 Then dip a toothpick in the chocolate and  give them eyes and a nose. They turned out really great!
We also made lots of other things, but I guess the only picture I got was of the peanut butter balls.
 

Saturday, December 1, 2012

No Room at the Inn

After hearing about the No Room at the Inn Nativity Festival for the past couple of years, I finally got a chance to check it out. What a fabulous way to start out the Christmas season. The nativities are absolutely beautiful.
There are many sizes.


There are wood ones, glass ones, ceramic ones, and many more.


They're made by locals and as far away as Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, and the Holy Land.




The volunteers said there were over 400 throughout the church. Table after table was filled.