for the moment, I am enjoying the quiet morning. Hubby has gone to church to the men's breakfast and I'm home with Marley. Too cold (at 43 degrees) for me to even want to go out and do anything. Of course, with my Christmas shopping completed, I only need to make a run to the grocery store for more baking things.
Yeah. Baking things. I get the first group of grandchildren this afternoon and I can't wait! I absolutely love the time I get to spend with each of the grandchildren and I love this part of the Christmas preparations. Yes, it is time-consuming, but I hope, time of precious memories. (Yeah, there I go again with the memory thing)
I get three grandsons today, tomorrow three grandsons and a granddaughter, and Monday the remaining two grandchildren. We will bake cookies (and if I have the ingredients, I let them make whatever they want!) and of course the biggie is the Christmas mice. The grandchildren seem to get the biggest kick out of making those. I'm trying to find more things but most take too much preparation and I'm for quick and easy and fun.
I cut out some steps today - bought the Pillsbury sugar cookie dough - it's pretty basic for cookies, and then I have some things they can put in the cookie dough - or roll it out and do cutouts. Yeah, got cookie cutters too. It's all good - and it's all fun. Best part? I send it all home with the grandchildren when they leave!
I really don't want to do my own baking for gifts until Sunday or Monday as I won't be back at work until Tuesday (yeah, I took Monday off too) and I want the cookies to be fresh. Christmas is on Thursday this year so don't want to do too far in advance. Yes, I can put in containers and they will be fine - but still..... I baked up a lot of my cranberry pumpkin nut bread and took too many out of the freezer last Wednesday to thaw for delivery on Thursday. I ended up bringing a few back home and they sit in the refrigerator. I'll have hubby take some over to the neighbor on one side, and I'll take to the one on the other. I'm sure some of the grandchildren may want to take some as well. I don't think there will be a problem in getting rid of it. Although I'm not sure how well my children like it.
I don't know how I got all my Christmas shopping completed so early. I don't know that I started real early, but perhaps because I limited myself and had to watch the $$ so tried to keep things in perspective. I'm thinking of one grandson I'm not sure if I have enough for him so now I'm second guessing myself. But it's all good. If he looks disappointed after we open gifts, I'll pull him aside and tell him I'll take him out for a treat by himself some time. He likes to 'run away' with me some times anyway. I truly hate to disappoint anyone, and I hope what I've chosen will be ok for them all.
Well, I need to get busy and get some of my things done. I did find a gingersnap recipe I thought I might try this morning. I love gingersnaps - and I still have a container of molasses that my mother gave me years ago that I've never opened or used. So, mother has been gone 10 years now, so I've had the molasses at least 12 years. Yeah, things like that don't get 'old'. Should be fun.
Hope that you take some time this season to sit down and really think about what the season is all about. It isn't about the gifts, the hustle and bustle of shopping till you drop. It isn't the cookie baking and the giving away. It's all about Jesus.
If you don't know Jesus personally, take some time to get to know Him. Talk to Him. He'll help you learn of Him. What a gift that would be!
Blessings!
No comments:
Post a Comment