Christmas pictures

Luke and Danielle wanted to take our picture for Christmas cards, so we all headed out to Mentryville.  We didn't use these on the card, but I think they're funny. :)

I gave Amos a weed and said, "Take a picture of Amos giving me a weed!"

Oh dear ;)

Hehe

He's so strong and handsome, haha!

Bestest friends in the world

Thankful Christmas

Well, this isn't how I imagined Christmas week going, getting back from Christmas with my family and bringing a hitchhiking virus!  Alexis was struck first, earlier on Sunday, and I was hit later on the way home.  Various family members fell over the next two days.

I have little memory of Monday, except for feeling miserable, answering the door when Danielle kindly brought over a bottle of ginger ale, and spending as much time as possible on my back.  I'm doing much better now, but poor Amos is sick! :_(  Amos rarely gets sick, and I feel sad for him because I know how it feels.  I also feel sad for me because I can't do much for him, and I miss him, and I don't know what to do with myself (we aren't having a big dinner, obviously), and Christmas is supposed to be HAPPY, and all that pity party stuff.

However, in an attempt to pull myself up by my bootstraps, I am very thankful for Amos - his love, care, personality, friendship, Amosness - and for Christmas and for hope and for the reason for the season: Christ come to earth to save us from ourselves.

He Has Come for Us by Meredith Andrews

An ink and white-out hiatus

I'm done with the semester!  No more ink-stained hands, no more finding flecks of white-out on my face, and no more annoying science classes to sit through.  Christmas break is only three hours old, and I am very happy. :)  Now I can finish my Christmas stuff!

Here are a few links for your enjoyment :)

Zucchini Cheddar Bread from Joy of Cooking via another website :)
I made this bread, and it is really, really good!  It tastes like a fancy biscuit. :)  I subbed 1/2 cup of the flour for whole wheat flour, added about 3/4 cup chopped onion, upped the cheese a bit, sprinkled in a little garlic powder and fresh-ground pepper, and didn't add quite as much dill.  It tastes really good toasted.

Snow Blankets Cairo...
I loved these pictures!  It makes me want to go back to Israel really badly. :P

Alcott Autumn: Wrapping Presents
A lot of fun ways to wrap Christmas presents (or any presents, I suppose)

Eleven

Eleven days till Christmas (oh dear!)
Ten days till Christmas Eve
Eight days till I see Irene
Six days till we go to NorCal
Five days till I'm done with the first semester of junior high!
Two days till the church staff Christmas party

The Christmas dinosaurs!

Almost Christmas

Today is December 7th, seventeen days from Christmas!  I'm home about to clean the house and listen to an audiobook.  After that, when Amos gets back from doing laundry, getting a haircut, and buying batteries, we'll have lunch and put up our little Christmas tree!

Speaking of Amos doing laundry, have I said recently how great he is?  He is pretty great.  Whenever I mention to a certain friend that Amos is doing laundry, she asks, "Is that his chore?"  No, it's not his chore.  He just does it because he loves and he knows that I really do NOT like doing laundry at the local laundry mat where mothers let their little kids do whatever they feel like doing (think screaming, running, getting in other people's ways, climbing on tables, sitting in wheeled laundry baskets, etc.).  Amos is pretty great, and I am so thankful that he is willing to do this for us.  Merry Christmas to me!

Links to make you think

Stopping an Affair before It Begins by Tim Challies
Good article on Tim Challies today, especially the quote by John Owen at the bottom and a commentator's quote: "A pastor I love once said 'Every sin caries with it the seed of total apostasy.'" [sic]

The Aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan by Preston Richardson at VSCO
This guy's family goes to my church, and I think he did, too, till he moved away.  (I'm really not sure, since I don't know the Richardsons that well.)

The Robertsons from I Am Second
Stories from the Duck Dynasty folks; I really liked Reed's comments at the end.

How This Breast Cancer Survivor Stopped Hating Pink from Christianity Today
Apparently this girl is a Master's alumna.

Bogged Down by Alicia
An post by my friend Alicia, written a while ago.

Absolutely Fabulous Greek/House Dressing from allrecipes
Really good dressing I found.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce with Fuji Apple from The Bitten Word
Lester and I made a big batch of this for Amos' work party; Lester had a goooood time eating the leftovers.