Christmas Memories 2014

This Christmas season brought more time for me to cook and just be present in the blessed season.  We enjoyed time with several family members and lots of laughs were had.  We hope your holiday season was a good one.  As usual I took lots of pictures, I'm only sharing a view! :)

We made our trip to get our tree.  I set a budget and kept to it, but then for the first time in forever I bought a real wreath!  Our tree was alittle sparse but it was still fitting.  It set perfectly in a corner of our large window!  

There was, for the first time that we were able to listen to our daughter read each night from the bible for our Advent calendar.  It truly meant alot to us and it brought us closer together.

We had our Family Gingerbread house decorating and if any of you follow us on Facebook, you know who won.  The farmer won it by a landslide!  But we will de-throne him next year! :)  IT was one of the best times of the seasons with our kids and their families!

I was able to celebrate an evening with my LWML group and find out who my prayer partner had been during the 2014 year.  It's a feeling of goodness when you know someone is diligently praying for you and your family.  I also received a treasured gift. I was in shock!

No use of this photo is allowed.

We made goodies this year as well.  Not the best thing to have in the house when you are trying to get healthy!  We made almond bark pretzels and I like to call them haystacks. I have no idea the real name or maybe that is it.  I don't know.  Peanuts and chow mein noodles drenched in white almond bark.  YUM! Pecan brittle was made by Milton, and those rolo/pecan yummies too!

Last year I received some DELISH homemade caramels. from Christmas in the Country!  So I tried them this year and gave them out.  If you would like the recipe, check out my friend Jessy's blog. I plan to make them again for Valentine's day for my family members.  Homemade is better than store bought anytime right?

Our immediate family gathered on Christmas evening, and it was a fun time as always.  Watching the little ones open their gifts and munching on appetizers!  I received a wonderful gift I can enjoy all year long in 2015 from my entire family!  Each of them made a card, letter, or picture for me to open on a weekly basis.  It is awesome! :)

Another fabulous moment was when our daughter was proposed to at our family gathering! :)  It was a delight, and we so appreciate being a part of the big moment! So 2015 will be filled with planning a September wedding!

My side of the family enjoyed a meal together.  In our family the kids 18 and younger have a gift exchange with names chosen.  The adults join the ornament game.  It is so much fun! 

This year I threw in another game.  The Candy Bar game.  I found it on good ol' Pinterest.  I wasn't creative enough to come up with descriptions using my family members but it was still fun.  And let me tell you, it wasn't easy searching for candy bars at the stores.  In fact some of them I couldn't find.  But we had enough!

I wrote a special post about the gift that we made for Milton's parents.  If you missed it be sure to check out Making Farm Beautiful!

Thanks for stopping by!
Julie