He Will Bring Us Goodness & Light

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!  What a thrill it was to wake up this morning and know that there is only one more day until Christmas!!  I love this day for many reasons; baking goodies for tomorrow's dinner, finally trying my hand at my Nana's pecan pie recipe, celebrating Chris's birthday tonight w/ a fancy-pants dinner that I will lovingly prepare, singing in worship at the Christmas Eve service, watching Home Alone & snuggling w/my sweet husband, and sneakily (is that a word??) filling  stockings tonight so that Chris will be surprised tomorrow morning!  But, all of those things pale in comparison to the real reason that tonight is special!  

Now, I love surprises.  Sometimes I love them so much that I can't stand to wait for the actual surprise, and I have to sneakily (there's that word again!) peak at whatever it is that is supposed to surprise me!  Hey, at least I can admit it!  But I can't imagine the glorious surprise that Mary must have felt when an angel told her that she would be the mother of Jesus.  And on this day, so very long ago, the tired couple must have been huddling close in that inn, awaiting His magnificent arrival.  The world changed the very next day.  Nothing would ever be as it was.  Instead of darkness and sin, God sent His only son so that the world could bask in "Goodness & Light".  

"Glory to God in the highest, an on earth peace, goodwill towards men."

Luke 2:14

On this Christmas Eve, I wish for all of you the peace, joy, & love of this very blessed season.  

~Amy

Abundant Sunday

Another week has flown by for us out here in England.  The weather isn't quite as cold as it is back in Texas, and we actually had 3 consecutive days of sunshine (I know, VERY shocking!).  The stores are starting to get busy, and the air is starting to hum with Christmas excitement!  It's getting so close, I can hardly stand it!  Here are my blessings for the week, along with some pics our home...thanks again for the suggestions about the card display, I LOVE it :)

1.  That there is a Chili's in Cambridge that we can just pop on down to if we're feeling a little homesick!  

2.  Ben & Jerry's "American Dream" Ice Cream.

3.  Skype...I just figured this out, and I love it!  It was so fun to get to talk to my dad this afternoon "face to face"!

4.  Heart-to-hearts w/ good friends.  

5.  Our first month of being completely DEBT FREE!!  I'm telling you, Dave Ramsey ROCKS!

6.  The movie "The Holiday".  It came on AFN yesterday, and I loved it just as much as the first time I saw it.

7.  Hot Chocolate on a cold day...nothing beats it :)

Our mini-tree w/ presents!  AND, the cute card display!!

I hung a red ribbon between the two walls, and then used red/green/white paper clips to hang the cards...turned out super cute!

A Christmas Treat

Want a super easy, and super yummy Christmas treat recipe??  Well, here you go:

Ritz Cracker Goodies

30 or so Ritz Crackers (paired)

Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bark (or you can use Chocolate Chips if you can't find bark)

Peanut Butter

Wax Paper

Put a little bit of Peanut Butter on your Ritz Crackers, and pair them up to make "sandwiches".  Set aside.  In a medium saucepan (I use a double boiler) melt your chocolate.  When completely melted, dip your Ritz sandwiches in the chocolate until they are covered on both sides.  Use a fork to remove, and set on wax paper to cool.  Let them sit for about 30 minutes so that the chocolate can harden, and serve!  Yum!

Books, Glorious Books!

I'm a bookworm, did ya know it??  Give me a good book, a snuggly place to sit, and a mug of hot chocolate and I'm in heaven!  I've been known to read an entire book in a day...Jodi Piccoult can do it to me every time!  So, I thought I'd throw out some of my favorite "feel good" books so that you might enjoy them during the holidays.  Some of them are my favorite children's books, some are novels...but I promise that they will all bring a smile to your face, and a tear to your eye (a happy tear, of course!).   There's nothing like transporting yourself to another place & time on a snowy (or in my case, foggy) evening.  

This is a definite "must read".  It's about an share-cropper (a modern day slave), and his physical, emotional & spiritual journey.  He ends up in Ft. Worth (another reason I love this book!), where he meets his very own, personal angel.  It's a true story, and I promise that you will LOVE it!

It looks like a Children's book, but really...it's not.  It's a classic, and is full of Christmas truths.  This is one I can read again and again...oh wait...I have!

This one is a Children's book, but it's so sweet that I just had to include it.  The pictures are beautiful, and the story is precious.  If you're a military family, like we are, I guarantee that you won't be able to get through this one without shedding at least one tear of gratitude :)

Another great Children's book.  Can you tell I worked w/ kids for a LONG time??  If you've never read this book, you're missing out.  It's such a good story about how we, sometimes, are the best "vessels" of Christ by just being ourselves, and recognizing the blessings that we have to offer.

Such a good "feel good" book.  It's about a little girl who is searching for the mother that her heart longs for, and the wonderful women that she meets along the way.  I can't wait to see the movie, too!  

And, last but not least...this is the true story about a professor dying from Lou Gehrig's disease who shares his wisdom with his former student, the author, Mitch Albom.  It's sad, and sweet, and a wonderful tribute to a great man.

Happy Reading and, as always, I'd love to hear about some of your favorite books!

Favorites

Have you ever wondered how those "Tag" emails/blogs get started? Who thinks up all of those fun questions? Where do they originate from? Hmmm, am I the only one who thinks about these things?? While pondering this perplexing question today, I decided to start one of my own! {I'm ignoring the groaning from the party poopers out there :)} Since I love Christmas (obviously), and I'd love to find out a few fun things about my friends, I thought I'd just combine those two things. Feel free to comment me back, or in true "Tag" form, you can just copy and paste my questions on your own blog! There's nothing like embracing the holiday cheesiness at its best :)

1. Favorite Christmas Song? (Thought I'd start out with an easy one!)

O Holy Night from "Home Alone"

2. Favorite Holiday Treat?

My Nana's Rocky Road Fudge...oh my gosh, my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

3. How many Christmas's do you celebrate?

This year...1. When we're back in Texas...7 (yes, you read that correctly!)

4. Real or Fake Tree?

Fake, all the way baby! I'm don't have much of a green thumb, and a dead Christmas tree on Christmas morning just kind of puts a damper on the mood.

5. Anyone in your family have a Christmas birthday?

Yep...my sweet hubby!

6. Favorite holiday side dish?

Sweet Potatoes with cinnamon/pecan topping. No marshmellows for me, thanks!

7. Does it snow at Christmastime where you live?

Ehh, if we're really, really lucky we might see a few flakes (in Texas)

8. Wrapping Paper or Bags?

Little bit of both...I lean more towards paper though (not very green of me, I know!)

9. Favorite Christmas Tradition?

Reading the Christmas Story on Christmas morning, and going to the Candlelight Christmas Eve Service.

10. Favorite Christmas/Holiday memory?

Working at the Christmas Store for Mission Arlington w/ my Mom & Nana. They taught me the "true" meaning for Christmas.

Hope you enjoyed it! I can't wait to see your answers too!

~A

Abundant Sunday

I can't believe that it's already Sunday again, it feels like this week has just flown by!  I'm pleased to report that the annual Airman's Cookie Drive brought in a whopping 14,000 cookies this year...incredible!  That's more cookies than has ever been collected, and we were even done sorting them all into cute bags (the elementary school kids decorated them) in just under 2 hours. Almost 12,000 of them will go to the single Airmen on base as a holiday treat, while the other 2,000 will be sent downrange to the guys & girls who will be spending their Christmas in the desert.  What a huge success!  If you want to get involved and send a little LOVE to the troops, visit this website sponsored by Xerox.  I'm sure that they would love to hear some words of encouragement, especially during the holidays.

This weekend was spent relaxing and spending time with some of our good friends.  What more can you ask for at Christmastime??  On Friday we attended our first party of the season.  The theme was Feliz Navidad and we celebrated by indulging in some of my favorite food...Mexican!  Amber even whipped up some of her wonderful sopapilla cheesecake, so yummy!  And on Saturday, we went to eat with another couple (sans their kiddo's), and caught the movie "Four Christmas's".  WHAT a funny movie!!  Loved it!  I hope that you all had a great weekend, and that you were all able to spend some quality time with those that mean the most to you.

Here are my Abundant Sunday blessings:

1.  That Chris made it home safely from his deployment this year, and that we will get to spend Christmas & the New Year together.

2.  My Nana's recipes.  I dug them all out for Christmas and found that she had written sweet little comments on the back of each one.  It was a sweet reminder of how much she loved my brother and I.

3.  That my sis-in-law is a bona-fide counselor now!!  Yay for her getting her Master's Degree!

4.  Getting to see "Four Christmas's" with friends.  Super funny movie, and a very fun way so spend an evening!

5.  Apple Streusel from a box...surprisingly delicious :)

6.  Another lazy Saturday.

7.  Dave Ramsey & his envelopes...I'm sure I'll post more on this later!

PS ~ Thanks to all of you who suggested ways to display my Christmas Cards.  I think I'll combine a few of your ideas together and see what I come up with!  I'll post pics as soon as I'm done :)

Keep 'em coming...

I can't help but get a big smile on my face each time I see a personalized envelope sitting so merrily in my mailbox! I love every single thing about Christmas cards...the fact that someone (perhaps on the other side of the world) thought about Chris & I and wanted to send us a little holiday cheer, the beautiful pictures that capture the happy memories of our family and friends, the festive colors, and the sweet sayings. I'm looking for a really cute, crafty way to display them...got any suggestions? At the end of the season we make place-mats out of them (I'll post a pic when I complete them!), but I'm wanting to find a way to showcase them before then. If you have any crafty ideas, I'm all ears! AND, keep those cards coming...they make me smile :)

PS ~ Thanks to the Jen's for your suggestions of more songs! Unfortunately, playlist.com has not come to love Mr. Strait as I do, but I did find WHAM...gotta love it :)

~A

Christmas Tunes!!

I finally figured out how to put music on my blog (I told you I was computer illiterate!), and what better to start out with than Christmas music!?  One of my favorite Christmas traditions (when I'm in Texas, of course) is going to North Park Mall in Dallas with my mom, looking at all the wonderful decorations, shopping for last minute gifts, and listening to the Christmas music play overhead.  I also like to go to the SPCA shop to look at the little puppies that need a good home, but we always ended up w/ a new dog when I did that, so I had to stop!  Anyway, back to the music...

My favorite song of the season is "O Holy Night", but not just any version.  I LOVE the one that they play in Home Alone where Kevin goes into the church...do you remember that scene?  It was actually sung by the Trinity High School Choir (I just love Google!), and it is the most gorgeous arrangement of it that I have ever heard.  Unfortunately, I can't find it on the little playlist finder thing, so I chose another good one from Home Alone, "Carol of the Bells".  Sounds like I'm a little obsessed with that movie, huh?  I'm really not, I just love the sound of a choir singing, and I think that this particular choir just sounds so angelic.  Take a listen, and see for yourself!  

I also love "Baby, It's Cold Outside"...but only the original version.  I know, I know...I'm a little picky with my versions :)  And, the Boston Pop Orchestra's rendition of "Sleigh Ride" is awesome too.  It just really gets me in the mood for some hot chocolate!  We heard it when we were in Hamburg, and I think I started dancing (Chris quickly told me to stop since we were in the middle of a hoard of people, and my dancing isn't too pretty!)  And perhaps one of the sweetest Christmas songs is "My Grown Up Christmas List".  I actually had it in my head when I woke up this morning, and it's what inspired me to finally conquer this whole Blog Music thing!

I'd love to hear what some of your favorite Christmas songs are, and why they hold a special place in your heart.  I'll even add them onto my playlist (that is if I can find them!!)...there can never be too much of the holiday spirit!!  

Happy listening :)

Amy

Abundance

...my cup runneth over.  Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.  Psalms 23:5-6

Today in church, our pastor asked what we would say if someone asked us to describe our lives now that Christ is living in our hearts.  He asked if our answer would be "abundance", and it really got me thinking.  He was making the point that once Jesus comes into our lives, the fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, etc.) should start flowing out of us in abundance.  Because that's what Jesus does, right?  He provides us with those things so that we may go out into the world and share those gifts with others.  It is easy to praise Him when things are going "right"...not so easy when things seem to be falling apart.  But even in those falling apart times we should try to recognize all of the beauty that He is bestowing upon us.  And that brings to me to what I was thinking about throughout the entire sermon...my many, many blessings.  Sure, there are things that I wish were different, things that I long for and desire that are currently out of my reach.  But my life, my heart, is still overflowing with thanksgiving.  I know that there is a perfect time for all things, and that in Him, I will find peace when I need it most.  

So, I've decided to call my "Thankful Thursday" posts, "Abundant Sunday".  If you have no idea what I'm talking about, just browse on down a few posts, and it will all become clear :)  I'll start out today with some of the things that are overwhelmingly abundant in my life...

1.  My husband...what a joy to know that Gods hand made him just for me!

2.  The opportunity to travel.  Oh my gosh, I am quite ready to be back in the good 'ole US of A, but what incredible opportunities we have been given to see the world while stationed in England!  We may never be in the position to come back, so I am trying to soak up as much of it as I can while we're here!!

3.  My wonderfully crazy, ever-growing family.  I just love them.  They're great about keeping me in the loop, and sending some much needed Texas love over here when I need it most!

4.  The gorgeous sunset tonight.  It was absolutely breathtaking.

5.  The Christmas wreath (pictured above), sent by my mama, that makes our house just a little bit more festive!!

6.  My friends....they ROCK!

I hope that your Sunday was relaxing and filled to the brim with good things.  I'd love to hear what's "tipping your cup" any time :)

~Amy

Hamburg w/ the Hilburns!!

Last week we traveled to Hamburg, Germany w/ our great friends, the Hilburn's.  We left super early in the morning on Tuesday, and were back in England for lunch on Thursday!  Talk about a whirlwind trip!  We had a great time exploring the beautiful city, and we got a very special treat on Wednesday too...our very own snowstorm!  Now, I'm from Texas (as many of you know) where we're lucky to get a few snowflake sprinkles IF we're really lucky.  I've never seen so much snow in my life...huge, gorgeous snowflakes just fluttering down from the sky in sheets!  It was amazing!  The Hilburns two little ones loved it too...Cara even danced and sang in it (but that could have been from all the hot chocolate & few sips of coffee that we gave her from Starbucks to warm up!)  We maneuvered our way through the very busy Christmas Markets, admiring all of the wonderful trinkets & yummy food, and made our way over to the Miniature Wonderland to see the train display too.  Oh my gosh, this place was so cool!   You must click on the link to see for yourself how awesome it was!  

Though very quick, our trip was just wonderful.  We are so blessed to have friends like the Hilburns to share such great memories with!  Enjoy some pics below :)

Yummy treats at the Christmas Market

Hamburg Town Hall

Entrance to the biggest Market

Chris & I playing in the snow!