I am not a baker. I’m just not.
I love to cook and entertaining is definitely my thing…but baking….no thank you!
I will buy whatever I need to to get out of it.
This is when it is good to have a sister that likes to bake.
I bought all of the dye free food coloring and dye/gluten free candy and my sister made all the gingerbread house pieces and gluten free sugar cookies.
My mom is here and she keeps going back and forth from our house to my sister’s house.
We all met at my sister’s house for the kids to make gingerbread houses and to decorate cookies.
Their cookies were so funny because at one point Benjamin pretty much dumped the bowl of candy on his cookie.
My mom and I kept on going back to the cream cheese frosting…just to make sure it was good enough for the kids.
What?
Leave me alone!
Sometimes a woman needs multiple tablespoons of frosting to get through the day.
The kids are on official Christmas countdown.
I haven’t wrapped one present yet:-)
Christmas Eve will be at our home this year and Christmas day at my sister’s home.
I love that we live so close to each other.
I hope that this Christmas you are blessed with the deep knowledge that our biggest gifts never come the way we expect them.
I hope that as you celebrate Christmas with your friends and family I hope you are blessed with peace and quiet to truly appreciate the gift that was given.
It is in the quiet that we can really hear.
When we slow down.
Sometimes we need to be quiet and still enough to be able to hear a whisper.
“Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a might windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper.”
I Kings 19:11-12
Enjoy the quiet this Christmas.
Merry Christmas.
what a wonderful day. the kids are all smiles. so special. have a very merry Christmas jeanne. xo!!
Oh these photos are simply priceless….I wanted to come and play too…..You are truly such a special family…So excited about our road trip today…My household is still asleep but I so want to wake them so we can get going :)…Love to you and yours… Cathy xo
i didn’t know i looked as tired as i felt after baking all those batches of cookies. but oh it was worth it just to see each of the kids’ different building and decorating techniques! great pictures, jeanne! and i love that verse and the sentiments you shared.
amy=)
My sisters, mom and I enjoy a Christmas baking day filled with so much sugar, sprinkles and fun. Love to see everyone having a great time. I just had to laugh about you going back for more frosting as I have been having extra doses of Christmas frosting and goodies.
Wishing you and your family a very joyous and blessed Christmas.
Thank you for giving us a peek into your festivities! Your photos are a lovely reflection of the holidays,priceless.This is a tradition in our home too “the making of the gingerbread houses”.I love your blog so much stop by sometime and chat:) deidre~
What a beautiful family you have!!! Love the baked artwork your children and their cousins have made. Have a blessed Christmas and an abundance of good health, joy, and happiness in the New Year.
Lovely pictures – Lovely family. What a treat for your Mom to be able to spend time with you and your sister and what a life-long gift for your kids to be able to grow up close to their cousins. Like the Mastercard commercial, that’s priceless.
Those are some pretty great gingerbread houses and I loved listening to “Hallelujah” while looking at your site! Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.
And a peaceful and sweet Christmas in Christ’s love to you too!
Such sweet faces!! My sister is getting married and moving away this year, which makes me sad! I’d love to have her back before she has kids so that we can take some pictures like this one day! 🙂 Enjoy a very Merry Christmas.
What a wonderful way to spend the days leading up to Christmas, Jeanne! You truly made some really special memories that the kids will hold in their hearts for a long long time. Wishing you a joyful Christmas day surrounded by love! 🙂
xoxo laurie
What beautiful pictures….Best wishes to you and your family ….and I am loving your playlist !!!
Jeanne your Elijah story was perfect and I have to say the biggest joy for me this season was in the hustle and bustle of cleaning baking and fretting I dropped a glass of tea all over the floor, started to feel sorry for myself but when I went to get the mop and saw all the jackets lined up on a handmade hanger made out of a headboard and old doornobs that a friend had made, all the nobs were full with warm jackets some had two jackets, I felt so blessed to have so many in my life and home and I felt blessed that we all had enough by having a nice warm jacket. I always enjoy your post and views on the simple things!
Sherry