Finding Baby Jesus

     Happy New Year and may this year bring some of the choicest blessing ever.  I did not stay up last night to ring in the New Year.  I have been fighting a really bad cold for several days and after a full day in the kitchen and visiting with guests I excused myself and went to bed early.  I did hear everyone shout "Happy New Year" at midnight and then the house became quiet as everyone left.
     Not surprisingly, I was the first one up and almost three hours later I am still the only one up.  I am usually the one who puts up most of the Christmas decorations with some help from the kids and I am also the designated take-downer to.  I try to take them down on New Year's Day and since the house was quiet I went about my business and got started.  Down came the tinsel in the dining room.  I took down the stocking and the lights around the fireplace and stacked up the Christmas cards.
     Next on my list was the Nativities.  My family knows I love Nativities and have had some form or another of the nativity in my home since I was a child.  I got my first Nativity when I was about 9 or 10 and in Primary in the LDS Church.  It was a cardboard cutout of the nativity and the artwork was awesome.  I had it for many years and when I got married it was the first thing that went under our Christmas tree.  About 10 years later when I lived in Page, AZ I made a Nativity set.  I fell in love with a set in the Ceramic shop and so I spent many hours, cleaning the shapes, antiquing and glazing and then I painted them with chalk.  They were gorgeous.  Of course by then, I had about 5 kids and somehow baby Jesus lost a foot that first year.  No one know how, but I still used this set and placed it on the piano or the bookcase each year.  Eventually the chalk chipped off and now it is a beautiful clear glaze with an antiqued brown look.
     Thus the beginnings of my Nativity sets.  I have since added a Jim Shore Nativity set, a small white ceramic with gold trim set (a gift from my children), A snowman Joseph and snowman Mary holding baby Jesus ornaments, and a miniature nativity I found in Costa Rica.
     Last year I found another nativity online that has the word Joy in the background and lights up.  It is pure white and so we got it for me.  This year Faye and her daughter Katie gifted me with a miniature nativity set they found at Savers.  I fell in love with it.  The little figures are so cute and they look ceramic but are a hard plastic with a washed brown finish.  I found another set, but didn't add it to my collection (yet).  It is made of glass and resides in the window of the drug store in Ephraim.  I love how it sparkles and shines.  It's awesome.
     I have another set that is near and dear to my heart.  It was one I purchased from Avon years ago when my children were small.  It is made of plastic and is a Precious Moments set.  My children loved this one and now our grandchildren play with it every year.  I always worry that pieces will come up missing.  I don't mind if the shepherd's crook is gone, or even one of the bales of hay, but that is not what goes missing.
     Since I've had it out where the grandchildren can play with it, every year Baby Jesus goes missing.  The first year He was pretty easy to find.  The next year He disappeared and we finally found Him under the book case.  Last year we searched and searched for Baby Jesus, but He was no where to be found.  I always say a silent prayer that He will turn up and so I offered my prayer and put the rest of the pieces away until this year.
    God always works in a mysterious way and so we still had not found Baby Jesus as I began putting out the various Nativity scenes this year and our other decorations.  I got out the Precious Moments set and set it up sans Baby Jesus and then I got out the small lighted church I place next to it each year.  To my amazement Baby Jesus was in the small church and so He took His regular place in the manger scene.  And just like every year for the past 4 or 5 years, Baby Jesus came up missing again and we still don't know where He is.  So as I put the pieces away again this year, I again offered a silent prayer for His return.
     That is when I had an epiphany.  Maybe you have already seen it, but sometimes I think Heavenly Father has to hit me in the head a couple of times to get the message across.  Maybe it was because the house was so quiet and I had time to ponder, but for whatever reason, here's what I learned today:  Our lives are all about finding Christ and our little Baby Jesus showed me that I need to be searching for Him daily.  At first finding Him was easy, but as time progressed it became harder and harder and we almost didn't find Him at all.  I count finding Him this year a small miracle and intervention at the last minute.
     I think life is very like that in many ways.  Sometimes it is easy to think about Christ and other times we tend to become distracted and let life get in the way of finding Christ on a daily basis and making Him and Heavenly Father a daily part of life.
     What would happen if I never found Him. The thought does not bear thinking about.  And so my prayer for this New Year is for a better connection to My Savior and my Heavenly Father, to find time daily to seek them out.  For it is truly said, "That Wise Men Still Seek Him."  May God bless each and every one of you and May He find a place in your hearts.  Happy New Year.

LDS Primary Nativity

Jim Shore Nativity Set

Joy Nativity with light

Precious Moments Nativity by Avon

Life is Amazing

This evening I read a blog post that really touched my heart.  Life is not always what we expect, nor is it always what we think we want, but somehow it becomes what we need. I am a person who loves many things and people most of all.  During the last several years, major upheaval has taken place in my life and in the lives of many that I hold dear.  It was gut-wrenching, heart-breaking change and tried my soul to the core.  The blog I read was written by a friend who also faced this same challenge.  Her story is poignant and hopeful and helps renew my faith in the resilience of my fellow sojourners.
I did not start out my life thinking I would be what I am today.  My thoughts were very simple: grow up, get married, have children and become a mother.  Simple goals for a very simple person, or so I thought.  I did get the part right about growing up, getting married, having children and becoming a mother, but my life has out stripped all of my expectations, fears, and imaginings in ways I would never have even attempted to contemplate.
Who could have imagined that I would give birth to eleven very talented, creative, beautiful people?  Even though life, ideas and even continents separate us, I love each one of them so completely.  They have brought a joy to my life that is impossible to describe.  There are no words to describe how I feel about each one of these amazing individuals.  I joy in their joy and sorrow in their sorrows.
Life has taught me that you cannot go back in time and right a wrong, though you can say, "I'm sorry."  Life has taught me that you can't live someone else's life for them, but you can send prayers up on their behalf. Life has taught me to be thankful for each moment, each breath, each blink of an eye, because you never know when it may be your last.
This journey I am on is ever changing, evolving and creating a new vision of me.  Through all the changes, there is one thing that has remained constant.  It is my faith in my Heavenly Father.  He has been my rock and my foundation.  I am amazed at His love and mercy, His kindness and faith in me.
Life brings changes, just as my friends and I have experienced.  Life will continue to bring changes.  My husband once said that it is the process of surviving the changes that refine us.  I think he may be on to something.
So tomorrow is a new day, another day to face the challenges, another day to strive to be a better vision of myself.  I am sure I will make mistakes and falter.  I am also sure, that I will be able to pick myself up from the dust and try again.  If nothing else, Life is amazing and what a wonderful blessing it is.

Martha's Crazy Cake

Martha's Crazy Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. 
3 c. flour      
1 1/3 c. sugar
6 T. cocoa      
2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda     
10 T. oil
4 t. vinegar      
2 t. vanilla
2 c. cold water

Pur flour, baking soda, sugar, cocoa, and salt in bowl and combine.  Stir until mixture is throughly mixed.  Making wells in the dry mixture, add water. oil, vinegar,and vanilla.  Mix throughly.  Bake in greased and floured 13” x 9” pan for 20-35 min.  Test with a toothpick.
Serve with sweetened whip cream while warm or frost with the following:
Broiled Coconut Topping
1/4 c. butter
1 c. flaked or shredded coconut
1/2 or 2/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. nuts (optional)
3 T. half-and-half or milk
Heat  broiler,  In small saucepan, melt butter.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Spread on warm cake.  Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat for 1 or 2 minutes or until bubbly and light golden brown.  (Watch carefully, mixture burns easily.)  Yield:  Tops 13x9-inch cake.

This is a family favorite brought home by my eldest daughter while in grade school.  She purchased a small cookbook for kids and we had to try this since it does not use any eggs or milk in the recipe.  It's really good.

Time Flies

Time flies when  you're having fun.  Isn't it amazing?  I have not been on here for some time and I have done a lot of new things since then.  I mentioned my 'new' machine.  It's a Pfaff Performance sewing/ebroidery/quilting machine.  I love it.  Did I say that already?  If not, I will say it again.  I love it.  I have had sooooooo much fun sewing and creating new things since I purchased this baby in 2012.  I've made aprons, bibs, baby diaper clutch purses and so much more.  I can't believe how easy it is to use and how fantastic things look when they are done.  Sewing through jeans is a breeze and the embroidery is unbelievable.  I have all kinds of projects lined up to do and the creative juices are flowing.  I recently made an apron from an old pair of jeans.  It was adorable and I am in the process of making another one for a granddaughter.  I love being able to add embroidered names and designs to the items I make and personalize them for friends and loved ones.  It's fun to picture the finished items in my head and then to see the finished results.  Love it, love it, love it.
I have also been busy scanning pictures for my siblings and extended family.  My parents took a lot of pictures when they were alive and I now have them in my charge.  Last years I scanned in all of the slides they took and began on scanning in all of the pictures.  It is still a work in progress and when that is done I will start in on my own pictures.  I don't think it will ever end, since I keep taking more pictures all of the time.  At least now, the pictures are digital and they won't need to be scanned. 
However, having them on the computer has its drawbacks too, since they are on several drives and in many different files and I have to search all over the place for them.  I am hoping to get them all in one place soon.  The other things is that you can't readily see them.  I keep thinking I will make a Shutterfly book or calendar.  That is my next goal. 
Another project I have been doing is putting together my genealogy and I am using Legacy Tree.  I am impressed with it so far and have a lot of information that needs to be added to it.  I am hoping that I will be able to get information from my siblings to add to the record so our families can see what our heritage it and where we came from.  That same thing for my children and their siblings. 
Now I need to start another project.  My son asked for some recipes and I would like to put them online.  I am not sure how to do this and give access to all of my family and friends if they wish.  We have some great recipes and sharing would be so much fun. 

Above are some pictures of some of my latest creations. 

Guilty Pleasures of Pinterest and Quilting

     I think I am now addicted to Pinterest, but in a healthy way.  I love sewing and making things for my family and I find the most amazing ideas from my Pinterest friends.  Some how I seem to really connect with several of those who pin from my boards.  You find so many people who have interests very similar to your own and you know that somehow you are kindred spirits even though you are many miles apart. 
     I was recently invited to join a "Group" board on pinterest.  It is a board for those of us who love to make quilts.  My own Pinterest board for quilts is called "Quilting Bee" and I have pinned some really gorgeous quilts and ideas and tutorials to this board.  However, joining the group "Board"  has opened up a whole new world of wonders.  There are thousands of quilters out there with some of the most wonderful, awesome, gorgeous, creative quilts and the list goes on.  The group board has given me the opportunity to connect with so many more people of 'like' interest.  You cannot believe the art that goes into making a quilt and the creativity involved is amazing to me. 
     I am just beginning to step in that direction.  I just completed a quilt for my grandson.  I designed and appliqued the entire quilt and pieced it together.  It was such a joy to watch it come to fruition.  A friend of mine in St. George did the machine quilting.  She owns a quilt shop there and it is a wonderful place to visit and create dreams. 
     My daughter loved the quilt and let me borrow it back to enter it into the county fair.  I'll find out next week how it did and if I won any ribbons.  Our county is full of ladies who love to quilt and they have groups who meet regularly to work on new ones.  I love going to the local quilt shows to see the finished results.  I have yet to see any duplicates.
     My next quilt is a "quilt as you sew" adventure.  It is made of "minky" fleece and the fabric is cut into strips that are laid down on top of the batting and the backing fabric and you sew through all of the layers as you sew the strips together so that the end product is quilted and all you have to do is sew on the binding.  It sounds fun and the fabric is bright oranges and turquoises and prints for another little boy baby quilt.  It will be for another soon to be born grandson. 

     Well, enough for now, I will have to write next about my new sewing machine...

I found a dimond mine...

Guess what I discovered? Go on guess. Pinterest! Yay, joy and anything else that describes ecstacy. It is a treasure trove of interesting things and items and it is not limited to time and space it seems. I am constantly amazed at the variety of items that are pinned on the boards by all those who are part of Pinterest. It amazes me even more when someone pins something I have pinned. The only problem is there is so much out there, you can get lost in the pins. For instance, I have a board for recipes and once you start looking at other pinners and their boards you can spend hours, even days drooling over all the deliciousness on display. Not only that, but once you do decide to "repin" you then have to decide if it goes to "Recipes", or should you post that pin under "Christmas", "Thanksgiving", "Valentine's Day" or a host of other boards.
I am very new to Pinterest, but I love the fact that I can group my pins under specific items of interest to me. My boards reflect me in a very personal way: my joy of cooking, my love for nature, my artsy-craftyness, my love of creating and I have only begun to explore the possibilities.
Sharing pins with others of like mind or interest opens up all kinds of avenues to interact with others and explore even further options I may never have found on my own. Pinterest allows me to find ideas, thoughts, skills and more and learn and grow in a new way.
Thanks Pinterest for sharing and allowing all of us to pin.

The Costa Rican View

Wow, isn't life amazing. Last week I was in rain and snow and this week I am in rain, sand and sun. Our wonderful friends invited us to visit them in their new home in Costa Rica. After a long day of three flights and several lay-overs we arrived at our destination. We did lose one piece of luggage on our trip, but it arrived safely the next day. Our friend had some business in the mountains and we were able to fly with him in his chopper and see some of the country from the air. The rain forests are amazing and we saw the pineapple fields that stretch out for miles. We spent the night up in the rain forests at a beautiful place built by a man from Australia. His love for wood and beauty show in everything he does at his place. It was truly gorgeous. We spent some time at the National Museum in San Jose and watched the blue butterflies and saw some of the displays of pre-Columbian gold and jade and pottery. Today we went to Manuel Antonio beach and spent time strolling through the water, the tide was really high and so we were unable to really swim, but I got some great pictures. On the way home we visited another beach at Jaco. It was wonderful. The water was great and the sand while black, was smooth and wonderful to walk through. Tomorrow we head for Arenal to visit the volcano. I will add pictures.