Then and Now

It's hard to believe that one year ago we got our new little furry friend, Sasha.

She was such a bundle of furry fun. Still is in fact! While opening presents on Christmas day, Sasha decided to give Darcy a hand or should I say paw, opening one of his gifts.

Smart little puppy!
It's been an awesome year watching her grow and become an integral part of our family. So much so that we even included her on our family Christmas photo to family & friends. Blessings

Blurred visions of Sugar plums

ahh Christmas, what a wonderful time. A time to gather with family and friends, a time to eat all you want and watch all the calories melt away. I have it on good authority that the following foods and situations have no calories to speak of. You can eat all you want with a clear conscience!

Calories That Don't Count
1. Food On Foot - All food eaten while standing has no calories. Exactly why is not clear but the current theory relates to gravity. The calories apparently bypass the stomach flowing directly down the legs, and through the soles of the feet into the floor, like electricity. Walking appears to accelerate this process, so that an ice cream bar or hot dog eaten at the state fair actually has a calorie deficit.
2. TV Food - Anything eaten in front of the TV has no calories. This may have something to do with radiation leakage, which negates not only the calories in the food, but all recollections of having eaten it.
3. Uneven Edges - Pies and cakes should be cut neatly, in even wedges or slices. If not, the responsibility falls on the person putting them away to "straighten up the edges" by slicing away the offending irregularities, which have no calories when eaten.
4. Balanced Food - If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they cancel each other out.
5. Left-Handed Food - If you have a drink in your right hand, anything eaten with the other hand has no calories. Several principles are at work here. First of all, you're probably standing up at a cocktail party (see "Food On Foot"). Then there's the electronic field: a wet glass in one hand forms a negative charge to reverse the polarity of the calories attracted to the other hand. It's not quite known how it works, but it's reversible if you're left-handed.
6. Food For Medicinal Purposes - Food used for medicinal purposes NEVER counts, such as hot chocolate, brandy, toast, and Sara Lee cheesecake.
7. Whipped Cream, Sour Cream, Butter - These all act as a poultice that actually "draws out" the calories when placed on any food, leaving them calorie-free. Afterwards, you can eat the poultice, too, as all calories are neutralized by it.
8. Food On Toothpicks - Sausage, cocktail franks, cheese, and crackers are all fattening unless impaled on frilled toothpicks. The insertion of a sharp object allows the calories to leak out the bottom.
9. Children's Food - Anything produced, purchased, or intended for minors is calorie-free when eaten by adults. This category covers a wide range, beginning with a spoonful of baby food custard, consumed for demonstration purposes, up to and including cookies baked to send to college.
10. Charitable Foods - Girl Scout cookies, bake-sale cakes, ice cream socials, and church strawberry festivals all have a religious dispensation from calories.
11. Custom-Made Food - Anything somebody makes "just for you" must be eaten regardless of the calories, because to do otherwise would be uncaring and insensitive. Your kind intentions will not go unrewarded.

aahh if that were only true ^.^ and since it's not, I'll be joining Jazzercise again this winter.

Blessings

Girl Friday

um wait a minute, isn't today Thursday? Yes it is, but oooh I am so thankful that Krystle was willing to come and help me today. With the shorter week due to the holiday, I needed all the extra help I could get. luv ya Krys

Krystle is such a blessing to me. She's home for the next couple weeks to have a bit of a break over the holidays before her last semester of school. We're hoping to get a few more wedding details organized, should be fun. ^.^

Blessings

The Office

It's hard to believe that today is my 3rd anniversary as the Administrative Assistant for the Zurich Mennonite Church. When I got the call offering me the job, I remember I was so excited. Even after 3 years, I am not only thankful for my job, but I still love my job. Yep, yep I do!

I've heard it said "Find a job you love and you never have to go to work again." For me, this is as close to perfect as one can get. This a place where I use the gifts & abilities that I have in an environment that promotes grace to one another, with a great bunch guys.
(Tim, Tom, Phil & Jamie) I am blessed to work with these guys who appreciate me not only for what I do, but also for who I am! I'm looking forward to many more years at the office.

Blessings

because it's christmas

It's only at this time of year that we get to watch all those wonderful Christmas classics, like Charlie Brown Christmas or Rudolf the Red nose Reindeer, Santa Claus is coming to town, Frosty the Snowman and Mickey's Christmas Carol. Most of the time I end up watching them alone as my kids don't find them to be as interesting as I do. I'm sure as they age they too will learn to appreciate the classics like I do!

Of course each year new movies are added to the mix; The Polar Express, The Santa Clause, and Elf but there's something about those old classics that keeps drawing me back.








Blessings

Baking with Bliss

My sister Becky & I, through our growing years affectionately referred to one another as bliss. Why? I cannot remember, but it has stuck with us all these years. Being 15 months apart in age has helped us become such good friends and I'm thankful for her friendship.

Today Becky came up and we did our Christmas baking. We made church window squares, butter tarts, hello dollies, snowball cookies, reece's peanut butter squares and chow mien noodle cookies. Mmhhmm! super yummy!

Next week Krystle will be home for the holidays and we'll finish our baking by adding sugar cookies to the rest of the goodies made today.
Blessings

Bird's eye view

Wayne had an awesome opportunity to go in our friend Doug's plane to get a bird's eye view of our place. In the bottom left corner is Huron Ridge Acres and our place is at the top right of photo. This 100 acre farm has been in Wayne's family since 1927 and Wayne & I are the 7th owner.
What a different perspective it gives.

Blessings

Tribute

To John Lennon.
Today marks the 29th anniversary of his death. Leaving behind his family, a multitude of fans and a legacy of music through which his memory lives on.

I am a Beatles fan. I love their music - from their earliest recordings right into their solo careers. I admire John's ability to write songs that said what was on his heart and that he was willing to take a stand for what he believed.

This is one such song:

The quote "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” from Dr. Seuss, I think can be applied to the life of John Lennon.

Blessings

'tis the season

finally the Christmas tree is up ~

Krystle was home for the weekend and we spent time together reminiscing about all the Christmas decorations while we decorated the house. She makes it so much more fun, because she exclaims at each piece "oooh - where shall we put it this year?" It definitely helps garner a little more Christmas cheer.

So now our home looks a little more Christmasy. Listening to the CD's helps the house sound a little more Christmasy. Next week my sister will be up to get our baking started and then the house will smell little more Christmasy.

Blessings

1929

1929 marked the end of a period known in American history as the Roaring Twenties and was a time of wealth and excess. After the Wall Street Crash of 1929 a worldwide Great Depression ushered in.

Famous people born that year were:
January 15 – Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights leader, Nobel laureate (d. 1968)
May 4 – Audrey Hepburn, British actress (d. 1993)
July 2 – Imelda Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines
July 9 – King Hassan II of Morocco (d. 1999)
July 26 - Joseph Jackson, Father of the Jackson Family
July 28 – Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, American First Lady (d. 1994)
August 24 – Yasser Arafat, Palestinian leader, Nobel laureate (d. 2004)
September 5 – Bob Newhart, American comedian and actor
September 10 – Arnold Palmer, American golfer
September 25 – Barbara Walters, American journalist
November 12 – Grace Patricia Kelly, American actress and Princess of Monaco (d. 1982)
November 30 – Dick Clark, American television entertainer
December 16 - Nicholas Courtney, British actor

Not overly famous to the media but pretty important to us - Wayne's dad (Keith) and his identical twin brother (Uncle Ken) (photo coming soon) were born on December 5, 1929 to Pete & Irla Gingerich. They were born in the small front room of our house or as we like to call the 'man room'.

We celebrated their 80th birthday with both families gathering together for dinner and an afternoon of visiting. We looked through the book that Grandma (Irla) had put together of the boys growing up and enjoyed listening to the many stories shared by Dad & Uncle Ken. These days twins while still special, is something seen a little more often than what you would have had in 1929.

Blessings

Ready or not...

I love the story "How the Grinch stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss. It's the story of the Grinch, that lives on snowy Mount Crumpit, just north of Whoville, home of the merry and warm-hearted Whos. His only companion is his faithful dog, Max. From his perch high atop Mount Crumpit, the Grinch can hear the noisy Christmas festivities that take place in Whoville. Envious of the Whos' happiness, he makes plans to descend on the town and, by means of burglary, deprive them of their Christmas presents and decorations and thus "prevent Christmas from coming". However, he learns in the end that despite his success in stealing all the Christmas presents and decorations from the Whos, Christmas comes just the same.

The point of this post? Christmas will come, there is nothing we can do to stop it, but there is something we can do to be ready. I don't mean buying presents, decorating the house, or even listening to Christmas carols, I mean having our hearts ready to receive the ultimate gift ever given.
The gift of Jesus sent from heaven above.

Blessings

Countdown

The countdown to Christmas has begun. Without snow so far this year I must admit I am finding great difficulty getting into the holiday spirit. Hopefully, once I begin the special Christmas baking, start our Christmas shopping, get the house cleaned & decorated while listening to Christmas Cd's it'll help get me ready. Each year I look forward to watching all those Christmas specials on TV and noticed that even commercials can help get the holiday spirit moving.

Like this commercial I found on youtube that aired in 1970 - love it!

Blessings