{this momment} grandma

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment'

in the comments over at Soule Mamas for all to find and see.

This past year has been awesome

and this coming year is expected to be totally thrilling!

Happy New Year and God Bless~

Georgiann



Snowy Day~

Yesterday we got snow....and it snowed again last night. I am going to journey out this morning and do some returns (without kids in tow) and possibly meet a friend at my new favorite Greek restaurant for lunch. I have been craving a gyro all week!
While I'm out I might pick up some brown paint (Dog Paw) to paint the soon to be library room.
I also want to stop at the book store and target and pick up a few things!

I have another friend coming over later today to give me a lesson with my new camera! :)
Our girls will have a play date.

Well I better get going......a trek into the winter wonderland of snow!


Peace and Joy,
Georgiann

Christmas Mircales

Well Christmas was full of so many little miracles this year!

My mom is still here visiting....she leaves in a few short hours, so this post will be quick this morning as I want to spend my time with her! My dad has heart issues and was not able to travel with mom on this visit.
Dad stayed home in Arizona.

Christmas was not so overwhelming this year as it has been for me in the past......it was our simplest Christmas ever~ SSOOO peaceful~

My cloth bags really helped with less trash and was did not buy as many gifts. (as the kids get older they want one expensive thing not many small toys)
I got a  new camera......an upgrade to a higher zoom and a faster shutter speed + I can adjust the aperture.

I will be in and out here on the blog until after the new year. I have friends to visit in real life and my hubby has the week off~
After Jan.1 2011, I plan to post daily.
(during the weekdays)

Peace, Love and Prayers,
Georgiann

The Sights,Sounds and Smells Of Christmas~

With only a few more days til Christmas I will be taking the rest of the week off~

I will be back on Monday~

I have much to do.....

Make some lemon lavender shortbread

Make some Chex Mix

Make some peanut brittle

Finish sewing our fabric gift bags

Help the girls finish making our gift tags

Help the girls sew their sachets for gift giving~

Wrap many gifts (with our fabric bags)~

Order the prime rib for Christmas Eve dinner~

I will also be snuggling up and reading to the kiddos from our

 many Christmas stories.......I was really late finding them! :(

December flew  by so fast!

I am also excited my mom is coming out for a visit.....I still need to wash the sheets for her bed! eeekkk!

Did I mention she will be here tomorrow?

Merry Christmas~

If you are new to my blog welcome and

 feel free to read some of my past posts!

Mama Little Elves {part 3}

Peppermint Bark

Step 1- Crush 30 round mint candies OR candy canes what ever your have.

We used a honey molasses candy cane from the health food section of Fred Myers.

(they taste like regular candy canes...but are more natural)

Step 2- Chop and melt 12 oz of white chocolate.

I used the micro wave to melt but you could also use a double boiler.

When microwaving only  go 25-30 seconds then stir, then go again.

You can easily burn it if you are not careful.

Your white chocolate should have cocoa butter listed as an ingredient

The real thing was hard for me to find and was expensive after I did track some down.

So we use the good stuff for our top layer (last step)

We cheated and used vanilla almond bark stuff...for just the bottom layer.

I know I know......

I forgot to mention....take a large cookie sheet, cover with foil and spray with oil spray.

Smooth white chocolate evenly in a 9x13 area....just eye ball it.

You don't want the layer to be to thin as the next layer,brown chocolate will be slightly soft!

So this is the "crust" layer if you will.

So after you smooth your white layer add some of your peppermint candy.

Refrigerate to harden while you get the next layer ready.

Now its time for the brown chocolate....we used a large (jumbo) Special Dark Hersey Bar

and a some Semi-Sweet Bakers Squares.

Chocolate should be at least 60% cocoa

Step 3 Melt 10 oz of brown chocolate and 6 tablespoons heavy cream

Then add 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract.

Let brown chocolate mixture cool slightly before added it on top of the white layer

..as you do not want the first layer to start melting.

Smooth chocolate layer on, being careful NOT to push to hard and stir the two layer together.

Refrigerate while getting the last layer ready~

Step 4 Melt more white chocolate (8oz) of the good stuff!

Smooth melted chocolate on top of the brown layer

Add the last of your crushed peppermint candy and

let chill in fringe for about 5 minutes to harden!

Break into pieces...as its hard to cut.

You can store at room temp or the refrigerator in a airtight container for about 2 weeks.

Jackie waited very patiently for THIS moment.....

Bon appetite~

Mamas Little Elves {part 2}

This little elf helped mama make Nut Crunch Granola.

Go here for the recipe.

So awesome to be in the kitchen with my little ones!

I am one blessed mama!

We are all having fun getting ready for Christmas.

After a busy day making things with the kiddos, hubby and I snuck out (ok we did tell a few of the kiddos) lol and did some Christmas shopping together. Then had dinner at Red Robin. I wanted to go to a Indian food place....but hubby (who never tried it, ahumm) said, he did not want to go there! :(

It was fun anyways!

On a different note.... I have a prayer request.

A gal Andrea, I know from church gave premature birth (due in March or April) to a baby girl

Jazmym Raye last week....the baby passed away a few hours later.

This was to be her 6th child!

The funeral is tomorrow.

Can you pray for their families grieving heart?

Also could you please pray for:

 Dana and her husband John from an online home school  forum I belong.

They will be having the funeral of her 22 month old son today.

Mattias Ryker passed away due to a freak accident in the home earlier this week, you can

read here and see his slide show.

Thank you :)

Mamas Little Elves {Part 1}

{Homemade Bath Tea}
THIS IS NOT A DRINK
IT IS A BATH SOAK!

This year all our gifts for family and friends will be homemade!

We are getting a late start on our gifts but.....that's how it is!

Last week Noah helped shop for all the supplies for our bath tea 

and was eagar to get started today.

You can find the recipe here.

This bath tea will given with a small muslin bag attached as well.

The recipient will just need to add the desired amount of herbed salts {tea}

to the muslin bag and hang it over the spicket, letting the water run through it.

Then soak,sip tea and read!

So fun and very easy!

Happy Gift Making~

I must cut this post short as it is bedtime here and

well the excitement of Christmas has my kiddos acting naughty not nice....just kidding.

You would think Santa was coming tonight!

They are good kids, just VERY EXCITED and we still have 9 days to go!

There is a lot of ruckus coming from the upstairs that I must attend to.

Peace and Love,

Georgiann

Oh Rainy Day Christmas Tree~

Our crew, minus our oldest son Jarett.

Our family likes to get our Christmas tree 2 week before Christmas!

So as tradition will have it......we got our tree on Sunday, though there was flood warnings for most of our state! As a family we trekked in the mud and rain to find the perfect tree!

I spotted one right off...it won by majority vote! {even hubby liked it}

Then he suggested, we check the trees in the back of the lot....then decide! lol sigh*

I suppose he wanted to get his moneys worth?

Did we not WANT the excitement of the hunt?

I was able to get more cute photos for everyone while walking to the VERY back of the lot!

The girls were able to see if their rubber boot could keep their feet dry.

And of couse we did find the perfect tree! :) *sigh**

Our oldest son Jarett (16) was not with us. He had a project to work on for DECA!

I hope you enjoyed my pictures....

This week the youngest kiddos and I will be doing some elfing.

 Making cookies,candy and some bath tea as Christmas gifts for teachers and family! 

{I will come back and put links to my recipes I use}

The power went out last night and just came back on at 12:30 pm today!

So this morning was dark and quiet. I decided to unload the dish washer and load it again.

I picked up the house and took out the trash in all of the bathrooms!

The youngest kiddos played with the GEO train set!

We were supposed to make candy today but think we will try to do that in the morning tomorrow!

Tonight for dinner I will make homemade chili with leftover steak and

the Duggar family's tater tot casserole a favorite at our house!

Peace and Joy,

Georgiann

{this moment} Art

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments over at

Soule Mama's blog for all to find and see.

Last week I took my three youngest kiddos bowling....you can see here!

To cute! Notice none of my kiddos have matching socks!

Ah....the joys of large family living! {sigh*}

Peace and Joy,

Georgiann

Yarn Along.....

My books and knitting project.

I was and am so saddened by the news of Elizabeth Edwards death yesterday.

I had started reading her book "Saving Graces" during this last summer and was very much enjoying it...

 I'm not sure what has kept me from finishing it.

Probably life in a home of 8, sport schedules a garden and a new dog?

As a family we are also doing some read aloud from these other books!
Where The Red Fern Grows....ah a wonderful book from my childhood.
(this copy is from the library)

So last night I dug around my bedroom and was delighted to find my book....and thrilled that I was able to find it quickly! lol {sigh*}

With a hot cup of red lavender tea on my bedside table,the cozy ambiance of my softly lite night light and a warm blanket wrapped around me I tearfully read the words written by a woman in her early battle with breast cancer.

Elizabeth was a wonderful woman and mother....she endured the death if her son age 16 from a car crash,

the heart break of infidelity and the 6 year battle of her life with breast cancer.

Cancer won yesterday....or did it?

How do we really define a win or a loss?

May Elizabeth Edwards rest now in peace.

So this is my yarn and.....well.....

now my book and life has me  knot  not knitting as much.

For those of you new to the yarn a long or my blog...

These are the first 2 project I have ever made....not sure what they will be?

One a scarf and the other perhaps a purse or bag?

To join in or see what others are doing go to {small things} Ginny's blog

for her Yarn A Long meme.

Peace and Love,

Georgiann

Changing thINGS uP

I can really use your help....

You can see my hubby and son Jacob out in the backyard.....they are putting up the Christmas lights.

Ok I hesitated to show this picture but here it is anyway!

My project this week is to purge and organize ALL the stuff in the corner of this room.

All things in the corner need to find a new home to make way for our Christmas tree.

Our house is kind of like a Rubik Cube. Main pieces of furniture get moved from room to room as the needs of each room/family change.

The green table came from the office....it was to be my sewing/home school desk for Noah. 

Then we adopted Jasper our Border Collie. He is a bit compulsive and there for MUST sleep in a create at night.  He can't be trusted to roam about the house alone at night! He loves to retreat to his create on occasion during the day to rest from the kiddos.

The create needed a home.....so it found its place, tucked under the green table. There fore making it impossible to sit at the table and do school work or sew!

I'm not sure where the create will go now?....hubby says the dog can sleep in the garage...I say NO!

After Christmas this corner will not be home to the same furniture.

I might bring the one of the girls doll houses back down stairs?

Once upon a time this same corner was home to the girls LARGE play kitchen, which is now stuffed in their bedroom. They love it and play with it often so we are not willing to part with it.

Eventually the green table will be in our family closet/laundry room upstairs. It has been 3yrs in the making and is still not finished! I will only dare to show you the before picture when I have the after one in hand to show at the same time! You WILL be blown away! :)

So this is a picture of  the rest our COZY living room.

The kiddos are playing with the GEO train set that is usually stored and forgotten under Noah's bed.

It did take a mint load of batteries to get the engines up and running but it has been hours of fun for the kiddos yesterday.....from 10 am-bedtime (do I dare tell the time?.....9:30pm)

My homeschooled bunch is now up this morning and at play again with the long forgotten train set as they nibble cake donuts in the living room.

I need your help....

While we are on the topic of making changes.....I have been thinking for a while now that I might want to get rid of the red (Berh Glazed Raspberry) from around the fire place. I also have the red on one wall in my dining room to blend the rooms. I was thinking of painting it a blue (I have not even got samples) so I'm not at all sure of a shade...but something grey blue or maybe a bright type blue?

Do any of you have an idea or suggestion of paint colors?

I feel like my living room mimics a MC Donald ketchup packet!

I have green on another wall that is opposite the fireplace.....the green goes into the hall and entry of the house.

Peace and Love,

Georgiann

Homeschool {field trip day}

One of the advantages of homeschooling is: going bowling when the place is 1/2 empty!

My Little's and I had a awesome time eating the bowling allies restaurant before our game!

The kids delighted in the fact that we got to sit at the eating bar instead of a table or a booth!

The waitress was happy to see us, as we used to stop in for breakfast Sundays after church.

It has been almost 2 yrs since we had been in,as we now attend church closer to home!

They have good food and BIG portions at great prices!

My kiddos can order and share an adult plate for cheaper. Getting more food than the kid meal price.

Peace and Love,

Georgiann