Prayers Are Needed

My brother-in-law, Dan,

is in the hospital

right now.  He's been there

for awhile with

complications from a

collapsed lung. 

Any prayers coming his

way would be appreciated.

 

Google Image

 

Thank you, my

dear blog friends.

 

~Sheri



Welcome 2014

Happy New Year!

Wishing you hope, happiness, good health, and prosperity in 2014. 

Let us celebrate the new year to come!

~Sheri, Jess, and Nel 

Here's To A New Year

The fruit of the spirit

is love,

joy, peace, kindness,

patience,

goodness, faithfulness,

gentleness, and

self-control.

Gal. 5:22

 

 

The New Year is

upon us.

Do you have

any special goals

or plans?

 

~Sheri



Oh Come Let Us Adore Him

They came

one by one.

 

 

 

 

They traveled for

miles to see

the holy baby.

 

 

Even the

animals rejoiced!

  

 

Behold!

They came to

the most beautiful

sight they had
ever seen.

  

Oh,

the wonder of

Christmas.

 

 

Merry Christmas.

We appreciate

your friendship so 

very much.

 

~Sheri, Jess, Nel

Shining Bright

Oh Christmas Tree

Oh Christmas Tree 

How beautiful and bright.

 

Hopefully ALL IS BRIGHT for you in the week ahead. 

Christmas is only a few days away!

What are you hoping to find under the tree this year?

~Jess

Sweet Inspiration

This last weekend, Jess and I spent an enchanting evening at the theater--we had tickets to the Nutcracker!

 
The graceful dancers, the creative costumes, and the festive music make this one of our very favorite holiday traditions.

It was a beautiful performance, but this year I have to say that I was really inspired by all the yummy treats for sale during intermission.

So I thought I'd do a little holiday baking of of my own...

Turtle Cookies are one of my Christmas-time favorites!

Cocoa cookies rolled in walnuts, a dollop of caramel, and dark chocolate drizzle--I can't think of a sweeter way to celebrate the season.

What merry treats are you baking these days?

~ Nel ~

A Nostalgic Noël

We all own items that have sentimental value, providing us with sweet memories of loved ones and times gone by. Here's a few of our Christmas treasures that give us a sense of nostalgia.

Mom remembers this ceramic storage box being one of her mom's favorite trinkets and seeing it in her kitchen while they visited over a cup of coffee. 

Just like her mom, my mom loves all children and says we should all have the heart of a child during the season.

Greek Santa is also a sentimental Christmas treasure to Mom as it symbolizes her heritage. She puts him out every year along with her other holiday decor.

 
Have you read The Little Match Girl? It's a beautiful and sentimental short story written by Danish author, Hans Christian Andersen. Every year, we would sit on Mom's lap while she read a children's version to us. 

Although it made me sad, it taught me at a young age how fortunate I was in life and to help others who are in need. If you would like to read the original, follow this link. 
 
On a lighter note, let me introduce you to our last treasure, Brownie the Bear. 

When we were young, Nel gave him to me as a Christmas gift, and she had no idea how much I would love him to this day. Mom even bought him a Santa suit one year.

I don't think you are ever too old for a Teddy Bear! If you are ever feeling down, hug one...I bet you will instantly feel better ;-) 

We hope you enjoyed a peek into our Christmas treasures. DO tell us if you have your own!

~Jess

'Tis the Season Blog Tour

The girls at Red Rose Alley are delighted to join in our sweet friend Jemma's 'Tis the Season Blog Tour.

Around here, 'tis the season for holiday traditions! We wanted to share some of our favorites with YOU.

There's nothing more fun than decking the halls with our favorite holiday decor to kick off the Christmas season. This year Sheri went with traditional red, silver, and white.

Holiday baking makes the season even sweeter. Pour in a few ingredients...

mix it all up...

and soon the house is filled with the warm and sugary scent of fresh-baked goods. Jess makes cookie tins for her friends every year--sugar cookies, rice crispy treats, Russian tea cookies, and gooey chocolate chip.

When the kids were little, the family would spend cozy fire-lit evenings gathered around the Christmas tree singing all our favorite carols. The music of the season puts us in the holiday spirit every year.  

After Christmas Eve mass we come home to enjoy a festive holiday meal. Dad makes his traditional French onion soup, and in these last few years we've been pairing it with a hearty side, like this yummy truffle-oil, bacon-Gouda mac and cheese.  

 

 

Like most kids, Jess, Nel, and their brother couldn't wait to open presents on Christmas Day--so we started the tradition of opening just one on Christmas Eve.

All our presents from Santa are marked with a big black initial. It's always a treat to see a S, J, or D under the tree.

 

Each and every year, we make a point to spend the season celebrating and giving thanks for the many blessings we have in our lives. And we're especially thankful for YOU, dear friends. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy season of celebrating your own holiday traditions.  

Thank you, Jemma, for inviting us to be a part of your 'Tis the Season Blog Tour! To all our merry friends, we hope you'll be sure to check out the creative bloggers who are spreading the holiday cheer this week!

Monday, December 9th
The Cafe Sucre Farine
At Home with Jemma

Tuesday, December 10th
Poppy View

Wednesday, December 11th
Home and Lifestyle Design

Thursday, December 12th
Cozy Little House
Comfy House

Friday, December 13th
The Feathered Roost

Saturday, December 14th
Across the Way
The Dedicated House

A happy Christmas season to you!

~ Sheri, Jess, & Nel ~