Gabrielle Faith Cutler…My Angel

I got down to blogging today finally but already after running errands the sun is only kissing the tops of the trees.  I like to have a bunch of pictures to share but today I really didn’t have time to get around to it.  My favorite view is from our backyard out to the endless prairie and distant mountains but today the wind is high…still after a couple days now.  No snow either and with the sun dipping down it was too chilly for me to relish my view here as I usually do.  You should see it in the spring and summer.  It’s an endless grassy sea with waves stirred by the winds that can really move off of the mountains.  Ducks and geese grace our little pond and it’s really enjoyable.  Sometimes there’s deer or antelope and pheasants, sand hill cranes or blue heron…it’s really the epitome of peace.  Today it’s brown and dead and very windy.  It looks like year’s end out there…and it feels like it.  We took our trees down and most decorations are done being put in their boxes.  I will go take down the nutcracker army as soon as I’m done typing this.  It’s time to move on to a fresh new year.  I can feel it coming on.

 

I taught the last church service of the year and we sang an early happy birthday to Gabby.  The New Year never meant that much to me…one year rolled into another and moved on without much going on.  I’m not a partier and so it was often a night much like any other.  Gabby’s birth heralded a change in things.  Now after Christmas we greet the New Year with her birthday ever reminding us of just how much God has blessed us.  She’s the baby that wasn’t supposed to happen after we lost a baby yet in spite of what they said couldn’t happen here she is…the cap on our little party of five.  The pain of our lost baby was comforted by this precious little girl whom we all love so dearly.  She’s a little firecracker…always a spark that brightens things up.  Already the youngest one of us all to have travelled abroad and seen so many things.  I thank God so much for her life…I’m so very proud of her!  We’ll be celebrating over a couple days for her…that’s how it worked out.  She will certainly know that we love her to pieces!

Walmart then Skating

Well, it’s been a fairly full day of running already.  I wasn’t really sure if I’d get to post at all today but I’m making a real effort…ain’t ya proud of me?  It was crazy out there today with people jamming every store there was so this also increased traffic making it all slow going but I think…I think we’re done and ready for Christmas.  We were very blessed by a bunch of tickets to a big ice skating show and even got one for my mom who loves skating.  This should be a real treat and a blessing for us all.  Our snow storm didn’t happen at all but it did head over to Red Lodge and give them a lot of snow I heard.  Crazy weather.  I know I means for a horrible winter…I can feel it in my bones…if it’s been wimpy up to this point just wait…it will show us who’s boss before spring comes back and I am not excited about that at all.  I’d rather go white for Christmas and have it be milder but Santa didn’t put that in my stocking this year I guess. 

I thought I’d share a few pictures of our trees…yes, trees.  We have two downstairs…minus the one in my son’s room and our main one upstairs.  We’re a family of two girls so there’s some nod to the female persuasion around here.  Lovely made a bunch of little banners and hung them on one of our trees.  I think it’s really quite beautiful.  Our Christmas village ended up under the trees downstairs and I actually like how that looks…it actually has things that move…thus the blur.  Look our fake village sells fake trees!  I think it looks like a magical little village under our two big trees downstairs…it’s like a Christmas village in a giant red wood forest.  I have always loved Christmas lights and how it looks when all the other lights are off.  Both the downstairs trees are white and have mostly tiny ornaments on them.  Upstairs let me introduce you to some of our nutcracker army.  This one has a distinctive Asian flare…I believe the camel and the elephant behind him are actually from Africa…we brought them home over the years as we went back and forth.  It appears there’s a fireman on the scene with the giraffe…not sure why.  I just love this stuff…my mom has great taste!  Here stands the upstairs tree!  This is the view from the kitchen.  I just love the LED lights!  From all of us to all of you:  Merry Christmas!

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

I’m finally at the end of my picture archives!  What to do?  I guess I’ll have to cover more recent events and have more recent pictures…that will require more action on my part but I don’t mind…as long as I can get creative enough and find a subject.  This has been a tight budget for Christmas for us but really I don’t mind.  We’ve been evaluating what really matters in Christmas and considering the reason for the season.  I’ve been so thankful for the Lord and the wonderful things He’s done throughout the years.  The most obvious blessing I’ve had is my family.  I’m young enough where my kids are still with me and so this season retains much of the magic I knew as a child.  I can’t imagine life without this.  We’ve also had some wonderful dishes that remind us it’s the season to be jolly.  Our church has had some setbacks with our music group and the tough financial season right now can be felt by all the families but we have held fast to getting together and praising God and having time to sit down and eat and fellowship together…I’ve really appreciated that.  Lovely has made a wonderful dish for these events that makes our mouths water just smelling it as it bakes!  She’s also made some beans that have some wonderful trimmings!  Hard to believe that when we were first married I did a lot of the cooking because she didn’t know how…she’s a wonderful cook these days!  Our friends from church made some amazing deserts this year that I’d not had before…it was awesome!  One of the drinks that graces our table on the holidays is sparkling grape juice…it’s a family favorite now that I highly recommend!  The turkey was spectacular as ever…it’s hard to be classics like that!  A toast to you my friends!

 

This year we planned ahead and Lovely got us all tickets for a big concert that came to town.  It was sort of an early present.  My eldest daughter and I are huge lovers of rock and this concert was a thing we really looked forward to.  The Black Veil Brides took to the stage and the vocal delivery and instruments we absolutely perfect.  Asking Alexandria came on next and rocked the arena.  I play guitar but I love to see amazing drummers do what they do best.  We didn’t need much to get us on our feet and jamming but we were often encouraged to do so.  Yes, there were times when lighters were in the air.  The lighting made it somewhat difficult to get pictures in the arena but none the less I liked this one.  Hollywood Undead took the stage and had the highest energy level I’ve ever seen!  They all started off wearing their masks but it didn’t take long before they had to remove them….it got hot!  You just don’t sleep through concerts like this!  Hollywood Undead didn’t miss a beat even with these antics!  Avenged Sevenfold took to the stage with amazing pyrotechniques!  We were close enough to really feel the heat!  M. Shadows…only one of the best front men ever!  All in all it was an amazing night!  I’m grateful for each day that comes along, bless you my friends!

About 2 Inches

We finally got some more snow…not enough to sniff at if you ask me and I’m fine with that.  I wish the forecast for our music group were better.  We finally had to cancel the concerts for the rest of the year.  I know God is in control of all of it but it still feels especially strange since we started it already.  Other miscellaneous things:  how many of you are using File Den to post your songs?  Have you noticed the site has been down for maintenance for a week now?  It sucks not being able to use that.  I’m curious since we’re being random here…for those of you that use the word verification before you can comment…why do that?  I’ve never had spam here have you?  Is that why you require it?  I frankly hate having to type some annoying word before leaving a comment and have turned the feature off and guess what?  No negative effects and people can post their comments easier…wish I could get everyone to do that…all right enough of that onward and upward!

 

We were able to visit the store where Lovely works the first day they put up their decorations.  It was a great way to begin to feel the Christmas spirit  They have such nice things in the storeand the owners have been very good to us…love you guys!  If I were rich I’d have them decorate the house for ussince I have no doubt they’d do a much better job then I ever could.  Just look at these tiny stockings over this fireplace.  Lovely created the banners in the background here.  I think I’ll take a hint from this sign!  These little boxes are so cool.  They actually open up and there’s two tiny angels inside.  There’s a vintage feel to the store that reminds me of things you’d see in a Norman Rockwell painting.  This is actually soap…is that cool or what?  This soap smells good enough to eat!  Yeah, this is definitely the way to get into the spirit!  These are really nice holiday plates.  Everywhere you look there are wonderful little touches that usher in the the Christmas spirit.  Stores like this are a real treasure.  How about a little festive popcorn with the first class apple cider?  Yes, this is making my season a lot more jolly!  I could spend a long time walking in the store enjoying the touches that make it so special.  Some say the season is all about commercialism but I say the season is what you make it to be.  We didn’t have to spend thousands of dollars to have a good day herenor did we have to face the madness of Black Friday to have some peace on earth.  It was just our family in a wonderful little store in Montanabut that was enough for me to feel such a love for what matters most.  I think everyone in my life has a little Santa in thembecause they each bring something into my life that I could never have without them!