thanks to Kim for this little award.  i suppose you'll be learning a little bit more about me today.

 

the blog award rules

1. thank and link back to the person who gave you the reward
2. share 7 things about yourself

• i love, love, love baking/cooking and spending time in the kitchen (maybe even more than i love photography?)
• i go to a very small, white, country church that sits amongst some orchards. i love it. <3
• i love mackinac island and wish i could live there.
• i babysit 3 boys for free...because they are the best ever and completely worth it.
• i love sweaters, stripes, and scarves.
• i am shy with people i don't know well.
• i'm taking speech class this year, and i'm actually grateful for all that i am learning (*gasp*).

fun times

photo taken by emily b.

it comes and goes

i was delightfully surprised to find that we had snow this morning. i wasn't expecting it at all, so it was extra special. after lunch we went caroling with our church family, and now the snow is melting off. 

enjoy your christmas break everyone!

i'm dreaming...

 

 

all photos via pinterest.com

...of a white Christmas.  it seems the weather has gotten confused - it shouldn't be 50 degrees and raining in december, much less on december 15. 

now, with only ten days till Christmas, i really am hoping - praying - for a white Christmas. i never wanted to have to say that - we live in the north for crying out loud - but alas it has been done.  

i find myself gazing at these pinterest photos with a longing to have it for myself. knowing we will have snow sometime this winter doesn't help much unless i know for certain that it'll be here for Christmas.

Christmas just isn't the same without it. wouldn't you agree? but maybe that is my downfall.  maybe i'm focusing on snow more than on Jesus.  and i suppose i need to learn that Christmas is just as amazing without snow, because we are still celebrating the same thing - Christ's birth.

what about you? are you dreaming of a white Christmas, or have you been blessed with an abundance of sparkly snow?

mexican wedding yummies

this past week i had to make 6 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange with the ladies at church, and i instantly knew i wanted to make these mexican wedding cookies.  they're that amazing!  you'll want to make them yourself, so here's the instructions.

you'll need:
2 cups of walnuts (or pecans)
2 cups of  flour
3/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar.


start by switching your oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions, then preheat to 325°F. 

first you'll need to pour 1 cup of walnuts into the food processor and grind until it looks like the above picture. coarsely chop the rest of the walnuts (either by hand or in processor).

then add the walnuts, flour and salt together in a bowl and mix well.

in a large mixer bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy; add the vanilla. 

then, when on the mixer is on low, add little bits of flour mixture at a time.

mix well, and when finished, take tablespoons of dough and shape into balls.  place on a sheets lined with parchment paper, 1 in. apart.

bake for about 18 minutes (or until bottoms are turning golden), rotating sheets halfway through.  transfer to cooling rack and let them cool completely.  

via google

pour powdered sugar in a bag or bowl and roll cookies until covered in whiteness. :)

no, i did not get a picture of the finished product!  i had to go hunting on google so i could show you what they actually look like in the end.  sorry about that. 


p.s. did you notice something fishy? like maybe the pictures weren't following the instructions quite right? like maybe i never used the mixer, but instead used a whisk thingy and wooden spoon? well...it so happens that using the mixer is no fun, and wooden spoons are pretty much amazing (actually, it was one of the only things on my birthday wish list)

yesterday

my day started with the wonderful acknowledgment that we had snow.
then i lit a candle and made some hot chocolate to go with my devos.
then i dove into my school and violin.
finishing with that, i made 6 dozen mexican wedding cookies.
and to top of the day, dad and i watched some Bethel basketball. 



isn't the snow the most beautiful stuff?

cookies - hot chocolate - knitting - christmas bokeh

linking up these last two in Nela's foodography contest.

i hadn't always enjoyed pottery as much as i do nowadays.  so it was quite exciting when i actually received a pottery mug (a super cool one too!) for christmas. :)  at the same time, heather had just made chocolate chip cookies, so i set up my station and snapped some pictures.


mother started a 'sock scarf' for me - made out of sock yarn.  for unknown reasons it decided to curl up, as you can see in the second photo of the scarf.  i think it looks cool. what do you think?


and finally, this morning i decided to have another session with some more cookies, this time, a different style. i took these because of this awesome photography contest.  i love photographing food, though i wish i was better, and am excited to finally be able to really use them.


my inspiration comes from this wonderful food photographer. her photos are amazing, someday i would love to be able to take such awesome photos. - www.cooking-spree.com

hebrews 4:15-16

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin."

- He was tempted, and therefore can sympathize with us.

Jesus can relate to our struggles because he himself was tempted also.  He knows, because he has gone through first hand what we are going through. Yet, he is no ordinary man, either.  He is Christ, the Lord, our Savior!  

- He is sinless.  Even though Christ was tempted, he sinned not.

(are we not called to reflect Christ in our every action and thought? So what are we doing when we are faced with temptation?)

 

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

- We can know that whenever we are tempted and/or need help, we can go to the God of grace (the throne of grace) and He will help us.

christmas around the house

taken a couple days ago - only 23 now.

i couldn't resist the little snowman with the crooked nose. :)

bells, bells, bells

 remember last years Christmas tree?

oh, of course. how could you forget this one!? however, this year, I convinced (with much ease) my parents to get a real one.  it's really quite nice. :)

from Peru :) 

drinking hershey's hot chocolate

 this one is my favorite...always has, always will be.

s'mores and hearts = cute ornaments 

 our 2011 Christmas tree

the history of christianity

(holding on by a few thin threads...)

 

I'm sorry to disappoint you if you came here, expecting to find a long article about the history of Christianity.  But, I don't write. Not when I don't have to, and I also don't publish my writings.  However, I do enjoy showing my pictures, and for the most part, that is all you'll ever get. 

Anyway, a couple days ago I was trying to concentrate on my school.  I was sitting next to our fish tank/book shelf and happened to look up and spot this old, falling apart book.  The longer I looked at it, the more it called me to take pictures of it. :)  As I tried to go back to school, I couldn't help thinking about this silly book, and finally I just got up and gave it some attention.  


I guess you could say that is the history of these pictures...