Baking Day 2009

This may look like a lot (and it is), but it isn't all of it! I couldn't fit six other things!

Yesterday I spent the day with the other Keith girls, mixing, measuring, baking, pulling cream candy, chopping, icing, and sprinkling delicious candies and cookies. I think we have been doing this for about 6 years, and it has become one of my favorite days of the year. It is wonderful to spend so much time in one place with my mother-in-law and two sister-in-laws. Although it is a long, hard, tiring day, we still manage to laugh, talk a lot, and make a mess!

The List!!

This year we added several new recipes to our old favorites. I think there were around 26 candies and cookies total. My favorites are cream candy, toffee, and chocolate chip turtle bars.

Jackie helped set the Christmas mood by playing Christmas music on the record player.

Austin was helping me mix when cousin Caleb decided he should be wearing goggles. Then, they finished by mixing together. Austin helped several times throughout the day. He loves to help me cook.

Maggie took advantage of the free time (with little supervision) to draw... on her face.

The famous pulled cream candy!

This is an adventure every year... as well as a must. We haven't perfected the technique yet, but it (usually) turns out, although we swear it's not going to. This year it took Amy watching the pot for about three hours before it reached the right temperature. Usually we cook it on too high of heat and it boils over, so this year we cooked it on a lower temp. Amy wasn't aware when she started that she'd be spending the next three hours on a stool watching the pot! We transfer it to a marble slab to cool, and then we pull. We pull and we pull, until we think it's about to cream. This is a guess every year. It may not be pretty enough to sell, but I love it anyway!!

We also made sugar cookies for the kids to decorate. Austin and Matthew dumped enough sprinkles on each cookie to decorate at least five! We let them do it on their own though, and they had fun.

Aprile's friend stopped by right in time to help the kids decorate!

Niece and Nephew ATTACK! Aunt Aprile hasn't had quite enough kid time!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jason and I started the day buying the last couple of Christmas gifts for the boys at Kmart's Thanksgiving Day sale. We made a quick trip through Starbucks and got home quickly to watch the parade. We headed out to Granny' around noon. Amy and the kids arrived shortly after, and we ate, played, snoozed a little, played, and ate some more!

We are thankful this holiday for Granny's alertness. She was totally with it! She knew it was Thanksgiving. She laughed, talked, and questioned. She talked to us about the kids, Jason's job, she even asked me if he was good to me and how well he helps out around the house. She got a kick out of watching Maggie eat. She said Maggie ate better with a fork than she does.

We also played a new game called Imaginiff. It was a great game to play. And when we were finished, it was dinner time! I can't believe we were ready to eat again!

Here are some pictures from the day.

Thanksgiving Family Photo 2009 with our little turkey!

Maggie Jane Moberly

Jackie and Jesse fixed us up good! Turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, corn pudding, creamed spinach, cranberry sauce, candy apple salad, deviled eggs, and rolls! Don't forget the pumpkin log, jam cake with caramel icing, and brownies.

Austin and Matthew ate and ate the cranberry sauce. It was their favorite part.

AFTER

Granny and Anna

I better get some sleep..... tomorrow is the annual Keith girls Christmas Baking Day!!!!! Jackie has a list that is going to keep us busy!

Thankful for my Family

I am thankful for the precious stage Maggie is in right now. She is having a blast playing with her big brothers. But, there’s still hope for her! One minute she is copying every move the boys make and the next she is wearing her princess dress. She twirls, spins until she falls, and laughs. She and I play a little Mommy’s girl game. I say, “You are momma’s girl” and she laughs and says no, “Dada’s girl.” I laugh every time, but it’s NOT true! She has also started singing Happy Birthday, only she sings, “Happy to you, Happy to you.” She is also in the mine phase. She points to everything and says, “Mine?” I tell her yes and she says, “Oh.”

I am thankful to work with such generous students. WCHS has an annual food drive, and I am a BIG fan…. or competitor! I encourage my students by having several high goals for them to reach with rewards in the end. This year I decided I wanted to bring in cans to show my students I want to do my part too. Jessica and I made flyers to put in our neighbor’s doors. On Thursday, she and I passed out 100 flyers, 50 to her neighbors and 50 to mine. I recruited two helpers from my house. She and I rolled up the flyers and the boys ran them to the doors. On Saturday morning, we went around looking for cans set out on front porches. I only had four neighbors participate, but with my mom and my cabinet, I donated 52. My students’ total was….. 2,865!!!!!!!!!!!! Today we had our Thanksgiving Assembly. Jessica and I received 1st and 2nd prize! She had around 2,500!


After collecting from two houses Austin asked, "Mommy, do the people know we're stealing this food?" Needless to say, I hadn't done a very good job explaining what we were doing!

I am thankful for the feeling I get every night as I look at the lights on the Christmas tree. I love it this year more than ever. We started decorating the house for Christmas last weekend. Since we go out of town for Thanksgiving and don’t come back until Sunday, we love setting it all up before we leave. Then, we get to come home to Christmas. The kids are over joyed with Christmas all ready. They have looked through a couple toy fliers and have circled many things. Just about every toy commercial that comes on one of the boys says, “Oh. Cool! I want that for Christmas!” We have a tree in their bathroom and one in each bedroom. Maggie and I set up the little tree in the bathroom without the others knowing. When Matthew walked past it for the first time he completely lit up as he yelled, “Hey Austin, come and look at this!”

I am thankful for my kid’s cousins. It is wonderful having cousins so close in age. Caleb takes such good care of Maggie and Anna has taught her all about how to be a princess. Caleb has taught the boys how to shoot Nerf guns and how to seek and destroy Uncle Jason or Grandad. They came over on Monday night and helped decorate the basement Christmas tree. We made fruit loop and straw garland. On Sunday, the boys made a paper chain garland all by themselves for the tree too.

We watched Elf as we made our garlands. Austin kept his Nerf goggles on as he worked... well, as he watched Elf and occasionally strung a fruit loop or straw piece.

I am most thankful for quality family time. Austin was struck with an idea he couldn’t let go of this past weekend. I think the spirit of Christmas got to him as we decorated. All of the sudden he yelled and jumped up and down as he said, “Can we drink hot cocoa, snuggle under covers, and watch a movie?” He didn’t stop thinking and talking about this all day. Jason checked the TV and saw that the original “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” was coming on at 8:00. So, on Saturday night, we drank hot cocoa with marshmallows, snuggled together with a blanket, and watched the Grinch. We have now seen it three times! It’s a good thing it’s only 30 minutes! Maggie at the dinner table tonight said, “Da, da, da Grinch.” Jason and I laughed so hard…. she continued to do it and we continued to laugh. My favorite thing to do is spend time at home with my family.

Happy Thanksgiving! May God bless your family and mine.

Heaven is the Face

A few thoughts and some lyrics...

Jason came home today excited to share a song he knew I'd love. Steven Curtis Chapman has several songs that hold deep meaning and significance to our lives. Miracle of the Moment, Cinderella, One Heartbeat at a Time are my favorites. When I hear them I want to sing at the top of my lungs with tears in my eyes. I can't even express my love and appreciation of all he has done for the children in this world who need a loving family. After attending an outdoor concert at the Biltmore (one of his first after his daughter's death), I left knowing without a doubt I wanted to adopt. If you'd asked me that night, I would have given you two specific names. I just didn't know how it would happen. Well, two months later we were given the opportunity to open our home to those two children just for one weekend. We prayed fervently for these two, and believed they would find their way back to our home forever. What we didn't know was that God had different plans. He wanted one home with Him. Her big brother is now laughing and playing so loudly in the other room, I'm laughing and crying at the same time as I type.

When I heard Steven Curtis Chapman's new song for the first time, I couldn't stop thinking of Katie. But, more than anything, it made me think of Matthew. I have often thought back and asked several what if questions, but Miracle of the Moment helps me to remember that He has given us a treasure called right now and this is the only moment we can do anything about.

I want to share the lyrics of his new song with you. Jason and I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Katie very well, but we know her big brother, and know he loves and misses his sissy. This month is the one year anniversary of her tragedy, and I know she has a loving family that misses her terribly. As you read the lyrics and hear the song throughout this season, please pray for her family who believe Heaven is the face of a little girl named Katie.

You can also listen to it at:

Heaven is the Face

or

Heaven is the Face

Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smiles.
Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “Daddy please come play with me for awhile.”

Chorus:

God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m aching for.
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.
So right now...

Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep,
Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing.
And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms,
Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams

And God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m longing for
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.

Bridge:

But in my mind’s eye I can see a place
Where Your glory fills every empty space.
All the cancer is gone,
Every mouth is fed,
And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed.
Every lonely heart finds their one true love,
And there’s no more goodbye,
And no more not enough,
And there’s no more enemy (no more).

Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss
And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone.
Heaven is the place where she takes my hand
And leads me to You,
And we both run into Your arms.

Oh God, I know, it’s so much more than I can dream.
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive.
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see
Heaven in the face of my little girl,
Heaven in the face of my little girl.