CHRISTmas Memories

The REASON FOR THE SEASON! LOVE WAS BORN ON CHRISTMAS MORN.

You can see that I used an old wash bucket for the bottom of our tree. It really looked cute!! I think this will be a must for every CHRISTmas from now on. I also tied white sheer bows to the end of the branches.

We all sat with only the light of the tree as Poppa read us the CHRISTmas Story. It will never get old hearing my honey read. It is such a story of grace and mercy. What a Heavenly Father we have!

This little mitten had a sheet of paper with all the names of the family that was

present at our 2009 CHRISTmas dinner.

I had lots of these little angels all over our tree. I bought them with the gift certificate that Stutzman's Greenhouse gave me. They looked so sweet!

I like it when I can find "Merry CHRISTmas" decorations. It helps keep our focus on the one we are celebrating for.

Found the cross and sconce on mega sale! Thought it really added to my CHRISTmas decorations. The cross is a reminder to us of why JESUS came as a little baby. Oh my, what a price he paid for us who want His salvation.

JESUS has the key to my heart!

This last CHRISTmas was so special for our family. I can't believe all we have left are memories. I tried to make my decorating so simple this year. Stutman's decorating classes really helped me. Like Larry said, if you just gather what you want to use and have that all organized before you start decorating, you will save time. I tried it and it worked. Using mostly white this year also helped. I loved decorating and going to all the classes, that I was able to attend. I learned so much. As you see I really had a white CHRISTmas. I liked it.

I am saying goodbye to another CHRISTmas, but not to all the memories. This Momma and Grammie has tucked "all her memories" in her heart. Just as Mary pondered those things, so have I.

If you have some memories of this CHRISTmas, would you please just take a minute and encourage us all with some of them? Thank you ladies. You are truly a blessing!

If you have any pictures on your blog of your CHRISTmas tell, so we can all come over. I will anyway, if you comment. Smile! I love looking at your blogs. It is my treat to myself every day.

LET THE PARTY BEGIN!

LATER TODAY ALLLLLL MY GRANDBABIES WILL BE COMING TO THE FARM.

WE ARE HAVING OUR "SNOWMAN PARTY GRAMMIE AND POPPA CAMP!"

Blessings,

Linda

And Thou Shalt Call His Name JESUS!

Welcome to our farmhouse during the CHRISTmas Season. This nativity set is a very special gift our family received from our adopted daughter (by friendship), Alicia. She really sacrificed by giving us this gift, because she thought she would just beable to find another one for herself. She never did. Thank you Alicia, we love you bunches and no you can't have it back! We love it not because of the figurines, but because of the Word of God that is on them. It continues to help us to keep our focus on Him this season. For the scripture in the frame we used pages on our computer and wrote out the scripture and took it to Office Max and had them print it out for us. The verse says it all! I am so thankful for His grace given to our family. We all have accepted His gift and will live forever with Him! Thank you Jesus! I took pictures of the scripture verse on each figurine, so you could read it. They are so wonderful. I have also added some of the other areas in our home. I have been having a "white thing" this year. If you have read my blog you know I did some pictures of decorating at Stutzman's Greenhouse. Well, they blessed me!!!!!! I was so excited. They gave me a gift certificate. I am spending it and it shows in my home. I am so thankful. I really learned a lot from Larry and Kim!

Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy.

Luke 2:10

A Child is born. Unto us a Son is given.

Isaiah 9:6

My soul Magnifies the Lord.

Luke 1:46

Shepherds keeping watch over their flock

Luke 2:8

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

Matthew 2:10

They presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Matthew 2:11

We have come to Worship Him.

Matthew 2:2

I bought this wooden plant holder a long time ago and have used it by changing the picks for each season.

It is a favorite in my home.

I found this whole pick at Hobby Lobby already done.

It was nice to just lay it on the little shelf.

My daughter came up to me holding this single strand of a pick, that had been pulled apart. She said, "Mom, I think this would make the cutest tree". I knew exactly what I would do with it. Here it is! I will cherish it forever. It is my "Taylor Tree".

Auke Lake (imagine the lake in the winter with snow), picture taken by Linda Garrison

I want to thank every one of you for the wonderful comments on our Little Nativity Drawing.

If you have not signed up please scroll down and join in! Your favorite gift as a child comments have not only blessed my life, but the lives of others. I love it. I forgot to tell you mine. When I was a teenager my sister and I received a pair of blue ice skates trimmed with grey fur. I just called my sister and she said that the laces were sparkled grey. I forgot. We thought they were the most beautiful skates ever. I couldn't wait to get on some ice! There was a beautiful lake called Auke Lake. You could skate and in the distance see the glacier. We would go in the evening and build a fire right on the ice. We always had a thermos of hot cocoa to warm our bodies. Another memory was we would get a group of kids and hold hands all skating in a line. Shannon reminded me that it was called the whip. One would be at the head and then there was always someone at the end. We would all skate together and then the first in line would stop and hold on (it was usually a really big guy) and we would start skating in a circle. The one on the end would always get a really fast ride. I think I could still do that if I had a chance. I would be the one flying across the lake, because I forgot to let go of the whip. Okay I am a very visual person and I am having the giggles. I remember we laughed a lot skating. Sweet memories; they are so wonderful to remember?

This is a picture of my brother Bud, Uncle Mikie, myself and sister Shannon in the year 59. Wow, I feel old. hehehe Look at the tree! My Dad loved icicles. You had to put them on one at a time. Ugh! Our family would get all bundled up with warm coats, stocking hats, mittens and boots. We would go out into the woods as a family, tromp through the snow and chop down our Christmas Tree. The days when we could do that.

Now ladies if this seems like a long post it is. I have been without internet since last Monday at 9 in the morning. I have 23,987 words to use so here is. Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

I just came back on to let everyone know that we were having problems with the Payloadz download for the free Tea Bag Cozy! Soooooo sorry. We are now using Google. Hope this works until we can figure what we need to do. Please email me if it does not work for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blessings to you!

Linda

FOR TERESA!!!!!!

Star On Our Barn

I think that this star is the one that Teresa was talking about wanting to know how to do. Cut 5 twigs the same length. Mine are about 25" long. The twigs are about 1" in diameter. Look at the picture and lay each of the twigs the same. Nail at the end where two meet. It really is simple. Hope you can make one!! If you have a real tree cut the branches off (after Christmas) and then you would have a star. I keep mine up all year long. I have my star on the door of our barn.It is one of my favorite things. Enjoy!! Hope this helps you, if you need a little more help, just contact me or leave a comment. My star had snow sprayed on it when I first got it. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

We have snow coming so Mr. Phil is out taking care of all the animals. They will be ready for the weather. I can't wait for snow. Shannon will leave tomorrow and when she gets home she will have tons of it. It is at 8" now and still coming down in Nevada!!!!!!! Awww, I hope I get as much!!!!! When Shannon and I were young and lived in Alaska we would get to jump off the roof of our house and into snow. Oh, the days. I remember when we would wake up in the morning after snow had covered the ground all night. If you would look out over the field, you would see little feet marks and a little tail down the middle on top of the fallen snow. There would be tons of little trails from all the little shrews dancing across the snow while we were all asleep. Hmmmmm such a fond memory. If you have a memory from Christmas, please tell us or maybe a memory from what you did when it snowed.

Blessings,

Linda

WE ARE HAVING SOOOOO MUCH FUN DECORATING!!!!!!

Decorating on the Prairie Flower Farm!

Hi Ladies! This is Shannon visiting the Prairie Flower Farm this Christmas Season. My sweet sister has so sweetly shared her friendship with all of you ladies on her blog. I thank each and every one of you for your kind words and blessings. It has been a real treat to get to spend this Christmas with family traditions of baking our Grandma Reid's cookies together. They will soon follow on Linda's recipe teachings! Again, thank you so much for taking the time to bless me along with my sister. May you each have wonderful Christmas and spend time with your family knowing that each of us has a heavenly Father that loves and cares for us each and every day of the year. Bless you all.

Hello everyone, it is Linda and I can't tell you how much fun we have been having, shopping, laughing tell we can't stand it!!! We are sleeping in the same bed and Mr. Phil is on the couch! Like I said we have a little farm and and it was just easier to have sleeping arrangements this way. On our bed we have a little canopy around the top (picture on side bar) with Christmas lights all around. She wanted to read and I wanted to sleep. As you know on a farm little mice love to move in when it starts getting cold and here in Kansas it is cold. Back to story. She is reading and I am just starting to doze off and she said "WHAT WAS THAT"? I said, WHAT NOISE"? She said," I think it is Ratatouille!" We got the giggles so bad. Now that may not sound funny now, but being so tired and put that together with two sisters it was very funny.

We have been going to the manor to see our Momma and visiting our Dad. Also going to decorating classes at Stutzman's (I will put pictures up later), we are cooking today some of our Grandma Reid's favorite Christmas cookies. We have been sewing Shanny up a lot of Tea Bag Cozies for Christmas gifts and shopping, shopping shopping. I forgot to say that we have been sharing about our Heavenly Father. He has been so good to us. Phil prays with us before we go to bed........ isn't that the sweetest? I can't go to sleep without him praying. He's my special man.

I want to thank you all for the response you gave to my sister. You were just who I thought you would be!!!!!! One more day and a half, for the giveaway!!!!!!!! Come over if you haven't signed up.

Blessings,

Linda and Shannon

GETTING THE POTTER'S SHED READY FOR FALL!

I love the fall time! I can entertain with the nice crisp evenings and mornings. It is so much more pleasant, then the hot hot summers we have here. This is my little Potter's Shed that I have talked about on my posts. It used to be a mower shed, but I looked at it and it had wonderful possibilities. It is so beautiful in the evenings when the moon is out. The stars are just brilliant in Kansas. We live far from a town, so we really can enjoy the night time. I hope all of you are having lots of family time with your family. I love to make our favorite Pumpkin Bread recipe. I will get it up for you. I can't do it today, because I have to go to town to pick out my fabric for the quilting group I am in called the A Dozen Quilters. I have never done this before, but I am enjoying it a lot.

The last two days we have been canning our tomatoes into Stew Tomatoes and Pizza Sauce. We are up to 100 quarts and we are tired. Still have so many more today. I am waiting on permission from Ball Blue Book to see if I can legally put the recipe up on the internet. I hope it doesn't take forever. For those of you who would like to can and never have, I will tell you it is so easy. Really! really!

Blessings, Linda