A Post About Life

     My toddler is sleeping. I am enjoying the quiet "me" time. He woke up very grouchy and didn't want to eat breakfast. I'm suspecting the large bump at the back of his gum had something to do with it. Sigh. He climbs on everything he possibly can. He can say a few words, "no", "down" and "ouch" being the most recognizable. Other communicating is done by pointing and saying "Uh? uh?". I think that perhaps it would have been a good idea to teach him sign language, an idea that I sort of scoffed at. He had several weeks of horribly restless nights, and I was at my wits end to decide if something was wrong or if he was just being bratty. Finally as I thought about it, I remembered that his nights started being bad about the time I tried introducing milk. I quit trying to give him milk and presto! He started sleeping better at night. Hmm. Perhaps there is a connection there. But now what? Can a toddler grow strong bones on juice?
     I got a gardening catalog in the mail yesterday. Now I am dreaming. My problem is that I'd love to have all kinds of flowerbeds with nice flowers in them, but I have a hard time keeping them clean. Ah well. I want to try doing strawberries in a raised bed, so I'm going to be researching that this winter.
     We are having a very warm and snow-less winter so far. I keep wondering if we are going to get real winter. The lakes aren't really frozen over yet, and the snowmobile trails aren't exactly open. 
     The other day we were driving down the freeway, and we passed an ambulance that was on the way back from a run. There was an EMT sitting in the back smoking. Wasn't that sort of well, dangerous? And stupid?
     People always said that being a parent would teach you humility and unselfishness. And it does I suppose. But I think the biggest thing I have been sort of learning, or seeing I will learn, is patience. A child does not learn his lesson after one or even two times. At least my child doesn't. And so we go over and over it again. Multiple times a day.
     I am hoping to spend the rest of my week cleaning house. And next week I am going to hopefully finish organizing Benny's room and get ready to paint it. But, plans often don't work like you want them to. :)

From Our House to Yours

/

Merry Christmas!

 God Bless Us Everyone!! 

The Grabers 2011

Someday we will take a family picture in which we are dressed up and don't look like we just hiked half a mile up a mountain. 

My Favorite (Christmas) Cookie

(Pretend there is a picture here of a cookie, with strawberry jam in the middle, and a drizzle of frosting across the top)

Strawberry Cream Cookies
1 c. softened butter
1c. white sugar
3 oz. softened cream cheese
1 T. vanilla
1 egg
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour
Jam (I use strawberry preserves, and wonder if that doesn't help prevent overflowing the cookie)

Cream the butter, sugar and cream cheese together, add vanilla and egg, and mix well. Add dry ingredients and chill dough. Shape the dough into small balls, place on cookie sheet and make an indention in the middle. Fill indention with jam. The cookie will grow as it bakes, so you don't really have to worry about the jam overflowing.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. And then I make a stiff frosting with powdered sugar and milk and pipe it back and forth over top. These freeze well. And they are yummy!

Yup, We Train 'Em Young...

My men doing dishes for me. :)

Why We Celebrate Christmas

Lu 2:10. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
11. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."
13. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
14. "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

John 12. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

Between secular materialism on one hand, and pious disregarding on the other, these verses help us find a balance in Christmas. Surely the fact that God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son to earth to save us, should be cause for celebration!