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Monday, December 26, 2011

A Christmas post with pictures!

This Christmas season has been a big one for our family.  We took the opportunity to serve others and enjoy the chill in the air and the giving of gifts.   Here are pictures of a holiday party we hosted for some ladies.  We young ladies made gingerbread houses for prizes at a party for Helping Hands.

These are some pictures of our family and the Shaw’s singing at a couple of nursing homes…

Christmas has always been a fun holiday for our family.  We’ve always been home (with the exception of one year), and it is usually a restful couple of days together as a family.  This year, my Mom’s parents came for an appetizer dinner and dessert on Christmas Eve, and both brunch and dinner on Christmas Day.  It was so fun and special to celebrate Christ’s birth with my family.  Yes, presents and lights and food are great, but Christ came humbly and lowly, and we acknowledged that by reading from the Gospel of Luke and discussing it for devotions on Christmas Eve.  I know the phrase is heard and read everywhere, but He IS the reason for the season!

This is the last web album of pictures from Christmas Eve/Christmas Day...

Merry, blessed Christmas to you all!

Monday, December 19, 2011

Deliciousness...!

I found this on my favorite cooking blog and had one thought...YUM.  I made it about a month ago and it was indeed YUM.  So I am passing it along to you...

Peanut butter Pie

Ingredients for crust
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (I like to make it a nice texture, not powdered and yet not with huge crumbs)
1/3 cup sugar
6 T. melted butter

Mix together and press into a pie pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.  Let cool while you make the filling.

Ingredients for filling
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup peanut butter (preferably smooth!)
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (totally optional)

Whip the heavy cream and set aside.  Cream together the peanut butter, cream chesse and sugar.  Add the vanilla.  Fold in the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture.  Option: scatter about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on the crust, then fold the filling into the cooled crust.  Scatter the rest of the chips on top and chill a few hours before serving.  

NOTE:  I would not reccomend putting whipped cream on top of the pie.  It is very rich and creamy on its own! 

Friday, December 16, 2011

A whirlwind beach trip

On Monday, after about a week of planning, we packed up the Toyota Camry and drove to Pismo Beach, anticipating a few hours with the Telians (they were going to camp in their trailer).  Getting ready to go was a lot easier than usual, since all we had to do was pack for one night and we were staying in a hotel!  (Usually, we would spend the better part of the week in a campground with our trailer!)  But since our trailer is getting repaired in a shop in Fresno, we will have to wait until at least mid-January to camp again.

Our hotel

The stormy seashore

A random sunflower lying on the sand

Low tide under the pier

We were only in Pismo about 28 hours, but it was a great 28 hours!  We had a great dinner at Del’s restaurant on Monday night, Delaney and I watched the surfers by the pier early Tuesday morning, we walked on the pier with Dad, went horseback riding with the Telian girls, and played around in the ocean!  Tuesday was clear and warm, and the sunsets were beautiful. 

Our family left Pismo late Tuesday evening.  Hopefully we’ll be back in the New Year and get to spend a week in our trailer at North Beach, just like old times!
Breath-catching sunset

A peaceful lagoon

Libbey's ready!

Two happy boogie-boarders

(Photo taken by Susanna T.)

Playing in the waves at sunset

I love California sunsets

"The heavens declare the glory of God..."

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Spreading holiday cheer

Every year around Christmas time, Dad likes to visit all his clients in Fresno and bring Christmas-y treats for the offices.  We've done dipped pretzels, Costco truffle boxes and certificates for restaurants and that sort of thing. 

This year, after trying my Aunt's delicious mint truffles at Thanksgiving, Dad decided that we girls were going to make batches for all the clients!  So in two days, Mom, my sisters and I made 6 batches of these truffles...over 200 truffles total.  We made a batch of peppermint bark for two employees at one of the companies, and Mom also made a two-layer carrot cake for one of the offices (it's tradition with them), so she was wiped out.  But, once all the treats were wrapped up and ready to deliver, it was worth the effort.  Here are a few pictures of the mint truffles and peppermint bark:





So, when Dad, Delaney and I delivered all the goodies last week, they were VERY happily received and consumed.:)  It was fun to do and certainly worth the effort. 

I will be posting again soon, with updates on what we've been up to.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Laugh of the day

Mom and the girls were out planting tulip bulbs this afternoon.  About halfway through, Libbey came up to the office to tell me that she was planting "lightbulbs" in the backyard!