Like so many areas of life, the firsts of anything are exciting... but I also pray that we never lose that excitement as we have many more together! I have been (and Im sure Tim has too) looking forward to our first holiday celebrations together since being married. The hustle and bustle of making preparations and planning together has been so much fun! We were really excited to make the trip to Lancaster area to meet up with family and some of their friends/ church attendees.
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We spent a ton of time pushing through crowds of people in the grocery stores to find the the much needed spices and ingredients to make our desserts and breads to share! After spending a good period of time finding them after most seemed out of stock... we headed home so I could start the baking.. What a mess I had! With the help of Mama, I was able to put together a favorite of Tim's- his Pumpkin pudding. We trialed it several days prior and then tweaked it to prepare for making for way more than our share. Tim was quite pleased with the results! (No bragging on my behalf either) We discussed what it should be TOGETHER, and had Tim taste test it too. I have to say, after never having it before...the recipe was DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for sharing! Now, I can carry on the recipe for years to come! Along with the Pumpkin pudding, I made sugar & spice cookies, banana bread & a cranberry orange bread! We just had to sample them all... ;-)
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To any that may remember my love for putting up my Christmas tree prior to Thanksgiving.. may be surprised to know that I waited until after Thanksgiving this year:-) We decided that the day AFTER Thanksgiving would be our day each year (if we can) to set aside and put up our tree to decorate. I had been counting down the weeks & days to be able to get it out of storage! That morning, Tim woke me up saying... "Guess what today is? I was being stupid and said.. Friday? He said.. Today we get to set up our tree. :-) LOVED the excitement we both shared! I've realized that when one sets a specific date to do something, it actually adds excitement in the air as one waits for that day, versus just putting it up just because you WANT to right then and there.
We then rearranged the room to provide a decent open space for the tree..
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Says.. "Our 1st Christmas"
Tim & I have both enjoyed shopping together for the family gifts this year...
and decided to get a head start. Don't get me wrong, fighting traffic and the crowds isn't the most enjoyable and after spending evening or weekend hours making several stops to places, we have found ourselves exhausted many times. All in all, we are really thrilled with our progress! To have a majority of our shopping done before Dec 1st is/was exciting.. With just a few more things to get, I'll probably start wrapping this week just so its not left to the last minute as we also try to pack! With as much as needs to be wrapped, I thought it would be helpful to do it during the evening hours to pass time by with Tim gone on business. Speaking of wrapping, Mama.. the traditional gift came at just the perfect time! Looking forward to wrapping gifts with Christmas carols and the "flickering of the fire." What a nice surprise! Thanks so much!
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Well, looking forward to seeing everyone in just a few short weeks! SOOOO Excited!
