Doughnuts!!!

One of my cousins gave Chris and I a 'Doughnut Maker' for Christmas!! It's one of those crazy appliances that's really novel, but not entirely useful!! But it was certainly fun to test it out! We decided to have the whole family around to taste our trial-doughnuts! After 2 hours of doughnut making...I think everyone enjoyed the results!

Christmas morning...

Once again our camera was not fairing too well Christmas morning, but we managed to get a couple of random photos. It's been fun starting our own family traditions for Christmas!! We were very blessed to spend Christmas morning enjoying breakfast with an elderly lady from our Church...
But of course...there were a few presents before that....eeeeekkkkk!!!

Christmas setting for old friends...

While I was at uni, I lived in the garage of an old, decrepit house in the city with 3 other wonderful ladies. We changed housemates a few times, but we were all like family. Ali, one of my old housies moved to Venezuala to do mission work, and another, Becky, moved to Alice Springs to practice nursing in remote Indigenous communities. Jess and Lisa, still live in Brisbane and we catch up regularly. It's been YEARS since we've all been together, so it was a very special night, when we all gathered around a Christmas dinner (of lentil lasagne...? hmmm....maybe not very 'Christmasy') at our place! Lots of laughing and reminiscing.......
I had fun setting the table!! Sorry the photos are blurry....Our camera was on it's last legs...and didn't even make it to get pictures of the people! ha!

God really does bless us and supply all our needs through those He places around us. I am very grateful to be part of this small 'family'.

Christmas decorations continued....

It's our first 'Married Christmas' this year, so we're slowly building a collection of 'our decorations'. Here's a few more goodies we made/discovered:

rest rest rest...

I've been reminiscing and day-dreaming a lot lately about holidays! Here are some happy-snaps of holidays gone-by.....hopefully the next one will come soon!

Cardboard Christmas...

Chris has been busy with the protractor and compass, cutting out cardboard pentagons for the past few months! It's been hard work....but we LOVE our first Christmas tree!

No flowers...

I said, "Let me walk in the field";
God said, "No, walk in the town";
I said, "There are no flowers there";
He said, "No flowers, but a crown."

I said, "But the sky is black.
There is nothing but noise and din";
But He wept as He sent me back,
"There is more," He said, "there is sin."

I said, "But the air is thick,
And smog is veiling the sun";
He answered, "Yet soulds are sick,
And your work is yet undone."

I said, "I will miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say";
He answered me, "Choose tonight,
If I am to miss you, or they."

I pleaded for time to be given;
He said, "Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in Heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide."

I cast one look at the field,
Then set my face to the town;
He said, "My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for the crown?"

Then into His hand went mine,
And into my heart came He;
And I walk in a light Divine,
The path I had feared to see.

-George MacDonald

Silly Envelopes at Midnight

Home alone tonight, I left a little 'envelope surprise' on the back steps for my favourite boy in an envelop entitled "If Chris Poulsen was....":