Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! It's been a busy month and I haven't been able to post as often as I wanted.  Now Christmas is almost here.  The food is made, the presents are wrapped and it's time to relax a bit!

This year I've been thinking a lot about Mary and her response to the life changing news she heard from the Angel, Gabriel.  There are lots of times in the Bible where God asks someone to do something hard, but I think Mary's response is one of the best.  She didn't doubt like Zechariah, and she didn't whine like Moses, she just said, "may it be to me as you have said".  I hope I have the same faith and restful trust when God asks me to do something hard.

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Friends sharing tea.

November Tea

Monday was a very gray day outside, with light rain and mist.  It was the perfect opportunity for Miss E and I to have a little tea indoors.  There's something so cozy about a lamp, don't you think?

Wishing you all a cozy November!

The grass withers and the flowers fade,

but the word of our God stands forever.

Isaiah 40:8

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October Tea

Life is busy, and there is always so much to do.

But sometimes we just have to stop and take time for

those things that will make lasting memories and impressions

on our children, things like tea parties in the fall down by the bridge!

Miss E and I enjoyed our Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea as well as

our pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting.  YUM!

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Peaches and Cream Tea

Life is crazy and busy and full and complicated, at least, at my stage of life it is.  School starts next week and two boys will be in football on separate teams, and I will be homeschooling two boys and nobody's very excited about it (school, that is, not football!).  So, it was time for a little tea with my Miss E! 

We had peach cobbler with ice cream and it was delicious on this hot day.  Miss E helped me pick the flowers and which tea tray to use.  Tea is always more fun with a little girl helping out!

I love vintage snack sets and collected a set of 8 this last year.  If you would like the recipe for our peach cobbler you can find it here.

Lately I have been re-reading One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp.  I first read it about five years ago and started my own list of things I am thankful for.  Being in an attitude of thankfulness has definitely helped me get through rough times in the last five years, and as I read Ann's book again it convicted me in new ways that I hadn't thought of before.  I really liked this part, that I read today--

"When the laundry is for the dozen arms of children or the dozen legs, it's true, I think I'm due some appreciation.  So comes a storm of trouble and lightning strikes joy.  But when Christ is at the center, when dishes, laundry, work, is my song of thanks to Him, joy rains."  ~Ann Voskamp

Jesus has blessed us with so many good things, and if I look at my work as a gift of service back to him, how great is that?  It really changes everything when your perspective changes.  Like Jesus said in John 9:4~

As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. 

Night is coming, when no one can work.

Rose Tea Time

Life is busy these days!  I haven't blogged in a month and life just keeps moving by, faster and faster, like they always say.  Miss E and I finally were able to have a tea party again last week, and although the weather was rather hot we enjoyed our iced sun tea in our pretty rose tea cups, along with some banana bread.

I have included a quote our pastor used in a sermon recently, I really appreciated it and desire this to be true of me.  Mercy triumphs over judgement.  James 2:13

When we are given our rewards, I would prefer to be found to have erred on the side of grace rather than judgment;

to have loved too much rather than too little;

to have forgiven the underserving rather than refused forgiveness to one who deserved it;

to have fed a parasite rather than to have neglected one who was truly hungry;

to have been taken advantage of rather than to have taken advantage;

to have believed too much in my brothers rather than too little;

having been wrong on the side of too much trust than too much cynicism;

to have believed the best and been wrong, than to have believed the worst and been right.

~Anonymous

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A new tea set

It sounds so funny now, but deciding to adopt through the foster care system four years ago was one of the scariest things I've ever done.  I was scared of the big needs our child might have, scared of "the state", and scared of what it might mean for our family.  But it was so obvious over that summer of 2012 that God wanted us to adopt through foster care, so, in August we said "yes, Lord," and sent in our application.  Even though it seemed so scary, adopting through foster care has been the biggest blessing in our lives since then, because God gave us our little Miss E.

 

 

She doesn't look too scary, does she?  (:

God knows what he's doing, and if he is asking you to do something out of your comfort zone, don't hesitate to say "yes"!  He is always good, all the time, no matter if what he asks you to do ends up being extremely hard or easier than you thought.

 

Now for our tea time!  A couple weeks ago Miss E's foster mother, (who is amazing), stopped by to give Miss E a birthday gift- a beautiful blue tea set!  We decided to try it out in our secret garden, since the daffodils and grape hyacinths were blooming so beautifully.

 

 

We had a lovely time, the weather was beautiful, not as windy as it has been!

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11

 

I hope spring is popping up wherever you live as well!

 

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Daffodil Tea

Daffy-down-Dilly
Has come to town
With a yellow petticoat
And a pretty green gown

Spring is here!  And I'm so glad. (:

 

 

Miss E and I enjoyed our tea this week out on the porch, which was a welcome change from the cold winter months.  It's hard to be sad in the spring, you know?

I hope you are having a beautiful spring where you live as well!

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Loving Tea Parties

My great aunt gave us an amaryllis bulb kit for Christmas this year, and I was excited to try it since we've never had one before.  It did not disappoint!  Miss E and I enjoyed having a little tea party with the beautiful amaryllis front and center last week.

Miss E asked me who made it and I was glad to tell her God did!  

This pretty little Valentine belonged to my Great Grandma.

With Valentines day and our pretty red amaryllis, we had to use our red transferware.

These teacups are called Romantic England, by J.G. Meakin.

The amaryllis has cheered up our winter, we might have to get one every year!

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Friendly Village

 

So, how is your January going?  Are you keeping warm?  January is a great month to drink some hot vanilla chai tea, wrap up in a blanket, and enjoy a good book.  Miss E and I had a little tea "pahty", as she says, yesterday, and I wanted to share it with you.

 

I purchased another Friendly Village tea cup and this plain white teapot with some Christmas money, and I've been looking forward to using them now in January.  The Friendly Village pattern is made by Johnson Brothers in England, and although they were first introduced in 1952, they are still being made today.  I really like the tea cups, with their snowy barns.  They are perfect for this time of year.

 

 

We enjoyed our banana nut bread on this fun green transferware plate.

 

 

Miss E and I really enjoy our tea parties, it's a fun and easy way to do something girly together!

 

 

As we sipped our tea we watched the sun setting on this winter day.

June may have roses, but January has cozy tea parties!

 

Trust in the LORD and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:3-4

 

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Peppernuts and Tea

 

So how is your Christmas season going?  Are you incredibly busy and can't find time for everything?  That's how I felt last week, but this week I think I'll have time to do a little baking.

 

This morning Miss E and I baked our peppernuts.

Here is a link to my recipe.

This year we made them gluten free, they turned out a little different, but still pretty good!

 

Usually I don't like all white decorating, but this year with the crazy busyness of the season all white is looking very peaceful to me. 

 

This sweet little teacup candle was a gift from my Grandma.

 

Peppernuts are the most traditional of all our Christmas foods.  My family has been making them every year for hundreds of years.  My family all came to America from Prussia, Russia, and Switzerland, but peppernuts are still made today in the Netherlands, which I find very interesting because my family originates from there hundreds of years before they went to Prussia and Russia.  It's quite something that they brought their favorite foods with them no matter what country they went to.  No wonder I have such a hard time breaking with tradition!

 

I hope you have a little time to savor the season this week as well.  Life goes by so quickly, and the older I get the more I realize we need to enjoy each little moment!

 

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