Yesterday the Advent calendar instructed us to give PRESENCE, spending quality time with friends. We met up bright and early for bowling and breakfast with my girl Lena! Oh yeah, her Mom and Michael came too.
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Yesterday we visited reindeer! Every year they take a break from their lives on the North Pole to hang out at Swanson's Nursery.
According to the signage nearby, reindeer grow their antlers in just 8 months. They lose them and grow a new pair every year! For day 9 of Advent we were assigned to write a letter to a Marine at Christmas time. I could have just written one to my husband Bryce, thanking him for his service to our Country, bravery, and sacrifice, especially for the Chrismas he spent overseas. While I probably should still do that for him, we did our letter a little differently.
We crafted a hand written letter to our friend Lee, a Gold Star Mother. Her son Matthew and Bryce were buddies. Both Marines, the two met in Hawaii, enjoyed weekends and cold beers together often, and eventually deployed to Iraq. While Bryce came back home, Matthew's last day was December 14, 2006. As we approach his 10 year anniversary, our hearts our heavy and we want Lee to know that our thoughts and prayers are with her. We'd gotten in touch with Lee years ago, exchanging phone calls and mailing photos across the miles. Just last year we finally got to meet. We hope to visit her someday in Matt's hometown, visiting his grave and the road named in his honor. We always try to live life to the fullest, for Matt and those who are no longer able to. This Christmas write a letter, forgive, hug, and take that extra group photo. Take stock of those around you and honor the ones who are so dearly missed. Last night we invited friends to our house and got busy testing a recipe for Christmas dinner. I learned the basics of ravioli making in Sorrento, Italy, earlier this year. Thankfully my friend Resham is an experienced dough maker and has her own pasta machine.
We're back to the fun stuff and the day my husband has been waiting for. Last night we decorated the tree. We watched and quoted Elf, sipped hot chocolate, and carefully outfitted the tree with garland and ornaments.
It has always been a dream of mine to have many Christmas trees, all with their own theme. We've been cultivating our (fake) green tree with candy and sweet themed goodies for years. It's whimsical, delicious, candy perfection! The white tree is new and will soon be adorned with blue and white Penn State ornaments. I've been collecting them for years and look forward to another masterpiece! |
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Hello, I'm AngelaI'm a food obsessed blogger and world traveler Let's Connect.Search Here:Most Popular PostsMost Popular VideosMost Popular Recipes
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