Sunday, January 8, 2012

We made it through to the end of the year, and are trying to soak up the lovely slow pace that is January in Sydney. I am especially loving seeing old friends who live interstate whom I miss dearly. Thanks for special days you Earnshaws, Noakes and Davis'!!

We enjoyed lots of Christmas events and had fun making things to give away and to eat. In a new and wonderful way, I felt the enormity of what we celebrate at Christmas - God become man, Immanuel - God with us, in the form of the baby Jesus. This baby who grew up to die and rise that we might be saved and enjoy both now, and forever, peace with God. What a privilege to be able to share this with our extended family and church family as well as friends from all over!

And so to the making! What did we get up to you ask.... well here are a few happy snaps. I'm feeling a little hard up for words at the moment, so I'll let the pictures tell their stories.

Christmas cards in progress


Final results with gingerbread biscuits

Finished card
Advent Calendar making

Lucy getting in on Advent Calendar creating
Finished Advent Calendar
with Bible readings from Appendix to
Disciplines of a Godly Family by Kent and Barbara Hughes,
wooden ornaments and the occasional lolly!
Gingerbread House bits - recipe from Adriano Zumbo no less (in Masterchef Magazine) -
we did a miniature version of his jumbo one in the November 2011 magazine

Jas making 'roof tiles'

Decorating our gorgeous little houses for teachers at school

Ta da!!

Gingerbread Boxes with Lindt chocs - recipe from the Coles Magazine!
Amazing what a bit of dusted icing sugar can do....
Christmas Day desserts - I got a little carried away!

Mango cream and raspberry sorbet with macadamia meringue - YUM!!!
Traditional Christmas Pudding from Donna Hay Classics, Vol 2

Merringue snowman also from Masterchef Magazine, December issue, curtesy of Mr Zumbo

Miss M in her mama made Christmas dress - same style, different fabrics for all the girls,
finished on Christmas Eve - of course!

Plaster figure painting - something we've been doing LOTS of recently,
and was a hit with the cousins on Christmas Day (done without dresses for obvious reasons...).
Our little cousin who is now a big 3, in her Aunty made dress
from pattern by Oliver & S - love it!!
There were a few other bits and pieces of Christmas sewing and such - quite a few twirly skirts, and a few sets of PJ's, but as usual my ideas and plans far exceeded my time and ability to complete them - and indeed to photograph the ones I did complete as they had to be hastily wrapped or posted or given. Oh well. Hopefully the recipients are enjoying them, which, in the end, is all that really matters. It's just fun to have a record and to try to inspire others, who think they have neither time nor talent, that it's just a matter of having a go (and forgoing other tasks like cleaning the bathroom....).

And so I wish you a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I'm currently really enjoying listening to a free download of J I Packer's famous book, Knowing God (from Christianaudio.com I think). I'm not in the habit of making New Year's resolutions, but I thought I could listen to this over January. It's wonderfully basic and foundations yet profound and moving. Hoping your new year sees you seeking to deepen or start your relationship with the amazing God of the universe who has acted so wonderfully and finally to secure our eternal future with Him through Jesus!



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