Five Loves on Friday // Christmas Week Edition!

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you've enjoyed a fantastically festive week.  We certainly have!  In the midst of a fun Christmas break with my loves I wanted to take a moment to quickly preserve the sweet memories of this week and share the highlights with you here!  Let's get right to the good stuff!

*This week's loves listed in chronological order. 

One  //  Kicking Off Christmas with my Sweet In-Laws

We spent a very sweet Sunday afternoon celebrating Christmas with Jason's side of the family.  Jason put his smoker to excellent use smoking a ham for our lunch.  The meal ended with my sister-in-law's beautiful black forest cake.  Every bit and bite of the day was savored as our time together always flies by, yet is greatly cherished!  

Before heading home we drove through some favorite neighborhoods for lights.  This just happened to be the perfect excuse for one more candy cane chill blizzard on the road.

Two  //  Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve morning my girls went to my parents to decorate sugar cookies that they rolled out with my mom earlier in the week.  "Princess" came home and helped me with some more sweets prep for Christmas Day.  We made Peanut Butter Ritz Ornament Cookies while singing our hearts out to K-Pop Christmas songs.  So much fun!

Peanut Butter Ritz Ornament Cookies 

Spread creamy peanut butter on a Ritz cracker.  Top with another Ritz cracker creating a "sandwich".  Dip in melted almond bark.  Top with a mini Reese's peanut butter cup and decorate each "ornament" as desired.

Christmas Eve Night

Jason played guitar for our church's Christmas Eve service which is always such a wonderful time with our church family.  We enjoyed singing songs, rejoicing in God's goodness in providing our desperately needed Savior in Jesus who was "born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth".  He was born to die for sinners like me, and through Him I have eternal hope for life beyond the grave.  There's no greater gift and celebrating it through worship, taking communion in remembrance of Him, and singing "Silent Night" in a room aglow with candlelight prepared my heart for Christmas.

(Pics taken during practice before service)

We returned home to a simple meal ready for us in the crockpot.  We chatted over dinner about our favorite Christmas memories and what we love most about Christmastime.  Normally we let the girls each choose and open one Christmas gift on Christmas Eve, but this year I took a different route preparing a family Christmas Eve gift.  I filled a bag with goodies I purchased at Disney World last month, two Christmas games, a Christmas movie, and new pajamas for all of us!

Three  //  Christmas Morning with my Loves

While I could share pics of all of the gifts my girls received, I'd rather share the gift I enjoyed most, the joy and surprise on their sweet faces as they opened gifts that were chosen with much care.  My mama heart overflowed that priceless morning!  

After gifts we enjoyed breakfast and Disney's Christmas Parade.  We actually jumped in on the parade a bit late as we declared "presents before parades".  Wouldn't that make great band name? ;)

Four  //  Christmas Night

The time had come for the finale of all Christmas celebrations, Christmas at my parents'!  Each year they host such a wonderful celebration in their home.  The group that gathers there just happens to be made up of some of my favorite people on the planet which makes this one of my most anticipated gatherings of the year!  There is never a shortage of conversation, laughter, or love here.  

Top Left: My niece, my nephew who was also celebrating his 17th birthday that day!, and my girls  | Top Right:  My dad, sister and her husband, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins and cousins-in-law  |  Middle Left:  My husband and our daughters |  Middle Right:  My parents and I  |  Bottom Left:  My sweet sis and I  |  Bottom Middle:  My girls  |  Bottom Right:  My sis, mom, and I

Five  //  Day Trip to KS & MO

One of my favorite Christmastime traditions of all is road tripping with my parents to hit after Christmas sales and see our favorite drive through light display!  

Upon arrival we lunched at Chick-Fil-A, always a delicious idea.  Before long we were finding all those fun 50 - 75% off sales and filling bags with Disney deals, and sensational scents at Bath & Body Works.  Jason and my dad may have actually made two trips back to our Explorer so we didn't have to lug all our finds through the mall all afternoon.  (One of a million reasons they are my two favorite guys!)  Before long it was time to make our annual visit to IKEA.  We don't have one in our area and we absolutely love that place!  Anyone else with us on that?

Once we'd shopped 'til we dropped we made our way to the main attraction, Christmas in the Park!  This park turned winter wonderland boasts 300,00o lights including 175 animated displays that have snowmen tipping their hats to greet you, toy soldiers tumbling to the ground when gift boxes are fired out of a cannon at them, and more!  It's such a fun sight and brings out the childlike wonder in each of us!

Santa chilling in the hammock post-holiday always makes me smile!

Bonus Love  //  New Year's Anticipation

We always save our most anticipated holiday movie release for New Year's Eve.  This year that's Mary Poppins Returns!  I've been in full Mary Poppins mode here using my Jolly Holiday phone case and listening to my vintage soundtrack album.  I couldn't be more excited for a practically perfect New Year's Eve outing with my family to see the fun new flick!  Afterward we'll head home for a family game night during which I'll indulge in far too much deliciousness, delight in my daughters' laughter, and smooch my forever New Year's date at midnight! 

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you a beautiful conclusion to 2018 and a fun New Year's Eve celebrating the start of a fresh new year.  I'd love to hear about your NYE plans in the comment section below!  

Join me in the adventures to come!

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My Christmas Card to You!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas, 

Let your heart be light..."

The true meaning of Christmas makes my heart light year round, on fantastic days as well as heart wrenching ones.  It also causes my heart to overflow with gratitude to God for giving the only gift that is of eternal worth!  

This video is shorter than the next Christmas song on the radio, yet it unpacks a gift of far greater value than any beautifully wrapped package tucked beneath our glowing Christmas trees...



*If you are reading this post via an email subscription, you can watch the video here.

Wishing you a very merry & meaningful Christmas,  friends!

Earlier on Chatting Over Chocolate:

Ru-Dough-lph the Truffle Nosed Reindeer // Christmas Donuts

LINKING UP WITH:

Tif, Della, Becky, Whitney P., and Whitney J. 

for High Five for Friday

&

Andrea, Erika, and Narci 

for Friday Favorites

Join me in the adventures to come!

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Ru-Dough-lph the Truffle Nosed Reindeer // Christmas Donuts

Welcome to a fun, festive, and easy peasy breakfast post!  This "recipe" requires no baking, only a handful of ingredients, and minimal prep.  Yet, it is sure to put a smile on the face of both the young and young-at-heart!  

As many of you already know, I'm a big fan of donuts.  When planning a girls Hallmark movie day this week I wanted a way to turn this simple favorite into a festive start for our sweet day.  A teensy bit of brainstorming later and I was store bound for ingredients to create Ru-dough-lph the Truffle Nosed Reindeer, Rudolph's distant and oh-so-delicious cousin. ;)

Ingredients:

Donuts  

Pretzels

Milk Chocolate (red wrapped) Lindt Lindor Truffles

Candy Eyes 

I found these with the cake decorating supplies at my local Walmart.

Chocolate Almond Bark (optional)

Steps to Sweetness:

Antlers

Break pretzels to create "antlers".  Stick pretzel antler pieces into the sides of the donut near the top.  

Nose

Stick a truffle in the donut's center to create the nose.  

Eyes

I used a dab of warmed chocolate almond bark to "glue" the candy eyes on, but you could gently press the candy eyes in place if you don't have almond bark on hand.  

That's it!  Now you're all set to gather those "deer" to your heart and kick off the day in a holly jolly way!  

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Wishing you a sweet season!

LINKING UP WITH:

Tif, Della, Becky, Whitney P., and Whitney J. 

for High Five for Friday

Join me in the adventures to come!

Bloglovin // Pinterest // Instagram // Join via GFC, or sign up to receive new posts directly in your inbox @ left side bar

I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)  

Five Loves on Friday // Favorite Traditions, Family Fun, and Sweets with my Sweets!

Happy Friday, friends!  I hope you're having a wonderful week!  I'm really looking forward to capturing mine here today and sharing the sweet deets with you!  Let's get right to the good stuff, shall we?

*Loves listed in chronological order. ;)

One  //  Christmas Light Night with my Loves

One of my favorite annual family traditions happens each December when we devote an evening to driving around looking at Christmas lights, listening to Christmas music, and savoring spoonfuls of sweet treats (my favorite is DQ's candy cane chill blizzard - yum)!  It always makes for such a fun and festive family night out!  I especially appreciate the time and thoughtfulness my husband puts into making this a special night as he knows it's one of my favorites of the year.  He spent the afternoon finding new songs and customizing a fantastic playlist for our evening, searched out the homes in the area that put on the best displays syncing up music to their own radio frequency so you can tune in and watch the lights dance to the beat, and even took our Explorer through the car wash so we'd all have the best possible view!  I am so thankful that Jason always goes out of his way to make this beloved tradition a spectacular one!  We soaked up every beautiful bit of the evening and returned home with light hearts and new memories!

Two  //  Dinner and Extended Anniversary Celebration with my Parents

My parents have been wanting to have us over for dinner to hear more about our 20th wedding anniversary trip.  Illness and schedules prevented it from working out on one end or the other, until this week.  The time together was worth the wait!  My parents prepared a yummy chili cheese dog bar with all the fixings followed by desserts galore.  We shared stories, laughed to the point of happy tears, and were given the thoughtful gift of money to go out and celebrate some more!  My parents also found a vintage Disney World 25th anniversary tin a while back and saved it to fill with goodies for a special occasion such as this.  We thoroughly enjoyed this special evening together! 

Three  //  Hallmark Girls Day with my Sweet Sister

It's no secret that I love heartwarming Hallmark movies!  My oldest daughter and my sister also share a mutual adoration for them which sparked a new tradition - Girls Hallmark Movie Day!  We spent a full day cozied up side by side wrapped in soft Christmas blankets, laughing, getting misty eyed, cheering, and snacking while we marathoned our way through three fantastic new flicks.  It was easily one of my favorite days, not just of December, but the entire year!  Good eats, great entertainment, and the best company makes for an unforgettable day!

I invite you to pop back by my blog tomorrow for a special Saturday post dedicated to a super simple, yet oh-so-yummy breakfast I prepped for our time together.  If you're a fan of Christmas themed sweets that are as cute as they are easy to prep, you're not going to want to miss it!

Four  //  Christmas Package + Early Christmas Gift Goodness

Since I don't share the girls' real names on the blog I covered them on the adorable ornament on the top left, but it does indeed list all our names.  We couldn't love it more! :)

My incredibly thoughtful and equally talented friend Chrissy sent my family an amazing Christmas package this week!  She had us open four gifts now to enjoy during the Christmas season, and included more to tuck under our tree for Christmas morning.  Check out these magical gifts!  She ordered the darling personalized ornament on Etsy.  The Maleficent ornament is from the awesome Disney Sketchbook ornament line.  The pom pom Mickey ornament and Mickey snowman she both handmade herself!  Aren't they super cute?!  Until Christmas morning the packages wrapped up in Christmas donut paper sure are looking "sweet" under under our tree!  Thanks again, Chrissy!  You never cease to amaze me with your awesomeness, attention to detail, and care!

She also made the Mickey snowman faux snow globe seen in the bottom left and gifted it to us for Christmas 2016.  You can find her full tutorial for it here.

Five  //  Mini Dessert Date Night

Wednesday evening Jason had music practice for the Christmas Eve service at our church.  His practice began at 7:45pm, but our girls needed to be there at 7:00 for youth group.  What was he to do with those 45 minutes to spare?  He spent it sweetly, inviting me out on a "mini date".  I so enjoyed chatting with him between sips of another seasonal favorite, Chick-Fil-A's peppermint chocolate chip shake.  A date doesn't need to be extravagant or even a full evening to be special.  Taking time out of any day to give and receive the undivided attention of your love is a priceless gift.  I know this time of year can be extra busy, but I'd encourage you to take a "mini date" with someone you love soon too!  Your day and theirs will be richer for it!

Thanks so much for stopping by my nook of the web today!  Hope you'll be back tomorrow for a sweet "recipe" for a Christmasy breakfast that will bring smiles and holiday cheer to those you hold "deer"! ;)

Join me in the adventures to come!

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I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)  

Five Loves on Friday // Highlights of the Past Month | 20th Wedding Anniversary, Birthday, Holidays, and More!

Happy first Friday of December, friends!  So many wonderful things have been going on around here lately that have kept me (happily) away from my computer, leaving my little nook of the blogosphere a quiet space.  I thought I'd remedy that on this fine Friday morning by chatting with you all about the highlights of this past month I've been away, good old fashioned Five Loves style!

One  //  20th Wedding Anniversary
"Second Honeymoon"

Jason and I were able to get away just the two of us for a wonderfully refreshing celebratory vacation over the week of our twentieth wedding anniversary.  We spent 9 fantastic days hand in hand right back where our marriage began, Walt Disney World.  We took it a bit slower than we do when our thrill ride loving teens are with us.  We soaked up the atmosphere of each park, enjoyed eating our way around the world at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival, and savored some of the best meals I've had ever at WDW, two of which were at new-to-us signature restaurants.  We spent many afternoons relaxing on the private balcony of our beautiful savanna view villa at our Disney Vacation Club home resort, Animal Kingdom Lodge, watching the giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, antelopes, and more.  The sweetest part about this trip was simply spending a little over a week of uninterrupted quality time with my favorite man on the planet.  I keep saying it felt like our second honeymoon, so we began calling it that.  We returned refreshed and our marriage is even richer for having taken this getaway to celebrate our life as husband and wife.

Here are some snapshots from our anniversary evening.  

Anniversary dinner at California Grill on the 15th floor of Disney's Contemporary Resort

Our appetizer - braised beef short rib wontons

My entree - grilled Colorado bison loin with gouda macaroni and cheese

Castle view from our table

Jason's dessert - pear crème brûlée 

My dessert - chocolate cake, of course!

I am so looking forward to recapping the entire trip here in the coming year!

Two  //  Princess' Birthday

I'm still not sure how this is possible, but my firstborn turned 17 at the end of last month!  Once again, I'm picking my jaw up off of the floor just saying that.  I have no idea how these years have passed by so quickly, but every single day of the past seventeen years has been sweeter because of the precious gift she truly is to our family and all who have the pleasure of knowing her well. She's so thoughtful, kind, caring, helpful, talented, smart, and lovely - inside and out!  I couldn't be more grateful to God for blessing me with the privilege of being her mom!

Three  //  Celebrating Thanksgiving with Extended Family

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays.  I have such fond memories from childhood of going to my aunt and uncle's every "Turkey Day" to feast and enjoy the company of my entire family.  Three things remain unchanged no matter how much time passes - each year my aunt and cousin put together beautiful tablescapes that are absolutely a feast for the eyes, we enjoy a truly scrumptious spread at those lovingly prepared tables, and the conversations had there are so delightful I wish they never had to end.  I definitely don't take for granted the fact that I come from a family that I genuinely love gathering with and for that I'm incredibly thankful at Thanksgiving and always!

Four  //  Thanksgiving Day with my Loves

My in-laws hosted a lovely Thanksgiving with my husband's side of the family a month early to accommodate travel schedules and we feasted with my family the Sunday before the holiday.  This meant that we had the entire day of Thanksgiving free to enjoy as a family of four which is always so much fun! 

We kicked off the day with our favorite tradition - a feast of a breakfast cozied up in pajamas under a pile of blankets, watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade followed by the National Dog Show.  We ate, laughed, snuggled up with the ones we're most thankful for, and created new memories that fill this mama's heart with joy!  

Thanksgiving afternoon we headed to the movies to see Ralph Wrecks the Internet.  I won't give any spoilers, but will say the parts that included the Disney princesses were my favorite (literally laugh out loud hilarious)!  If you catch the flick be sure to stay all the way to the very end following the credits. ;)  

We came home to an untraditional Thanksgiving dinner of pork chops, potatoes, and carrots in the slow cooker.  I whipped up some mac and cheese, a few other yummy veggie sides, rolls - all of which we feasted on for days.  Start to finish it was a fabulous day with my favorites!

Five  //  Christmastime!

One simple joy of this season was driving beside snow-covered branches while seeing my husband's delight over taking our new 4-wheel drive out on wintry roads for the first time.   I'm thankful for the beauty of a Midwestern winter, for these wonderful wheels we got this year, and my talented driver who gets us safely around even on icy roads (and actually enjoys driving in winter weather)!

That brings us to the most wonderful time of the year, Christmastime!  My family and I have been soaking up every fantastic bit of this festive season!  At any given moment of the day my home is filled with the sound of either a Christmas song or movie playing and is lit with the glorious glow of Christmas lights shining on our sparkly and sentimental decor.  

Best of all, Christmastime is a season to reflect on the reason I celebrate this holiday.  My heart overflows with gratitude to God for sending the Savior and Redeemer who has brought me hope and promise of eternal life!  Oh, what an amazing gift God freely offers to all who place their trust in the finished work of Christ.   

"For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is a gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."  (Ephesians 2:8-9)  

Jesus said, 

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."  (Matthew 11:28, 30)  

To anyone out there trying to make it on a "good" list, the burden of striving to save yourself through your own works can end today.  If we could save ourselves through our own efforts God would not have sent Jesus to be born of human flesh to live the sinless life He alone could being fully God, yet fully man.  God's plan of redemption was fulfilled when Jesus, altogether pure and holy without sin, died upon the cross as the only perfect sacrifice to bear the complete punishment for all the sins you and I have committed against God throughout our lifetime.  Through this perfect plan God's righteous justice was completely satisfied, and the debt of every sin we've ever committed against God could be paid in full through the finished work of His Son, Jesus Christ.  When we repent (ask God to forgive us and turn away from sin) and place our trust in Him (rather than striving to earn forgiveness and righteousness ourselves) the gift of salvation is freely given to us!  His payment for our sins is essentially credited to our account and we are made right with God, now and for all eternity.  He gets all the glory and we receive the free gift of salvation and eternal life!  What a reason to rejoice!  (To learn more visit:  NeedGod.com)

I hope this season is filled with family fun, deliciousness, and time with those dearest to your heart.  Above all else, I pray that you'll receive the gift that Jesus was born and died to give.  Here's one of my favorite (untraditional) Christmas songs.  The lyrics put the meaning of the season into perspective.  I couldn't love it more!

For anyone reading this blog post via email subscription, you can view the video here.

Thanks so much for stopping by today!  Wishing you an extra marshmallows kind of weekend ahead, sweet friends!

Join me in the adventures to come!

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I appreciate each comment, & "like"! They let me know that you enjoyed what you read, which makes it worth sharing! ;)