Happy Birthday Shawna!

I have been blessed with wonderful friends, and I am happy to celebrate Shawna today. I only wish we could celebrate together, dear friend!

Shawna is loyal, steadfast and true, caring, and compassionate. She is funny and laughs a lot and makes me laugh a lot. She makes her friends feel special and loved. She is always sincere and thoughtful...a terrific listener and the one to go to when you need advice! She is a devoted wife to David and the sweetest mommy to little Kate. She is an adventurous Texas girl taking on New York City! But what I treasure about her more than anything else is her passionate, sincere devotion to Christ. Her love for the Lord is evident to everyone who is blessed to encounter her. She is salt and light. She encourages me in my walk with Christ every time we are together or get a chance to talk on the phone.

I am blessed by our friendship Shawna...and so very thankful to have you in my life!

So happy birthday Shawna...and to everyone else, have a terrific New Year's Eve!

What is a blog?

That's on the first page of Blogger when you go to sign in: "What is a blog?"...an explanation for those who are new to the blogging world.

But I thought it was applicable to me too :) given the abandoned state my blog has been in.

So I guess it's time to get started again! (And what a perfect time, since it is Recipe Wednesday!) I actually have so many ideas for blog posts floating around in my brain...I just need to be better about getting them out on the computer. And I think it's time for a new design for this blog...but seriously, I'm barely making time to post, much less design. So I'll add that to my to-do list, which I humorously titled "My Overwhelming To-Do List"...I got a laugh out of Brent with that one!

One of the things that has been on my mind lately is Christmas traditions...This will be our first Christmas since we were married that we spend without any of our extended family. Just the five of us. In our own home. I am really excited about it. (Though I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am already a bit homesick for Christmas in Asheville...especially as I heard the sound of my pink china ballet slippers ornament--tied with the most beautiful pink satin ribbon--clink together as Mom hung them on the "kids" tree while we were talking on the phone. But that's another post...) As I was saying, I am excited about beginning our own traditions in our home and being together.

One of our Christmas traditions just arrived:

Every year since we moved to Texas, my Mom and Dad have sent us our Christmas wreath for our front door. It is such a special gift. The moment I open the box, it smells like my mountains. (You didn't know the Appalachian Mountains belong to me, did you?) I can close my eyes and almost imagine I am there, searching a mountainside for our own special tree. (An older family tradition from years ago.) And then I see the beautiful Christmas bow that Mom has tied for the wreath, and there is a bit of the home I grew up in here. A very special tradition. Thank you, Mom and Dad; it smells like home now.

In honor of Christmas traditions, here is a recipe tradition:

Mom's Chocolate Fudge Pie

1 9-inch pie shell, baked

2 cups milk

4 egg yolks, beaten

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2.5 squares semi-sweet chocolate

1. Combine egg yolks and milk in a saucepan. Mix sugar and cornstarch together and then stir into the egg yolk mixture. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly.

2. When hot, add butter, vanilla, and chocolate.Continue to cook, stirring constantly until thick and smooth.

3. Pour into baked pie shell. Let pie sit until room temperature. Top with freshly sweetened whipped cream and serve.

(The pie is definitely worth all the stirring!)

And a question for you faithful readers :) Do you have the same meal at Christmas as you do at Thanksgiving? Or is it different? Share what you do for your Christmas meal with me!