1700 Posts By Christmas 2011

[CandyKane]

This has been the longest week ever. I did watch a Christmas episode of the Waltons this morning. That did alot to improve my mood.

[Jolly O'Leary]

The Hallmark 2011 Dreambook is out! Click HERE to see it.

I haven't even browsed the Christmas ornaments yet. I wanted to come tell you guys first.

I cannot even look. No Hallmark outlets in Sweden. It makes me homesick. :-(

[Noel+]

This has been the longest week ever. I did watch a Christmas episode of the Waltons this morning. That did alot to improve my mood.

I think I'm ready for some Christmas flicks mid-week.........whew! I need some Christmas cheer too!

[CandyKane]

Praying for all the people affected by last nights tornado in Joplin Missouri. I have been to Joplin many times and have a friend who lives nearby. I know that her family was in the path of this storm and I'm so thankful that they are all ok. We had two downpours here yesterday evening. We remained under a tornado watch here until 4am but thankfully we didn't get anything. Had a very restless night because of it all. We are under more watches today so it looks to be a very long and stressful day.

Praying all my Christmas friends have a happy Monday!

[CandyKane]

Monday morning and it looks like the start of another long, stressful week. I am praying that some issues get worked out with our business and with our church. We need to move forward and not be held back by other peoples negativity. I really, really hope that the business aspects can be worked out early this week. If it does, hubby will have a job that will carry us well into the winter. That would be such a blessing as the economy has really taken its toll. I guess I'm just in need of a good dose of Christmas cheer!

[Jolly O'Leary]

I made strawberry rhubarb tarts this weekend. Rhubarb is green in Sweden,not red like I see in pictures. So, I am thinking maybe Christmas in July tarts?

I have a job interview tomorrow. Hoping for an early Christmas present as well.

[Noel+]

Praying for all the people affected by last nights tornado in Joplin Missouri. I have been to Joplin many times and have a friend who lives nearby. I know that her family was in the path of this storm and I'm so thankful that they are all ok. We had two downpours here yesterday evening. We remained under a tornado watch here until 4am but thankfully we didn't get anything. Had a very restless night because of it all. We are under more watches today so it looks to be a very long and stressful day.

Praying all my Christmas friends have a happy Monday!

Yes, the pictures are devastating. I have family in some of those areas but they are fine. They're predicting more storms tonight - praying for all!

[Noel+]

Monday morning and it looks like the start of another long, stressful week. I am praying that some issues get worked out with our business and with our church. We need to move forward and not be held back by other peoples negativity. I really, really hope that the business aspects can be worked out early this week. If it does, hubby will have a job that will carry us well into the winter. That would be such a blessing as the economy has really taken its toll. I guess I'm just in need of a good dose of Christmas cheer!

Sending you some Christmas ho-ho-ho packaged in prayers for your situation. God is working and you have our support CandyKane! HUGS!

[FatherChristmas]

Christmas is destined to be great this year! Let's just skip through nasty Summer!

[Noel+]

Christmas is destined to be great this year! Let's just skip through nasty Summer!

Skipping towards Christmas as fast as I can go!

[CandyKane]

Just started a new thread with a link to the 2011 Holiday Barbie. I made it it's own thread so it won't get buried in this one. I absolutely love this doll. Her dress is gorgeous. Can't wait for dd to get it for Christmas.

[CandyKane]

Our business meeting has been rescheduled yet again.....Grrrrr! Patience is a virtue that I have never been blessed with. But I do feel alot more positive about things than I did last week. I'm still thinking Christmas thoughts to get me through.

[CandyKane]

We had a tornado warning here about 1:30 this morning so we jumped out of bed, grabbed dd and rushed to the basement. Fortunately the storm divided before it ever reached us so we were spared any bad weather. In my rush to get to safety I forgot our little house dog. When we came back out of the basement she was pouting. She felt totally betrayed. I told her Mommy was sorry and it took awhile but she loves us again. We have another tornado watch. Right now its sunny and nice but it can change in a minutes time. So we're keeping a close eye on the weather. And i'm keeping my kid and my dog close so I can grab them both and run. I actually kinda like spending time in my basement......it's makes me happy to know my Christmas decorations are nearby.

[CandyKane]

I wish it was Christmas!

[CandyKane]

We have a tornado watch until 10pm. In the last hour we have had blazing hot sun, followed by knock you off your feet wind, then thunder, lightening, rain, sun, rain again, and now we're back to wind and sun. CRAZY!! Hope all my Christmas friends are having better luck with the weather!

[Noel+]

The tornados have been huge and destructive and my heart goes out to any/all who are living in those areas. So many lost everything..........

praying for you CandyKane to be safe!

Thinking Christmas thoughts with you!

[CandyKane]

Hoping, hoping, hoping, that hubby's job holdup gets resolved this week. That would be the greatest Christmas gift ever!

[CandyKane]

We have had a super busy Memorial Day weekend. Yesterday I stopped by a craft fair. I was hoping to get some Christmas craft ideas but I didn't see anything new.

[CandyKane]

This weeks Avon outlet had the cutest little girls Christmas socks in it. Of course I had to order 2 pair for dd.

[Jolly O'Leary]

Äfter all my hoarding of supplies for Christmas in July, it seems we will be spending this week (we celebrate Sunday-Sunday in whichever week has the 25th in it) in northern sweden (no man's land). My husband's sister has just finished chemotherapy for breast cancer and starts radiation this week, so he has asked me to come up with 5 "theme nights" of "american" meals, music, and entertainment to cheer her and the whole family up. He has asked me to include American thanksgiving (mini version) and christmas. My dilemma comes in how to make thanksgiving and christmas different from an american standpoint as many families eat the same thing. I was thinking "almost like thanksgiving chicken" which we had for swedish thanksgiving along with green beans/mushrooms and stewed pears. Pumpkin pie is impossible this time of year, but I might try making a sweet potato one, or I recently had success with sweet potato biscuits. I was also thinkingof having thanksgiving on the first night and Christmas on the last, so they are three days apart. In between we will have wagon-wheel chili (I'm from San Antonio, Texas), apple-sage pork meatloaf (sort of new year´s/german tradtition), and football soup (white chili) as it feeds alot. Apparently when you are from the sticks and a relative comes to visit, people come out of the woodwork to see them. ;-P

For dessert, I am thinking either texas sheet cake or coca cola cake, strawberry shortcake, strawberry/rhubarb tarts (another recent success), lemon bars and maybe apple-raisin pie as a sort of "fake mincemeat" substitute.

What do you think? I am definitely open to suggestions and recipes. I never thought was "typically american" before as we are all a combination of our ancestors traditions and these traditions get modified anytime a new family is formed.

And, best of all, we will be bringing home a kitten! Now that is a Christmas in July present! I have to come up with a name that is both Christmas in July and starts with a Z or s.