Christmas in the Country

Back in November There was a sign up for Christmas in the Country and I was so excited.  I enjoyed it last year and thought this year I would have even more time to devote to to coming up with THE most amazing gifts for my blogger.

Thank you so much to the coordinators who arrange this exchange.  It is so much fun to research the person (ok, maybe stalk is a more accurate term) you get.  This year I got matched up with Katy Williams at Little House on the Horizon.  Katy is a cattle woman, wife and momma.  She’s also a published author.  I was impressed with how much she’s accomplished eventhough she’s only in her early 30’s.  I read through her blog and Facebook posts to find that she enjoyed showing cattle and is looking forward to the day her kids are old enough to show.  Well, there we go!  That’s definitely something I can relate to.  I sent her a few small gifts and hope they blessed her.  I have to admit here that we were deep in the planning stages of my younger son’s wedding at this point.  I was trying my best to keep my head above water with the invitations, decorations, plans, etc and barely got everything ready in time to mail it out.  I was packaging it up as I was walking out the door to work that morning.  I’ve not exactly been good at getting things done ahead of time this year.  Katy, I hope you enjoyed your gifts and know that I’m praying for a blessed 2016 for you and your family.

One night after a stressful day at work, I walked in to find a box on the counter….a box filled with gifts that showed a lot of thought and planning.  Jan Thomas from The Tip Garden had gotten my name and apparently a couple of fellow bloggers helped her out.  I hadn’t blogged quite so much in 2015 and they helped her to fill in the blanks.

I opened the box and on top was the spaghetti measurer, but it was upside down.  I didn’t see the marks for one person, two people, etc.  I thought it might be a paddle.  Thankfully my sons helped me to figure out what it was before I attempted to use it.  Just below that was the wonderful handmade potholders and the vinyl Away in a Manger and snowman.  I really enjoy doing vinyl projects but often forget to make anything for myself, so these were a special treat.  And speaking of treats, there was also a container of seasoned pretzels, some candy and sugared nuts along with a bottle of hot chocolate mix and a tub of cinnamon honey.  And lastly, there was a cookbook for just the two of us.  You see, our nest will be emptying before long.  Jesse and Brittany got married on January 2nd and will be moving to a house once we can get it remodeled for them.  They will be growing their family this summer but our family here at the house will be smaller than it’s been for years.  I’ve gotten used to cooking not just for my family of 4 or 5 but also their friends.  It is going to take me quite some time to get used to cooking for two of us.  I’m sure this cookbook will become one of my most used.  Thank you so much, Jan!  The treats were enjoyed by all and the the special goodies were enjoyed and will continue to be enjoyed by me.

You can check out all the bloggers that participated here: Christmas in the Country Link Up.