The best thing is I didn't even have to threaten him with this to get one and if I did he wouldn't care about the golf clubs maybe it should say magic cards instead!!! Thank you Honey!!!

Real Meaning of Christmas

You Won't Believe It Unless You See It

My Grandmother(pictured center) married my Grandfather and had 5 children(one passed away) and they all got married and......


had these children(minus 2 that weren't there). They all got married(well 2 of them haven't yet) and........


this is what happend.....



We had our Christmas party this past weekend and there were 8o people there...here is the break down:
1 mom
7 children including spouses
20 Grandchildren including spouses(2 cousins were missing and 1 spouse)
48 Great Grandchildren(1 was missing and 2 in bellies do they count yet)
2 Great Grandchildren
And 1 boyfriend and 1 girlfirend

Santas Workshop

We made these for the children of the families we home and visit teach full of some yummy treats!


I found these cute little boxes and filled them with some delicious choclate for those who stop by over the Holiday season..you can imagine the surprise of the sewer cleaners as I hand them a check and some chocolates(I am sure I made the day)!



For the children n my childrens classes we have some goodie bags. I tried to seal them with a candy cane instead of a pencil and after a few breaks of candy canes holiday pencils it was.


My husband since starting to work after graduating, his employees have jokingly called him Mr Keebler for his love of all things sweet and so he found these a fitting gift for them!!! The tag says "May your Holidays be warm and delightful!"


The final item was these cute soap bottles and the tage say,"May your Holiday be filled with Happiness, Joy and Soap"

All in all we made 147 little gifts for others and it has been a very sweet experience for our family this year!

The Christmas Orange

When I was growing up we always had an orange in the toe of our stocking and the reasoning was always because it fills the bottom so well and gives you something to eat as present open commences. As I became a parent I too would put an orange in the toe of at that time my one childs stocking with little or no meaning. Then in 1996 I received this story and has remained one of my most precious gifts and gives a wonderful meaning to my childhood tradition of an orange in the toe of my stocking.



The Christmas Orange

Jake lived in an orphanage with nine other young boys. In the wintertime it seemed that any extra money went for the coal to heat the old buildings. At Christmas, the building always seemed a little warmer and the food a little more plentiful, but more than this—Christmas meant an orange. It was the only time of the year such a rare treat was provided, and it was coveted by each boy like no other thing that they ever possessed.

Each boy would save his orange for several days, admiring it, feeling it, loving it, and contemplating the moment he would eat it. Some would even save it until New Year’s Day or later, much like many of us relish saving our Christmas trees and decorations until New Year’s just to remind us of the joy of Christmas.

This particular Christmas Day, Jake had broken the orphanage rules by starting a fight. The orphanage mother took Jake’s orange away as punishment for breaking the rules. Jake spent Christmas day empty and alone. Nighttime came and Jake could not sleep, silently he sobbed because this year he would not have his orange to savor with the other boys.

A soft hand placed on Jake’s shoulder startled him and an object was quickly shoved into his hands. The child then disappeared into the dark to leave Jake alone to discover a strange looking orange an orange made from segments of nine other oranges;nine highly prized oranges that had to be eaten that Christmas night instead of saved, admired, and cherished until a later date. What a special gift of unselfish love had been given.

This year, may the orange remind us all of the unselfish love taught to us by our Savior and may we share that love with one another.

Love,
The Keplers

Teenage Driver...can it be!!!

Today I drove with my teenager for the first time...I always thought I would be the over anxious, gasping at wrong turns, near collapse at the end of it all and I was so surprised with myself today....I was calm as could be even as we drove over a curb while he was trying to figure out how to turn the blinker off..my reply as we are coming off the curb was, "It is only curb, keep driving." I think I might be able to handle being chauffered around everyday!!!

A Quick Back Up

For Preschool we had a Mini Thanksgiving. All the children helped make part of the meal and their thankful placemats and turkey napkin rings. It was one busy morning but they absolutely loved it!!!!

Lynn Bowen Walker of Queen of the Castle writes, "I try to remind myself that the December 25th deadline for love and togetherness and goodwill toward men is not a deadline at all. There is no time limit on doing good deeds, on giving people notes or tokens of appreciation, on making an out-of-the-ordinary meal and taking time to enjoy it with my family. .......Only by slowing down and looking at where I want to end up - sitting at the feet of my Heavenly Father, appreciating the gift He's given me in Jesus Christ - will I have a truly successful season."

The exclamations in the house this morning:

"It's snowing FINALLY!"
"The snow is staying on the ground, that means I need to wear boots to school"
"Yeah I love its snowing!"
"Snow...Snow on the Ground YIPEE!"