gingerbread and other things...

can you say, "busy?" wow!...i have been incredibly busy recently, and hence the lack of posts here recently. so sorry...but it's all good stuff, so i will fill you in for a moment...

and though i've been busy, i have been especially appreciative of the beautiful morning and evening views out my back window...

(by the way, i've given up on capitalizing here...it's how i do email and most other things, but always thought this should be a little more "proper" but no more. that's it. i'm done.)

so you know about the book discussion group, and that's been great! we have had a great time getting to know each other and learning about ourselves, our insecurities (or not) and also how to be more compassionate when others are dealing with insecurities. we will continue meeting on monday evenings until the first of the year, and it's been a blessing! i am so thankful for this group of women, willing to open up, risk, and share.

in other news, i've also been doing some crafts. they just make me happy, and i have decided that i need to do them on a more consistent basis. one of the things that i recently completed is these:

 aren't they just the best? there is a new little one expected in a month in my brother's family, and i thought that these might be a perfect "welcome to the world, but it's winter here in michigan gift" for the little one....

 yesterday and early this morning i was busy baking  a pile o'gingerbread for our annual tradition! every year since the twins were in preschool we have made gingerbread houses together using the pampered chef stone gingerbread molds! some years i haven't baked a single cookie, but come thick or thin, single parent, planning a wedding in 2 weeks, or planning to move on december 23rd, we've made these houses each year! i don't know that we've had *exactly* the same group any 2 years in a row, but most years our friends, john, barb, rachel and jacob have done them with us...usually followed up by a great game of charades. we have had other family join us, friends, cousins, a variety of boyfriends (not mine or barb's...), and it is always so much fun and a great big mess with sprinkles to be found on the floor well into the new year!

this year, (yesterday) the original mold that i have used since our very first year, broke as it slipped out of my hands when it was hot. truth be told, at the exact moment it was happening, i was more concerned about having to mix up more gingerbread than the mold itself.

but, the good news is that i had over the summer purchased an extra mold, so that was fortuitous.  since you have to bake in the mold twice to get one house, it is quite a time-rich project....so i thought that i would speed it up by having an extra house mold. what i quickly realized is that each house only has 1 chimney, and since this mold broke down the chimney, i could still accomplish that goal. it's all good, and this mold still has many years ahead, i'm sure!

i've also recently taken up directing the Christmas (can't NOT capitalize Christmas!) choir at our church since our other wonderful director retired from that position several months ago. i figured that i could retrieve that skill from, oh, about 14 years ago and do it in the short term...we shall see.

i'm also serving on a task force for our church/school to help work through a few little difficulties around vision and mission.

oh, and the praise team.

yeah. and my job that is reaching one of it's most busy times since june...

right.

so, last week i worked 47 hours at the office, and had something every night of the week at 7 pm. that and sharing a car with my better half...

it's all good, right? i know that...but it leaves me longing for moments of boredom, or only a moment to sit and write here.

so, in my lack of posting, know (again) that i love doing this, but life is filled to the tippy-top right now with things that i love.

so, now i sign off with a half made meatloaf for dinner, and max's hair to clean up in prep for book discussion tomorrow night...and looking longingly at the fabric on my shelf waiting to be made into more Christmas gifts...sigh...

blessings my friends! may you be *almost, but not quite* as blessed with good things to do as i am...
~kimberly

missing this...

i know that i haven't posted much recently...it is certainly not out of lack of desire to do so! i want to do this every day! however, i have successfully managed, in recent weeks, to fill every available moment with one of several things:
1) work
2) ministry (and not THIS ministry)
3) making Christmas gifts
4) family (but that's been slim to none, too....

right now (oh, by the way? giving up on capitalization here...i did it in emails before it was popular many years ago, but have always thought i should be more "proper" here. there's no time for proper.....) i am swamped at work, and that's until the end of the year. also, my church family has some needs that i am particularly gifted for, so "for such a time as this..." keeps coming to mind...and i have stepped up, as i hope you will do when your church family needs you.

that said, my days are full and my afternoons/evenings are as full or fuller. it's necessary right now, and all good, but i miss this!

i was so encouraged this morning to be able to speak at another mom's group. that and this is what i love. i'm not sure why i can't spend more time doing that sort of ministry right now, but God knows. i do it as much as i can, and that must be enough.


so, i have taken photos, but not uploaded them...done some crafts for Christmas gifts, but not shared them. i'm so sorry. i love those of you that follow, and those of you that choose to ignore your laundry to read up once in awhile. this is what i am so excited about right now. i will be back in more regular fashion, but it's going to be hit or miss for awhile.

what i won't give up despite the craziness is my morning devotions and workouts. nor my date nights with my hubby on wednesdays if we can squeeze it in (not much lately)...so right now, this is the thing that is not getting my attention. bear with me...

have a great night, week, and *hopefully* not month, before i catch up again...
blessings, my friends.
kimberly