Christmas Wrap Up . . .

Notice the " " around Santa? 

Someone in this house is in that transition time.

She'd really love for there to be a Santa I'm pretty sure.

But she's pretty sure there isn't.

But...just pretty sure.

(-:

 I relocated the Christmas Tree this year.

Our dining/kitchen area is actually a larger space than the living room so I pulled it on in after Livia's box fort left. I did like it in here this year. Next year I might just move my newly designed corner sitting area where the Christmas tree is and bring the tree into a corner of this dining/kitchen space.  We'll see. (-:

 Christmas Morning!

Love it that a water bottle can get a "Yes!" fist pump.

 Everyone needs a "yard of popcorn" when they're in college!

 New hockey coats are best tried on while holding one's hockey stick!

 Lara made an incredible Hollandaise sauce for poached eggs and bacon on a ciabatta square with smoked paprika!

 Still loving lego creations. 

Finished the 1,000+ pieces that morning!

No pics of Harrison this year. But his big box was the heaviest of the gifts filled with a 20lb weighted blanket, some cool smoked jerkies he likes and few other this and thats. 💜

 One of William's Christmas presents was a card from me, written inside was the commitment to finish painting his room. He picked out the paint and started it at the end of this past summer, did a little more mid-fall and then petered out.  I got 'er done while they were at SP's for the few days after Christmas. He's pumped to have new sheets, comforter cover and colors in his room that make him "feel grown up." (-:

You'd think I'd have the final room pics.

Yeah...woulda been nice, but...nope!

Hahaha.

2014 Christmas Memories

Find original full post here:

http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2014/12/merry-christmas.html

This sweet boy had to play hand chimes at one of our Christmas Eve services so I planned for us to go out to a fancy (for us) Italian restaurant near the church afterward.

💜💜💜💜

Not sure where William was or what the hand signs were for, but, Liv...Yes!

It's been five years now since this last time we were all together for Christmas as an intact family. We still haven't had a year yet without real hardships of fall out on one of the kids...

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

Praise Him!

For Unto Us a Child Is Born . . .

Christmas Day Evening at my house!

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Luke 2: 13-14

Messiah . . .

So, yes, many of my six readers (-: already know that I perform the Messiah every year. It really does get more and more meaningful each and every time too, really awesome. During Sunday's field trip to various cathedrals in Detroit and it's metro area, one of the decorated trees had the words that I sing in this movement of George Frideric Handel's masterpiece.

Take a listen here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS3vpAWW2Zc

You'll find my pictured text for the first time at 1:20.

(-:

 For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and his name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace

(Isaiah 9:5)

Here's another link with some information about the link and the piece itself. The edition we use has 47 movements (completely separate pieces that could stand alone on their own, well, like the one I posted up above). A different edition tallies 53 movements, but it could be because it counts some small recitatives as complete movements. Regardless, when we perform our edition, I believe we leave out just a couple movements but, with intermission, the entire performance is 3 hours long. This recording I'm about to post thought says 2:28:20...indicating to me that thee Sir Colin Davis has cut many a movement from the glorious work...hmmmm...enjoy nonetheless...I challenge you to do all 2:28! (-:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuGSOkYWfDQ

BUT WAIT . . .

BEFORE YOU GO . . . 

YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS MOVEMENT SUNG BY THE INCREDIBLE, AMAZING, UNBELIEVABLE

Jeanine De Bique

She was our soprano soloist this year (the link is not our performance) and though I'm not on Facebook, I heard that she RAVES about her experience with us. If you're on FB, check back to around the beginning of December to see if she glows about singing with my choir!

I have literally NEVER ever heard someone sing this movement with the speed and clarity that she does...and she sang all of her movements by memory!

What??!!

I wouldn't have wanted to be the other three soloists standing next to the one soloist who came uber prepared. (-:

LISTEN TO THIS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHQpeGzio4k

REJOICE GREATLY!

Decking the Halls . . . Heart, Mind, Spirit . . .

 What a gift today was.

I started it off at Historic Trinity Lutheran Church, downtown Detroit.

 Was blessed to be in the congregation for a baptism.

 Trust me that I of all people know the trappings are not "Christmas."

I am just as fed here as in the 20 pew Lutheran church down the road from me.

 But it was such a lovely Christmas, 4th Sunday in Advent, field trip  just the same.

 Is Luke right or is Luke right?

(-:

Then, after an hour down time to squeeze in some shopping at some Meijer somewhere that my phone took me to, I met my choir girlfriends for lunch in Grosse Pointe where I had a...Maurice Salad!! They even called it..."Our interpretation of the J.L.Hudson Maurice Salad." What fun that was. I grew up, in my younger growing up years, going downtown to Hudson's with my mom and having a Maurice Salad up in the Hudson's restaurant. And, believe it or not...they also had a Saunders hot fudge cream puff...which, my grandma used to take me to get at a Saunders ice cream shop somewhere. Wonderful food flashback day!

But, why were we in Grosse Pointe?

 Lessons & Carols at Christ Church Grosse Pointe of course!

Our choir conductor is the Music Director here so we decided to make a trip of it. I figured I'd make my own bigger trip of it by doing church in Detroit first.

 No, it's not about the trappings, the cathedrals, the stones and bricks, the decorations, the choirs and all the rest, it's about the scriptures read and sung, God's Word, God's Truths for us. The telling of the birth of Christ, the singing of the birth of Christ, the praying and gratitude given of the birth of Christ. Today, I experienced them in larger, fancier buildings with well practiced and glorious sounding musicians. It was really beautiful!

But, my friends, the Gift remains the same as if I'd heard it in a lowly stable now doesn't it. 💜

My friends, see how I am cared for. A mom who doesn't get to spend every Sunday in worship with her own children?  Yes, even after four years I find that truth an abomination. How can it not be, it's not God's intention. But, I don't puff around bitter, angry, dwelling on the injustice of it all, I find my peace in Christ and my days get filled by Him.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Decking the Halls . . . outside . . .

 Was I thrilled or was I thrilled when I saw yet another sign for the shed wall!

Whoo-hoo!

 Outside the garage entry.

Some day I can not WAIT to get this house painted...or even better...resided...but in all realities, likely painted...some day! (-:

Front garage garden wall. 

I love that over the years I've managed to find three seasons of these crosses.

 Front Door

I think I realized it looks sideways since this picture and have turned it.

Oh, brother!

Hahaha!

 The Merry Christmas one will be out soon.

I have them timed out.

.......

Wait a sec, I usually have the Merry Christmas one out all December and this one pops out at the turn of the New Year. Whoa...I'll get on that tomorrow!!! Oy...

Awwww...

💚💚💚💚💚

Got some small, white light Christmas trees up in the front garden this week as well, Livia has been mortified that we haven't had any lights up outside. That's one thing I've just never tackled, hanging Christmas lights. Did manage to get an outlet put in the garage garden wall this summer to light up that area, but hanging from gutters and such, nope, a little out of my duct tape league!

(-:

Around the house on Thanksgiving . . .

 William - 2017

On my "new" desk

(http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2019/10/a-little-this-and-that.html)

 On the Wall

 On the bow window ledge

Thee bow window ledge that just had two of the bow windows replaced for free because 20 years ago, when we lived here the first time, we bought windows with a lifetime guarantee...They were already fogging up between the panes of glass when we moved back in 2016, and after years of trying to remember who we bought them from, and it not being very high on my priority list, I finally placed a call to Wallside Windows a month ago and, Bamm...she had me on file! You wanna know how thrilling and satisfying that was to move back to the house all these years later and call in my "lifetime guarantee??!!" Not only that...lo and behold, I noticed the door wall sliding door has condensation between the panes..."Oh, hellloooo there, Wallside??" (-:

 On the side of the shed

 It looked soooo much bigger in the store, 

before it got swallowed up by the side of my shed,

but that's where I bought it for and that's where it'll stay,

for now . . . (-:

 On the garage garden wall

Hanging around outside my kitchen window eating from the sunflower

http://pierceadventures.blogspot.com/2019/08/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-other.html

In my belly

Oh my goodness people, if you are ever called to make a pumpkin cheesecake.

This.

Is.

It.

Thee End.

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pumpkin-cheesecake-with-gingersnap-crust-and-caramel-sauce.html

1 Chronicles 16:34

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!

God is a God who fights for His people . . .

        Habakkuk Rejoices in the Lord

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

    nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

    and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

    and there be no herd in the stalls,

 

yet I will rejoice in the Lord;

    I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

 

God, the Lord, is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the deer's;

    he makes me tread on my high places.

To the choirmaster: with stringed[d] instruments.

3:17-19

I can tell you this, that you do have a reason to rejoice, because God has revealed himself to you and that he's fought for you, just look in the scriptures, open up your bible and see that God has revealed himself to you, and that in the scriptures we see God's character and his character towards you and that is an attitude of love, enough to send His son Jesus into the world to die on the cross for you, God has revealed himself to you in Jesus, God has fought for you and we see this in Jesus as he dies on a cross, we see this as his blood is poured out, that as his blood is poured out he is fighting for your forgiveness. So that at the end of the day you might stand before God as a forgiven loved child of God. We see this as Jesus descends into Hell crushing satan. That at the end of the day you have victory over the devil. We see this as Jesus is raised from the dead, that at the end of the day you will have life in Jesus. God has revealed himself to you and has fought for you.

Vicar Kevin Dykstra, ULC - Sermon on Joy 2018

Habakkuk 3:1-6, 16-19

11/20 . . . 11/20 . . . 11/20 . . .

 10!

 Magical Molten Lava Cake.

https://food52.com/recipes/75935-magical-molten-chocolate-cake

 Sparkler candles melt and fall over in magical molten lava cakes!

 And they also relight!

Had no idea and turned out to be pretty hilarious.

Had cake and ice cream with family on Sunday, still looking for a good time to get a gaggle of 10 year old girls together for some birthday fun!

Found 52 minutes this evening between teaching and heading back to school for the kids' fall concert, for dinner with our other 11/20 birthday from the pic above along with G-ma and Aunt K at one of our favorite middle eastern restaurants. This gal asked for a big ol' art set this year, she also asked for electronic gadgets and such but considering I still have a newspaper subscription and a record player...it was pretty much a no brainer that the non-electronic item on the list of hopes and dreams would be arriving. (-:

First band concert ever.

She also sang in the 5th/6th grade choir.

It was glorious!

 This cool kid was right with us all along.

He's in his last year of band concerts here and never joined choir!

 And as the night wound down, Liv got to work putting out sample pages of all the different colors of the various mediums (?? right word??) in her set...the water colors, colored pencils, pastels, etc.

A Blessed Day for sure!