Our First Christmas in North Dakota

Yesterday morning was an early and very busy morning.  I kept waking up, for various reasons, and finally decided about 2:35 a.m. it was time to get up and get moving because there was plenty to do.  I still had to make sure the newspaper got delivered & the weather outside was challenging. 

So, you have to understand a general rule of the Jackson house on Christmas morning, I know, you can't have rules on Christmas morning, but one year when the kids woke us up shortly after we had tucked ourselves into bed, we decided it was in everyone's best interest to set a rule.  The rule  . . .  can not get up or wake Mom & Dad before 5:30 a.m. to open presents.

Well, when I arrived home around 5:30 ALL the kids were up waiting to open presents.  Evidently, Mackenzie had woke up the other two and made them wait with her.  So, after a quick change of clothes the present opening began . . .

Keep in mind, the kids had had plenty of time to scope out their gifts and try to figure out what was under the tree and they had already gone through their stockings.  There were also plenty to open since they had gifts from Santa, Mom & Dad, and Grandma & Grandpa Jackson.

They started with their presents from Santa . . .

Here are just a few of their expressions and favorite gifts they opened . . .

Mackenzie had guessed it was the modeling clay & she soooooo wanted the Littlest Pet Shop Adoption Center!!  Great Job, Santa!

Can you tell he was sooooo excited??

Cassie loves horses, so Santa got her a set of horse head bookends and this cool chalkboard to put up in her room - if she ever gets her walls!!  Well, as she gets older I'm sure Santa has a hard time figuring out what to get her.  BUT - he hit the jackpot this year when he gave her the Wii Tony Hawk Ride game.  She loves skateboarding and this is very realistic.  She loves it!!

Santa got the Jackson Jrs. a few gifts for sharing, too.

Now they got to open their gift from us, Mom & Dad.  We try to get them something that they really will get lots of use out of.  Sometimes it takes a while to figure out what the perfect gift is, but this year, as with years past, I think everyone was delightfully pleased.

Mackenzie got a craft caddy to hold all her craft supplies - she got a huge box of supplies.  Cassie got tools, supplies, and a Hobby Lobby gift card to start making bottle cap jewelry.  Well, Zack was a little trickier, well not really, we just had to make it harder for him to figure out what his gift was since he likes to shake them and tell us it's Legos, or K'Nex or Bionicles.  He did get Lego Star Wars Republic Attack Cruiser (which has 1,170 Lego pieces), but I knew he'd shake it, so I opened it and took out all the pieces and filled it with styrofoam peanuts.  And yes he guessed it was Legos, and my response was, "There is not one Lego in that box."  I did not lie.

Then they opened their gifts from Grandma Karen & Grandpa Doug.

No complaints here.  They had a wonderful Christmas.  We just miss our family!!

Christmas Eve Traditon

Over the years, we have lived away from my family, so it is our tradition for the kids to open gifts from the Schmitt side on Christmas Eve.  When my parents visited for Thanksgiving, they brought with them a tote full of gifts for the grandkids - so we hid them in the house, and then the day after Zack's birthday they were the first gifts placed under our tree.

The difference last night, our first Christmas Eve in North Dakota, was we won't be with any of our family on Christmas.  So, the kids TRIED to reason and get to open all the gifts from all their grandparents, aunts, and uncles.  Well, at first we were just like "NO, the tradition is just the Schmitt gifts."  Well, driving home last night, we took a member to her house so she could get a spare key (she had locked her keys in her van at church) and we were discussing the gift situation.  Of course, she sided with the kids - they REALLY love her now, but truth be told I kind of wanted them to open some of the gifts last night so we wouldn't have such a mess on Christmas. 

So, they opened their gifts from Grandma Linda, Grandpa Tom, and Aunt Tiffany - the Schmitt side . . .

Cassie with her gifts from Grandma & Grandpa and her godmother Aunt Tiffany.

Cassie was excited about her Vera Bradley wallet. Earlier in the week, her gift from Aunt Tiffany arrive in a card and she kept trying to figure out what gift card was in there.  I kept telling her she would never guess in a million years, and sure enough when she opened it and found a Hobby Lobby gift card she was so excited because she wouldn't have ever guessed and it's a place where she can get some of her much needed art supplies.

Mackenzie and her stash from her grandparents.

Mackenzie was so excited to get another snow globe!!

Zack's pile.

Zack and a new lighthouse.

Well, after the kids opened their gifts from the Schmitts we sat and contemplated a little about what to do about all the other gifts.  We decided to let them open their gifts from our friends in Ohio, the DuMonds and their aunts and uncles from Jay's side of the family.  Then we rushed them to get cleaned up and get to bed so we could get ready for Santa's visit.  We were so rushed we forgot to put out the Buckeyes & milk and the letter to Santa that the kids do every year.  Cassie came out, about 5 min. after going to bed, and reminded us - so we got all the kids up so they could do their Santa thing and then get back to bed.

Christmas Eve Service at Peace Lutheran Church of Lincoln, North Dakota

Last night was our first Christmas Eve away from home and family, and it was Jay's first Christmas Eve service at Peace Lutheran Church.  It was a very nice evening.  The weather here has been very wintery.  Not as much snow, we probably only have about 4 in. total accumulation, but it is the winds.  So, we weren't sure what the turn out would be for the evening service.  Well, the weather or conditions weren't as harsh as they had forcasted so it was a great turn out for the service.

Over the last few years, the kids have sang the "Happy Birthday Jesus" song that was made popular by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.  They started singing the song at our home congregation, Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church, in Ohio with their cousins.  Well, last year they sang it at New Hope Lutheran Church in Adamsville, Ohio were Jay was serving as the vicar during his last two years of seminary. 

So, this year they sang it at Peace.  In the years past, they sang the song from the back of the church during communion.  Well, this year they stood in the front of the church and sang it after communion and while the lighting of the candles.  I know I'm their mother, so I have a biased opinion, but they did an AWESOME job!!  It makes me very proud to see them up their sharing their gifts with others. 

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas

from our house to yours!!

Love,

The Jackson Jrs.

One Last Round of Sweet Treats

Mackenzie wanted to make chocolate covered pretzels the other day and we never got around to it.  Well, I realized this morning we needed to make cookies or some kind of treat for Santa Clause's visit tonight.  First we thought about making the traditional chocolate chip cookies, but then I asked what about Buckeyes?!  Obviously what ever we made there would be plenty left for us to eat . . . everyone voted for Buckeyes.

So, Mackenzie and even Zack helped make Buckeyes to share with Santa . . .

I am so glad I found a simple recipe.  I have never made these before because some of the recipes I came across called for ingredients I didn't have.  We always look forward to my sister-in-law's Buckeyes, but I figured since we are in ND and she is in OH it was time for me to figure out how to make them.  YEAH . . . now we don't have to wait for someone to make them for us!! They may not be too pretty, but they sure do taste pretty yummy!!

After we were done making the Buckeyes, Mackenzie wanted to make chocolate covered pretzels. 

She had a fun time making them and it even brought back a fond memory of making them and chocolate covered strawberries at her friends', Lindy & Paige, house. 

North Dakota Winter . . . just the beginning

This is what we woke up to.  Actually, this morning was very challenging delivering the newspaper.  At four in the morning, the roads are lacking the needed attention they need when the wind is blowing 3-4 inches of light powdery snow with 15-20 mph winds.  We did notice some plows going through the main roads of Lincoln around 5:00 a.m. 

I don't think we got anymore snow overnight; however, the snow we did have has been replaced every where.  The drifts resemble sand dunes.  They are pretty to look at, but they are quite challenging to drive through.  This morning when we let Chloe out for her morning business, she stepped off the front porch into a huge drift.  I don't think she liked it either.  Matter of fact, as she walked to the side of the house to make her way down to the back yard she found herself in a deeper drift.  So, she never made it to the back yard because you could tell she wasn't too thrilled about the depth of the snow. 

We are currently under some kind of winter storm and blizzard warning till Saturday.  They had said we might get two more inches of fresh snow through out the day and then another two inches over night tonight with 30 mph winds.  That will definitely make deliverying the paper in the morning very very challenging!!

Oh yeah, we've been told this is nothing yet.  It is just the beginning!!  Apparently, January is the month of high winds, you know 40 to 50 mph winds.  It isn't as much about the quantity of snow as it is about how cold it gets and how windy during the winter months here.

Homesick Holiday

Look how nice the tree looks. We have been blessed with gifts from my family, Jay's family, and the DuMonds. Throughout the week, boxes have arrived through the postal system, UPS, and Fed Ex. Fed Ex has been here twice to make a delivery for my brother-in-law.  The kids asked for the wireless drum set for the Wii.  Well, their aunt and uncle got it for them (YEAH - thank you), BUT we forgot to tell them to get the set for Guitar Hero not Rock Band 2.  So, Jay took it back to Wal-Mart and they reordered the set.  Unfortunately, the second set arrived yesterday and it too was for Rock Band 2.  So, Jay has returned it and we hope we can find the wireless set for Wii Guitar Hero after Christmas.  So, the kids already know what they're getting from them. 

The UPS driver just delivered four large boxes from Ohio.

So we opened them up and put the presents under the tree . . .

  The tree looks so nice with all those presents under there.  The only problem is . . . with that many presents under our tree, that means there are that many individuals we will not be with this holiday season.  I really haven't thought about it much.  I just figured it would be just another Christmas even though we are in North Dakota and not with our family.

I mean we have each other - what else do we need???

To my surprise, when we opened up the boxes from Grandma & Grandpa Jackson, inside we found . . .

. . . our stockings!!  She sent a little bit of home to us.  You see, Karen has made each and everyone of the family members a stocking that is unique to them.  In the picture you have Jay- Dallas Cowboys, Me - Mickey (back side) & Minnie Mouse; Cassie - Christmas theme, Zack - trains, and Mackenzie - angels.   I have to say it made me cry when I saw them, and that is when I realized how much I will miss being home with family this Christmas. Thank you, Karen for sending the stockings, oh and the others gifts, too.  But the stockings mean a lot!!  We will definitely return them so you can fill them again next year. 

Our Advent Calendar

Well, we never really have spent the days counting down till Christmas.  But this year I found this and thought maybe the kids, especially Zack and maybe Mackenzie, would enjoy this Lego Advent calendar.  All three are actually taking part in building each daily trinket. I should have kept track of what was built on what day so I can put them back for future years.

Holiday Baking

Over the past few years, I have taken up the holiday baking.  I like to make all kinds of goodies to share with family, friends, neighbors, the mail carrier (who is a dear friend), the UPS driver (we miss our friendly driver - even if we didn't have a delivery he always honked when he passed the house!), and Rick (he delivered all those materials to our house that we delivered every weekend).  Last year, I really made a lot of goodies, even home made chocolate covered cherries, because we went home, were my roots began, to Missouri for the annual Moser Christmas Party. 

Well, this year I'm not baking as much.  We don't know our mail carrier, I haven't gotten to know the UPS or FED EX drivers, family is too far away, friends are few right now - still trying to get to know people, and we know the neighbors, but we don't KNOW the neighbors.  Hopefully next year we will have more people - friends and neighbors - to bake for. 

We are participating in a cookie exchange at our church this Sunday, so Mackenzie and I started (and finished) baking yesterday.  First we started out making these cute, well they looked cuter in the magazine than what ours turned out, candy cane almond cookies.  Then while she had some down time and played the Wii with Zack, I made mint chocolate truffle cake balls and buckeyes.  Last night we finished up by making mini pecan tarts.  Doesn't she look so cute in her apron and hat!!

I am looking forward to our cookie exchange.  I always love trying others baking delights.

A Personal Blog

Well, after many years I have decided to open up and talk about a very personal journey.  One might ask what has prompted this. There are always triggers that take us back and I don't think we will ever forget, but I am hoping as the years continue to pass that the memories won't be as heart breaking for me. 

The most recent trigger or triggers were a diagnosis last week and also finding out a friend (I hope I can call her that) is expecting.  I am very happy for her and her family, but with her new found pregnancy, as with each friend or family member's announcement of such a blessing, I am reminded how desperately I would love to have another and have not been able to and then the ones we have lost over the years.

So, I open my family's journey to you and I am hoping to find therapy or closure in sharing.