Friday, December 25, 2009

Traditions

We are finally coming into our own with our Peterson Christmas traditions.  It is so fun to finally figure out what our "thing" is.


It all starts with Thanksgiving morning.  We put our tree up.  Isn't it neat how a dark room and a lit tree just seem to make everything magic?  I have really enjoyed the twinkles and green and excitement in our home for the last month.  Christmas is a special, special day.




A week after Thanksgiving we host our annual Christmas Open House where we seem to average about 60 people coming into our home and we hope we do a good job of entertaining and blessing them.  Though, we surely are the ones most blessed by it.  It is so great having friends and family in our home.


Sweet Cranberry Meatballs
(Fix-It and Forget-It)


50 meatballs, about 1 1/2 lbs.
1 cup brown gravy
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 T heavy cream
2 t Dijon mustard


  1. Put meatballs in slow cooker.
  2. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Pour over meatballs.
  3. Cover & cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 5-6 hours.

This Christmas has been busy with dance performances.  I think we had 5 in all.  The last of which was last night (Christmas Eve) at our church.  I simmered the turkey soup most of the day.  We ate around 4:30.  Turkey soup became a tradition after my Grandma who was sick with cancer was just too tired to go out or do anything too strenuous for Christmas, so she boiled the Thanksgiving bird and made soup.  This is our 2nd year doing it on our own and it is definitely something we will continue.  Our church held the Christmas Eve candlelight service at 7 and then we came home for malts (a tradition started by my great-grandfather).


Today, we were up early.  Grammy came over and we opened presents (one at a time so everyone can enjoy and it lasts just that much longer).  We will head up the mountain here in a bit for lunch/dinner.  We really appreciate not having to cook on Christmas Day.  No dishes to do either!


And we get the Charger game today!  This is the best Christmas ever! LOL!


One thing I will add next year...a hunt for the letters that spell JESUS which will be hidden in the tree and must be found before present-opening.  After all, Jesus is totally the best gift ever!


A happy Jesus birthday to you!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

"This is what I really wanted!! Thank you, Michael Bitner!"

I am typically a Christmas-day-only gift opener.  But, our dear friend, Michael Bitner, is in town and has to leave tomorrow so the boys got to open their gifts from him today.  What a treat!  They are so content that I imagine no other gift will compare.  Though we will surprise them with a couple of items under the tree.  However, "cowboy guns" were at the top of the list.  So, two happy boys have we!!!


Yes, those are targets on my linen closet.  LOL!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

George Washington resources?

Hello!  
Did anyone see Glenn Beck yesterday?!! He themed his whole show on heroes and stories. It was fantastic!  

Our family spent a good portion of this summer falling in love with George Washington and making him our hero. Glenn's show inspired me to continue to study the character of this wonderful hero.
 
Some resources that I have appreciated are:  
  • Nest DVD about George Washington
  • George Washington: America's Patriot by Renee Taft Meloche
  • the book Big George: How A Shy Boy Became President of the United States by Ann Rockwell (be mindful of the de-emphasis of God's protection over Washington on the pages following the crossing of the Delaware, and the slight hint of feminism on the back page note. I mean, really, Washington was 6'3", an easy target in battle, yet was never wounded. This is not "luck" or "coincidence". In one battle alone-2 horses shot out from underneath him, a bullet hole in his hat and 4 in his coat. Please...let's give credit where credit is due. God divinely protected George Washington over and over again.)
  • visiting Mt. Vernon
  • Drive Thru History (American Revolution references).  
But, there must be some more wonderful resources I haven't found. Do any of you recommend resources that are true and accurate about George Washington? I see books about Washington everywhere but hesitate to pick them up because I don't want to read a watered-down version of the greatest man who ever walked the beautiful USA.  

I look forward to hearing your suggestions.  
Merry Christmas!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Soccer

We have been spending our Saturday mornings for the last couple of months playing soccer.  This is Brandon's 2nd year and Si's 1st.  Brandon has become very courageous and Silas is, of course, very enthusiastic.

Go Tigers, or Bobcats, or Bananas, or whatever the boys are calling their team this week!

Christmas cookies

Mom told Brandon a story:
My Grandmother made Gingerbread men every Christmas and would put them in a container in the freezer.  She was saving them for a Christmas party.  The day of the party she went to get the gingerbread out of the freezer and there were only 2 cookies left.  My uncle had been steadily eating them all.
Brandon's response?  "Bad boy!"
Love you, Uncle Troy!!!!  I have a feeling that will happen to me one year.  Haha!!

Silas slathering and sprinkling exhaustively his gingerbread man.

Brandon cleaning the spoon.