The best Christmas ever.

I hope you had a happy Christmas! Our kids said this was the best Christmas ever, but I am pretty sure they say that every year. Here are a few shots I captured throughout our day:

We are settling in to another week without school. The basement is knee deep in legos and I'm just not going to worry about it yet.

Have a happy New Year!

Look to the Light

Well, I'm signing off for the season. I don't want to miss a moment of this special time of year, so I'm going to cozy up at home with my little family.

If you have a few minutes, the video below is a good reminder that this Christmas season is about the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the light He brought into the world. I may not have been in the dire circumstances of the people pictured, but my testimony of Him and His mission is no less intense. I know that if I look to the Savior, if I follow Him, then I will be happy.

Merry Christmas, friends!

Caramel Layer Cocoa Squares

When I was little, and my parents wanted to go on vacation without dragging their six children along, they would leave us in the care of the Masters. Greg and Melinda Masters were the most fun.

My sister and I would beg Melinda to make her famous Caramel Layer Cocoa Squares, and she would always give in. They are still one of my most favorite treats. I make them once a year, always at Christmas. They are super rich, chewy and chocolatey, and just so delicious. You should make a batch, and then give them out to your neighbors immediately. Otherwise you will eat the whole pan. And trust me, one small square is all you need.

Caramel Layer Cocoa Squares

1 14 oz. package of caramels, unwrapped (or one bag of the caramel nibs)

1 german chocolate cake mix

1/3 cup + a couple tablespoons evaporated milk, divided

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup butter, melted

Combine the caramels and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until the caramels are melted. Set aside.

Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Or line the pan with greased foil to lift out later for easier cutting.

In a large bowl, combine the dry cake mix, melted butter, and a couple tablespoons of evaporated milk until the dough holds together. It should be like a thick cookie dough consistency. Press half (or a tiny bit more than half) of the dough into the pan. You might feel like there is not enough to cover the bottom of the pan, but keep pressing. It will get there, I promise. Reserve the rest for the topping.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the chocolate chips, drizzle with the melted caramel, and crumble the reserved cake mix over the top. Bake for 15-18 more minutes. Cool slightly, then refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. 

Enjoy!

Christmas house

We've been scaling things back here at home this year. We are trying hard to have less. (I think I need to write more about this another time.) When I got the Christmas decorations out a couple of weeks ago, I put up our favorites and immediately donated the rest. I'm not sure why I had been hanging onto some of those things, anyway. Getting rid of them felt so good. Keeping just our favorites makes for a simple, cozy Christmas, and that is my favorite kind.

I've been thinking about this virtual world we live in, and all of the blogging and pinning and comparing that comes with it. Here's what I think: No one really cares what you wear, or what you do, or how you decorate your house. So just be yourself. And wear what you like best. And do what feels right for you. And decorate your home so that you want to be there. Post pictures of it all somewhere if you want to. Or not.

Right?

Anyway, here is a cheery wreath, complete with mistletoe and our homey tree full of sentimental ornaments. Plus some presents! The kids have been so good about the presents. They rearrange them every once in a while, but so far no peeking. They are much more mature about it than I ever was at their age.

Some Christmas-related notes: 

Mike still does all of the Christmas shopping around here and it is probably the best gift he could ever give me. He is thoughtful and generous, all while staying within the confines of our budget. I'm not sure how he does it, but I am ever so grateful. I would be a total stress case if I was in charge. 

Every year I let my children pick out a new ornament. We label it with their name and the date, so someday when they leave our home for their own, they will have a box of ornaments to take with them. I always put up the lights and the red and gold strings that I inherited from my grandmother, but I let the kids do the rest. Uneven placement only lends the tree character, I think.

You can see my felt nativity advent there in the stairway. It is still my kids' favorite decoration, and opening each little box and putting up a new piece is the first thing that happens every morning. A nice reader, Jessica, made a template of my nativity a few years ago. You can find it and make your own here. 

I am gathering recipes for the treat plates we give to our neighbors, and I think these peppermint chocolate crackles just made the cut. I'm also thinking about including pumpkin bread (because, duh) and caramel layer cocoa squares. (I don't believe I've ever shared this recipe and that needs to be remedied asap.) Maybe gingerbread men, too? Sure!

December, so far

Sometimes after blogging every day in November, I need to take a break. But the itch to document my life here on my blog always comes back eventually. I hope you are having a happy December. Ours has been wonderful - busy, but really great. Here are the highlights:

We decorated the house and my parents came to town.

We made our first batch of freshly squeezed orange juice and Mabel performed with the East Valley Millennial Choir and Orchestra. It was a fantastic experience and a wonderful show.

(We highly recommend joining if you live in the East Valley, or Dallas, Texas or Orange County, California or Utah.)

Elliot accompanied me to my hair appointment and was thrilled about it (obviously)

and he spent lots of quality time with my dad on their various electronic devices.

(They read lots of books together and hugged on the couch plenty, too.)

We said so long to the Grand Wagoneer. She is off to her new life as a display model at a Jeep parts manufacturer in Georgia. 

Not pictured:

the school spelling bee, a new coop for the chickens, freezing temperatures,

and lots of delicious gingerbread men. 

How has your December been so far?