Frosting, and sprinkles and sugar....OH MY!

Cookies, cookies, and more cookies. Tuesday night we all gathered around the kitchen island for our annual sugar cookie cutting evening....Christmas trees, snowman, stars and bells....the cookie cutters scattered about, big and little hands taste testing the dough and flour falling like soft snow all around.....memories created, overdoes of laughter, messy hands and one tired mom. (and dad!) 

Phew.....step one done....60+ sugar cookie cut-outs baked and ready to be adorned.

Adorned we did last night. 

Frosting colored and pushed into decorating bags, pans laid out, sprinkles lined up....the troops were called in and the decorating in full swing. 

One, two, three.....we're off....

Faith figuring out how this thing works, intently creating a masterpiece.

Jeddy, all smiles.

Mom (who lives in an attached in-law apartment), joined in on the action. 

"Oh, I can't wait to eat this masterpiece!"

Luke, adding the star on top. 

And Ben, well, this just shows you are never too old for decorating cookies.....or look closely at his pan.....
never too old to have fun with the sprinkles. 

Frosting covered hands....in on the mess.....so thankful for these Christmas moments.   The mess all worth it! 

Fun. 

Seth's creation.....not one of his finest. 

And Jed, his creativity with the stars. 

The finished product. 

As quickly as they came, they left.....and my dear, sweet, precious husband who appointed himself the clean-up crew.


Ahhh, life is good.

Enjoy each moment for they all count!

Today, we had a few extra children over for playdates. Somehow throughout the day those 60+ cookies dwindled down to about 15 or so....that's what happens when you have a house of growing boys mixed in with friends. (who are also growing boys!)

Mental note for next year.....hide the cookies. :)

Hoping you are making many special Christmas memories.

Much love,
Stacy

Preschool Christmas Show - Another First for us

Friday night was a proud moment for this momma....as you may know, the Preschool scene has been among the many "new" things that this past year has been wrapped in for us. In early October, Faith began attending a local Christian preschool 3 days a week. She is the first one in our Davis clan to attend Preschool.....call it cancer, call it a girl, call it "this momma needed a little break...." I'm calling it divine intervention.  The experience has been nothing but spectacular for all of us.

Her teachers are an extension of God's heart to these precious and tender souls. The preschool director has blessed our family in more ways than I can express. And my little Faithy girl grins from ear to ear each preschool day. No separation anxiety in her little personality. No "bad" habits/attitudes coming home from preschool. Nothing but pure excitement and smiles...as she soaks up God's Word, learns her days of the week and ABC's, gets to be crafty (of which I'm not!), plays, and sings to her heart's content.

Friday night, we attended her Preschool Christmas Program. It was both divine and filled with the melodious voices of preschoolers pouring out their hearts in song to Jesus. It was the "first" Christmas program I've attended and there was much anticipation. Not just because Faith stood among her classmates singing and sharing the story of Christ's birth, but because she had been asked to sing a duet with another preschooler that evening. 

My Faithy girl doesn't really have a shy bone in her body. At times, she is a bit bold. We are working on the "quick to listen and slow to speak" verse....as sometimes she can be a bit too forthright with adults and her mind comes pouring out through her mouth. This I think she might get from me. The joys of parenting as we see in our children what really first lies within us....and God uses our children to train our hearts as we are training theirs. :)

I digress.

Anyway, after weeks of practicing the song at home, Friday night was showtime. And she stood before that microphone and sang to Jesus and each one of us. My heart was full and tears stung my eyes. The evening was a gift in so many ways.

After the performance, as people came up to her and bid her well wishes and congratulations....some asked if she was nervous, to which she replied, "Nervous? Not at all." Again....she speaks her mind freely.

May you enjoy her singing "Let There Be Peace on Earth." And as Jesus is peace, may we share Him freely, lovingly and boldly this Christmas season and may we live each moment to its fullest!

(don't forget to pause the song playlist at the bottom of my blog before listening. 

Faith is on the left in the white and black polka dots.)

Much love and peace to each of you,

Stacy

It's been a long week....

Today was beautiful.

I'm not speaking of the weather. That too, was beautiful.  From frigid 30's for the past week to the 50's today. Yes, the air lost its bite and a warmth was replaced.

But today was beautiful for other reasons.

Today, 120 women gathered at our church celebrating our Savior at our Women's Christmas luncheon. Breaking bread together. Worshipping together. Fellowshipping together joined by the common thread of Jesus Christ our Lord...sisters in Christ.

And God was there. His Spirit was felt in such a tangible way as He moved through the hearts of the women, especially mine.  As He spoke through the woman sharing the message from Isaiah 9:6:

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called 

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Speaking Truth, speaking love, speaking of prophecy and fulfillment, speaking of the gift of salvation and the greatest gift giver, all wrapped in one. Jesus Christ. Speaking of the character of Jesus. Who He is and what He's done for us.

That the focus of this season is not just a baby laying in a manager. That was Jesus's earthly entrance fully God and fully man. That day in Bethlehem was life changing. But Jesus came to do so much more. He walked among us fulfilling a purpose. Bestowing upon us a gift wrapped in more love than our minds can fathom...the giving of Himself.....and He suffered unjustly on the cross at Calvary for my sins and yours, died and rose again....alive today.....seated at God's right hand on the heavenly throne desiring a relationship with you and me.

From the manager, to the cross, to the throne.

May we celebrate Him this Christmas season. May we get to know more of His heart. More of His thoughts. More of His ways. May we focus on the gift giver. Thanking Him and loving Him, giving more to Him than to any other. He is the greatest gift giver.

He is Wonderful. The great Counselor. Mighty God and Everlasting Father. The Prince of Peace.

He is worthy.

Do you know Him? May we all seek Him this Christmas season.

It was a beautiful ending to a long week and so humbling and fulfilling seeing God bring 6 months of prayer and preparation to fulfillment, as He allows me to oversee our church's Women's Ministry. What a privilege.

On another note....

I'm sorry I've been away for the last week or so.  After chemo, I retreated to my bed for a few days. Bone pain descended. Fatigue took over. But God gave respite even in the midst of this last recovery, allowing me to attend a much anticipated wedding and also make it to church last Sunday.  Each day I fell into bed quickly thereafter, but was thankful to make it out. By Tuesday, I was back on my feet feeling restored once again and chemo a thing of my past.

In the midst of final luncheon preparations this past week, I had my first radiation oncology appointment on Wednesday. Bible Study Thursday morning and then that afternoon, I had two moles removed in an outpatient procedure. Friday set up for the luncheon and then ahh.....rest right now.

It has been a long week. I hope to share more about my appointment this week, as God moved mountains once again and spoke so intimately to my heart the morning of my radiation appointment. And then Satan, as is His way, tried to wreak havoc on my mind on Thursday following my procedure. He surely doesn't want me walking in Christ's victory, or entering Christ's rest. And He ramped things up on Thursday after my plastic surgeon informed me he is a little worried about the mole taken off my back.

So we wait for pathology to come back this week. And as I wait, I will rest in the Lord and His goodness because again.....He is Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

I don't have to understand why things happen as they do, but I trust in a God who does and who holds me in His righteous right hand.

That is where I am resting tonight. I pray you are too!

Much love,
Stacy

PS...A huge thank you to my sweet blogging sister in the Lord, Lisa. I came to post tonight and saw all your precious comments, quickly learning that Lisa had shared my story of God's Victory on her blog. I was humbled beyond words. My heart was touched by each one of you. Thank you for praying me through this breast cancer journey. I hope to stop by and say hi to each of you.

And lastly....yes, I will stop here......8 years ago today, my precious boy, Joshua, went home to be with the Lord. Hard to believe it has been 8 years. In many ways it seems like yesterday and in others....it seems like forever. He is being remembered today. A precious gift to our family in so many ways. Again, God set forth the perfect day, a day my mind was on Him and all that He has done. God gives and takes away....blessed be the Lord.

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:7