Polar Express 2024

Hey everyone!

How are you doing? We are doing great… I had to take a couple of days to recuperate from the Polar Express Party. It was so much fun but it did take a lot out of me… I ended up with a migraine that night and spent the next two days in bed with a dreaded FIBRO FLARE but it was worth it… everyone seemed to have a great time.

I didn’t get as many pictures as I should have as I was too busy taking it all in… the smiles, the laughter, and just the blessing of being surrounded by friends and family.

We made some Fudge and Sourdough for gifts plus we still had some things left over from the baby shower and wedding earlier this year so those were given as gifts as well… the kids got lots of little toys and some cocoa and popcorn for their own movie night plus some really cute cups that I found at Dollar Tree…

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Special Holiday Meals: Creating a Meaningful Bethlehem Dinner Tradition

Hi friends!

I’ve really been trying to spend more time this year on incorporating new traditions into our lives that will help us bring more focus back to GOD and to JESUS, especially during this time of year. I haven’t been great about posting all of the things we’ve been doing but I do try to give an overview of what we’ve been up to. One thing we want to try this year is a ‘Bethlehem Dinner’. I have also found similar meals labeled ‘Shepherd’s Night’.

Holy Days vs Holidays

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Delicious Homemade Treats to Gift This Holiday

Do you have a limited budget? Or maybe you want to give gifts, but you aren’t sure what to give?

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We love gifting foods for Christmas as everyone loves food… some are special treats that we only make this time of year so that makes them extra nice to give. We made several treats for our 2024 Polar Express Party and many of them were made as gifts to take home and enjoy… they are always a HIT!

Here are some of our favorite gifts to give (and receive):

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Rainbows after the storm

I started writing this post in January 2019 but LIFE happened and somehow it got left unpublished. A lot has happened since then and I have updated at the end… so be sure to read all the way through! It is now February 2024 and I am working on getting this published for Pregnancy Loss Awareness Day later this year. I trust that God had a reason for letting me ‘LOSE’ track of this and I PRAY that this helps someone.


Many of you have probably heard the term ‘Rainbow Baby’ and you probably already know that these are babies born after a miscarriage. Well, I consider both of my youngest to be Rainbow Babies as I had four very difficult pregnancies that ended in miscarriages before they were born. Not only that I had already been told that, because of some other female issues, my chances of carrying another baby to term were very slim… and I had completely given up on the idea of any additions to our family.

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Ultimate Holiday Planning: A 12 Week Strategy

Here are some posts that I put together last year about Getting Ready for the Holidays, maybe they can help you have a less stressful holiday season this year. I will update posts as I change things but they may give you a starting point.

You can also print out the Event Planning Guide or the Planning Notebook under the Printable Library Tab to help you get started with your plans!

Getting Ready for the Holidays Weeks 1 & 2

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 3

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 4

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 5 – The Week Before Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 6 – The Week of Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 7 – The Week After Thanksgiving

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 8 – 3 Weeks Before Christmas (St. Nicholas Day)

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 9 – 2 Weeks Before Christmas (Polar Express)

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 10 – Week Before Christmas

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 11 – Week of Christmas

Getting Ready for the Holidays Week 12 – Week after Christmas (New Year’s Day)

You may also find a printable grocery list handy:

Weekly Meal Planning and Grocery List Printable