Sights of Christmas at the Suemnicht Home

Well, it is the day before Christmas Eve Day. You know what that means? COFFEE CAKE DAY!!!
Tyson's family has a tradition. I don't know how long it has been around, but every Christmas Eve the whole family would gather at Grandma's house after the Christmas Eve Church service. They would always have the same meal every year and exchange gifts and play cards and just enjoy being together. Then, at the end of the night, Grandma would send everyone home with a homemade coffee cake to have on Christmas Morning.

Many years ago, she decided that the family was too big and it was too difficult for her to make that many coffee cakes for Christmas in addition to everything else she had to do to get ready. We all understood, but were sad at the thought of the loss of this special and delicious  tradition. 

So, Tyson and I asked her to teach us how to make them so that we could carry on the tradition for her. She is such an amazing woman! Her husband died when he was 33 and leaving her to raise their 4 children on her own. She did an amazing job! I respect and admire her in so many ways and for so many reasons. It is such a joy and honor to have this tradition to carry on for her. 

It is a bit of work making all these coffee days, but I look forward to it and have so much fun. The years I was pregnant were the hardest years to get them, done, but I think we've only had to miss one year.  Anyway, here are some sights of coffee cake day in our kitchen...wish I could share the smell!! It is heavenly. 

Maybe someday I can do a Coffee Cake Tutorial :-) so that my brother and sister who currently live out of state can and can't always get home for Christmas Day will still be able to make their own coffee cakes. As you can see, my kitchen is JUST the right size for this undertaking. :)

 It takes every bit of counter space. We still have to make the sugar glaze to spread over the struessel...that is Tyson's job when all the cakes are cooked and cooled.
Wish I had one to share for every one of you!


^{Psalm 119:103} How sweet are your words to my taste,
   sweeter than honey to my mouth!

Sights of Christmas at the Suemnicht Home

Hanging on our coat closet door...because there is no where else to hang them :) are the stockings. This is the first year that I plan to actually fill the stockings. I don't know why I haven't, but now just seems right. I made these. I made the top two one of the first years we were married. I just made the bottom two in the last couple weeks. The star is for Lucy, our light. The tree is for Judah,our praise. The candy canes are for Mayme, our treasure. The ornaments are for Selah, our rest. I'm not going to explain them anymore than that. It makes sense to me. I don't know if it will make sense to others, but I don't want to ruin it by trying to stretch and elaborate. :-) Anyway, they are fun. Oh, yes, and that is Lucy's Nutcracker. She has always wanted one and we found this one on sale at the fabric store...I couldn't resist letting her get it. 

We have the simple Willow Tree Nativity set. I love nativities. I wish I had more places to set them up...maybe as the kids get older, I'll safely be able to start a little collection. :)
Oh, and please ignore the upside down doll in the background. Grandpa fixed Lucy's broken doll and set her there to dry...and I was in such a hurry to take some pictures while the kids were busy playing
 that I neglected to move it first. :-)

This is a new addition to our Christmas decorations this year. It is called a Jesse tree. We are very behind on it, but that is ok. I still plan to catch up and finish it. I've wanted to do something for Advent season for years with the kids, but never find something and always fail to start on time. This year, I happened to find this little "Jesse Tree" Devotional information...the day before it started! I was so excited. I don't know all the details of what a Jesse tree is because this is our first year and I just jumped right into it, but basically what we are doing is touching on main stories in the Bible starting in Genesis and leading up to Christ. I don't really use the suggested devotional readings, just the suggested scripture readings, and the picture ornaments that we color together and hang from our branch.

Isaiah 11:1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; 
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 

So, that night or the next day, when we started doing our Jesse Tree, I ran outside for a few minutes to find some sort of branch because it was suggested it should be used to display our "ornaments". Thankfully, it hadn't snowed yet and I was able to find a branch. Then I gathered some other dried grasses and flower heads from the yard. I also cut a piece off the Christmas Tree :) and used a red ribbon to tie it all together. I hung it above our piano and prayed that Tyson wouldn't mind. He is the one with the eye for decorating in our family. :-) I can decorate...his eye for it is just better than mine. Thankfully though he's taught me a lot and I've listened because when he came home, he was so excited and really liked my addition. Yeah! He would have been supportive of it though even if he didn't really care for it too. He's so sweet and would have understood the meaning and value of it as we go through this time of Advent with our children.

Well, that's all for now. More to come soon!

Sights of Christmas at the Suemnicht Home

I finally have a little bit of time to continue sharing how we are preparing our hearts for Christmas. So...as you enter our home, the next thing you'll notice is our tree. These aren't the best photos, but I tried. I love our Christmas tree. We wanted it to be simple and to remind us of why we celebrate Christmas. Tyson and I made this star out of lights, beads, and wire one of the first years we were together....because I surprised him with a huge tree in his apartment.

On our tree, we have simple burlap ribbon, wooden red beaded garland (that I found at Menards one year for very cheap), white crocheted snowflakes (which I made one year...before kids :-), and applesauce/cinnamon ornaments. I love these ornaments! They are so simple. We cut them out using shapes that remind us of Christmas too...a star, a cross, angels, trees, people. Hopefully the meanings behind those shapes are obvious to you, but as we put them up, it gives us a chance to talk with the kids and remind us all of what Christmas is all about...Christ coming to this earth ultimately to die on the cross for each of us. There is a little boy or girl ornament to represent each one of us in the family.

Jude wanted Daddy to put his cross ornament at the highest spot possible...it is just below our star at the top of the tree.

Oh yes, there are a few little silk poinsettia flowers too. That was Lucy's contribution one year. I had them scattered around the house and she thought they should be on the tree. :-)
I love seeing other families' trees too. There is something so magical and wonderful about a Christmas tree. It warms our hearts and stills our bodies. It draws us in and invites us to slow down and reflect and enjoy Christ and family. What does your tree look like?