A Bit of Christmas Cheer

Last Wednesday we attended the Nativity Display at the stake center by the Temple. This has become one of our family traditions to kick off the Christmas season. We like to strongly reinforce that the Christmas season is all about the birth of our Savior and the gift of his atoning sacrifice. Looking at the dozens of nativities collected and displayed at the stake center helped us to remind our children of this. We so appreciate all the work that it takes for this display to be available. In conjunction with the tradition of attending the Nativity display, we have also started a tradition where the first holiday decoration (aside from the lights on the outside of the house, which are preferably hung before the first big snow storm) that we display in our home is the Nativity. At the beginning of December we hold a special family night and have a lesson about the Nativity and then we put our figurines out. Not until the Nativity has had a few days to take center stage, are the rest of the decorations and the tree put up. From my last post you will see that yesterday we put out our Nativity. Tonight we will attend the First Presidency Devotional. I am excited to see and hopefully hear from our beloved Prophet.

Today in Relief Society we had a wonderful lesson about family traditions. The spirit was very strong and it was a beautiful message. Thanks Shelly and to all the sisters who shared in the lesson. I am grateful for the traditions that we have in our family and I hope that as my children grow up that they will carry some of them into their own families.

Now a little gift to you for reading my post: I attended a super fun Christmas party this weekend where we all exchanged goodies. I took my gingersnap cookies which are already posted here on my blog as well as some yummy caramels. I promised to share this recipe on my blog. I had just enough left over after the party that I decided to wrap them up and put them away for the Relief Society holiday open house coming up this week so I am counting on all of you to enjoy this recipe, but not to take them to that party. (Sorry Heather B., but I have to take them to the party so that I won't finish eating all of them myself!!) With that said.... Here is the recipe. These are way easy. No candy thermometer involved and just microwaving for the cooking!!! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!

Microwave Caramels

1 cup margarine
2 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt margarine in microwave bowl 1-2 min. on med/high. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, milk and salt. Cover with plastic wrap. Cook on high 10 min. Stir and cook uncovered 12-15 min. on med/high or until forms a ball. (Take a spoon and drip a small amount into a cup of ice water. See if it forms a ball.) Add vanilla and pour into a greased 12x7 pan. Cool and cut.