White Christmas

Today marks the first white Christmas for a guy who has waited thirty years... you finally got one bud!  It is also our first Christmas alone, which I have to confess I thought I'd be crying by now.  However, we have had plenty of calls from family and we have been enjoying our last few weeks together before the little one decides to arrive, keeping plenty busy.  Brenton and I have made about every kind of Christmas goodie one could think of, watched all our Christmas movies, slept in, gone to the mall for plenty of walks to try and hurry our baby gal along, and, with working, I have not had a chance to be sad.  Exactly what I had hoped for, a fun and full Christmas, our last one with just the two of us.

And so today, Christmas day, we've been pretty lazy; watching the snow fall, resting, listening to Christmas music, waiting on the ham to cook, and watching the dogs frolic in the snow.  It is absolutely beautiful and perfect.  We've come to expect our weekly snow storm on the weekends here in the North Carolina mountains.  It usually snows about two to three days and then clears up for the remainder of the week.  Within a few hours this morning we already had two inches... feels like we are vacationing in a mountain cabin, though we live here.  And it looks like the constant snow could leave us with 8-10 inches of fluffy white goodness with no trouble at all!  Pray we make it to the hospital if our baby comes with in the next two days, and that I don't have to ride our neighbors 4-wheeler down the mountain by means of getting there.  Although, I can imagine it could be much worse!

Merry Christmas!

Love the Benwares

And a little picture to leave you smiling!  The pups trying on our baby's gifts...

A Benware Thanksgiving

Happy turkey day!  It was our first Thanksgiving without family and we decided to lay low. 

A little bit of advice, I learned the key to self-control on Thanksgiving.  I (Kelly) got a stomach bug this past weekend that had me out for most the week.  Today I'm feeling fine though I've not been able to eat much.  Sadly, it had to be on our first attempt at cooking a turkey, which turned out mighty fine.  I ate a small portion of turkey, potatoes and corn before I felt I'd eaten a huge Thanksgiving feast!  I'll say we had a feast on our table though I was the little bird that just did a fly-by. 

Regardless of how much I ate, I must say that I am thankful for all that we have.  We are thankful, thankful for family, friends, and everything the Lord has blessed us with when we truly only need Him.  I left humbled from our local grocery store yesterday.  We were in line behind a young mom with three kids, one a newborn.  Whatever her circumstance, she had misjudged how much she could afford.  It started with her her taking a few Thanksgiving items out of her bags and quickly became weekly groceries that were unloaded.  The kids were oblivious that they were leaving with a few bags of groceries, as opposed to their weekly grocery list.  Why I did nothing, I don't know.  I do know that the family and their apparent need has not left my memory since I walked out of Ingles.  So, again, all I can say is thanks to our Savior, while asking He'll make me a better steward.  Happy Thanksgiving.

Here's a few days out of 35 weeks.  Just about a month out from meeting our little girl...  I told B that from this picture I look like I ate the whole Thanksgiving feast!  One would never know.

The Blessing of Parents

Brenton and I often talk about how blessed we are by both our families.  We are grateful for godly heritage, loving parents, the prayers that bathed us before we were born and those that still cover over us now.  Most recently, a few different blessings have brought this conversation up again.

This past week, the Benwares made their yearly fall visit to the North Carolina mountains to say, "Hey" and catch some soccer games.  Thankfully the boys won both games we attended, finishing their season 10-6, and are now preparing for their first conference game this weekend.  Sadly, the Benwares had a family reunion without me (Kelly) much of the time as The Cove had four programs in one week; a concert with Selah, a seminar with Erwin Lutzer, a Pastor's Institute with Johnny Hunt and Jerry Vines, and a seminar with David and Kay Arthur.  While they were ever so gracious with my constant yawning and nodding eyes, Brenton and his parents relaxed and made some visits around the area.  And they caught the end of our fall leaves, as our trees have become quite bare.  It is truly amazing how quickly the leaves changed and fell this year. 

  

All the other random pictures are of a cosmetic wall my (Kelly) dad added in our basement downstairs.  We use to have a large living area that we only used one side of, which became our living room.  The other side, we were able to convert into our third room, thanks to the Dongells.  Mom and Dad, thanks for making the trip out here this summer to make this possible.  Here is our new guest room and living room! 

And I almost forgot to mention how infatuated our dogs are with both of our fathers.  You can begin to get the idea from the few pictures posted!  Does not matter how much time passes, grandpa is still a hit!

Molasses Bars

And yet another fall delight.  Jen and I used to rave everytime our friend in high school brought these.  I finally called her mother a few years back for the recipe.  Oh so heavenly!

3/4 cup Crisco
2 cups Flour
1 cup Sugar
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 cup Molasses (Grandma's Yellow Label)
1 Egg

• Preheat Oven to 375 degrees
• Use a 10" x 15" cookie sheet
• Mix dry ingredients
• In a skillet, melt crisco (right as it becomes liquid, set timer for 3 1/2-4 minutes to let cool)
• Have egg and Molasses ready
• As soon as timer goes off, pour the crisco into the dry ingredients and mix
• Then add the egg and molasses
• The quicker you work the better
• Spread in pan and cook for 9 minutes (start with 8 1/2 minutes and find the time that works with your oven)

(NOTE:  Recipe is sensitive to specific order of mixing ingredients and moving fastly once crisco melts.)

White Chicken Chili

One of my favorite recipes given by a friend at The Cove.  It's a must make in the fall and what we are eating for dinner this week!  Mmm Mmm Good!

3 Chicken Breast (cubed or shredded... I buy the pre-cooked chickens from the bakery)
2 (15oz cans) Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Chopped Onions
2 (4oz cans) Green Chilis
2 (tps) Ground Cumin
1 (tps) Oregano
1 (tps) Cilantro Leaves
2 (tps) Garlic Powder
4 cans White Kidney Beans

Cook in crockpot for 8 hours on low or simmer on stove top for 30 minutes.  Doesn't get much easier!

The Cavs

In North Carolina, we just create our own mascots.  Especially when one has never seen a real Cavalier; we're forced to create makeshift mascots for Montreat pride!  However, I will say this little gal will not be going to any games, ever again.  I tried once the first year we moved here and after a few friendly faces passed by, she had my lying on my back at one of the home games.  My only prayer was that she would not dart off into the middle of the soccer game.  What a classy coach's wife... lying on the side lines with a dog gone mad!

On a more serious note, the Cavs had two unexpected losses this past week.  Which has left this week as a chance to recuperate.  The last of the two games were away and Brenton called to tell me the boys had lost.  He added in that a number more had gotten injured, and that there were two going to the ER when they returned home.  One of the guys came back from the ER with staples in his head and another just relieved to find he was not the second player this year with a broken leg.  Thankfully none of the recent injuries have been quite as serious though it has left a handful of the Montreat men's soccer team needing time to heal and regain strength.  The hope is that the majority are ready for this Saturday's game.  The boys have amazing potential and half the season left, pray for healing and health for the next two months.

I will say, it seems that every year there is some type of obstacle; sadly I know it is a part of growing up.  On the mature side, I know it is a chance to grow and develop character.  Often I want life to just be easier, like my call to insurance today.  All I could think of, while I was on the phone, is how I wanted to be a kid again and have my mom worry about life's details.  I know I've written it many times before but stretching is not fun, though I know it is necessary.