Raise your hand if Thanksgiving is your favorite holiday...

Mine?  The 4th of July.  Simple, swimming, sunshine, bbq, illegal fireworks...  Does it get better than those things?  I think no.

Back to Thanksgiving...
I can't complain about a house full of family, a kitchen full of food, a gigantic table, a first ever kids table (not going to lie, the kid's table outside, made the grown-up's table inside, pretty peaceful and awesome), a pilgrim and indian reciting the annual Psalm 100, or the fact that I don't have to make the turkey.  If I live my entire life never making a turkey, that will be just fine with me.  Grosssssssss.  There are just some things that I don't need to know how to do.

This year I have been working on thankfulness every day.  It hasn't been an easy journey, but a very worthwhile one.  Seeing the simple beauty in even the hardest of days, has been such a blessing.  It doesn't come naturally to me, which makes it all the more valuable to actively seek it out.

I am thankful.
For the perfect days.
For the hard days.
For every single day.
So thankful.

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O Holy Night , O night divine! 

Make these.
Now.
Go to Target, walk back to the holiday baking section.
Buy every single pouch of Betty Crocker snickerdoodle mix that they have.
Trust me.  It is the unicorn of cookie mixes.  Difficult to find, but so magical when you do.

Then rush home.
Preheat your oven to 375º

Ingredients:
1 pouch Betty Crocker snickerdoodle cookie mix
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon water
1 egg
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips

Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Open cookie mix.
Set aside cinnamon sugar packet.

Add water, egg and cookie mix to cream cheese mixture.
Stir until soft dough forms.
Add in cranberries and white chocolate chips.

Cover & refrigerate 30 minutes.

After that horrible 30 minutes is over, drop rounded spoonfuls of dough into cinnamon sugar.
(Have I told you lately how much I am in love with my cookie scoop?  How did I wait so long to finally buy one?)
Roll to coat.

Place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake a 375º for 8-9 minutes until edges are set.
Cool one minute then transfer to cooling rack.

Cool completely then gobble them up.
Or share them with your neighbors and friends.
Totally up to you.  But I won't judge you if you don't.
Because it is super hard.  They are way too good.

{adapted from my fave Betty Crocker.}

*When I run out of my snickerdoodle stockpile I am going to try making these with the easier to obtain sugar cookie mix and cinnamon sugar.  I'll let you know how they compare.

Communication is a powerful thing. We communicate with each other every day
through the phone, email, internet, facebook, text messages, instant messaging,
twitter, blogging, facetime, skype, and even through an old fashioned letter in the
mail! I wonder how God would try to communicate with us in 2010? Do you think
He would ever send a text message? Would Jesus own an iPhone or an iPad? Would
we have to read the Lord’s blog to catch up with what He’s been doing? … I’m not
sure. But I am sure of this: God used the greatest single form of communication… of
all time.


If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If
our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our
greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. If our greatest
need had been pleasure, God would have sent us an entertainer. But our greatest
need was forgiveness, so God sent us a Savior. The 12 most important words of
Christmas (and maybe our lives) is this: “A Savior has been born to us. He is Christ
the Lord.” God didn’t just send an email or text to communicate His love to us… He
sent His Son. God wanted to show us what He’s like, and ultimately, He wanted to
communicate to all of us that we can know God. Now that’s communication!


We hope you have the Merriest CHRISTmas ever! God bless you, your family, and
the year ahead.


Because He communicated love,


The Carson’s
{as penned by my husband, the true wordsmith of the family.}