Monthly Archives: December 2010

Nothing warms my body and soul like a good cup of hot cocoa in the cold winter months. There’s something a bit nostalgic about it all. Reminds me of those winter days where I’d play out in the snow until I couldn’t take the cold any more as a lil’ girl. I’d come inside take off all my layers; carefully place my wet mittens, scarf and boots on the radiator so that they would be warm and dry for my next outing; rub my hands together before placing them over my mouth and nose to warm up my nose; and then the best part…the hot cocoa waiting for me with marshmallows and perhaps a candy cane to stir it all together. Ahhhhhh… Great memories. I still enjoy my hot cocoa, but now I get to create memories with my daughter over a great mug of chocolaty goodness! For that…I’m thankful!

This is such a fun holiday season with my lil’ girl Lily. She’s four years old now and is SO excited about Christmas! This is the first year that she’s really gotten into the holidays and I’m enjoying every minute of it all. Makes me see this time of year through a child’s eyes. So much fun and anticipation! This year, Lily really wanted to make her own Christmas ornaments, so Michael went out to Michael’s by himself {yes…a man alone at a craft store} and picked out all the supplies. I can only imagine that sight! Oh, how I wish I was there… When he got home, he set out all the crafts on the table and started talking about what we could make. Lily was so excited and you could tell she was confused on how some clothes pins, paint, glitter, felt, popsicle sticks, pillow stuffing, glue and pipe cleaners could really make pretty ornaments. We worked for hours crafting our ornaments with loving care with the sound of laughter and Christmas tunes among us. When the paint and glue was dry, we hung our handmade ornaments on the tree and admired our work. Lily looks at the ornaments and has stories about each of them, which she shares with anyone who will listen. When I see these DIY decorations, I smile and remember the time we shared as a family making these ornaments and most importantly…memories that I know I’ll cherish for always. I believe we’ve started a great Niemann family tradition and for that…I’m thankful!