Santa is My Personal Friend ! ( and WINNER !!! )

Santa and I are close personal friends ( picture of me and Santa taken a few years ago  ) , so when I asked him to draw a name out of his hat to determine the winner of a pair of Wee Little Sheep *  he was very happy to help out. Of course, we waited until midnight Pacific Standard Time of the 20th to draw names as promised and Santa was impatient to get going because he has a busy week ahead. He enjoyed a cup of herbal tea and a few cookies while we waited for midnight and watched some special Christmas shows. But you're not interested in all that , you want to know who won. THE WINNER IS...

 Bee Lady of Hilltop Farm !!!!! *

Bee Lady ,Email your mailing address to me at jkcedarpond@fairpoint.net and I'll send your little sheep to you. Congratulations !

Here is our youngest grandchild, and he's not too sure about this guy in red. Maybe next year when he's another year older he will be a bit happier about seeing Santa. Which reminds me of a cute and true story. A few years ago one of our granddaughters called me and asked to speak to her Poppa ( my husband ) and told me "just in case Poppa really is Santa I want to tell him what I want for Christmas ".

Thank-you to all who commented . I have some of my grandchildren spending the next 2 nights and 3 days with us and Santa may make another visit to our home too. I will be having fun making crafts and baking cookies with them, plus we have a home movie marathon tonight complete with popcorn and snacks. I am looking forward to visiting again this week all my blogging friends who took time to comment and seeing what goes on around your home during the Christmas season. Blessed Christmas to all of you !

Christmas Kitchen Memories ~ (and chance to win Wee Little Sheep)

 Christmas in the kitchen around here makes me happy. Even if I am not baking or entertaining guests the kitchen is full of cheerful reminders of this season. Some of the things in my Christmas kitchen have been with us for many years and bring with them happy memories.

 This Santa cookie jar needs to be filled with cookies. The butter is out for softening at room temperature so my husband can bake his Berry Butternuts * , jam thumbprint cookies his father made every year and now my husband continues the tradition for our family. I also make *sugar cookies  every year using my favorite recipe from many years ago. Often I wait to make and bake these cookies when I have grandchildren over a few days before Christmas.

 This teapot is my hot cocoa pot, and the goose mugs are for serving lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows during the Christmas season. We received the mugs as gifts from my husband's parents many years ago. We got the teapot after his parents died. This set always remind us of my husbands' parents and their love of celebrating Christmas with family.

 My Santa sugar bowl and creamer. I made these the first year my husband and I were married and have brought these two out every Christmas season. They sit beside the coffee pot ready for guests needing real cream and sugar in their coffee or tea. There are so many good memories surrounding these little Santa accessories , and the privilege of being able to serve coffee, tea, coco, and so much more to family and friends over the years is not taken for granted by my husband and me. God has been generous with us in the gift and blessings of so much family and so many good friends.

My Christmas kitchen is ready again for company and full of sweet reminders of Christmases past. Christmas kitchen memories of good times gone by and the glimmer of new memories in the making.

Don't forget to leave a comment if you'd like to win a pair of these Wee Little Sheep*. The 20th is the last day of this give-away opportunity. I will enter your name for every comment you leave ( limited to one comment per day ).