Our Christmas

Hey Friends! So you remember when I posted about Christmas Sharings Link Up? Well it’s here and I’m so excited to be co hosting with some other fabulous bloggers!

I mentioned in my last post that we were going to put up our tree, and get out our decorations. Well the tree we found, but all the decorations must be in the back of the storage. So we have a pre lite tree with no decorations. That’s okay though, I’m sure L would have it all torn up by now if there were decorations.

For those of you that don’t know me. Hi! I’m Nicole, and this here is my fun little blog! After much prayer my husband felt a calling to do something different with his career, so we put our loved home on the market so my husband could begin applying to med schools. Little did we know that our house would sell in two days- which meant we were homeless, kinda. We are currently living with my in laws until we get that acceptance letter. Stick around and read all the juicy details if you’d like!

So the past two Christmas’  have been tough on me. We have never been able to celebrate a Christmas in our own home as parents, I really miss being able to get all of my decorations out and do my own thing. Luke’s parents were out of town last weekend so we took advantage of family time with just the three of us. We also did L’s Christmas last weekend.

I just imagine now, Luke and I spending the night before Christmas together assembling toys for all of our kiddos… for years to come.

Luke went duck hunting in the am so we just surprised L with his kitchen when he woke up from his morning nap. I think we get extra parent points for getting this kitchen for him. I have been looking at it online for months now and every time he’d see it on the computer screen L would start saying “PEEEEAAASS” How can you say know to that- a boy who knows what he wants.

So a yearly Holiday Tradition in my husbands family (which I’ve grown to love) is making homemade cherry mash. This stuff is so good. In fact I’m eating some now as I type.

Yea, let’s face it… I know y’all don’t really care what I’m eating as I’m typing this post. But I just had to show you!

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter (I used butter) or 2 tablespoons margarine (I used butter)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup half-and-half (I used 1/2 and 1/2 mixed with whole milk) or 1/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk (I used 1/2 and 1/2 mixed with whole milk)
1 cup miniature marshmallow
1 cup cherry chips
1 cup chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate about 3 1/2 ounces) or 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate about 3 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup salted peanuts

Combine sugar, butter or margarine, salt and half and half in saucepan. Boil on high heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in marshmallows and cherry chips.

Spread in 8 or 9″ square pan which has been lined with parchment or wax paper.

Melt chocolate with peanut butter in a small pan over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Stir in peanuts. Spread evenly over cherry layer.