'Tis the night before Christmas and all through the house...

...not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, thankfully!

Much was accomplished today: 

• The milk/cream got separated and we started some more buttermilk.
• Mom and I made candy-cane ice cream.
• Andrew bought another, even higher-quality camera and placed his other one on e-bay.
• My dad went and looked at some more cows and decided on the ones he wants to buy.
• We made our favorite Winter-time cookies---Ritz crackers (my dad bought the very last box at the grocery store!) with peanut butter between them, dipped in almond bark.  Yummy!!!
• I went babysitting for 6+ hours and made sugar cookies (snowmen, candy-canes, snowflakes, ginger-bread-men, etc...) with the girls.  Paula gave me a VERY nice gift of 2 cake-takers (different sizes) and a really cute cake-pan that makes 6 small cakes that look like ice-cream bars with a bite taken out of each one.  :)
• Mom and I gave the guys hair-cuts this evening.
• Plus, all of the usual day-to-day parts of living (chores, meals, dishes....) that all take time.
• I'm sure my mom and the boys did other things as well while I was away.

I was also surprised to receive a small box in the mail today from one of my great-uncles.  We've written back and forth a couple of times in the last year, as he wanted to let me know he/they are praying for me to find/be found by my future husband, soon.   This time, he sent me a very lovely pearl necklace with a note tucked under the label which says,

"You are some young man's pearl of great price.   Keep praying!"    

                                                                  .......and yes, I am praying, and waiting.......