Well, this week the world began to look like Christmas, but I tell you, once the smells of homemade caramel begin wafting through the house, it is Christmas. Just imagine warmth, melting butter, brown sugar and whipping cream and you've practically scratch and sniffed your monitor.
Early stages, butter chunks still melting...Heating up to firm ball stage. This is when you begin to drool.

Pouring...so amazing!

It's crazy hot, but I'd still like to swim in it.

Why not have some Chocolate Chip Cookies as well?

Yum!!!

I've been thinking that differences in families lead to a lot of camps or sides on different issues.

The first of these 'camps' and the most predominant is the My Little Ponies camp vs. Transformers camp.

Ella says everything Dane likes is yucky. Dane, silly boy, started this idea in the first place, saying that Ponies were yucky.

Dane tries to meet her half-way sometimes, by trying to get the Ponies to decide which of them are good ponies and which are bad so that he can play with his sister. Ella insists that all the ponies are good.

Bryce sides with whomever is letting him play with their toys.

Next camp comparison: Night owls vs. Morning people

I am a night owl. I totally feel creative and energized (even if I havent' been getting any sleep) and 'me' again.

Dane seems to like the peacefulness of nighttime, but he also doesn't like to miss out on anything, once accusing that: "You and Dad watch secret movies while I am asleep!" Yep, kiddo, CSI and the Food Network...

Bryce likes a late night, too. It's probably the individual attention.

Cam is up with the dawn. It's his peaceful time. He might sleep in until 7 AM on Saturday. He can hardly keep his eyes open after 10. It's just his way.

Ella is in the morning category simply because she loves sleep. She always has. She gets to bed early and willingly and sleeps as long as we'll let her.

I have been forced into bridging both camps because my kids are important to me and I know they need my care. However, I need 'me', too, so sometime, I just can resist seeing 2:00 AM glowing on the clock in the dark.

All these 'camp' thoughts have stemmed from talking with my friends about the two Twilight camps: Team Edward and Team Jacob...

My friend Angie is with me, I believe, in that only Edward matters.

My friend Ane is stubbornly sticking with Jacob, stating "I'd rather have a dog than a pet rock."

Can't wait to get the new book on my hands!

Cam's parents are currently serving in the Freiberg Temple in Germany. In a recent phone conversation with them, Kathy was mentioning some of the Christmas traditions they were going to participate in with their fellow missionaries. The first was the Advent which (as she explained) was the chocolate calendar countdown as well as the following:

Each of the four Sundays before Christmas they take a wreath and place four candles inside it. One candle is lit each Sunday and they eat cookies and drink hot chocolate and sing Christmas carols.

My wonderful sister-in-law invited us over for a real Thanksgiving dinner and we surprised her with the advent stuff.

Dane and Ella made two wreaths out of paper and buttons and we gave one to my sis-in-law's family. It was so much fun and it was a great tradition to participate in. I hope we'll do it again next year.

It was also very nice to see our family, whom we have missed and dinner? It was EXCELLENT!

Whenever there's a long weekend (ie Conference weekend, Christmas morning, etc.) the Stringhams (starting with Cam's parents) have crepes for breakfast.


We make a lot, a triple batch, and fill them with bananas, frozen blueberries, strawberries and peaches, sometimes raspberries and of course, real whipped cream. Sometimes Cam's family will make due with Cool Whip, but I won't make 'em unless a 1/2 pint of whipping cream is acquired.

Anyway, this was our breakfast this morning.

With the weather being so crisp and our partaking of this traditional meal, I was filled with nostalgia for Christmas morning and for Cameron's parents, who we miss so much.

Anyway, look at the photos and try not to drool on your keyboard.