Angels and almond bark

At two. I was an angel.

When we're all grown up we spend a lot of our time at Christmas remembering when we were kids. Or if our kids are grown, remembering when they were little. At least that's what I do. It's what's fun about Christmas.

This year I sat through our church's children's Christmas program having flashbacks of when our kids were up there. It was bittersweet. I can distinctly remember when Amber was an angel. She was seven. She came out and was achingly beautiful.  I got a lump in my throat.

I remember Paige at four wearing a red velvet dress. She had the biggest smile and blond curls. I loved her so much my heart hurt. 

The year Landon was baby Jesus.

Dave and I were Mary and Joseph one year, and Landon was baby Jesus. He was seven months old and sat in my lap wearing only a diaper. His sisters nicknamed him Spike. I don't think he exactly looked like baby Jesus with his spiky hair, but for that matter Dave and I wouldn't have passed for Joseph and Mary either. For one, we were about 20 years too old.  But Landon was a little ham. He was so cute and funny. I felt blessed to have my sweet little boy.

I remember being in Christmas programs. I, too, was an angel. I was two. The littlest people in Christmas programs are the cutest and funniest. But the thing is these little guys are so sincere.  They're not meaning to be funny. Adults just can't help laughing their heads off when they get on stage. I vaguely remember singing, and people laughing. I was confused. We were doing what our teachers had told us to do, and then everyone laughed at us. I didn't get it.

Random, but I've also been thinking of almond bark. My mom made almond bark candy at Christmas time. I never saw almond bark any other time of the year. It wasn't particularly my favorite, but it was an oddity. I mean what is almond bark anyway?

I'm a purist when I bake. I don't substitute for the real stuff--like margarine for butter, Cool Whip for real whipping cream. Or in this case, almond bark for white chocolate. But after Dave looked all over Rochester trying to find white chocolate for me, he came home asking why I just didn't use almond bark.

I started using it this year for the first time. Basically, it's cheap flavored partially hydrogenated oil. From what I can tell, there are absolutely no almonds in it. It's freaking awesome. Melt it in the microwave, then pour it over everything in sight--pretzels, ritz peanut butter sandwiches, puffed corn. We've gone through three bags of almond bark popcorn already and we haven't even reached Christmas.

I've gained five pounds this month eating almond bark. I'm not too worried. I'll lose it once almond bark season is over.

Hope you, dear friends, are enjoying your memories of Christmas past and making sweet memories for the ones ahead.

God bless.