Bakers three

3:46 p.m. Today's Project was to welcome my two married daughters to my kitchen to make two of our family favorite cookies: Lemon Squares and Chocolate Layer Cookies. The Mint-chocolate chip meringues are finished, and the sugar cookie dough has been chilling in the fridge since I made it yesterday. We bake from scratch, even picking two lemons off our tree in the backyard.

The girls and I had another fun reason to visit--letting Heidi bring her dogs Sammy the Whippet mix and Jazzlyn the BIG baby German Shepherd for a play date with Jada. On Wednesdays, her "Pop" (Steve) goes to adult daycare, so Jada's a little bit at loose ends for most of the day. So out of town visitors were perfect for her.

Also, Jazzlyn tries to boss Sammy around by her sheer bulk, so she needed to encounter a very alpha female dog on new territory. It was barky and tense at first, and Jada had to nip Jazzlyn, but the three of them ran around, got acquainted and had fun. Sammy, the retiring type, came in to relax, shunning without the ruckus. Our family just loves dogs, inside, outside, large or small. God's creatures add so much love, loyalty and fun to life! We  and in turn must treat them with kindness and consistent discipline. Proverbs 12:10 says,

A righteous man has regard for the life of his animal,
But the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

In an agrarian society, animals were a substantial financial investment, and key to family survival, in the same role as farm animals still serve today all over the world. We may not keep chickens ourselves--though I've thought about it--but we all eat eggs! Praise the Lord for those whose husbandry keeps us fed!

Heidi and Heather mixed, layered and put their cookie bars into the oven. I served them a thank- you lunch of macaroni salad with minced turkey Kielbasa, while I savored the delicious tuna salad I'd made yesterday. Then we sat down to watch the Christmas movie "Elf." (Or they stayed seated the entire time, while I popped up and down as usual!) Fun "girl time" this afternoon.

Later on, after they went on their way, I finished the final layers on both desserts: powdered sugar on the lemon squares; mint frosting and a thick dark chocolate glaze on the layer cookies. I'm currently deciding when I should cut out and bake my sugar cookies. So much depends on Steve's routine, needs and schedule, so the Lord will show me when to fit it in. At least I only make 4 dozen of them these days instead of the 8 dozen I would make when all the kids were home. We'd have so many, that as neighbors, the kids' friends and others dropped by, I'd have them grab a knife, a toothpick or frosting gun and decorate one to take home!

I'm reminded that there is a saying that goes, "The past is prologue." Ecclesiastes 1:9 says,

That which has been is what will be,
That which is done is what will be done.
And there is nothing new under the sun.

As a mom of two godly grown daughters, I certainly pray that they will carry our many traditions,  especially believing in and following Christ, into their homes and beyond. Their children will be the richer for it!