It was a wonderful season.......

We had a wonderful celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior. This year found us with very little stress and a lot of love and enjoyment of the season.

On Friday the children and I (all three of them!) spent the day in the kitchen cooking and baking, and of course, eating! We played Christmas music and had a wonderful time together.

When Dh arrived home, on Friday night, we went to the movies to see Facing the Giants, http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0002896.cfm, which was so good! Facing the Giants was a huge score for the media in winning one for the Kingdom! Then we had my extended family in for brunch on Saturday. There was lots of eating and enjoyment of each other and the gift that family is -- and a great pick up basketball game to end the afternoon!

Saturday night we splurged on yet another movie, The Nativity, which was so nice to put us all in the right focus and remind us why we celebrate the season. My 9 year old even commented on the way home, as we listened to some Christmas music, that he hadn't really thought much about the meaning of the songs until then! Yippeeee!!! The media scored another one for the Kingdom - which is, indeed, a Christmas Miracle!!!

DH and I spent a good deal of time discussing how stress free and enjoyable this Christmas Season was and trying to determine how to keep all the future ones as enjoyable. We were busy - actually in some ways busier than usual - but still managed to enjoy the experience. I know that when we began this holiday season I really wanted to be able to focus on the true meaning of the season and make sure my children didn't miss the real Christmas.

On Christmas Eve we attended Sunday Morning church and were delighted to sit in a packed church and feel the Lord's presence fully touching each and everyone there. The music was wonderful and our pastor dressed as Herod and gave the sermon from "Herods' perspective". It was interesting, but really makes me wonder...is that how our culture views Christmas and Christians?

Christmas Eve night we returned to church for the Candlelight Service and were accompanied by DH's parents. The children especially enjoyed having their Grandparents go to church with us. I think it lets them know they have a heritage of faith. We had dinner after church at our house and enjoyed a bit more time sharing the holiday with Dh's parents. They left in just enough time to drive the 1 hour home and make it to their church's 11:00 PM Christmas Eve Service.

Christmas morning was a slow, luxurious morning spent opening gifts and just enjoying each other. We visited my parents for dinner on Christmas night. It was such a great weekend.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

I am ready

I am ready to celebrate the birth of my Lord and Savior...I am ready for Christmas in all its glory. The last couple of days, I have basked in a slower pace and activities that helped me focus on why we celebrate this blessed event.

Here's to hoping you are celebrating with a sense of purpose, thankful hearts and the joy that only comes from Him.

Merry Christmas from the South

I live in a wonderful little town in the South. Some would call it a small city, especially since it is now considered a 'burb of Atlanta, but I prefer to hold on to the idea that we are a little town in the South. There is a street of wonderful, old Southern homes and for about 3 years I have *said/intended* to do a photo essay on the historical area of my town...but, I still haven't managed to do it --- yet. I am blessed to live in the town that I live. We have natural beauty, wonderful architecture, lovely people and community pride. As I was driving home today I did snap a photo of one of the lovely old homes that was decked out for the holidays. Isn't she gorgeous?

FYI, you can click on the photo for a larger view!

Christmas Tour Post 1 of 3

Welcome to my home at Christmas. I had planned to do BooMama's Christmas Tour but it fell on the same day that I was hosting DD's annual Christmas Sleep Over so rather than blogging I was preparing for a house full of teen age girl energy!

Won't you come in? I love to use live magnolia leaves along with twig garland and dried seed pods woven with lighted garland around my front door.

Another place I love to decorate is my mailbox. Again, I used live and artifical greenery to give some interesting texture.

Christmas Tour Post 2 of 3

Foyer Tree

DD's Tree (she does it herself now!)

DS#2's Tree

DS#1's Tree

My favorite Christmas Decoration. I love putting it out more than anything else each Christmas.

Our family room Tree. This is where all the action takes place and it has all 18 years of our marriage in memory on this tree.

Christmas Tour Post 3 of 3

This is the BooMama "free tree" in our master bath, On BooMama's blog she talked about a sale at Home Depot and DH and I just had to run out and get us one of her deals --- it was $29.99 with a mail in rebate of $30.00! Can't beat it!

This is the view I have in the evenings if I spin my computer chair around and look out into the foyer.

Our breakfast room has a small metal Christmas Tree candle holder and some Poinsettia Placemats to get in the spirit.

I do love decorating the dining room for Christmas!
Now that you have had the tour I hope you will sit and have a snack and tea with me.

Christmas Card!

In general I am one of those people who have their Christmas Cards completed and in the mail on Thanksgiving Day...not this year. I didn't even get around to taking the photo until last Tuesday night and then made a mad rush to the CVS to get some cards printed. Not exactly fancy but it worked! In case you can't wait to see yours....here it is:

School's out, school's out....no more tests, no more books...

I completed my final exam today and sold my books back the bookstore....whooooHOOOO! Let the Christmas cheer commence!

DECEMBER 2oth UPDATE: I got an A (yep, A) in the class!

Off to the ballet

photo by http://www.magiccraftstudio.com/studioinfo.html

Tonight, DD and DS#2 and I are off to see the annual production The Nutcracker . I am excited, DD is excited, DS#2 is excited He doesn't realize it is a ballet, he is just hiped up about the "soldiers fighting"...his words, not mine...he even told me that some of his little preschool classmates are going to the Nutcracker for girls and it is a ballet! I just looked innocent and said, "hmmmm". DH and DS#1 are spending the better part of the day at the Georgia Dome watching some football game. They left after DS#2's art class this morning and made a day of it with some "fan fest" before the game. They were excited and it is supposed to be an important game...who knows? Either way, I still haven't pointed out to DS#2 that DS#1 and Daddy are at a football game and that he will be attending the ballet with his sister and Mommy...denial isn't such a bad place!

This is actually the 1st time I have taken DS#2 to see The Nutcracker -- he is 5 -- and I am not sure why it has taken so long. Both DD (who danced in the Columbus (GA) Ballet's Nutcracker when she was little) and DS#1 have been, of course, but I have been remiss in introducing the little man to the experience. He loves The Nutcracker story and we read it frequently. I sometimes wonder why I let those kinds of things slip by with him...is it because I am busier with 3 than when I had 1 or 2? Is it because we have less urgency because we have all "been there, done that"? I need to be better about not letting things slide for him. I have to admit, though, I had actually tried to get tickets to Black Bear Theater's production of White Christmas but it was all sold out! http://www.blackbeardinnertheatre.com/public/EventDisplay.aspx?id=18 Maybe I do have a case of "been there, done that"! We did watch White Christmas on video last night, though.

I have finished Christmas Decorating and am ready to start my shopping. I am normally an overly prepared and ready kind of gal but this year I find myself NOT. DH and I are going out of town to celebrate our anniversary next weekend so I am feeling a bit of pressure to get this taken care of. I don't ever like to wait until the last minute...makes me tense!