Deck the Halls

I'm finally getting some decoraations up. I'm slow getting to it this year, but I think we finally finished tonight.I just wanted to share a few of my favorite things to put out each year. If we had a bigger place with shelves to display things, some of these things I would leave out year round.
This is my Nativity. It's by Willow Creek which I love. There are a few pieces I still need to complete the scene like the three Wise men and the cache, but I just love this. This is the first thing I would leave out year round. It reminds me of God's gift to us and of how much He loves us.


My next favorite thing about Christmas is Santa. This is called the Kneeling Santa. He's kneeling by baby Jesus praying. Once again, this reminds us that Jesus is the real reason we celebrate Christmas, even Santa knows this. I like to think he's praying to God, thanking Him for the ultimate and first Christmas Gift, His Son.


This piece I got last year for Christmas. If you look closely at the book Santa is holding it's the Bible. Yet another reminder not to get caught up in the commercial aspect of Christmas, but to slow down and listen to the Bible, even Santa does.


This last thing is just funa and makes me smile. Santa in a hula-skirt should make anyone smile. You can't see it in this picture, but behind Santa is a small radio and if you push the antenae it plays Jingle Bells in Hawaii-sounding tunes. Santa is supposed to sway back and forth at the hips but I think I pushed the radio antenae a few too many times.

Hope this brings a few smiles to a few faces. And I pray that everyone will just remember and try to keep in their hearts the true meaning of Christmas, even Santa does.

In case you were wondering...

The picture at the top of my blog was taken in NC in the winter of 2005 off of the back porch of the house we were renting. the elderly lady that lived there before us always feed the birds so we had to keep up with her tradition and feed them as well. One of the perks was we always had Cardinals and the males are always so pretty in the white snow. This picture just seemed more appropriate for winter and Christmastime than palmtrees and sunsets. It helps put me in the Christmas spirit. Also, the Christmas music I've been listening to helps.

More Christmas Hoopla

Well, we finally got around to our Christmas craft this year. Usually we do a gingerbread kit of some sort.WE've done trains (which my mom helped Andrew with one year, Thanks mom!), houses, and trees. We are starting to run out of kits. But this year i found one that's by crayola. instead of gingerbread, it's cake. It was real easy for the kids. I, of course, helped with the baking part, but andrew did all the mixing while aaron supervised. while the cakes baked, we had supper. then while they cooled we went out to look for all the cool Christmas lights. When we returned it was time to decorate! What fun!




Andrew's Cake.
Aaron's Cake.

as Rachel ray would say, Yum-mo!

Merry Christmas!

Random Christmas Hoopla!

Oh, this is fun! Mylinda has tagged me for this fun Christmas Hoopla. Here are the Rules:

1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas.
2. Please refer to it as a 'hoopla' and not the dreaded 'm'-word.
3. You have to specifically tag people when you're done. None of this "if you're reading this, consider yourself tagged" stuff is allowed...then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you -- but the more, the merrier to get this 'hoopla' circulating through the blogosphere.
4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it and I'd like to get as many people involved as possible.

here goes:

1. I love Christmas music. i always try to get a new CD every year, but i haven't yet this year. my favorite CD is by Sawyer Brown. It's in my car right now so i can't even tell you the name of it. Most of the songs on it are originals and they are beautifully written. My two favorites are Mary Cries and Oh what a night in Bethlehem.
2. My favorite Christmas Carol is O Holy Night. One of my favorite versions is by Josh Groban. I would love to have a CD of nothing but that carol sung by different artists. I know, that's a little odd, but i would listen to it.
3. I love what Christmas is truly all about and i love to display my nativity year round. It reminds me of the greatest gift God has ever given us, His son Jesus Christ.
4. I collect Santa's . Mostly ornaments, but some statues as well. I do have 5 (i think) Santa's by Lenox, which are beautiful, but also a little too expensive these days (that's why i only have 5). My goal is to have enough Santa's to do a Christmas Tree in nothing but Santa! I haven't counted, but there are a lot of Santa's on the tree this year.
5. I you combine #3 and 4 you'll get my next favorite thing about Christmas, the Kneeling Santa. I love this image of Santa kneeling to pray at the manger. It's a subtle reminder that it's not about Santa Claus and even he knows that. (just in case you've never seen it, here's a picture of mine.) There's also a Santa by Possible Dreams titled A prayer before Departure which is Santa holding the Bible (this is on my Christmas list...hint.hint.)

6. oh let's see...traditions...my sister and I always exchanged our gifts from each other on Christmas Eve, so i let my boys do the same.
7. We watch the Polar Express the day after thanksgiving to kick off the Christmas season and again on Christmas eve.
8. I read 'Twas the night before Christmas the night before Christmas.
9. I started with Andrew several years ago the Gingerbread Project tradition. He has reminded me that we haven't done one yet this year.
10.i'm a last minute shopper and i hate that i'm like that. i just lack the disciplineto start earlier.
11. i love decorating the house. Everyday Richard comes in and comments, "oh, more decorations." i think he's being sarcastic, what do you think?
12.i try to send christmas cards every year, and i usually put a family snapshot in with it, but not this year. moving to texas has thrown me way off track. AND i might add that this is the first Christmas Iwill be away from my dad. My mom is coming here (YEAH) but daddy is staying in NC with my sister.

wow. that was not as easy as i thought it was going to be, but you were right Mylinda, it was fun!

Fall into Christmas

We usually enjoy the changin of the seasons in NC and that includes the fall leaves. This year we missed it. So my mom-in-law sent the leaves to us. She usually does this for the other grandchildren in Florida which Andrew has helped her prepare the last few years. So hwne the box came the other day, he knew exactly what it was. It was a beautiful afternoon and the boys had a great time.

We put our tree up over the weekend, but i wouldn't let them decorate it until the first night daddy was home. Plus that gave me some extra time to put the Tree Train on. This is the coolest thing. We found it at Lowes Home Improvement about 2 yrs ago and the boys love it. and yes, the train really goes around the tree and it has real smoke! it's very cool. Any one with little boys that love trains needs one of these. I always liked the thought of the train going around the bottom of the tree, but where in the heck would you put all the presents?
so the boys got to work. Daddy hung one or two and threw several. If you've ever been to a tree-trim party with Richard you know what i'm talking about. i was the hook-er (aaron is too little to put the hooks on his ornaments so i did it for him). all of aaron's were at his eye level and in a the same spot. there are some branches that had 4 or 5 ornaments on each one. I had to spread them out a little. the whole bottom half of the tree was sagging. It may not be aSanta- only tree this year, but it is decorated with love.