Contemplating Christmas 2017 through pictures reminds me of a sweet, sweet time with our family. Why not talk about the gift of Jesus all year long? That's a good reason this post is so delayed : )
For the first time EVER we enjoyed Advent reading nearly everyday. It was coupled with a fire, cozy blankets & a good amount of picking on each other & being sent to their rooms. You can't have it all right? Even with the frustration that occurs every single day here, God really honored our time with conversations we have never had with our children.
Over the course of the month, we were able to Prepare Him Room which ended up being the album name which included our favorite song of the season. It is called Who Would Have Dreamed. I must share just a few of the lyrics:
Prophets had foretold it, a mighty King would come
Long awaited Ruler, God’s Anointed One
But the Sovereign of all looked helpless and small
As God gave the world His own Son
And who would have dreamed or ever foreseen
That we could hold God in our hands?
The Giver of Life is born in the night
Revealing God’s glorious plan
To save the world
Long awaited Ruler, God’s Anointed One
But the Sovereign of all looked helpless and small
As God gave the world His own Son
And who would have dreamed or ever foreseen
That we could hold God in our hands?
The Giver of Life is born in the night
Revealing God’s glorious plan
To save the world
A mighty King, God's anointed one, sovereign of all, God's own son, giver of life, rescuer of the world. What beautiful words to describe Jesus. We pulled out the old trusty stable & characters when we got out the decorations & within minutes that baby Jesus we just described went missing! More on him later. Thankfully, we had the long-lasting, wrapped in swaddling clothes with a Sharpie marked smile, Jesus from Celebration Community Church. We love it. He was just the right size to fit between Mary & Joseph.
We had lots of family join us including my cousin Zak. Charlotte really enjoys hanging out with him.
One highlight of this performance was a song called Oh, Children Come by Keith & Kristyn Getty. There was a good amount of a steady stomping & clapping. Arlo learned it & spent a good amount of time on our coffee table doing just that! I have plenty of video, no pictures but it is burned into my mind forever. He actually impressed us with his rhythm & sure was excited when the real thing started! Every song was just lovely, lyrics, voices, the heart behind the singing, the directing, accompaniment, and on & on.
After celebrating Thanksgiving, I got into a big fight with our Christmas tree, like I had scrapes on my arms as I wrapped lights, took them off & started over twice. They healed & I was still able to smile while we put ornaments on ; )
This year we bought each of the kids the superhero ornament that went with their Halloween Costume. Four out of the five ended up in the ornament grave yard that seems to grow by the year. The worst damaged was actually because of me! I dropped Spider-Man & he shattered ALL over the kitchen floor. I was in tears & precious Anson wanted me to squat down for a big hug & kiss. He told me I was still the best mom ever even if I break his Christmas ornaments, goodness gracious I laughed so hard!
Here they are before all the limb amputations began...
Two other new editions to the tree are anything but new. My Grandmother Alene & Grandpa Joe, who have both passed away, made these during my late childhood. Porcelain figurines & dolls became a hobby in their retirement which was fun for us when we visited & were able to paint with them. These two Santas had been on my Aunt Debbie's tree all these years & she encouraged me to take some home. I quickly packed them into my bag before she could change her mind ; ) The one in the back is from a set of maybe six or seven Santas through the years dated back to the 1920s to present day. So special to have. Thankfully I secured them well & they escaped decapitation, etc.
I added mistletoe to our entry way for one purpose & one purpose alone. I had him trained to kiss me anywhere & anytime I even said the word "mistletoe!" He gets more kisses than anyone at the Nest! Who can resist Darlin' Arlo?
We had JOY hanging on the bannister of the staircase last year but due to my mistletoe kissing 2 year old, they were relocated.
The new book for the season....it was adorable. I will spare you the details, just check it out from the library next season!
We were treated to Gaylord ICE by Grandma Virginia. It was really cold & more enjoyable to spend time together than look at the sculptures. GG agreed! It was a bit of a let down when it was over so quickly. The kids were frozen though (Florida babies) so we got outta there quick as we could & headed over to Uncle Julio's for some Tex-Mex.
Delicious everything topped off with the infamous chocolate piñata!
There were Christmas cookies & no gingerbread houses (woot!) Those really stress me out mainly because the frosting is ALWAYS a dud. My favorite named cookies "night of the walking bread" coined by Rob. Tis' the season for zombies I guess ; )
I asked Owen to dust the bookcases, sent Robby the picture & he responded with "I thought we didn't do Elf on the Shelf?" He's a comedian & I truly never tire of his jokes. I tell the girls all the time how important it is to marry someone who makes you laugh harder than anyone else.
We made a couple visits to GGran's house to see her Dickens Village set complete with the train ie stealer of the show! It was really hard to follow directions & keep little fingers off. They, just like my brothers did as kids, raced from one end to the other watching it enter & exit the tunnel. The hidden mouse, which is about 3/4 inch in length was illusive yet again. I struggled until I received many clues.
Charlotte's choir graced a nearby coffee shop & a long term care facility with Christmas Carols. I was having flashbacks of my choir days! I loved every second of it!
Uncle Scott & Uncle Kyle spent a long time with us on Christmas Eve & Christmas Eve Eve. Too much laughter to measure, multiple games of Twenty Questions which ended up being more divisive than anything...more laughter. Love those two.
Now, we shall return to the beginning of the story. Baby Jesus was GONE the entire month. We looked everywhere. We asked the 2 year old if he took it, he would say yes & lead us on a wild goose chase. We quit believing him & what do you know? Minutes before leaving for the Christmas Eve service, Eloise stuck her foot in her boot & there he was! The timing could not have been more perfect, on the eve of his birth & we were all cheering. Here is the proud finder... I bet Arlo was smirking around the corner.
For the first time in a long time we made it to a Christmas Eve service & it was absolutely wonderful. The Christmas story was read in multiple languages, we took communion, we sang, we prayed and experienced the result of preparing him room all month long. It was a win-win that no one caught on fire! Arlo was the most likely to do so with his quick, grabby hands, but I moved faster than him.
We all went to bed sleepy anticipating the following morning in which the kids gifted us by sleeping later than usual! I remember waking up at 4am as a kid. As a parent now, I feel that I should write apology notes weekly & that could be the subject of one of them.
Over all, we will look back & treasure this holiday season as we felt like we were in a bit of a new stage not having a newborn around & our oldest two able to grasp much of what we talked about.
the final verse of the song
Wondrous gift of heaven, the Father sends the Son
Planned from time eternal, moved by holy love
He will carry our curse and death He’ll reverse
So we can be daughters and sons
