A Flurry Of Christmas!

Christmas wouldn't be complete without a silly picture from my Dad!  Doesn't he look all dignified and pastorly?

Now, that he's out of the way you can see the picture of my Mom's lovely hearth.

Oooo...very pretty.

Here are the kids...scoping out their presents.

Here are the lovebirds chatting, while Emma sits playing her game.  See that pretty clock to the far LEFT?  That's Lyric...she's my Christmas present!

Here are two very CUTE boys playing games on DadE's Kindle Fire.

My Mom's baby grand is SWEET!  We enjoyed singing...and we played a duet too!!

Awww....

On Christmas Eve we lit our Advent candles...and were reminded of what we were remembering...CHRIST the perfect gift!

The Sweet Boobahs opened only their stockings on Christmas morning.  They are cute!!!

After the morning service we opened gifts together with everyone.

The next day we drove out to see Uncle Dave's truck.

Everyone sat in the driver's seat!  Here's Caleb the truck driver.

And Emma the truck driver.

And...with a very adjusted seat...Here am I!

Here's my Mom actually driving the truck around the lot. 

COOL!

WIW: Christmas-tide w Gingerbread Men!

From our happy home

Through the world we roam

One week in all the year,

Making winter spring

With the joy we bring

For Christmas-tide is here.

Now the eastern star

Shines from afar

To light the poorest home;

Hearts warmer grow,

Gifts freely flow,

For Christmas-tide has come.

Now gay trees rise

Before young eyes,

Abloom with tempting cheer;

Blithe voices sing,

And blithe bells ring,

For Christmas-tide is here. 

Oh, happy chime,

Oh, blessed time,

That draws us all so near!

"Welcome, dear day,"

All creatures say,

For Christmas-tide is here.

by Louisa May Alcott

Jingly Hodgepodge

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

1. Do you put Christmas decorations in every room of your house? If not every room, what rooms do you decorate?

Not EVERY room....no....The entire downstairs and the landing upstairs.  Good grief...if I decorated every room...I'd still be putting things away the following summer!

2. If you could visit one of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) which one would you choose and why?

Norway.  I remember a missionary from my childhood...and she sure loved that country and the people.  I'd like to see the fjords!

3. What does the word faith mean to you?

"To hear with my heart
To see with my soul
To be guided by a hand I cannot hold
To trust in a way that I cannot see
That's what faith must be"  ~Michael Card

4. You can go back to your childhood for one day...what day and age would you choose?

This was really tough for me.  I think I'd go back to about age 6...when I had a little playhouse that I played in for hours and hours of uninterrupted imaginative play.  Life with no cares.

5. When did you last have 'punch'? If it's not too much trouble share your favorite punch recipe.

A golden anniversary celebration at our church.  The punch at my wedding was wonderful...but I'll have to ask my mother for the recipe.  I think it had raspberry sherbet and ginger ale in it...and real raspberries floating about.  It was yummy!

6. Do you fill stockings at your house? Are stockings opened before or after the bigger gifts?

I think the stockings are better than the big presents.  My parents always put oranges in the toes.  Evidently, this had more to do with my Dad being in seminary and them scrapping by to fill my stocking.  The year that they felt they could leave out my oranges...I was VERY disappointed in the loss!  SO, now it's tradition...there MUST be oranges in the toes of the stocking!!  They are also always opened before the big gifts.

7. What takes your breath away?

A good kiss from Loverbrains!  Hahaha...just teasing.  Well....

8. Insert your own random thought here.
 I was late in getting the Christmas rush stress disease this year.  BUT...it's officially arrived and I have lots to skitter about and do...and all I WANT to do is sit and read.  Humph!  This is what then leads to a Bah Humbug attitude.  HEhehe!  "FOCUS...focus, Bobbi...remember the reason for the season!!!"

Tick, tock...slow the clock!

The Kitchen Clock

I am the Kitchen Clock.

A friend, not a slavedriver to be feared.

The guide to leisure, not a whip.

I measure the minutes that make up life.

I tick serene and steady in joy or catastrophe.

Often I had best be forgotten, for watching

me too closely means time lost, not gained.

I am not your mentor.

There is but One.

He does not recognize me,

For I cannot measure the infinite.

When is the tomorrow that you fear?

Do today the thing's that are today's.

Let me work happily with you.

Let me play with you.

Forget me--and win a race with time.

--Anon.

Tube Tube Tuesday Christmas Special!!!

I LOVE this rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus. I watched it two more times just now and tears came out of the corners of my eyes from my silent fit of giggles. The kids are napping...I'm trying to laugh quietly! HEHEHEHE!

WIW: Thoughts on Advent!

"In eight days, we shall celebrate Christmas and now for once let us make it really a festival of Christ in our world...It is not a light thing to God that every year we celebrate Christmas and do not take it seriously.  His word holds and is certain.  When he comes in his glory and power into the world in the manger, he will put down the mighty from their seats, unless ultimately, ultimately they repent."

~Sermon to a London church on the third Sunday of Advent, Dec. 17, 1933

"Only when we have felt the terror of the matter, can we recognize the incomparable kindness.  God comes into the very midst of evil and death, and judges the evil in us and in the world.  And by judging us, God cleanses and sanctifies us, comes to us with grace and love....God want to always be with us, wherever we may be--in our sin, suffering, and death.  We are no longer alone; Go dis with us.

~The Coming of Jesus in Our Midst by D. Bonhoeffer

SOLI DEO GLORIA: It was a dark and stormy night....

Well, it wasn't really dark or night...but it was stormy!  I was out and about doing many errands yesterday.  Thanks to Loverbrains being home...and taking some comp time...I was even doing these errands alone in the daytime.  Well, the only down side to all of this freedom, was the COLD, pouring rain!

At last, I came to the grocery store...with a big list.  The parking lot was nuts because people lose their minds in December.  All the close empty spaces were filled with the shopping carts people hadn't nicely taken two steps to return to the corral in the rain.  I nudged into a space...bumping one poor little cart gently forward. 

I gathered my stuff and stepped out of the car into a puddle...Nice!  Then I turned to see an older man looking at me from under his big black umbrella.  He smiled and said, "Are ya coming in?  Hurry!"  I thanked him as I hurried under the shelter of his umbrella.  He said something like "we might all float away" and I said, "Yes, I sure wish it would SNOW!"

As we entered the store to part ways he said, "Well, Happy Holidays!"  And I did something that is uncharacteristic...even for forward, big mouth me.  I said, "Oh, NO sir!  It's Merry CHRISTmas!!...Christ is the whole reason for the season!  Do you know the story of Jesus and why he came as a baby?"  He stood stunned for a moment...and a small smirk came across his face.  He patted my arm and said, "You're right, young lady!  Shame on me for being all PC and not saying so myself!  Merry Christmas, dear!"  We chatted briefly about how easy it is to get sucked into "the easy way"...of not offending.  I don't remember exactly what I said, but I did say that Jesus' light is something that I don't think I could ever hide!  I invited him to our church's Christmas program and proceeded with my shopping.  Then today some applicable thoughts came up at my favorite Bible Study!


If I believe that Christ is Superior (in truth, in everything)...Do I move forward in obedience?  Do I obey because I can't NOT obey...because it just breaks my heart when I disobey?  Obedience brings freedom.  Believers must resist the temptation to settle for superficial spirituality.  I want to go deeper and be more like my High Priest.

Now, sometimes being real isn't that painful.  Oftentimes, we can say, "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays" and still be happily received.  I'll warn you...this has gone very differently for me.  I had an Atheist about "take my head off" in Walmart not that long ago for the same sort of comment.  But I will continue to be obedient to the tugging of the Holy Spirit on my heart...even when the TRUTH is offensive.  I will not bend my integrity.

1 Pet. 2:11, says we are "strangers in this world"...but that's okay!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Go be strange!!

Much more to Christmas!

"For unto us a child is born,  a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."   Isaiah 9:6

There's more, much more to Christmas

Than candle-light and cheer;

It's the spirit of sweet friendship That brightens all the year;

It's thoughtfulness and kindness,

It's hope reborn again,

For peace,

for understanding

And for goodwill to men!

My sweet friend Maria had us over to mess up her kitchen make Christmas cookies!  It was a wonderful afternoon.  Lots of adult conversation for me...with lattes and sugar cookies...and very happy and flour covered children!

They played so nicely together.

And they enjoyed the eating part too...YUMMO!