Joy to the World...the Lord is come!
Here are some of my favorite photos from the season...
New Year's Eve photo because I no longer put unnecessary pressure on myself to have our cards out by Christmas and at this rate, maybe not at all! If only we could hear the commentary from children and parents alike when trying to capture the elusive yearly family photo. We may or may not have bribed or threatened a few freezing kiddos!
My birthday. 34 feels fabulous! (I began subtracting a decade a few years ago). My big girls made us a delicious breakfast in bed and they shut the door to let us watch a movie. Later, my Park Ranger took me out to lunch, and on the way home we picked up pizza and enjoyed it on paper plates that evening. No cookin' or dishes! My sweet Joy-girl made me an eggnog cheesecake for the 2nd year in a row and well...place your order now for next year. It's beyond any taste bud comprehension your buds will not know what to do with such scrumptious flavor!
Lefse baking with my Norwegian boy. More explanation on this, perhaps next year, but you Scandinavians know this is a form of art!
Snow falling on Christmas Eve outside our church. This may have happened once before in my lifetime here in the Pacific Northwest. Or, that may have been a dream. I can't remember for sure. In any case, I'll never forget waking up to a blanket (okay, a dusting) of white on Christmas morning!
My living room on December 25th. We live in a rustic ranger house and I keep in mind one of my mom's favorite things to say,"Bloom where you're planted." So, as things in this old house seem to be falling apart much of the time, that's what I try to do. I'm also a homeschoolin' momma married to a park ranger, so it's necessary to decorate a dime, but I have so much fun doing it.
Downtown Seattle after watching a Christmas Carol with the family at the ACT Theater. Of course, two years in a row now I end up in teary-eyed at the end as the cast sings, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and I'm also contemplating if it's too late for me to go into acting and theater....hmmmm...perhaps. "God bless us every one!" Afterword we walked around Seattle, which is always an eye-opener and so much fun for my country kids.
The dusting of snow which was enough for my son to build half a snowman and that's a Christmas tree in the middle of our field.
Annual "Peace on Earth" date. Ladies, if your husband balks at the mere thought of listening to a boy's choir and accompanying symphony, please let me know and I will give him my husband's number. He initially declared he would attend for me (as though it might entail some sort of suffering on his part), but as it turns out? He was absolutely flabbergasted, speechless, and LOVED it. Just sayin.' We purposefully plan this date just a few days before Christmas because when the heat of the hustle and bustle intensifies, it's time to be still, close our eyes, listen angelic music, and worship the Prince of Peace, Jesus, who is the only One who offers us true Peace on earth through faith in Him! Isaiah 9:6
The last few years, the Christmas season has been so much for peace-filled, which equals joy-filled because I've let expectations, paired down the calendar (you really don't have to do it all), and asked Jesus to provided time for me to be still and know He's God. Psalm 46:10 Here is an awesome teaching by Pastor Waxer from One Love church in Honolulu, Hawaii on this very subject. I love it when he asks if we're going to choose to have a "Mary Christmas" or a "Martha Christmas." http://onelove.org/christmas-eve-2017-waxer-tipton-one-love-ministries/
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
