All About Christmas (a conglomeration)

Conglomeration? Yep. Get ready! It's time to catch up on missed blogging time. OK, so maybe you are wondering why there has been no activity on this blog lately. Well, after my husband preached a very inspiring message last Sunday night about really knowing Jesus, I felt challenged to go on a little fast from the ole puter. So this week I cut back drastically from my computer usage, only checking my email and getting on to do some Christmas shopping, and tried to apply that time in more important areas--mainly spiritual and familial. It made a huge difference and helped me to put things in the right perspective. Yes, I'm afraid I was spending too much time in front of this screen. Blogging, and the reading thereof can be rather addictive if one is not careful.

I completed my Christmas shopping this week, which included some much-needed church clothes for Grace. And you know what that means--I had to make her some new hairbows, too ;). So I have been up late a couple of nights doing what I love. It's like a creative outlet for me. One of these days I am going to learn to sew and LOOK OUT :0). Here are a couple of my creations:

We will be in Alabama on Christmas day and the weekend following, so we decided to have our family Christmas today. Last night, after the kiddos went to bed, John and I thought we would sneak and exchange our gifts for each other. We were all giddy and excited until...EGAD we could not find my present! I knew I had just seen it on a shelf (not put under the tree yet), but alas it was not there! You can imagine, we turned the house upside down trying to find it--we looked in closets, cabinets, the pantry, the kids' toys boxes...no present. I was about to get upset, and finally, we found it--in an empty diaper box???? We got a good laugh out of it. My hubby got me a really nice new Bible in a very cute Bible case:






Here are the kiddos waiting for the "go ahead" (isn't that piece of sheet rock in the background lovely?). They were so excited!

Well, at least Grace and Elijah were. Emma looks a little bored :).

And the girls were sorta dressed alike for the event. Aren't they cute?

To wrap things up, Daddy read the Christmas story to us. I had explained to the kiddos earlier in the week that they were getting three presents because on Jesus' birthday, He received three presents from the wise men. This is a tradition we started last year and plan to apply every Christmas. We do not bring Santa Clause into the equation, and I think it's because our focus is truly on celebrating the birth of Christ, and what does a fat old man dressed in red have to do with that?

I love this picture of my Big Man.

My Emma Rae is rolling over, fighting sleep like a pro, sucking both thumbs (!!) and getting cuter by the day! She wants to sit up and/or be stood up all the time, and is too big for her little britches :). We are all deeply in love with her.

Today was a good day. I cannot convey how wonderful it felt to have a day with my husband and family all together, centered on us and the true meaning of Christmas. It is going to be very hard when John goes back to school after the break, after getting used to him being here with us. He started working on the master bathroom remodel today, building the frame for our gigantic whirlpool garden tub. Very exciting. Can't wait to immerse my ample self in its warm, relaxing depths, complete with candle light an incense. One can dream, can't one?

I must now away, to fulfill the never-ending duties of my mom/wifehoodness, albeit with a heart of joy and contentment. How could I not be (joyful and content), when my Lord was born, as a precious, innocent babe, just to die for me, so that I might have hope.....joy.....peace. Abundantly.