Busy Christmas

What a  busy Christmas....  Our Christmas didnt actually  begin until  Monday  evening  when   our daughter and son-in-law arrived  for  a visit  this week.     Then Tuesday morning bright and early  we had to take my mother  to the hospital for  a  Chiroplasty procedure on her spine and we  all tied up  all   day  with that issue and today   we tired to bake a bit and  do a bit of work  at my mom and dad's home...  Our daughter was  interested in  being involved and helping with  the  impact and work  this move to Assisted Living has  been on us....   I dont feel like  we have actually  Christmassed yet.....  We did have a  lovely leisurely  breakfast   this morning  with all the trimmings  and    Amanda and I did  sneak and open a  package  this afternoon. We  had matching  bracelets  from Brighton  that I was  dying to open....    that was fun...   but now its time to  load up the car and go  visit   with my parents  a bit and  take them some  Christmas  cheer....

  tomorrow will be our Christmas  Day... I sure hope  it  all goes without a hitch!!!!!.  Meanwhile,   Im  wishing you all a  great  week and  a  joyful   coming  New Year!!!!

Merry Christmas!!

The Story of the birth of Jesus, the wonderful son of God, Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, 

and our Savior

Luke 2

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place whileQuirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register.

So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

After all, this is what Christmas is all about....not the shopping, and the giving, and the baking, and the spending, and the stress, and the headaches, and the sore aching feet, and everything else that all the hoopla has been about... Just a simple truth about a little baby boy who lived a simple life, yet whose life means more than all the kings and all the wealth, and all the powerful leaders rolled into one.. for He is the Life, the Light of the world! 

and 

HE WILL SOON BE COMING AGAIN! MARANATHA!

Table Top Tuesday

Click to photo  above to visit  our host  and  enjoy more  vignettes!

As I  walked  around  our home  this late afternoon...  I was charmed by the  twilight  of dusk  filtering through the blinds...  mingled with the twinkling  lights of  Christmas....   I  love the rosy  warmth of    photos  taken  without a flash...   I took  a couple with the flash   but  I think you will agree those taken   without are much more cheerful!  We will start in the dining room

  The  sunroom    demonstrates  the banquette  in  flash mode...

There you can see our  Christmas  Cards  in their cherry  box  and  my  furry friends  who visit  my yard  everyday  in repose around a lighted  arrangement....   but    here  it is    with no flash

and some other  sunroom shots...

 and  we'll end up in the living room...


  a  cute  golden tree vignette
the mantel



Yes, Ive  decided that  dusk is  my favorite   time to  celebrate the  glory of    a Christmas  home...  if I  want to capture the  thrill and warmth of the yuletide  season....I love  this time of year!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY
Bright and sunny... no  sign of   Christmas in the forecast around here for sure....

I am thinking...it is nice to have a day  to myself to just  work around the house and  get things done in my leisure as the spirit moves....  aw... my kind of day..I refuse to allow pressure to seep in today.

I am thankful.. that  the  promise  from the Lord  that   I am learning more and more to  live   by  is that  he will supply everything we need for each day  and  to  live  like I believe and accept it

In the kitchen...leftovers... what else?

I am wearing...  green sweat pants and a and robin's egg blue  tee.....      I know  it sounds  pretty bad but  it is comfy and today that  is  really nice!


I am creating..   a homey  atmosphere for Christmas!

I am going...  to  be sitting here  by the phone  today  waiting for  mom's doctor to return my call....   we  have got to  beg him for    mom's procedure  on her  broken  lumbar 2  to  take place sooner    rather than later..... she has suffered  long enough waiting for  tomorrow's  mri

I am wondering...  well,,,   Ive actually got so much on my mind.. I can't   choose any one thing to  delineate.. but rest assured  I am wondering  about plenty!

I am reading...no time for reading   except   I  hope to  find some time for  the scriptures this week.....

I am hoping... that    each day from now til the years' end will  be happy,  joyful, and stress free

I am looking forward to..seeing our dear children  this week!

I am hearing...just my fingers tapping on the  keypad


Around the house...I am seeing  rooms  one at a time  come alive with the spirit of Christmas!

I am pondering...my need to  let go of the  must do's of Christmas and  simplify my holiday  experience...   my goal is  to  just  be joyful and   keep  a happy tone    in our household.

One of my favorite things... a nice cup of Christmas tea   around a lighted  Christmas tree!

A few plans for the rest of the week:Monday:   work on  cleaning the house  awaiting  Dr's  call  about  Mom
Tuesday:  Take mom to  the  mri
Wednesday:  Finish any  last minute decorating , have  a  family over for dinner, and a nice  fireside  chat
Thursday:  do some  Christmas baking,  drive to  Lynchburg to meet the Christmas train and collect our children   --yayayayayyayayayaya---   and take them to  phase one of their  Christmas  vacation ... our phase of their  stay begins on the  26th.....   therefore, Lynn and I need to invent  our own  Christmas  experience  just the two of us.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Saturday night   Lynn and I  joined along  with our   Sunday School class  in a progressive  dinner party..    we met in three  different homes for appetizer, meal, and dessert...all 32 of us  had  a glorious time of  loving,  and joyous  fellowship.....   delightful in every aspect!

Visit  Peggy  at  The Simple Woman's Daybook here  for more   offerings...

Pink Saturday

It's the Merry Christmas  post for 2011!

and
Happy Pink Saturday!

It  isnt  Christmas  around the  house until  the tree  goes up.....  carols playing   softly and  egg nog    or  Christmas  tea   to  cheer  us along....  that is  our  tradition of  setting the stage for getting our tree  up each year  now that it is just the two of us!

   It is  such a joy to see the lights  finally    on  and lighted!

For these prelit trees  always seem to need  a  set of lights to replace those that have  given up  their  light  in  seasons past!

  Finally,  it seems  that  everything  has been placed just right....

Deciding  which  ornaments to  put where is   a delight each year....



Until finally,   it just  seems to  say,,, "  This is    just right for 2011!"
So...one room down   and one to go....   but this time...


things are different...
   and  we get to  do all the  fun all over again
.....  tomorrow!
Merry Christmas!

For more Pink Saturday visit Beverly of How Sweet the Sound!

Table Top Tuesday

Click to photo  above to visit  our host  and  enjoy more  vignettes!

Ok, Im a day late  but  I finally did  get  things a bit  arranged and    boxes  squirreled out of sight..  I still have  boxes    scattered here and there,  but  as I've said before,  Christmas  decorating  seems to evolve in our home....   as  the spirit moves....
One of my favorite finds this season is my very first cloche...  Ive  seen  them in so many lovely blog vignettes, and wanted one for the longest time....   I finally found this great one at my favorite  consignment shop last week...  and so  it is heralding the advent of our  savior and Lord,  the birth of Jesus Christ,,,

The end table by the chair hosts  another  decorative ensemble

Across the room, the Christmas mantel   echoes the  rose motif....

 ...something a bit different this year...


  So as I scan  from room to room,   the  essence of  Christmas present is    a delight to  the senses and to my heart...

Christmas joy resounds  from room to room   just as it  does from heart to  heart  within the home....
Joy to the World... the Lord is come!

Christmas is Coming!

whether Im ready or not.....   and even though   times around here have been hectic to say the very least....   the Lord  does provide  opportunities  for our good pleasure... and for me today it was so wonderful to see the  house  alit for  the holidays...

This evening  right about dusk,  Lynn called me out in the yard to  see  how things were  going...

I love the effect of the  candles  and the wreaths at the windows....   so cheery and welcoming!

The  glow of the  Christmas tree in the living room  is always    a happy sight for me  this time of year!

 This year  we added these  lit twigs to our ensemble....    I love the  bright nuance  they  provide ...
What an evening to  be out  sharing our Christmas lights with the  world....  we cant   come close to  comparing with the  glory of God's handiwork...  either  in the   glorious sunset....

  or  the  rising of the  full moon!

Please pray

for me and my family....   this has been one of the most stressful times of my life....   my  parents just moved into Assisted Living last Wednesday and  each day since then has been a  huge trial.....it's not that they dont like   the new home....  it is very nice and  a lovely place to live...   but mom's fall last Monday a t home   has aggravated her  arthritis to the extent that  she has  basically given up trying to  do those things she knows she needs to do...  Lynn and I have worked around the clock to  get things   done for them and  make  the transition smooth  but  nothing we have been able to do or say has helped mom in her resolve to    move beyond the reality of the pain that she has coped with  for many years  ....   tomorrow  we take dad to one doctor and  then later mid morning we take mom to the pain specialist... please pray that  he will have  some relief for her.....  and that  things will finally settle down....  this week has taken its toll on everyone....

Simply Saturday

Funny to say the last time I wrote to this  theme  I was taking down the Christmas tree...   today we put it up... but alas,  we didnt  decorate it yet...  it  needs  many more lights  and that is Lynn's job... so  I  contented myself   working on  small  vignettes...  When its all said and I  I will  post some photos....   I love to see Christmas   just sort of evolve around  our house.... sort of as the spirit moves me....  I would love to  create  something on the scale as the  beautiful  photo posted above,,,,  so  cozy and warming and  full of cheer...  it  resonates family, love, and  tradition to me.   That is what Christmas is....    beginning  with the  holy family  represented by  God the Father  who sent us His own child,  His only begotten  Son, Jesus Christ, as a  sin offering...   Jesus  come to be born, live, and die for us...   as a substitute  for us because of the sin in our lives that separates us from  God.... Jesus, in His first advent,   came as a babe , born  by the Holy Spirit,  through  the Virgin Mary, he knew no sin,   yet He took the sins of the world on Himself in His cruxifiction and  became  the  atoning sacrifice  for all who  will  believe he is who he says he is....     and who will repent of their sin and turn  to  God, who will trust God and accept Christ's free  gift of salvation...   We are all sinners,  We   deserve  hell and damnation... every one of us....  yet because of God's love he made a  way for us to be saved...through the redemptive power of  Jesus'  blood  poured out for us....It is a free gift of grace  for those who will believe....  such love, mercy, grace....  free   to  all who will receive it  that is the  love, the family and the tradition  embodied in the  beautiful  Christmas  in our hearts....  that we seek to  emulate  during this season.....  For me  planning  for Christmas  includes  the  wondrous  carols  proclaiming the good news of  the  Coming   Christ Child....,  candles and  tree lights that  remind me that Jesus is the Light of the World...wonderful  aromas' of   delicious Christmas  treats, the scent of  fresh pine,   that  remind me of  the  family traditions of old...the  giving of gifts... nothing      outlandish .. just token gifts of appreciation to friends and family  to  demonstrate love one for another.  Just  as  Christ  demonstrated  in  being the perfect gift of us all....    I  pray that  this year I can keep my focus on  the true meaning of  Christmas and  enfold myself in only those things  that  keep  me ever closer to the author of  Christmas.   God, the Father and His  marvelous, precious  Son, Jesus Christ!



Thanks for the inspiration for this post to my dear friend Gina!