Merry Christmas, Blog Friends!

Click on the card to enlarge! I haven't been able to get the picture to remain posted. Hopefully it's here to stay this time!

Christmas Tour of Homes

Click here to see my original tour -- it's under "phase 2".

Phase Two!

It's done!! The tree is d-o-n-e! I can breathe a tiny breath of relief. Tiny, because it's only the beginning of the entire process! Albeit, as I write this post, I've tackled and completed a few more decoration tasks. :)

This post is kind of a prelude to the "full picture". Maybe a little peak into some of my favorites during Christmas too.

The picture below is one of my favorite cards. A friend of mine handmade it. Every year, I look forward to her card. She puts so much thought into each one.

Another "favorite" of mine is live greenery. I love to mix it into my decorations. The smell is so fragrant, and it looks pretty too. Kind of like bringing a little bit of the outdoors, in. We have big holly bushes (more like trees!) in our front yard. The locals call them "nellies". Clippings from their branches are very hearty, and seem to last throughout the holiday.

Personalized ornaments are fun too! Within the last few years, I've tried to collect at least one each Christmas. My boys have also chosen an ornament for themselves with hopes of taking them along when they've grown. :(

This year I lucked out with this find! Trader Joes is a local whole food store. They carry all kinds of healthy alternative foods, fresh flowers, organic produce, and plants. The greenery in the picture below was $5.99 per swag! A great deal for me (I never find great deals!)!

My theme for the last 5 or so years, has been candy canes. I love the meaning of the candy cane. For those of you that don't know, or have never heard, the candy cane is steeped in meaning. The white stripes signify Christ's purity, and the red, the stripes He bore for us on the cross. The smell of peppermint is similar to that of hysop. Hysop was a balm used for healing wounds. The cane-shape represents that of a shepherd's crook, or a "J" for Jesus. Candy canes are a reflection of Christianity: God sent us His Son on Christmas morning. He was blameless, and without sin; pure from all iniquities. He led others, just as a shepherd leads his flock, and brought us healing through His love. He also healed with His hands, and bore stripes of blood for our sins. His name is Jesus. He is the reason for this season!

Our BIG 2-0!

I've been way too preoccupied lately. Hmmm, can't imagine why! How wrong of me to have by-passed this huge event!

December 2, 1989

.

A young woman and young man committed their lives to one another, forever. An oath, vow, a promise: marriage. Two became one, joined together by God.

Faced by trials, sadness, and loss along the way; great joy, celebration, and blessings sustained them, and brought them through.

Time matures; age adds wisdom; years bring grace.

Thank you, Lord. You have blessed us abundantly, and we owe it all to You. Please keep us in Your care as we continue this journey, together: one.

Phase One!

Well, we've go to start somewhere! I guess the process of finding "the" tree will have to suffice for Kelly's blog right now!

Today marked the beginning of the last on my list of "to do(s)". I took a different approach with my home decor this year: house first, tree second, everything else -- crazy chaos that I promise myself I won't get involved in EVERY year -- when "I can"!

We've made a family tradition of hitting the high country for our Christmas trees. This was our fifth or sixth year of our northward excursions. Our wedding anniversary is December 2nd, and we've always celebrated by buying our tree, followed by dinner (or lunch) out. Each year, I'm pressed by my ever-loving husband to stay in Charlotte, and buy our tree locally. Sorry, just can't do it. Our day, today, was reason enough to carry on this fine tradition... in my opinion, of course! :)

We woke up this morning at 8:30. Jim nudged me to get out of our warm, cozy, bed to check the weather report online. He was bound and determined to escape having to travel, and was leaning prayerfully on the forecaster's "treacherous" weather warnings from the night before. No such luck (insert smile... he, he, he!). 1-3 inches of snow by 2:00 p.m. -- treacherous? Into the shower I went, and out the door by 11:00, we were!

The ride up to Boone was beautiful. Rainy, but pretty in a wintery way. The boys had our collection of new (old) Christmas dvds going, and we were treated to memories of childhood classics: Rudolph, Frosty, and Charlie Brown. As we passed through the town of Lenoir, our car thermometer read "ICE" with a little snowflake symbol next to it. One of the boys noticed, and screeched with joy. "Snow, Mom! See, I told you we'd see snow!". Within minutes, the temperature dropped to 29*, and down came the snowflakes. Beautiful. No regrets on my part!

We drove through the town of Blowing Rock, and the boys' excitement grew. Their childish joy is so contagious. I love being a mom! We finally reached our landmark sign, "Christmas Trees Choose & Cut": Bill Austin's Tree Farm -- our favorite tree farm -- the only tree farm, as far as our children are concerned. As we pulled in, the boys suited up with gloves and hats. They had one goal: get to the snow. I had one goal too: find a tree - quickly, as to not frustrate my ever-so-patient husband. You know how much men LOVE shopping; Christmas trees are no exception to the rule!

The boys found their snow! And this is what I faced (below!)...

So many pretty trees to choose from! At 29* with snow falling, one is forced to make a choice, and this is what I found! "THE TREE" is pictured below. Do you hear the music accompaniment from Chevy Chase's "Christmas Vacation"?!?

I can't wait to decorate this baby!

Down the hill it came, and on slippery butt, I slid behind -- really, I did! By the way, a little funny side story: Jim was on the mountain side with me for a very brief time. While up in the trees, he decided he needed to "go behind a bush". Lest I say more, a woman came snow shoeing: tip-toeing along, and I gave out a warning. In my sad attempt at discretion, I broke out into hysterical laughter. I was laughing so hard that I fell right on my bum! Made a quick recovery, I might add - Jim never saw me fall, and that's all that mattered at that point! By the time I made it down to the bottom, I was soaking wet. A good laugh; well worth the chill in the end!

They ran the tree through this fancy machine, and by the time it came out, it was a fraction of the size. The twine wrap makes the set-up much easier, by the way. You line the tree up in the stand while wrapped, straighten it out, and cut the twine. Very simple. It's Jim's job. :)

On our way back to Charlotte, we stopped to eat at Canyons. Traditions die hard! The crazy thing in all of this: we parked in the SAME EXACT parking spot as we have for the last five or six years. Weird, but very cool, I guess. Great memories are formed by the expectations of familiarity having been met; year after year.

So, stay tuned! The first picture in this post will give you a little hint as to my "theme". I can't wait to share more pictures with you in my next post. Things to come: more traditions, decorations, recipes, and of course, "the" tree in it's glory.

Blessings on The Rock

"Don't Just Count Your Blessings, Share Them". Those words grace my eyesight every day. I'm thankful to receive such a powerful reminder. All too often I find myself honing in on the blessings, but fail to take the time to pass them along. Blessings are a gift. Gifts are meant to be given; shared.

For years now, I've participated in an amazing outreach called Operation Christmas Child. Years before we were blessed with our oldest son, I felt a burden for children less fortunate. My memory is sketchy (yes, I can face the truth!), so I'm not sure as to the, "who, what, where, and when" of how I became involved; one thing I do know, however, is that it blesses our entire family to give in this way.

This year our youngest son was given the opportunity to "decorate" the shoebox entirely on his own. No holds barred. It's so fun to see what the boys come up with each year, and they never fail to surprise me with their creativity. Taking time to personalize our box also allows time to reflect upon the little child that will receive our box.

So many questions surface, as much thought is given to the task at hand. One question stood out in contrast to years past: "Mom, does our shoebox kid have a Mom and Dad?". The boys had recognized that these children might not have tangibles, but had never really connected family with their circumstances. My heart was saddened. There's a very real possibility that our shoebox child might not have a mother or father; no family to speak of.

This then, prompted me to think of what each child receives within each special little box: Jesus. These boxes contain "family" for each of these children, as Jesus Christ is our Father. For some, this may be their only tangible gift, but it is also an Eternal Blessing; an everlasting Father.

When Conor finished his box, I asked him what he had painted. He replied, "a cross on The Rock". I probed him a little further for an explanation, and he said, "The Rock is God, and Jesus died on the cross.". Conor is sharing his vision of Christ with a sweet little boy. This is his Shared Blessing -- his Gift given -- our Gift, forever.

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever! Psalms 118:1

More Fall Deco-fun

These are a few more of my more halloween decorations. Kelly's Korner features a Fall Decoration tour of other bloggers' homes, and I figured I'd join in the fun! Check out her blog when you have a chance -- it's really good.

Chocolate Fondue

16 1-ounce milk chocolate candy bars, broken (I use Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars)

30 large marshmallows

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup whipping cream

Place chocolate bars and milk in fondue pot (or non-stick sauce pan on stove top). Turn temperature dial to warm. Stirring constantly, add marshmallows until melted. Gradually add whipping cream.

Serve with fresh fruit, pound or angel food cake.

* I usually use strawberries, apples, pineapples, and bananas.

Yield: 3 Cups

* Berries, Bananas, Cherries, Grapes, Oranges, Peaches, Pineapple, Kiwi, and Apples