We have a very blustery day outside.
(Current temp is -1°F.)
Lanaya Elizabeth and Amos can't be here because of weather. We are all rather sad, but I'm feeling better about it since I had some time to prepare myself.
I have to admit I was rather scrooge-ish about Christmas when I was younger. I thought there was a lot of nonsense that went on. So much waste, so much over-the-top-ness, so much food, so much busyness. I'm a practical person. Perhaps a minimalist of a sort.
But through listening to podcasts and reading books, I've changed my attitude toward celebration a bit. I have decided, if not to plunge in the deep end, to at least wade out into the water with a good attitude. So we decorate the tree, buy and wrap the gifts, make the cookies, drink egg nog all season (not just on Christmas Day), watch the movies, go to the celebrations, do the fun things. And enjoy it unbegrudgingly.
I'll share a little from one of those people (
Doug Wilson) who helped reshape my view:
Celebrate the stuff. Use fudge and eggnog and wine and roast beef. Use presents and wrapping paper. Embedded in many of the common complaints you hear about the holidays (consumerism, shopping, gluttony, etc.) are false assumptions about the point of the celebration. You do not prepare for a real celebration of the Incarnation through thirty days of Advent Gnosticism.
At the same time, remembering your Puritan fathers, you must hate the sin while loving the stuff. Sin [is] not resident in the stuff. Sin is found in the human heart—in the hearts of both true gluttons and true scrooges—both those who drink much wine and those who drink much prune juice. If you are called up to the front of the class, and you get the problem all wrong, it would be bad form to blame the blackboard. That is just where you registered your error. In the same way, we register our sin on the stuff. But—because Jesus was born in this material world, that is where we register our piety as well. If your godliness won’t imprint on fudge, then it is not true godliness.
Celebration is good. Enjoy it!
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| Christy Franke Photography |
Jonathan had his senior pictures taken by our friend Christy Franke.
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| Christy Franke Photography |
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| Christy Franke Photography |
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Christy Franke Photography
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This one was taken at Mimi and Papa's house. Christy really liked that little raccoon, and I enjoy this picture a lot. It's a fun one.
Jonathan is finishing up high school well, working plenty of hours, making college plans, spending time with friends.
Phoebe at her Subway job as a Sandwich Artist. We always knew she would do some kind of artistry for her career! 😂 She's a good worker. I walked in taking pictures and customers were like, "Hey, your mom's getting your picture!" She said, "Too be honest, it doesn't surprise me."
We set up the tree early December. We went with a fake tree this year. Too many allergies last year from the real tree! Phoebe is our expert branch fluffer.
Harrison's handicraft for school was helping bake the Christmas goodies. He has had lots of practice! We made at least 6 different candies/cookies over the last few weeks. They are multi-purpose though. They are dessert for Shepherding meals (which I have neglected to get pictures of the last few times!), and goodies for us to munch on during the week, and finally, they will be our Christmas sweets.
These are Andes Mint cookies. Probably my favorite!
Jonathan reading the Scripture for church.
Decorating the tree.
We all watched A Christmas Story. I watched this for the first time at Julie Cheatum's home when she invited me over for a holiday in college (Thanksgiving?). Having never seen it before, I was weirded out by it. I thought all Christmas movies should be like It's a Wonderful Life ~ that movie being one of the few Christmas movies I had seen up to that point and not being able to imagine any other kind. Harrison had no memory of A Christmas Story, so we all watched it for him and it was a hit; I am no longer weirded out by it.
When it's nice outside, one gets out there to walk! And one takes a picture of the home place when one can.
Jonathan has been getting us to play games in the evening. We've had several rousing games of Scrabble. We play with nine letters to shorten playing time.
Jonathan's sermon prep.
Our friend Jamie (also the preacher at our church) has been working with several boys at church to teach them how to prepare and deliver a sermon. Jonathan is grateful for his and Phillip's expertise. He is a serious, careful studier.
Phillip and I went to the town Christmas parade by ourselves this year. The kids were all working or tired. Last year was so cold that I think I over-bundled this time! The lighted tractors are just the best.
The church kids' Christmas program.
You can't go wrong with little kids on stage. It doesn't matter what they do ~ it's adorable or funny or sweet.
Having watched A Christmas Story. We decided to try out the new A Christmas Story Christmas. This is little Ralphie all grown up. It was fun! It's not as good as the first one, but it was endearing and a good time.
Jonathan has been going out with Harrison to fly Harrison's remote control airplane that he received as a gift last year. He was reticent to fly it for a long time because he was afraid to ruin it. But he's got the hang of it now and he has a good time with it. The fields make a great wide open space for flying without running into trees or wires.
My crazy parents decided to drive our gifts to us! They thought that would be just about as cheap as mailing them to us in time for Christmas. They stopped at Liz and Amos' to drop their gifts off, so Liz sent her gifts with them to give to us. So my dad (whose last name is Clouse) was truly Santa Claus this year. The cold wind blew him in to deliver Christmas presents and then blew him back down south to his warmer(ish) weather.
Harrison's favorite ~ Peanut Butter Blossoms.
These are the last ones we have to make.
Papa took us out to eat at Valencia's. Delicious food and great service. We like having a Mexican restaurant in town.
I'm knitting away on Liz'
shawl pattern. Getting the hang of it, I think!
The kids playing a card game today while I try to mash potatoes. Why, after all these years, do I still feel like a newbie at mashed potatoes?
Christmas is coming.
Enjoy the lights, the music, the coziness, the family, the movies, the goodies, all of it!
