CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas Eve!

I can't believe tomorrow is Christmas!  It's so true that as I get older, the time flies faster and faster.  I remember as a kid how it seemed like the year crept and crept until Christmas finally arrived and now as an adult, I don't think it could get here faster!!  As I've been thinking about Christmas and, yes, even stressing over minute and silly details, I've read several things that really bring me back to what matters and what the heart of the season truly is. 

It's all about Him.

It's all about Jesus.

He was born to save the world.

What better reason to celebrate could there possibly be???

I want so much for Christmas to mean something more than just presents to my children, but am I showing them??  Am I truly living "Jesus is the reason for the season?"

I've been a follower of Angie Smith's blog for a few years now and she writes some great stuff.  She wrote this post recently that really hit home with me.  I, like Angie, can often feel overwhelmed with choices...the simplest, tiniest choices...and it drives me crazy.  It makes me feel nuts sometimes.  This is the time of year that I think the choices can be overwhelming so I wanted to share her blog with you and hope you get encouragement out of it the way I did.

It really hits home with me because Taylor has only consistently said she wanted two things for Christmas...a pair of Stompeez slippers and a Lalaloopsy doll.  I got her a Lalaloopsy at Toys R Us (in the catalog she picked out the one with glasses and I was able to get that one for her!) and I ordered her the Be-Bop Bunny Stompeez, which are the ones she said she wanted.

Cute, right? :0)

Well, I ordered these suckers on November 23rd and they're still not here :( .  I wouldn't be as disappointed if she hadn't specifically said she wanted these...and if she hadn't continued to say it over and over and over again these last couple of weeks. 

"I really hope Santa brings the Stompeez I want."  "I really hope I get Stompeez for Christmas!"  "Mommy, do you think Santa will bring me Stompeez??"

*Sigh*

As I'm feeling anxious and disappointed about Taylor not having Stompeez under the tree tomorrow morning, I'm reminded that what is or is not under the tree shouldn't be the point!  The point is that my Savior was born and died on a cross so that I can accept His free gift of salvation.  And that should be enough.  Will I let it be enough?  Will I teach my children by my words and my actions that it's enough?


Will you??? 


MERRY CHIRSTMAS!!!

Keeping up

In the spirit if attempting to keep up with my blog and actually post things timely, I found this pic of Rylan from the summer so I thought I'd share :)

Isn't he just the silliest, most adorable little fella?

Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

I had such reservations about putting up our Christmas tree this year.  My precious little Rylan is a bit "handsy" as we often say.  His nickname is actually "Hands McQueen."  Poor little buddy isn't really bad, he's just so stinkin inquisitive about everything!  He has to touch everything ~ usually multiple times ~ as he investigates what it looks like and how it operates.  I had visions of broken and crushed ornaments being strewn about the living room or even the whole tree toppling over! 

Due to these visions in my mind, I told Kraig that I thought I'd wait to put up the tree til at least a couple weeks before Christmas if not maybe even just the week before.  Well, Taylor had other plans...  She was SO excited for Christmas this year ~ she's at a really fun age for all the festivities! ~ and as soon as she started seeing Christmas lights going up in our neighborhood (you know, at Thanksgiving!) and lit Christmas trees through people's windows, she was asking me every single day (and sometimes more than once a day!) when were we going to put our tree up?  I started feeling guilty that I'd be jipping her out of enjoying our tree if I stuck with my original plan so I bit the bullet and we decorated the first weekend in December and oh what fun we all had!  And, I must admit, though Rylan broke more ornaments the night we put up the tree than Taylor has in her entire lifetime, he hasn't done too bad ;0) .  Taylor is being a good example of helping him to remember not to touch the tree and we have some fun, "touchable" items under the tree for him to play with too.

Before the decorating, we started with a little photo shoot since we'd just come from them getting their pics done with their cousins.  This picture turned out SO over exposed, but then Rylan went on the run and I couldn't get a re-do...oh well...

Taylor was happy to have her picture taken again if it meant we got to decorate the tree!

This is me trying to talk Rylan into going back over to the tree to get his picture re-done.  He was, obviously, not having it so I took his pic anyway :-)

Let the decorating begin!!!

TA-DA!!!  Beautiful :)