Perfection.

This has most definitely been the sweetest Christmas season I can remember. This year, as those of you who have followed me have read, I have attempted a DIY Advent season. What this has done for me is hard to describe. It started as the heart-longing of a mother hoping to make Christmas for a little boy more than a bunch of presents and sugar and through it God gave to me the gift of His Son again. So sweet. I've literally stopped mid-stride and let my knees bend in gratitude and worship. I've been surprised at how rich this time has been. I celebrate the birth of God-With-Us and God's declaration of reconciliation to the world. So, although my tree never actually got trimmed and my decorations never quite made it out of the storage boxes, this has been my favorite Christmas ever. Gratitude can be my only response.

A Weary World Rejoices.

I can't choose a favorite. I have been singing Christmas carols to Little One and I'm overwhelmed by the truth in the lyrics. We sing these words over and over until they become comfortable. I can remember being in a Christmas parade in Tahlequah (so it would have been 1980 or so - I would have been 4 or 5 years old.). I was a part of a group of kids riding on a hay-filled, flat-bed trailer singing carols as we went along the path. I can vividly remember a moment of clarity in which the words, "Oh, Come let us adore Him" became alive to me. I felt the call in that verse - Come. Be present in this event. Come and be a part. Even now as I type, I feel the tug of that beckoning. Come, let us adore Him - the One in whose name all oppression will cease (another carol lyric). The One who brings the "thrill of hope!" It overwhelms me. Come. Adore. Come. You're invited. Come. You're welcome. Come. Be a part of this. Come.

There's No Place Like Home.

Just wanted to connect - ya know... I've been in Texas visiting my grandmother for the past few days. Thus the absenteeism. I'm going to post pics here soon, but just wanted to say that I love Oklahoma. And, I love my home. And, I love my friends. And, I love my man.

A Wintry Wonderland.

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A Hiding Place.

I don't like for Little One to be near me when I straighten my hair - I just don't want to risk dropping a Chi on his sweet self. It makes me sick to even think about it. So, I usually lay down a little blanket just outside my bathroom door - just inside my bedroom. Yesterday, when I turned to check on him, he had wiggled himself off of the blanket and somehow put a t-shirt over his head. He was talking to himself in the mirror. It was so stinkin' cute! I took this pic of the mirror reflecting his newly found friend.

I'm a Cheater.

This was my first year to try building a gingerbread house. I did not feel compelled to bake the pieces from scratch and really wasn't sure how to make the icing, etc. So, I decided that for this first year it was ok to get a kit. I totally felt like a cheater. I can see that people who do this without the kit are really putting a lot of time into it. I asked Favorite to do it with me. I'm trying to lure him into my DIY Advent activities slowly. Don't want to push too hard. :) Here's our little cheater house. Believe it or not, it still took quite a while to put together!

Come One, Come All!

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