Christmas Fun with Family!

We had the best weekend with my family! It was so wonderful to all be together to kick off the Christmas season! We had a great time...

We took advantage of all the grandkids being together by working on some fun Christmas presents...can't share because you never know who reads this blog!It looks like we are performing surgery...but it is actually the cutest present for Pal!Then, we worked on Gingerbread houses together. Julian is all ready to build the house with his cute hard hat on! He and Uncle Jay work on the base of the house!Then, the girls left the husbands and kids and headed into Birmingham for our night on the town! We went to see the Rockets in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. My aunt Martha, cousin Peyton, mom's friend Edna, and my mom enjoyed this show more than we can even try to explain! Mom and I gave each other these tickets for Christmas! It was wonderful to spend such a wonderful night together...it was truly magical!

Here the Rockets start the show off with an amazing number! The backdrop was the most awesome LCD screen. We couldn't tell what was real and what was the background because it was so realistic. I can only explain this show as complete eye candy!Yes, these are ICE SKATERS! They had this tiny ice skating rink that these two did amazing tricks...it was supposed to be the ice rink at Rockefeller Center...since this was the New York number. Yes...this is a tour bus on stage! The background took us on a tour of New York at Christmas...you couldn't tell it was a screen...it was so real!Santa and his friends fly over the audience riding a snow storm to the North Pole...spraying the audience with snow! They flew up and down over the audience on their way...truly awesome!OK, this was the climax of the entire night! They did the entire Christmas story...from the journey of Mary and Joseph, to the shepherds and angels, following the magi's journey (complete with camels, banners, horses, sheep,and donkeys!) to the finale here where they all bringing their gifts and sing Joy to the World to Christ!

We could not believe that they read this story straight from the book of Luke! It brought tears to my eyes that this many people would hear the Word of God! What a spectacular ending to a magical night...Praise God...His Word never returns void!
Saturday morning we headed out to Old Baker Farm to cut down the perfect tree for my parents. Here the kiddos enjoy the hayride out to the far lot to find our tree! Aren't they cuties? Julian never took off the hard hat all weekend. Isn't Anli precious in her cowgirl hat?Family is just the BEST!I love my sisters! Leslie wore my mom's old Christmas sweatshirt for a tribute to my mom! It was hysterical when she got out of the car! I so remember mom wearing this every Christmas...I want it for myself! Holly is in the middle and came all the way from Nashville so we could all be together for the annual tree cutting. It was wonderful to all be together.
We found the most beautiful...FAT...tree! There was a tie on which tree to choose so Anli got to break the tie and she wanted the fat tree. It was gorgeous and all the kids got to help saw it down. I love that we cut down our own tree every year...since Jay insists that we have a fake one every year:) Jay did most of the work and got it down in a snap!The grandkids do a great job hauling the tree to the road so that the hayride will come and get us! We didn't have to haul it ourselves thankfully...that was one big tree!My sweet girls stop for a photo...they are so precious!

While the helpers shook our tree and wrapped it up...the kids enjoyed the farm animals. They love them.These were the cutest little goats in this pen. We had lots of fun petting them!

Here's the finished product! Isn't that the most beautiful tree...and family! My family is so wonderful and it was such a precious weekend to be back decorating the tree, listening to Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers belting out Christmas carols, setting up Nutcrackers that my mom collects, and eating the best food in the world. Christmas memories are precious to me and so is my family. Thanks for a great weekend!

Ladies' Night Out

Last night we had a Ladies' Night Out at our church. I decorated a table and thought it would be so much fun to invite some of my girlfriends to come! We had a great time and enjoyed some fellowship together during this busy season. These are some of my closest friends and it was great to sit around a big table and catch up! There were a few sweet friends who had another meeting this same night who couldn't come...and we missed you!

The theme for the night was Creating a Christ-Centered Christmas. We studied Advent and the fact that we can live the Advent life every day of the year as we await the second coming of Christ! We talked about Anna in Luke 2 who worshiped God everyday even though she had suffered tragedy in loosing her husband. She is always a beautiful example to me about how a woman can live and minister.

Here is my table decoration. I had a wreath that my friend had made me (her name is not shared since she doesn't have the time or desire to make wreaths for a living!) in the center and then I simply placed the Chrismon stars my girls made last year all around them. They reminded us of the names of Christ. We had a great time...and there were so many gorgeous tables! It's always a wonderful night!

Bach to Bethlehem!

Sunday night, after going to a wonderful baby shower for some friends we headed Back to Bethlehem with some of our dearest friends. It was so much fun to visit Bethlehem as we are celebrating Advent each night!
We went to here last year since this church is literally 1 mile from our home. We met our friends the Folsom's there and though it was COLD, we had a great time! Here the kids stop at the gate and see the guards and the fire lit torches...it was cool! We also were given some yummy hot cider which we drinking to warm up a little.

We all had to sign in for the census! It was a great way to get the names of those who attended and to see how many people were coming through.

They had lots of fun games for the kids to play.

We watched a potter mold some beautiful pieces right in front of us. It reminded me how I am the clay and God is my potter. It was really neat!

We had to pay our taxes in Bethlehem and get the "mark." Centurions walked around all night and asked to see the "mark" to make sure the taxes were paid. They kids thought that was pretty cool!

We also went to the temple and heard all about Jewish tradition and celebration. It was very informative and I learned a few things I didn't know! It was cool to hear our kids answering the questions...they know a lot!

Then we headed over to the scribe and the kids got a little scroll with a verse from Isaiah about the coming King of kings!

Lastly, we watched the nativity story of Jesus' birth. It was so cold and I couldn't believe they had a LIVE baby! I was floored. But, it was a beautiful thing to watch as people came to worship Christ the Lord.

Paula and I looked like bank robbers all night in the cold! Brrrr. it was chilly!

The kids were escorted out of Bethlehem...just kidding! This centurion was leading us all out as it was time for the place to close down for the night. So, we got to take a quick photo with him. He was a hoot! You can see that he has my girls tied up!

It was a great night and a wonderful time with friends! It was also a reminder of why we celebrate and what it must have been like that night in Bethlehem. We got just a glimpse of where and how Jesus' birth may have looked. It wasn't filled with glitter, bows, shopping malls, or credit cards...it was a simple night like any other night. Yet, it was the night that brought peace on earth and goodwill to men from God! Awesome...Joy to the World!

Advent continues...

Last night on our Jesse tree we studied about Abram. We read in Genesis when God told him to leave his home and travel to a place He would show him. We studied about how God guided Abram and promised him that he would become a great nation and be blessed. We saw that this promise is fulfilled through Christ and making US apart of that great nation of Christians. It is wonderful to read about our heritage of faith!
Afterwards, we studied about the candy cane. We read the candy cane legend. It relates the shape of the candy cane as a shepherd's staff as they were the very first told of the birth of Jesus. Also, upside down the cane makes a "J" for Jesus.

The solid red stripe reminds us of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. While the three small stripes show us Jesus' place in the Trinity. The white stripe helps us to remember the way Christ's blood cleanses our sins white like snow.

We then, took 2 candy canes...the girls had big ones and we had smaller ones. The neat thing is that we got these at the parade...so I didn't have to buy them! Jay hot glued two together to make a pretty heart...to remind us that most of all it is about love. Jesus' love for His Father, God's love for His glory, and His sacrificial love for each of us!

Here is the one that Anli made...isn't it beautiful?

Jay did a very sweet thing...he glued our two canes together...since our lives are one in Christ! What a sweetie!

Downtown Woodstock Parade!

Yesterday we went to the downtown Woodstock parade and had a blast! It was really cold, but Jay found a great spot where we could park and have the back of our van right on the street where we could sit and watch the parade in the comfort of our car. We didn't turn on the heat...as the exhaust fumes would not have been nice!

The girls snuggle before the parade begins...brrr!

We had a great time!There were lots of floats, bands, dancers and cute dogs and horses dressed up in Christmas cheer! It was so much fun to watch how creative and cute the local businesses were!

Everyone seemed to be throwing out candy! We have more candy than we got from our fall festival...don't know what we will do with it all. At the end we asked some of the parade people if THEY needed more candy to throw out! We also got lots of free food coupons, cups, pens, stuffed animals, bags, and more stuff than we could carry home!

I always love the Shriners' cars. It makes me smile to see those big fellas in their little bitty cars tooting their horns and driving like crazy!

There were so many churches who also did floats. This one was neat because it had a orchestra of young kids that played while the story of Jesus' birth was acted out in the back of the trailer. We sang the carols along with them too!

Santa ended the parade and I snapped this photo just in time to see Santa waving at me! It was so much fun!!!!

Last night we made snowflakes that reminded us of the purity of Christ, but also the way that He comes to each one of us in our sin to save us! Each girl made their own flake and then printed Isaiah 1:18 on it:

"Though your sins be as scarlet; they shall be white as snow. Though they be as crimson; they will be as wool."

Look how full that little tree is getting!

One of my sweet "flakes"!

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