Merry Christmas, friends! This is a busy time of year, but oh, what fun! Gifts, music, lights, greenery, amazing scriptures of angels appearing to shepherds announcing the birth of our Messiah... oh, I love it! So, without further ado, lets Holiday Hodgepodge!
1. What is one new holiday tradition you'd like to establish, or one you've established recently, say in the last year or two?
I'd love to do an advent devotional with my family - if not every night, then at least once a week. It's too hard to get trapped in the busyness of the season and forget to stop and... just... be.
2. It's the second week of December. Have you sipped a cup of eggnog yet this month? Wrapped a gift? Opened a gift? Kissed someone under the mistletoe? Lit a candle? Eaten a Christmas cookie? Seen Santa in person? Watched a Christmas movie or special? Read scripture relating to the birth of Jesus?
Eggnog over Thanksgiving, but that was in November, so no, not this month. I have gifts wrapped under the tree already! haven't opened a gift or kissed anyone under the mistletoe. But I HAVE lit candles on my table and mantle, eaten Christmas cookies, seen Santa at the mall, watched several Christmas movies, and have read the scriptures telling of the REAL story of Christmas! Not bad for it only being December 9!
3. Do you think it's better to be an adult or a child at Christmastime? Explain.
Oh gosh... it's hard to say, isn't it? I remember the excitement as a child, waiting for Christmas morning... and then as a teen being struck by my first candlelight Christmas Eve service... But now, as an adult, it is so fun to decorate, to share Christmas memories, to share the Christmas story, and to provide Christmas for my kids and see their excitement. And I love reminiscing with my kids about the sweet little way they said things at Christmastime when they were little... Like my Middle C, saying over and over and over again, "Mommy, Noel means "Fear NOT!" So "FEAR NOT!" Mommy" as she crossed her hand vehemently across her chest in a diagonal motion. "FEAR NOT, Mommy!" Oh, Christmas... children... Christ... I love it all.
4. It's often said, 'Good things come to those who wait'...agree or disagree? Why?
Oh I agree - when you wait for something, it makes the "getting it" all the more special and precious!
5. What's the last sweet thing you baked? Did you keep it, take it to a party/event, or give it away?
Just tonight! I made cranberry oatmeal cookies for our church's joint Session/Deacons meeting. The leftovers I will take to the office tomorrow!
6. This question comes to us courtesy of Jhona who blogs over at The Red House at the End of the Lane. Everyone hop over and say hi to Jhona this week! Here is her question... "I heard an actor talk about how he makes a conscious choice to talk to people in elevators. He chooses to connect, make eye contact, and converse. Do you talk to people/strangers when you're in an elevator or any other place where you might have to wait together? Why or why not?"
Yes I do - just yesterday I was called to jury duty, and as I sat there in the waiting room with 75 other individuals, at first no one talked to anyone. It was very strange. I couldn't help but look around and notice EVERYONE on their phones, laptops, magazines, etc. But by the second time that the clerk told us we were on hold, people started talking a bit more. I struck up conversations with both individuals sitting on either side of me. I have no problem talking with strangers and making a connection - my family will attest to this! After all, we're all in this together, we might as well smile, chat, and weather it all together, whether its an elevator ride, a jury selection pool, or a natural disaster...
7. Are you on the naughty or nice list this year? What put you there?
Definitely nice. I'm a proud mama, a loyal loving wife, an active leader in our church... it's good!
8. Insert your own random thought here
Other Christmas traditions - my mom and I used to always go to holiday home tours when I was a teenager. This last weekend, I invited her to come down and go to one in my city! It was so much fun! Fun to see how other homes are decorate (and holy schmoley, the money people have! Crazy!) And fun to go through it together. Another tradition - we used to always take one night and drive around looking at neighborhoods that all decorated for Christmas - themes, etc. Now that we are back in southern California, I can't wait to do this with my kids next week!
Have any of you done a holiday home tour or gone to see Christmas lights yet?
1. What is one new holiday tradition you'd like to establish, or one you've established recently, say in the last year or two?
I'd love to do an advent devotional with my family - if not every night, then at least once a week. It's too hard to get trapped in the busyness of the season and forget to stop and... just... be.
2. It's the second week of December. Have you sipped a cup of eggnog yet this month? Wrapped a gift? Opened a gift? Kissed someone under the mistletoe? Lit a candle? Eaten a Christmas cookie? Seen Santa in person? Watched a Christmas movie or special? Read scripture relating to the birth of Jesus?
Eggnog over Thanksgiving, but that was in November, so no, not this month. I have gifts wrapped under the tree already! haven't opened a gift or kissed anyone under the mistletoe. But I HAVE lit candles on my table and mantle, eaten Christmas cookies, seen Santa at the mall, watched several Christmas movies, and have read the scriptures telling of the REAL story of Christmas! Not bad for it only being December 9!
3. Do you think it's better to be an adult or a child at Christmastime? Explain.
Oh gosh... it's hard to say, isn't it? I remember the excitement as a child, waiting for Christmas morning... and then as a teen being struck by my first candlelight Christmas Eve service... But now, as an adult, it is so fun to decorate, to share Christmas memories, to share the Christmas story, and to provide Christmas for my kids and see their excitement. And I love reminiscing with my kids about the sweet little way they said things at Christmastime when they were little... Like my Middle C, saying over and over and over again, "Mommy, Noel means "Fear NOT!" So "FEAR NOT!" Mommy" as she crossed her hand vehemently across her chest in a diagonal motion. "FEAR NOT, Mommy!" Oh, Christmas... children... Christ... I love it all.
4. It's often said, 'Good things come to those who wait'...agree or disagree? Why?
Oh I agree - when you wait for something, it makes the "getting it" all the more special and precious!
5. What's the last sweet thing you baked? Did you keep it, take it to a party/event, or give it away?
Just tonight! I made cranberry oatmeal cookies for our church's joint Session/Deacons meeting. The leftovers I will take to the office tomorrow!
6. This question comes to us courtesy of Jhona who blogs over at The Red House at the End of the Lane. Everyone hop over and say hi to Jhona this week! Here is her question... "I heard an actor talk about how he makes a conscious choice to talk to people in elevators. He chooses to connect, make eye contact, and converse. Do you talk to people/strangers when you're in an elevator or any other place where you might have to wait together? Why or why not?"
Yes I do - just yesterday I was called to jury duty, and as I sat there in the waiting room with 75 other individuals, at first no one talked to anyone. It was very strange. I couldn't help but look around and notice EVERYONE on their phones, laptops, magazines, etc. But by the second time that the clerk told us we were on hold, people started talking a bit more. I struck up conversations with both individuals sitting on either side of me. I have no problem talking with strangers and making a connection - my family will attest to this! After all, we're all in this together, we might as well smile, chat, and weather it all together, whether its an elevator ride, a jury selection pool, or a natural disaster...
7. Are you on the naughty or nice list this year? What put you there?
Definitely nice. I'm a proud mama, a loyal loving wife, an active leader in our church... it's good!
8. Insert your own random thought here
Other Christmas traditions - my mom and I used to always go to holiday home tours when I was a teenager. This last weekend, I invited her to come down and go to one in my city! It was so much fun! Fun to see how other homes are decorate (and holy schmoley, the money people have! Crazy!) And fun to go through it together. Another tradition - we used to always take one night and drive around looking at neighborhoods that all decorated for Christmas - themes, etc. Now that we are back in southern California, I can't wait to do this with my kids next week!
Have any of you done a holiday home tour or gone to see Christmas lights yet?
9 comments:
I like to ride around and look at the lights too. The weather has been less than great (pouring rain last weekend), so maybe this weekend. I'd love to do a holiday home tour, haven't managed it this year. Enjoy your week! The cookies sound good : )
I am dong a home tour this weekend and can't wait. When daughters were little, would drive around and look at all the lights.
We like to drive around and look at lights too. We have noticed less up in our neighborhood this year. ) : But we have a lot of older folks living here and I think they are unable/tired of putting up lights. I love home tours too! We have one each year to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Makes sense, right?
Yes, I love doing holiday home tours! Always so much fun! Just driving around and looking all all the outdoor decorations is enough to make me happy!
We drive around the neighbourhood as well. Why not since people put so much work and money into decorating.
HI!! I loved home tours as a kid, and looking at neighborhood lights! I used to take the kids driving through lit areas, but neighborhoods with enough to make the drive worth it are few and far between, it seems, in recent years. Oh, well!! My Little is the only one who appreciates all of that anyways...maybe I will look for a holiday home tour for just the two of us! :) Love you, Sal!!
E
I so agree with your #6 and those Cranberry oatmeal cookies sound wonderful. Hope you made several dozen. :-)
That was one of our favorites as a child, seeing the lights.
I like your 'may as well make the best of it' attitude. You're right, we're all in this together. Attitude is everything!
Hi there! I also loved driving around looking at the lights through the neighborhood, i think we used to go around Pasadena. They had real extravagant decor! Up north, not so much..
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