Jingle bells!

Ok, well, we aren't all that jingly over here, but Christmas is coming anyway.

Christmas can be such a depressing and hopeless time of year for people. I know it really stinks when you are beyond broke, and add to that this economy and so many, many people out of work.

I am not depressed, I just don't get all that excited about Christmas. It is just all so....... unnecessary. Jesus doesn't instruct us to remember his birthday (which didn't happen in December anyway) and He certainly wouldn't want it to be about THINGS. So it kind of turns me off a bit. I love giving presents to people, don't get me wrong, I just hate what it has all become about. Buy, buy, buy. Spend, spend, spend. Decorate, spend, buy, eat. Just so much of that and so little of Christ.

So, I really just don't pay too much attention to it. I buy the gifts we need to buy (this year I have WON a ton of my gift list!), and enjoy the important parts: spending time with family and giving to people who need. (because you need to take care of their needs so they can know how much you care) Jesus wants us to care for the poor and broken.

All that aside...........

We have a long-standing Christmas feud in our house. Team Real Tree against Team Fake Tree. Team Real Tree are the dreamers who love Christmas. Team Fake Tree are the ones who see wasted money and pine needles to clean up. This year I bowed my wishes to make my dreamers happy. Memories are worth more than the money, right? So Team Real Tree won this year. I'll have to post pics, I even went along to get the tree this year. And I never do that!












Then we went to decorate. Where are the decorations? Seriously, where are they? No idea where they are. We have a closet for them, but they aren't there. No lights, no ornaments, no STOCKINGS. Our tree has some stuff I stole from my mom's Christmas stuff, a garland, our outdoor lights, and candy canes! But it is still pretty.

My manger and nativity set did get put away correctly so that is set up. I worried about the kids breaking it because it is the only thing I have from my grandma. But Donnie threatened them with their lives and they only point, never touch. Sam says that Joseph is God, and there is just no convincing him otherwise. You can confuse him a little and he will call Jesus God and Joseph Jesus, but he won't give up that Joseph is Joseph. Cracks us up!












Kaytlin is home from college for a month. Not that she is ever HOME, but she sleeps here. Hopefully we'll find time to do some wedding planning and maybe order wedding invitations now that we have a place and date for both the wedding and reception. The cake is being planned, but will be a HUGE challenge to me. Chocolate sides. Chocolate hates me.

















Drew won't be home, but he will be around New Years, and plans to be at the grand opening of our new church campus!

That's what's up here! I'll sign off with a little conversation I had with Trinity the other day when she overheard me say something about being fat.

Trinity "Mom, you are NOT fat!"
Me "I'm not?"
Trinity "No, you are just thick."

Hmm, that IS a little better sounding! lol