The 29th...

 

Hello friends, 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!

I was listening to a devotional  that encouraged

to keep the decorations up and 

keep celebrating this week.  

So often I'm  quick to take down the tree and clear the house but this year,

we're keeping everything out until after New Years. 

Because of the work we've had going on our house;

we didn't put this nativity up this year nor any outdoor lights-

we really missed it!!!!!!!  

Everything inside will stay though- 

- 

-we feel like more than ever before... we need it to last!!!!!!!  

It's been a trying year to say the least... 

the Light and Joy of Christmas 

has brought a peace we want to hold onto. 

Plus now that things have calmed down some I hope 

to find more time to crawl into this nest and 

 finish reading my last book for this year's reading challenge.   

I'm reading The Good and Beautiful God by James Bryan Smith. 

Some of you may remember this old photo- 

I think it was a scripture picture once but ... I remember this woman

every single Christmas.  I don't know her and yet... I know her. 

Do you know her too? 

I feel her. 

I want to sit and be still... just like her ...

awhile

longer. 

There were times I felt a sadness  this year... 

I think it was mainly from being quarantined during a time when we needed 

to be getting things done. Least; that's what I thought.  So then when we were out of quarantine 

we had to scramble even though we still didn't feel that great.  

It all takes a toll I guess.  

Highlights of Christmas for me this year: 

-time in the word and the advent study.  

-and the love of family n friends. 

Something I so enjoyed was having Myguy in the kitchen with me 

helping to prepare all the food for the kids coming over.  

Usually we do the big ham dinner with all the fixins... but this year we changed that up.

Simple finger foods and BBQ meatballs in the crockpot, rotel cheese, chips..   

Myguy stood beside me making piles of  little smokies wrapped in biscuit dough ... 

Such a little thing- and yet it was a beautiful  time...   moments treasured.  He helped so much and 

we laughed and talked... and anticipated....

We also were so blessed in that we got to spend Christmas eve with our kids here.  

It was so good to just be together... 

What a gift.

And once again we gathered around the table and 

sang happy birthday to Jesus.  

(He got a chocolate buttermilk cake this year.) 

It's been our main tradition  to have birthday cake and all sing to Him.  

Something I hope we do forever.  Literally. 

This was one of my  cherished moments. ha 

Ohmygoodness. 

This child!!! 

Papa was trying to get a photo of us and our little 

Babushka here  just would not take her scarf off her head. lol  

So... cheese!

One day she will just love this photo won't she? haha

 

Then there was this... 

Our Babushka is part grasshopper and she got a big pink trampoline for Christmas.

Yep it's inside their playroom! lol  

Still cracks me up and reminds me of the movie Big with Tom Hanks. 

That smile right there... sure melts her ole Grammy n Papa. 

Then...

Christmas morning Trent popped back over for awhile.

He brought this with him.... 

Their labradoodle had ten puppies the other day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

They don't know who the Dad is...... but they're so cute.  

It's very, very, very,  tempting and was wonderful to hold a baby for awhile 

before she had to go home to her Mommy "Crispin." 

(This son sure knows my love language!... )

 It was so good to hold this little girl awhile though.

We've been missing having a dog sooo much.  

Maybe we just need two dogs? 

Time will tell.

What do you think?

Last night they invited us over for supper. 

These two ended up in our laps. 

The blonde on the left is the one Trent snuck over to our house Christmas day so she's  

kinda special but the white one... she feels special too. 

Decisions decisions.  

They're so cute and little now... but we think they're gonna be a .. size Large. 

One of the male dogs they saw hanging around  looked like a great white Pyrenees mix. 

Sooo ... ???  sigh

My heart just goes to mush yall.   -Absolute mush. 

What are we gonna do????? 

Eeenie meenie miney mo... ? 

Another week and their personalities will start coming out more. 

Will we come to our senses? 

Probably not. 

Until we meet again,

<*)))><