scenes from Christmas

when giving is so good

Once again, Christmas morning has come and gone.

I remember being a little girl, racing upstairs and seeing the full stockings and the gifts surrounding the tree.  Experiencing my family's love as I received the giving.

As I kid, my heart definitely didn't understand how it is better to give than to receive.  I don't expect my boys hearts to understand something that so goes against our nature, either.  Although we will continue to teach this lesson.

But this Christmas just might be right up there at the top of my favorite Christmas ever list.

Jude is finally to an age that he understands what is going on and can participate.  And it was so. much. fun. to bless my boy with toys that just light up his eyes.  And with the same excitement, he handed out the gifts to the rest of the family.  The sweet boy was quick to make sure Isaac always had his toys to play with, as well.  I pray he always has such a generous heart!

Giving is so good.

And Christmas really is all about the one perfect gift, isn't it?  The Father and the Son who made eternity with Him possible at all.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas.  We are still laying low and stretching out the celebrating, which is why it's been a bit quiet around here.  I'm looking forward to some quiet time, meditating on the past year and thinking about what my goals will be for 2013.  I can't wait to share them with you!

that remarkable girl

I think of her often this time of year.  

About that young girl with the great call.

The one who said, "I am a servant of the Lord, let be to me according to your word."

The one who didn't hesitate.

And who rode on a donkey full-term in her pregnancy in obedience.

And I wonder.

Would I be so obedient?

Or would I be Moses?  Would I hesitate?  Begging the Lord to ask anyone.  Anyone but me.

Maybe more importantly, am I being obedient in my call today?  The one that is before me at this moment.

In my marriage.

In my mothering.

In my friendships.

In my walk.  My coming.  My going.  My doing life.

As I anticipate the great celebration of the arrival of Christ this advent season, I pray for a faith and obedience like the one whose human body carried Him.

What a remarkable woman Mary must have been.  

a handmade christmas

I'm certain none of you are last minute shoppers.  You all probably have it all together and gifts are cutely wrapped under the tree.

Then again, you do follow my blog, so maybe we are more alike than I think?

In that case, you've barely started.

I thought I'd share some of my favorite handmade gifts from some of my favorite crafters and bloggers. Let's keep it simple.  Here's the list that you have to check out.


blossom & vine print shop
You've seen her guest post over here, and if you haven't stopped by to read her words, you really really should.  I love Aly's heart and she is one GIFTED lady as well.  She designs prints for your home.  Some are even hand drawn.  The one below is one of my favorites.  And I am a HUGE fan of scripture on my walls.

Urban City Organics

I received some skin care products from Urban City Organics after winning a giveaway on Fancy Little Things.  I hadn't heard anything of it, but was VERY pleasantly surprised at the quality of these products!  I have been using it for weeks now, and my skin has stayed moisturized even in this dry winter weather.  And all of their products are all natural with no harmful ingredients.  

 

Creating Dandelions

Another dear blogger friend with a heart of gold.  Amy is about to pop with her second sweet babe and is still cranking out the most adorable things for her etsy shop.  Seriously, check out this Denae doll.  If I had a daughter, she would absolutely have one of these.  I gotta say I am excited that her next babe is a boy so I can see what crafty treasures she'll come up with for a boy.  

Tugboat Yarning

This sweet little shop is owned by my long-time friend Maggie.  Long-time as in, since 6th grade.  She is one of the craftiest people I know.  I think she can make anything.  And one of the most creative!  She has some of the funnest (funnest?) items in her shop.  I especially love the idea behind her "Box of Blooms".  A unique way to let someone know they are loved, cherished, and remembered.  I just adore it.  And who can resist a baby in a crocheted helmet?

Take the Cannoli

Natalie makes the most gorgeous hand stitched hoops.  These are just perfect for any girls space.  Grown or little.  A super creative way to get truth on your walls.  I can't wait to own one of these someday.

The Style Hatch

Another multi-talented lady.  Nicole recently surprised us with some prints she designed, but I'm talking today about her funky and stylish jewelry!  Perfect for a stocking stuffer.  Or, stop by and take a look at her prints that I am eyeing for a future brothers room.  

There you have some of my faves.  Hopefully this will give you some ideas for those hard-to-find people.  Or maybe something to add to YOUR list.  In any case, you are helping to support a handmade-creating Mama and that makes the gift that much more meaningful.

I was not asked to or compensated in any way for recommending any of these products.  I just love these items and the ladies that make them!

off the page.

It's finally here.

To me, nothing says, 'tis the season better than Bing Crosby singing White Christmas while decorating the Christmas tree.  A tradition I've carried from the time I was a little girl.  I love me some Mariah Carey Christmas, but still, those crooners blow her out of the water to get me in the spirit.

As we got the tree up, Jude sat in my lap saying, "No no!", because trees belong outside, of course.  And a boy who likes everything in it's proper place was not sure of this new addition to our living room.  He actually seemed somewhat afraid of it at first, but now he just runs over to it shouting, "Ball! Ball! Ball!".  And we tell him once again, that these balls are not for touching.  

I'm going to get off the page.

One thing I feel that I must confess here.  I can tend to be opinionated and stubborn.  I sometimes speak (and write) before I think.  And I sometimes hold too tightly to my own rightness as if it were gospel truth.  But it's not.  

I fear that there has been a time or two when I have expressed opinions here that have acted as a noose for those who don't share my own convictions.  I do not want this place to be that.  I'm about truth, not my own rightness.  I'm about encouragement, not condemnation or criticism.  And I'm about sharing, but only for the purposes above, not to offend.  

I respect and love the different families.  The different walks.  The different experiences.  The different traditions.  But we aren't to hold our life against each other's.  We hold it up to the word of God.  That must be our lens.  I am convicted and encouraged today to take and pursue what is mine, and to not look to the right or the left, but at Him alone.  

So, I must confess that sometimes even though I'm not looking to the right or left, I'm looking too often at myself.  My bubble.  My rightness.  And while this is MY blog, and I do write as an outlet, I also write for you.  To share life with you.  To encourage you.  To share truth that I am learning and working through, with you.  And I am sorry for the times that I haven't done that.  In life and on here.

So, there you have it.  The yuck of being a sinful human.

In the next couple of weeks I want to outline a true mission statement for my blog.  Because I want to be about more than me here.  There will still be a whole lot of me and my family, but I have a heart and vision and goals for this little space of internet.  So... stay tuned. ;-)

And now back to your regularly scheduled blog post.

*linking up with Carissa for Miscellany Monday.

saving Christmas for Jesus

Jude's first Christmas (2011).

The other week I took the boys to Target partially to pick up some much-needed groceries and partially to get out of the house (and what better place to go).  It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet, but of course Christmas decor overwhelmed the place.  Red and green.  Snow and sleighs.  Santa and reindeer.  Toys and toys and toys.

I needed more stickers for my boy who stickers everything.  The walls.  The windows.  Me.  And I found stickers of Santa.  Of reindeer.  Sleighs and gifts.  And finally, penguins and snowmen.

I found myself struck by the lack of truth.  The lack of Jesus and the story of God's son coming as a babe.  Of course, this is nothing new.  But for me, as a mother, I am finding myself viewing this in a new way.  As a child who is just learning and growing might view it.

So I bypassed the Santa.  We went with the penguin and snowman stickers instead.

I have friends who will celebrate differently, and that's fine with me.  Everyone has their own memories and traditions and ways to enjoy the season.  I don't judge if you chose a different way to celebrate.  Not one bit.  But we aren't going to do Santa.  

We won't pretend he is real.  We won't do Santa gifts.  We won't have Santa decor.  And we probably won't make much mention of Santa except to say that it's a fun story that people entertain during the Holidays.

So, you may think I'm ruining Christmas.  You may not like what I have to say, but that's okay.  You may disagree with me and think it's no big deal.  But, to me, it is.  And I am perfectly okay having a different tradition than you.

In my opinion, we are battling for truth in this world day in and day out.  It takes focus and intention to continue filling ourselves with the word.  To maintain a kingdom perspective on life.

And, to me, Santa just doesn't fit in there.

The message of you better watch out and be good versus a message of grace.  The message of being good equals material reward versus gratitude, contentment, and treasures in heaven.  

So what will we be doing?

We'll be reading about Jesus.  I was so excited to find this advent reading schedule using the Jesus Storybook Bible.  If you don't have the Jesus Storybook Bible, you must get one.  It's perfect for kids and ties the entire bible back to Jesus.  I love it probably just as much as our kiddos will.

We'll create new traditions surrounding advent.  Instead of doing the whole Santa and reindeer thing, we'll do advent and find a way to may it interactive and fun for my boys.  I like the idea of a crafty advent calendar with a different family event every day leading up to Christmas.  Simple things, like reading Christmas stories together.  Singing together.  Baking cookies and taking half to a neighbor.  Coloring a nativity scene.  Drinking hot cocoa together.  Cutting down a Christmas tree.  Christmas movie nights.  On and on and on.  I've started an advent board on Pinterest where I'm keeping my ideas.

We'll make it less about things and more about gratitude.  I can't remember where I first saw this, but I love the idea of doing four gifts for each child.  Something you want.  Something you need.  Something you wear.  Something you read.  And I would also like to add, something to give.  Whether it is angel tree or a holiday food basket or a bag to goodwill of toys we don't need, I hope to making giving have a strong emphasis during the holidays.

We'll still have a Christmas tree.  We'll still do some gifts.  We will not shelter our children and shun Santa or our friends who entertain the story.  We'll just take a different approach than most of the world.  We are just beginning to create these traditions with our family.  I don't know exactly what it will look like and it may change over the years.  But one thing I know.

In everything I do, I have the opportunity to point my kids toward Jesus.  

That is the lens from which I must view parenting.  And Christmas.  And discipline.  And life, in general.

How do you keep Christ at the center of Christmas?  What traditions do you keep in your family?

Christmas photo dump.

Making Christmas cookies with sister! (notice the bump)

The Haddix fam.

Riding on Grandpa's shoulders.

Jude opening his first present!

The Griffis sibs.

Eating pancakes for the first time on Christmas morning.

Sweet boy.

Happiest boy ever on Christmas morning.

On the go!

Loving the new Leapfrog table.

Of course doggy toys are more fun than all the new Christmas gifts.

:-)

Hello?

* * * * * * * * * * 

Jude had a great first Christmas!  He was {mostly} great at all the family Christmas parties {aside from the fact that he was beside himself screaming every time I walked away at the Griffis party... Mama's boy}.  He LOVED tearing open his presents and is enjoying his new toys.  He even did great going to bed at Mamaw and Papaw's and then coming home to sleep in his crib. 

More than anything, we are thankful for the true meaning of Christmas.  The birth of our savior.  On Christmas day, I couldn't get John 3:16 out of my head... not the traditional Christmas verse, but the fact that God gave his ONLY son (born in a manger no less) because of his love for us... truly amazing.  We are so blessed to be able to celebrate Christ's birth and to spend this time with family!