Christmas morning/Family pics

Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Merry Christmas Merry Christmas

I was inspired to share this story because well…(gulp to self):

The day before Christmas had been full of incidents, some of them unpleasant.

Father seemed to be burdened with worries as well as bundles.

Mother's anxiety had reached the breaking point on many occasions throughout the day.

Wherever the little girl went, she seemed to be in the way.

Finally she was hustled off to bed. The feverish excitement of the Christmas planning had completely unnerved her.

As she knelt by her bed to pray the Lord's Prayer, she got all mixed up and prayed,

"Forgive us our Christmases, as we forgive those who Christmas against us."

So I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, and apologize to anyone I might have unintentionally “Chrismassed” against.

I really do love you, dearly!

This has been a beautiful month of…juggling, to put it mildly.




…and getting to know the little Grinch that lives within each one of us, and lies mostly dormant throughout the rest of the year.

This happy Christmas Eve concludes many flying-by memorable days, filled with non-stop activity…

Meeting all sorts of wonderful people, endless conversations on all of my favorite topics : ) dresses, high-heels (worn in graceful surrender to Christ), joyful singing in bustling restaurants and intimate homes, and hours and hours of Christmas music that got us through hours of Christmas traffic...I also discovered that I’m helplessly old-fashioned.

Yes, it’s true, of all the many carols that were with us this month, I found none as thoroughly entertaining as the old and very out-dated "classics", as far back as even the 50’s and beyond…just SO much fun! (With all due respect to Jewel, Celene Dion, Mariah Carey…and the fellow Divas)

I was just meant for another era.

I think I could’ve made a killer Charleston dancer too.


It's in my soul.

I pray that this Christmas is special for you.

Share love and laughter...and eat good food!

I learned something new today...

I was just studying triolet writing with the kids and it’s incredibly fun and catchy.


And this one’s for my man because he’s such a little Mr.


(yes, yes, I know he's like, this cute x100000000000000000000000, but I’m posting this ancient picture because I don’t have any recent ones…ahem, and I thought that maybe you'd be horrified enough to send me a new one, since I'm such an adoring aunt...and I write triolet's for him...and...yes, that)

He’s darling and charming and two
Not a care in the world
When “problems” are mended with glue
He’s darling and charming and two
When all that you’re told must be true
Innocent bliss just unfurled
He’s darling and charming and two
Not a care in the world!

Here's another one that I really liked. It was inspired by this quote:

Who loves not women, wine, and song, remains a fool his whole life long.—Martin Luther

Why should the Devil get all the good tunes?
The booze and the neon, and Saturday night
The swaying in darkness, the lovers like spoons
Why should the Devil get all the good tunes?
And then hum them to us on the sad afternoons
On the long lonesome Sundays, he sings them for spite
Why should the Devil get all the good tunes?
The booze and the neon, and Saturday night!
--A.E.Stallings

Come on! Don't tell me you're not at least tempted to try. They're so much fun! The kids wrote some really cute ones that they absolutely would not let me post. (sigh)

I love you all, and Merry Christmas!

Life is a challenge—meet it
Life is a gift—accept it
Life is an adventure—dare it
Life is a sorrow—overcome it
Life is a tragedy—face it
Life is a duty—perform it
Life is a game—play it
Life is a mystery—unfold it
Life is a song—sing it
Life is an opportunity—take it
Life is a journey—complete it
Life is a promise—fulfill it
Life is a struggle—fight it
Life is a goal—achieve it
Life is a puzzle—solve it
Life is Love—love it

My Confession

I just have to comment on this article…

(Please pay careful attention to the highlighted portion)

Cover story: The Post-Truth Era?
Compiled from articles by Albert Mohler and Kelly Boggs, Baptist Press, and G. Jeffrey MacDonald, The Christian Science Monitor

(ladidadidadida…) and most of us are unaware of the pervasive dishonesty around us. In 1998, a USA Today survey indicated that a majority of Americans make dishonesty a routine practice. While not a daily activity, most that participated in the poll said they lied two to three times a week…

And all I can say is…liars! All of them!...well, either they’re lying, or I’m a very terrible person (gasp!).

I squirmed most uncomfortably when I read about that survey. If I myself could keep my lying down to two or three times a week, I would definitely gloat about it, AND, I’d probably feel like I deserved some kind of a halo.

I am really trying to cut back, but I have to honestly say that dishonesty is, shamefully, well…I mean, it is more often than not, in my case, a daily activity.

There’s really no easy way to say this, but…yes, I lie.

It’s just so easy.

I get out of bed in the morning, and before I know it…

Did you sleep well?
- “Yes, thank you!” (Awful night!)
I made your eggs for you
- “Wow! Look at that! I love sunny-side up!” (eww!!!)
Are you drinking coffee?
- “Oh, this? In my cup? Decaf…” (uhh…God in Heaven, who’s eye is in every place…I…I)
…so do you understand?
- “Yes, I think that’s brilliant!” (I have no idea what you are talking about!)
Surprise! I hung your laundry for you!
- “Oh! You’re an angel!” (mental cringe; arg…my clothes!)
Have you been crying?
- “Allergy”
…

And I could go on.

That’s the awful, awful truth.

I’m afraid to count, but in light of this "survey", I think I will.

I will start today on the road to recovery.

I will count my lies, and I promise that I will try my best to stop.

The day I can keep them down to two or three a week, I’ll buy myself a shiner-prize, and this world will be a better place.