It appears to be that delightful time of year, once more. As we watch our December calendar quickly fill up with piano recitals, church functions, caroling parties, birthdays, Daniel, Christa and Joshua's visit, it could be so easy for us to become distracted with all the glitter of the season and allow the truth we celebrate slip right by us.
Our normal family worship schedule has been put aside and I am so grateful our family is following the Advent calendar. Each time we light another candle, each passage we read leading up to the birth of our Messiah, and every time we say, Prepare ye, the way of the Lord! new light is thrown onto the road we find ourselves walking today. The weather outside is truly frightful (and no, two years still does not find me used to winter :)), but the fire inside our home cannot compare with the fire we find burning within our hearts. He came to be the perfect spotless Lamb of God, He has restored us to His name, He has raised our heads and has brought us unto glory. Our Lord has come, and our Lord is with us now.
As we give of ourselves to others this Christmas, whether is be through service or through gifts, may we give out of love, purposing to emulate our Savior as He gave of Himself for those He loves.
Our little man, always bringing a smile to anyone and everyone.
Some friends posted a humorous wide angle shot recently, and whilst I was photographing my favorite subject, I thought I'd give it a try. :)
*smile* He thinks he's an Incredible.
As he did last year, William is examining our Nativity tower.
A favorite part of our Christmas...drawing names and finding that perfect gift for that special someone.
He's drawn a name, and now he's a man on a mission.
Jessica and I took the little girls out shopping so that mom and Melissa could get some crafts finished. We spent just about the whole day on the town and made some wonderful memories.
Yes, lunch was on the agenda! We finally found a good Mexican restaurant! They opened about the same time we moved here...and it took us that long to find each other! *sigh* Such bliss... ;)
So, yes, we were crazy enough to get out of the car, traipse through town to get a picture by the giant Christmas tree...Emma was able to ice skate too. :) After the picture was taken, we decided to drive and find closer parking for the stores we wanted to visit. Anybody up for the next trip? ;)
Nooooooo! I am behind on my comments, must type faster! "Company, doubletime, MAAA-RCH! Left, left, left, right, left..." Or maybe it is "Thumb, thumb, thumb, index finger, thumb..."?
ReplyDeleteIt is sadly true that the truth of the Christmas season is easily obscured if we are not careful. Perhaps it is because there is only one truth, but so many glittering distractions all trying to outshine and overshadow the value of God's gift to man. However, if we keep our focus on the unspeakable worth, we see that all of the trappings of the season are merely tinsel compared to the pure gold of Christ. Not that there is anything wrong with tinsel, but we should never be so easily pleased that it takes precedence over the gold!
Now, that is quite a wide angle shot, I think placed beside a certain other photo he would look taller than some people I saw recently....
Christmas shopping with snow on the ground! Now, I have no desire to live where there is perpetual snow on the ground during wintertime; however, I do long to go somewhere for a Christmas season, to just once experience "All that white stuff". Then I hear about the day's high in such climes being around 7 degrees, and I thank the Lord that I am in my mid-50s-is-considered-freezing state. Oh, the conflicting emotions of the heart!
Have a grand Christmas season!
BFH
How lovely, Christmas shopping and snow!
ReplyDeleteSadly, snow is something we don't get often here.
I'm starting to hear that song from White Christmas "What is Christmas with no snow?!" Well, we somehow make it work regardless! ;) Maybe I should suggest a trip to Vermont, but even then, there is no guarantee of snow. ;) "hmm...I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...." :)
You all have snow there it looks like. We don't have any yet, but I will confess, I would content myself to just have it on Christmas. We had snow from November to late April it seemed like last year....so I am in no hurry!
ReplyDeleteFunny how those lenses work.... make tall people short and short people tall!!
ReplyDeleteStay warm.
Thomas
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog through your mothers blog. You take such beautiful pictures!
How wonderful of you to take the little girls out, I hope my girls are as close when they get older as you and your sisters are.
I grew up in Texas, and I must say that I'm still to use to the cold Illinois winters yet!
Where did you find a good Mexican restaurant? They are so hard to find. We have a good one in the Springfield area, but it's nice to know that there are other ones out there!
Merry Christmas!
Amanda
lol, Ben. You could paint your fingertips like little Beefeaters...oh, wait, we're in America... :) The snow does make it rather festive, and if we get enough to go sledding, it's lovely...the first time around. Then we have to worry about the roads, church cancellations, and be continuously cold...at least, I am. :) My brother informed me that today it was "warm." The high was um...36, I think... But yes, after dreaming so long for a white Christmas, we're thankful for a dream come true. Would you like some snow in a jar to sprinkle on the ground when you go shopping? ;)
ReplyDeleteMiss Jen,
Yes, we've been breaking out our olde Christmas favorites! Bing Crosby is a wonderful addition to this already blissful time of year! "Must be beautiful in Vermont this time of year...all that snow." ;)
Ella,
NO SNOW! I would've thought y'all had already experienced your first snow of the season! Well, I envy you...when it snowed over Easter this year, I was pretty sure I could do without snow for several years...and I'm still not ready for winter to be here. :( Summer was much too short this year! But, with so much to look forward to this coming year, maybe the winter won't seem too long. :)
Thomas,
Are you trying to say that you're tall? ;) One of these days I'll invent an electric sweater made out of those squishy blankets...bummer, I just gave my idea away...
Maybe you could bottle up some warm weather and send it over here...in exchange for Ben's snow! :) Hope y'all are enjoying this time of year!
Amanda,
Thanks for the comment! After spending most of my childhood in Texas, it's been a hard getting used to this nearly freezing weather. :) But, getting snowed in is always a novelty...as long as we have enough coffee to go around. :)
After searching and nearly giving up all hope of finding a Mexican restaurant, we found one called Chevy's. The man who owns it has more in the Central Illinois area. The food is all cooked fresh in their kitchen and as long as they refrain from sprinkling their white cheese on our food, it's absolutely scrumptious! There might be one in Springfield, or maybe they said it was Bloomington...
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI read your comment to myself in detail once, and then I glazed over it once. So therefore since I glazed over it I have no idea why/what you are talking about squishy sweaters, therefore stealing your plans is not even an option. I don't know... that was the best I could come up with!! ;)
The forecast for our part of the world says, and I quote (well actually I don't quote anybody else, I quote myself. Does that count as quoting?): "Snow snow snow for the next week." I thank you for your willingness to send some white stuff out here, but I think you can keep it. We'll send the last little bit of sunshine and warmth we have your way though. It will probably be sent parcel post. Troubled economy, so we can't afford to send it UPS. =)
Thomas
Oh dear, everyone looks like their freezing in that last picture - it's enough to make me start shivering, even though it's actually very warm here!!
ReplyDeleteTiffany, I've given you this blog award. :-)
Taco Loco...if you find one...you must try it. There's one in Champaign-Urbana.
ReplyDeleteThomas,
ReplyDeleteYou don't wear squishy sweaters?!?! :) Good, so my idea is still my idea...so long as somebody else doesn't see it...
Parcel post is fine...media mail, not so fine. I hope that present I ordered will come in in time...As long as it doesn't go FedEx, we'll be okay.
Editrix,
Yes, we were terribly cold! It was really windy and we're a bunch of wimpy Texans. :) Thanks for the award!
Meg,
Thanks for the commendation! We're always looking for "good" Mexican food!!! :)
Tiffany,
ReplyDeleteI also found your blog through your Mother's blog. What do you do in "Advent"? I am a mom of 7 and we are from the Amish background, but not Amish anymore. we are trying to embrace other traditions.