The Touch of Christmas

Today, I'm joining my blogging friend, Joye, once again for The Five Senses of Christmas.  This week's theme is The Touch of Christmas.  I honestly forgot about it until today...and with two little ones it's hard to find time to sit down and write a long post, so I thought I would just share pictures from our early Christmas celebration with my parents and brothers. 

My parent's tree complete with the angel that used to belong to my Great Aunt Carlyne.

I still remember the last time I saw her.  She held my hand, looked into my eyes, and told me she loved me.  Can you imagine what it will be like to hold Jesus' hand one day and hear him say "I love you"?

My Sweet Pea,

whose hugs and kisses are my greatest joy these days,

even if they are a little messy sometimes!

She needed no help opening presents this year.  In fact, she wanted to do it all by herself, thank you very much!  Opening presents reminds me of the greatest present of all...when God sent His Son as a baby boy to save the world from sin. 

V got a Tickle Me Cookie Monster...but she wasn't too sure about him.  She was only ok with him as long as he was on the other side of the room.  She is slowly becoming more comfortable with him though.  Today, she walked over, circled around him carefully, pushed the button, and quickly ran to the other side of the room to giggle from a safe distance.  What a silly girl!

The cousin's on my mom's side always do a gift exchange.  I am no longer a part of it, but my children are.  This year, my cousin's husband, Monte, had V's name, which was fun because she had his name too.  My cousin said she told Monte how old V is and sent him to the store with instructions to get something cute and educational.  He spent an hour in the store asking all kinds of questions in order to find the perfect gift.  The results were a set of touch and feel word cards and a some nursery rhyme puzzles.  What great gifts!  Thank you, Monte!

Mother & Son

My brother, DJ, holding my two little ones.  All my siblings adore their niece and nephew.  It's so much fun watching V interact with them and A start to smile at them. 

Tastes & Smells of Christmas

I'm linking yup with my blogging friend, Joye, for another edition of the Five Senses of Christmas. This week, the theme is The Tastes & Smells of Christmas.

In an effort to give unique gifts with a handmade or homemade touch, I decided to make gifts in a jar for several of our friends.  One of the mixes I'm making is Breakfast Muffin in a Jar.

The first step to making this special gift is to gather your supplies:

Dried Fruit (I chose dried cranberries), Flour, Quick Cooking Oats, Brown Sugar, Baking Soda, Salt, Baking Powder

Large Jar (with lid), Ribbon, Rubber Band (not pictured), Fabric Square

Next, layer the ingredients like sand art:

1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 cup quick cooking oats, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup dried fruit

Now, add a festive touch by placing the fabric square on top.  Secure it with a rubber band and tie a ribbon around it to hide the rubber band:

You may want to trim the fabric a little so it's more rounded.

Finally, make a gift tag with the directions on how to make some delicious Breakfast Muffins:

I found this recipe here, but, as usual modified it to make it my own.  You can find more recipes here.  These make wonderful gifts, because they are homemade and delicious too!

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. ~Psalm 34:8

By the way, don't forget to enter my Blogiversary Giveaway and link up with my A Very Etsy Christmas post!

The Sounds of Christmas

I'm joining my blogging friend, Joye, once again for...

This week, the theme is The Sounds of Christmas. There is something so sweet and peaceful in the hymns and carols surrounding Christmas.  I am always so excited to pull out the Christmas music or turn on the radio and let the music fill our home with the JOY of our Savior's birth.

One of my favorite Christmas songs is O Holy Night.  The beautiful melody and words always fill my heart with so much peace and hope.  I can't help but picture what that night when Jesus was born must have been like.  Just imagine...

...you are a shepherd, watching your flocks by night, making sure none wander off and looking out for dangers.  You are standing out in the middle of a large field, so when you look around you all you see are stars.  Suddenly, you a bright light, more brilliant than anything you've ever seen.  The brilliance of this light makes you fall to your knees and cover your face.  Then, a voice, like none you've ever heard, declares, "...Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger. (Luke 2:10-12)"  Then, just as suddenly, the sky is filled with angels, singing in a way you've never heard before, "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men! (Luke 2:14)"  What a glorious sound it must have been!

...you are Mary, carrying a child who is the Son of God.  You had just traveled many miles on the back of a camel, certainly not the most comfortable means of transportation, especially for a pregnant woman.  Your husband, Joseph, searched and searched for a room to stay as you realize that you are in labor.  There is NO room available, but one kind innkeeper allows you to stay in his stable.  The contractions are becoming stronger and you realize your child, the Son of God, is going to be born here, in the last place you would probably want to give birth.  Before you know it, you hear the cry of a newborn baby, the voice of God in the flesh.  

...you are Joseph, waiting for your wife, Mary, to give birth to your first child, who is really the firstborn of God.  After traveling many miles on foot, you realize Mary is going to have this baby tonight.  You desperately search for a room to stay and welcome the baby into the world.  There are NO rooms...but a lowly stable is offered to you by a kind innkeeper.  Mary's contractions are getting harder and she can barely talk to you.  You realize you have no choice, but to stay here for the night.  Before you know it, you hear the cry of a newborn baby, the voice of God in the flesh.

The lyrics to O Holy Night were written by Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and mayor of a small town in France who was known for his poetry.  His parish priest asked him to write a poem for the Christmas mass, despite the fact that he didn't go to church often.  While on a business trip, he imagines what it must have been like to be there the night Jesus was born.  When he finished writing the poem, he asked his friend, Adolphe Charles Adams, the son of a well-known musician, to put the words to music.

My favorite version of this song is sung by Selah.  As you listen to this song, just imagine what it must have been like to be there the night our Savior was born, to hear the first sounds of God in the flesh...

Christmas in the Heart

My sweet blogging friend, Joye, started a Christmas meme all about how we can ENJOY Jesus throughout the Christmas season.  I decided to join in, because it's so easy to forget what Christmas is REALLY all about amidst all the hustle and bustle of the season.  This week the theme is "The Sights of Christmas".

This year, every time I look at this precious sleeping baby God has blessed me with, I am reminded of how He chose to humble himself to be born here on earth.  He chose to become a helpless little baby who would grow up with all the challenges, pains, and heartaches that we experience in this world.  He chose to be born in a lowly manger among the animals.  He chose his birthplace as Bethlehem though "small among the clans of Judah" (Micah 5:2). 

Why? 

• Because He is Immanuel, "God with us".  "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). 

• Because "in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18)

• So we could imitate His humility, "Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:6-8)
  

This year, I am going to ENJOY my children, because, as I enjoy them, I am reminded of how much God loved me, enough to send His son to this earth to be with me.  

What SIGHTS remind YOU this year of the precious baby born in a manger?