Christmas Eve

It is Christmas Eve.  Finally!  My kids are just about beside themselves with the waiting.  It's a little different for us this year since we are home and not at Grandma's today.  I think this is the second or third time in my 38 years that I haven't been there.  We will go on Monday but there is a little tug in my heart to be there now.  Today.
Funny how tradition can run so deep.  I love the smells from her kitchen.  Right now my own smells a little like a grandma's.  One thing missing:  the smokey scent from the woodstove.  At Grandma's, either one of them, it would be warm (maybe hot) inside and cold outside.  And you know, I don't know when there has been a fire in those stoves but it's still a part of my Christmas memories.
Another thing that sticks out in my mind is the Santa radar.  One of the local tv stations would break in and show on the map where Santa had been spotted.  We would squeal and hurry off to bed, so excited, believing that he was close.
With all that sweetness tucked in my heart, there are new things I await now, like our Christmas Eve service. 
I love the singing.  I love coming together as a church family to worship.
There are other things I look forward to.
One of my favorite thing about travel time on Christmas is to see how quiet so many homes look from the outside.  Many of them with driveways full of cars.  And I wonder what's going on inside.  I imagine family catching up, reminiscing, enjoying a big dinner.  I always hope it's a joyful time.
And surely I am excited for my children to experience Christmas for themselves:
*the delight of birthday cake for breakfast
*the pleasure on their faces as they open presents
*the time they can spend with their grandparents and great-grandparents- what a blessing that is to us all.  *the fun with cousins
*hearing again the most wonderful story ever told
I wonder what their memories will be, what they will hold dear.

Sticky "Bums"

Let's just say Christmas came a little early to our house.
Brian and Kayla have an annual baking tradition.  Well, at least for two years running.
They make these sticky buns, which Lucy calls "sticky bums."  Ha!  That makes me laugh.
Anyway, these two work on the rolls the night before- and I do mean work.
The dough rests all night then they finish them up in the morning, and we have a delicious mid-morning snack.
The texture is impressive.
The smell, fantastic.
But the taste, out of this world!

Reminders

It was still dark out this morning.
I sat by the lit Christmas tree.
Sammy was in his new tent in the middle of the living room.
"Mom?  Why was Jesus born?"
So we started to talk about this question, yet another big question from Sam.
Some of things I heard:
"What did the angel tell the shepherds?"
"So God was a baby? Oh yeah, so God and Jesus are the same guy."
"Tell me more about baby Jesus, Mom."
I have loved these sweet moments with Sam lately.
They are so good for me because I quickly get worried over all I "need" to do and then I get grumpy.  Who wants to be grumpy at Christmas, of all times?
I need to be reminded over and over, by Lucy singing or by Sammy asking questions or by whatever means necessary, that Christmas is about one thing.
Him.

Short and Sweet

Today has had its ups and downs, I guess like most days.  The downs are kind of getting to me but it's rest/nap time and all is quiet.  Things usually look up after this part of the day.  I found this Christmas book, Christmas in My Heart, A Timeless Treasury of Heartwarming Stories, and sat down with it for a few minutes.  The story that caught my eye is "A Day of Pleasant Bread."  Short and sweet.  Here's a couple quotes:

"As for me, I like to take my Christmas a little at a time, all through the year.  And thus I drift along into the holidays- let them overtake me unexpectedly- waking up some fine morning and suddenly saying to myself: 'Why, this is Christmas Day!'  How this discovery makes one bound out of bed!"

and

"Do you know, the more I look into life, the more things it seems to me I can successfully lack- and continue to grow happier."

Christmas Baking with Lucy

It is smelling delightful in here!
Today's mitten countdown activity:  baking christmas goodies.
Turns out Lucy is my only helper.  The other kids ditched the kitchen in favor of digging in the dirt on this really warm December day.
That's ok.  It's good for them to be outside and it's been good for Lucy and I to spend the morning together.
We've made some gooey oatmeal bars which are tasty but I don't think they are going to hold together.
Brownies just came out of the oven.
We just mixed up some sugar cookie dough and will bake those this afternoon.
I think a friend will come help us decorate the cookies then we'll put together some plates tonight and deliver the goodies!
I had friends in both Bridgewater and Charlotte that always did lots of Christmas baking and brought us plates of cookies.  I always looked forward to that day.  So many different treats.
I miss those girls more than their sweets, but the sweets were sooo good!

Pretty Star

We have spent the morning, or at least a better part of it, making stars like this one.  Isn't it pretty?  And the best part, it's easy.  A friend sent me the link; you can find the directions here.  You only need a stapler, scissors, tape, and six pieces of paper.  Try it!  

Happy Birthday Lucy!

There is so much to say about this girl that it's hard to know where to start.
For one thing, she goes back and forth about this birthday business.  Yesterday, she was either singing "Happy Birthday to me!" or she's saying "No!" when we ask if she's ready for her birthday.  That's kind of how I feel.  We have enjoyed this little one every step of the way but for my baby girl to be 2?  My heart aches, just a bit.
She delights us all.  Her big brothers and sister love her.  Her sister will do just about anything for her, even try to potty train her.
Lucy's a talker and a singer.  Lately, her favorite is:  "I'm a Little Teapot" which she calls "peapot" and "Jesus Loves Me.  She has her own version of a couple of songs that include the words "Hallelujah" and "come and worship Christ the newborn king."  She has used the words 'actually' and 'supposed' in the last couple of weeks.  She pretty much parrots anything we say.  She has no problem letting the big kids know when she's had enough.
There are a lot of people she loves.  She still prefers the guys, and at church, in particular, there's Pastor "Hutchin" and "Powell."
I love her smiles and her hugs.
She loves to "boom" Daddy, which means get a running start and knock Daddy over.
She is always happy when her "friends" are coming.
She likes to play in her kitchen and she likes to read books.
Helping in Mom's kitchen is good, too.  "I help you Mommy?"
Jack and Lucy can eat us out of a box of clementines in a couple of days if I let them.
Lulu and Sam are getting to be good buddies- really fun to watch.
I know there's so much more I could say about our sweet Lucy.
She is nothing short of a joy and a gift, as they all are.
Happy Birthday sweet girl!