Calling In Sick

I have a cold. It started coming on right after Thanksgiving. My body is achy, my sinuses are stuffed and/or running, my mind is fuzzy and my throat is sore. I'm sick.

I have always joked that I don't have time to be sick, I'll have to reschedule. There always seems to be so much to do - especially this time of year. I really don't have time to lay around and whine.

We do not condone the commercialism of Christmas. We do not run from party to party or become overly involved with church or community programs. We do not buy people presents just for the sake of them having something to open Christmas morning. We do not go overboard on our decorations or meals. We do however, open our home to friends and family as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We want our home to be clean and comfortable and decorated with signs that show us that this day is different than, say, August 23rd. We desire to give our friends and family members gifts (store bought or home made) as we take part in remembering that all important Birth Day.

And so, there are rooms to clean and prepare for company; furniture to rearrange to make room for the decorations; meals to plan & prepare and make ahead where possible; cookies and baked goods to make & decorate with the kids; and gifts to buy and wrap. In the middle of all the seasonal joy, there is still laundry, dusting, vacuuming and every day cooking & cleaning.

Have you ever noticed that the size of your workload is directly proportionate with the size of your cold? Doctors are saying that they have found the hormone that stops your immune system from functioning properly. It is released into your system during times of stress. Well, aint that a kicker? No wonder the Lord God told us not to worry!

Well, having just read all of that, I decided to take a day off. We are all just chillin at my house today. Listening to Christmas Praise music, playing games, sitting outside in the cool but sunny yard. I even took a long bath! Right in the middle of the day! Supper tonight will be light and simple. We have no demands on our time this evening.

I'm hoping a day off will give my body a little boost in fighting off this nasty bug. I also hope that a day off will remind me that tomorrow - when activity is back in full swing - I can keep working without letting that little hormone take hold. I don't have to stress about these things, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. I can do them joyfully, as unto the Lord.

I wonder if Mary had a cold on her way to Bethlehem??

I'm So Thankful!

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height - to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19

Makin' a list & checkin' it twice

Well, it's that time of year again. Time to be thinking about Christmas. The time of year that we celebrate Jesus' birth by giving gifts in honor of Him.

In our home, we make as many hand-made gifts as possible. I have the kids make a list of all they want to make for. Then they list ideas of things they can make.

Princess is making jewelry this year out of polymer clay. I'll post pics when she gets some pieces finished.

The boys are working in wood. The youngest was out in the shop busily (and secretly) working on my gift. He spent most of Saturday and some of Sunday measuring, cutting, gluing & nailing.

Unfortunately, he cannot wait to give any more than the rest of us! Sunday evening he had me close my eyes while he put my gift on the living room floor.

It's beautiful!

He used the cedar scraps leftover from our deck to build me this gorgeous planter.

He got the instructions from a woodworking book on our bookshelf. Followed the directions and viola!
He was so proud of his work. Couldn't hold a candle to mama's pride though!

Don't tell the rest of the family, but I think they're getting one too!

Merry Christmas!

Well, all of our chicks are back in the nest for the holidays! 11 of us in our modest mobil home. We're missing son-in-law and granddaughter. Son-in-law will be spending Christmas in Afghanistan and granddaughter is with her mom in Virginia.

I love this time of year. I can do without the commercialism and the stress but I sure do love the rest of it!

We've taken a lot of the commercialism and stress away by paring way down on the gifts. Each child made a list of people that they wanted to give to. They had to make as many gifts as possible and use their own money for the rest.

We are taking all gifts to Grandma's on Christmas Eve. We'll spend the day together eating, playing, giving and loving.

Christmas day the kids will have their stockings to open and all day to play with their things and be with family. The older kids & I will make a full-blown Christmas Dinner and grandparents will come share with us.

We made cookies & sweet-bread for friends, neighbors and the people at Carpenter's work.

Next year we will have even less store-bought gifts and will have activities for the 12 days of Christmas.

Then the angel said to them, "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, wo 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