I know everybody is over and done with Christmas, but since I didn’t blog at all during this Christmas season and since this blog is the only family scrapbook we have, you’re going to have to endure Christmas for just one more post 🙂
Lest anyone forget, Caroline is still gettin‘ married, and we’re still celebratin‘!
And servin‘! 🙂
Speaking of Christmas cards ;), I cannot sing the praises of Brooke Chamblee enough!!!!!!!! She designed and printed our Christmas cards this year, did it lickety split and at a GREAT price. I am just sick I didn’t get it together enough to share the secret of her with you before you all did your Christmas cards but don’t FEAR! She also does invitations, birth announcements, and all manner of other creative and beautiful things. Check out her etsy site and her blog!
We had a pretty special visitor three nights before Christmas. Santa was taking a trial run over the Birmingham metro area, and he decided to stop in to visit two little girls that had been especially good this year.
This was Pace’s reaction when she saw his big red suit filling our doorway. Can you sense the awe mixed with fear? She immediately turned and fled to the back of the house 🙂
It reminded me of the way we want to hide from our sin. I hope that it’s not wrong to compare Santa with Christ, but to Pace at that moment, there was a visible presence standing before her who knew just exactly how naughty or nice she’d been. That’s what she said when I came to coax her out of the room, “Mommy, is he going to be mad at me?”
Mary Aplin, on the other hand (who had a lot more sin she should have been concerned about :)), looked at him like he was just another curious visitor popping in for the night. No fear. Just, “Wuz up? You’re kind of funny lookin‘”
Santa had a helper with him, and after about fifteen minutes of good talk, both girls had warmed up considerably.
This was the gift he brought, and after he gave it to her, Pace ran away again. This time she returned on her own with her favorite princess stamp that she wanted to give him as a present. She said, “Will you take this back to the North Pole with you?”
I’m about to make another Christ comparison, but it’s just so dead on I can’t help myself. In awe of his grace for all her faults, her immediate response was an impulsive need to give.
It reminded me of the way we want to hide from our sin. I hope that it’s not wrong to compare Santa with Christ, but to Pace at that moment, there was a visible presence standing before her who knew just exactly how naughty or nice she’d been. That’s what she said when I came to coax her out of the room, “Mommy, is he going to be mad at me?”
Mary Aplin, on the other hand (who had a lot more sin she should have been concerned about :)), looked at him like he was just another curious visitor popping in for the night. No fear. Just, “Wuz up? You’re kind of funny lookin‘”
Santa had a helper with him, and after about fifteen minutes of good talk, both girls had warmed up considerably. This was the gift he brought, and after he gave it to her, Pace ran away again. This time she returned on her own with her favorite princess stamp that she wanted to give him as a present. She said, “Will you take this back to the North Pole with you?”
I’m about to make another Christ comparison, but it’s just so dead on I can’t help myself. In awe of his grace for all her faults, her immediate response was an impulsive need to give.
“Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne…” Revelation 4:9-10
Santa returned on Christmas Eve. He didn’t say hello in person this time, but he did leave this note, and a little stamp 🙂
Then, on Christmas morning, we had enough food to feed the five thousand, even though there were only fifteen of us crammed happily into our cozy home.
This was taken just before the singing began, and I disappeared down to the basement to START wrapping presents 🙂
After brunch and singing, we opened presents with the Maddox family (I think poor Ashley was still in the kitchen doing dishes.)
Christmas night we celebrated with the Clark family, and it began with a beautiful dinner at Taylor and John David’s house.
I feel like we try every year, since losing Mom, to make our traditions more and more different. This was definitely the best so far. We ate lamb and couscous (How gourmet is that?! I’d never even eaten lamb before), and then John David led some very adult discussion about the birth of our Savior by handing out selections from literature and the Bible for each family member to read aloud and then discuss. It was such a sweet and reverent time, and was a great way to lead into…
…CRAZY present opening time 🙂
And to wrap up this crazy disjointed post, here’s the only pictures I took from Jeremiah’s week of New Year’s vacation when we all spent the whole time wallering around his parent’s farm with the stomach bug…stomach virus…stomach curse…stomach hell, really, I think would be the best way to say it.
Then, on Christmas morning, we had enough food to feed the five thousand, even though there were only fifteen of us crammed happily into our cozy home.
This was taken just before the singing began, and I disappeared down to the basement to START wrapping presents 🙂
After brunch and singing, we opened presents with the Maddox family (I think poor Ashley was still in the kitchen doing dishes.)Christmas night we celebrated with the Clark family, and it began with a beautiful dinner at Taylor and John David’s house.
I feel like we try every year, since losing Mom, to make our traditions more and more different. This was definitely the best so far. We ate lamb and couscous (How gourmet is that?! I’d never even eaten lamb before), and then John David led some very adult discussion about the birth of our Savior by handing out selections from literature and the Bible for each family member to read aloud and then discuss. It was such a sweet and reverent time, and was a great way to lead into…
…CRAZY present opening time 🙂
And to wrap up this crazy disjointed post, here’s the only pictures I took from Jeremiah’s week of New Year’s vacation when we all spent the whole time wallering around his parent’s farm with the stomach bug…stomach virus…stomach curse…stomach hell, really, I think would be the best way to say it.I adore this old car.
Jeremiah asked me recently, if I could have any car in the world what it would be. This is what I said. An old MG that runs like a brand new car.
This is one that Dr. Maddox (with a little help from Jeremiah and Josh when they were little) fixed up. It runs well, but not well enough that I am brave enough to DRIVE it instead of just riding in it 🙂
How quickly do you think I’d be arrested if I got my dream car and you saw me driving down the road with this kind of safety going on in the backseat? Not even a seatbelt between ’em.
Jeremiah asked me recently, if I could have any car in the world what it would be. This is what I said. An old MG that runs like a brand new car.
This is one that Dr. Maddox (with a little help from Jeremiah and Josh when they were little) fixed up. It runs well, but not well enough that I am brave enough to DRIVE it instead of just riding in it 🙂How quickly do you think I’d be arrested if I got my dream car and you saw me driving down the road with this kind of safety going on in the backseat? Not even a seatbelt between ’em.
And finally, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Abby! I'm sorry y'all got so sick. At least you were able to all be together though: ). I love the santa pictures and the note that santa left. What fun memories.
~Natalie
I love seeing those pictures of the MG! My grandfather used to race those and seeing your pictures brought back great memories of playing in a really cool old car. So glad yall had a great Christmas!
What a fun time it looks like you all had, even though there was a stomach bug! Happy New Year!
Abby, I loved this post! All of it. I also loved your Christmas card picture… a great picture… of course you look beautiful!!!! Glad to hear that Jeremiah survived the bug and the "float" and I'm just so glad I was a million miles away and my husband wasn't part of it! 🙂 It sounds like and looks like your Christmas was full… I prayed for you and your time with your family! Happy New Year– hope to see y'all soon!!