Glory to God in the Highest!

Merry Christmas!

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

From our family to yours, we wish you the very merriest of Christmases.  May you know the true peace that only comes from the Christ child!  And this is why we rejoice so much today-

“For God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
                                                                                  2 Corinthians 5:21

Real Life Behind the Scenes of Christmas

In this pinterest world we live in, it is easy to think that everyone's mantle is perfectly decorated with candles lit every morning,

That maybe they do feed their kids waffles on their Christmas China, and that the cute family in the Christmas Card picture really is that adorably dressed all the time. 


A world where Advent devotions get done every night at 6:45 without ever missing, and our children are actually grateful for
this season, not selfish, and eager to be generous.

Where our Christmas trees are perfectly adorned.

And we all just sip our nice holiday drinks while listening to Christmas Classics in nicely candle-lit room…
Just enjoying the Christmas moment.


And our hearts are perfectly centered on the
True meaning of Christmas.

 

Well, my friends…It’s not true.  We don’t live in Pinterest.
                   We live in real life. 

 

Where the laundry is thrown ‘round the room without care…

In hopes that a housekeeper soon would appear.

Real life…  Real Decembers.

Yes, I still sip my peppermint mocha and listen to my Josh Groban Christmas CD,--- but not while simply gazing upon the tree… while folding laundry and making grocery lists, and cleaning up hotwheels and baby dolls.  

Real life--
Where you go to get a dozen donuts to take to the local firefighters and your child erupts in a fit of tears because he thought the donuts were for him and he doesn’t want to give the donuts away….  doesn’t it sound like a great Christmas moment about learning generosity? 

Where it’s December 9th, but only 4 of your advent devotion cards are up... We’ll catch up… we’ve got plenty of time.

You won’t find these stories on Pinterest.   And that’s ok.
And it’s why I am just stepping back from some of the blogs and pinterest right now.. with all the advent devotion ideas, and tradition ideas, all the posts and links on all the things, recipes, and activities I must do in order to “make a memory.”

Well… making memories cannot be rushed. And quite honestly, I feel rushed by this world of blogs and facebook telling me how to celebrate, what to teach my kids, and showing me elaborate pictures of all the food and crafts that there is no way I  am going to make.   I mean how are my kids ever going to have a good memory if we don’t A, B, and C?? Will they ever grasp the true meaning of the season if I don’t do X, Y and Z??

And so I resort to my motto of late.

Making Memories cannot be rushed.   I will not be rushed. 
My children will still grow up having fond memories of Christmas even if I don’t make a wreath out of lollipop sticks, or homemade gingerbread nutella cookies.   I do not have to have the picture perfect Christmas all done by today in order for Christmas to be a memory.   Christmas will not be rushed.  Memories cannot be rushed.

So I decorated my house on December 6th (gasp!).  Have not baked a holiday cookie yet.  We are slowly catching up on our advent devotion.  And we are going to have plenty of time to enjoy this grand season of celebrating the Savior’s birth.   So, internet… I will not allow you to rush me.   I will make myself another cup of Peppermint Mocha and fold my laundry, homeschool my child, buy and wrap some presents.  Find a live nativity to take our kiddos to. 

We will make plenty of memories.  Christ will be celebrated.  My children will remember these days of their childhood with smiles (dear Lord, I pray they will).  

But these memories… they will not be rushed. 
Rather than compare myself, my decorations, my baking, my Christmas card, etc to the rest of the world…
I will do what I can with the capacity God has given me. 

And then I will enjoy my family.  And I will enjoy Christmas. 
Off now to make some memories---

Meet Jon

Jon Jon that is…
I had enough of you ask what as Jon Jon was that I had to explain.  And Sadly I don’t have any pictures of some of my favorites.  The summer jon jon without a shirt on underneath. 

I just have a thing about dressing little babies like babies.  Especially boys.   Girls are easy to dress as babies.  But boys… it can be harder.  Personally, I don’t think a baby under 6 months should touch denim, or sweater vests.  That’s just me though.   (if I see your baby dressed in jeans and sweater I will probably swoon all over him just the same)

But for me…I just think this is what a baby should look like.   Swoon. 
Now, don’t get me wrong, my child will wear plenty of carters outfits and shirts and pants….but before 1 year old, I am all about soft cottons and dressing them like a baby.  And the Jon Jon.   

Some call it a shortall, or a longall (if it is long).  Sometimes they are kind of like overalls.

Or sometimes they are more like a romper one piece.   Oh my word.  I believe everyone needs a blow up picture of their children at 1… because they were SO darn cute then.

 

Yes, I admit we wore these outfits more for church and nice  events, but we also had some great casual  ones we played in all the time.  And for some reason I can’t find any of those pictures…probably because we were playing and getting dirty and not really taking pictures.

If I could get away with dressing them in Jon Jons forever, I would.  But alas, we don’t live in Alabama or Arkasnas and where we have always lived people look at you a little strange if your child is in a Jon Jon past 3 years old… and Dave kind of gave the veto at 2. 

I think this might have been one of our last Jon Jon outfits before we retired into cute polo collared shirts, button downs, sweaters and khakis. 

I also have a thing for funky and fun cotton layettes.  I know, such a contrast from the traditional smocked or appliqued jon jons.   But a fun Zutano outfit is adorable, and oh so soft to cuddle up to.

Or something super cute and soft like this…  which I may or may not have bought the other day to start off our baby’s wardrobe (when I found it on a super deal site). 

And one of the last things I love for a little baby boy is the sleeper gown.   Yes, a gown for a baby boy.  For at home, for sleeping, for those days when all you do is swaddle, cuddle, nurse and change diapers every hour.  And for when their legs are permanently in a bent position. 

Double Swoon…. Especially when it is Zutano and a gown.
I love gowns for newborns.    

So there you go.  You all now know what a Jon Jon is, my aversion for baby boys dressed like grown men, and my love for the infant gown.  And my strange twisted style of traditional and trendy.

Confessions

Okay…I confess…

1--
The only Advent calendar/devotion I have prepared are the ones where you open a door and eat the chocolate.  I am horrible, aren’t I?  See where my priorities are.  While friends are printing off “Jess Tree” ornaments (or better yet, hand crafting them) I am dreaming of chocolate.    I have devotions, books, our names of Jesus tree, but all are up in storage with the Christmas Decorations.  (I did just find all our christmas movies)

 

2-- 
About those Christmas Decorations—They are all still up in storage and honestly I don’t feel like getting them out.   I always feel in the Christmas Spirit after I decorate, but never really get excited about the “hauling it all out” process.    I am a huge decorating procrastinator.

 

3--
And If I go up into our storage I may have an anxiety attack looking at the few little baby things I kept.  Really… the only baby clothes I have kept are in a box marked “keepsake” which I intend to keep forever for grandkids.  But… I know I will swoon over the few darling little jon jons and coming home outfits in there that this little man will wear.  **FYI—I like to dress my baby boys like babies for at least the first year or so….if you have any jon jons, rompers, or any precious boy layettes, send them my way. If you don’t know what a Jon Jon is, I am so sorry for your deprived upbringing.  

4--
I am wildly excited about having a boy.  While we would have been overjoyed with another sweet girl, we all kind of wanted a boy.   However, I also truly love the girl name we had chosen (it was the only one we were set on… boy name is still in hot debate) 
While dreaming of little boy names, I am also mourning not being able to use our sweet girl name.  Sigh.

5--
I have 1 hamper in our house for 5 people.  That is ridiculous, and stupid.  It overflows every other day.    It is the same hamper we got at a wedding shower in 2002.  I think it’s time for a new Hamper.   Maybe 2.   I just don’t have room for another hamper.    I am about to put 3 kids together in 1 big room… there is not room for a hamper.  Also, I really want a large hamper that has 2 compartments (for lights and darks) and not one of those rolling cart ones that looks all industrial…. this has to sit out in my bedroom.
So instead of “just doing something” about it…. I do nothing, and cry at the over flowing laundry.


6--
We think she is just about the cutest thing in the world.

And lately she has discovered the art of humor.  2 1/2 year old humor is hysterical.  And she hysterically cracks herself up all the time.  And her hysterical laugh is pretty darn cute. 

 

7--
I have a date tonight and I am so very excited about it.  I love my kids, and I love family time.   But let’s face it… the 5-8pm time block isn’t always the most enjoyable.  But it will be for me tonight as I walk the city streets with my man.  I love a good date night.

 

And there… I confessed.  I feel so much better now.