Santa Visit.

We made the annual trek to the local mall to visit Santa tonight. I had not planned to do it this year, but the kids asked to go. This is the first year where they really showed interest in seeing this big man dressed in red with a big white beard and a big belly. We have been pretty careful with how we portray Santa to them. We do not at all emphasize his role in Christmas, but we talk about him as a fun character that helps us to celebrate Jesus' birth. We talk about how even Santa needs to worship Jesus, and that Santa is not the center of our celebration. The kids were somewhat skeptical, but Hayden shared that he wanted a "cwab" and Kennedy all of a sudden decided that along with a barn for her model horses, she "really, really, REALLY" wants a skateboard. I guess I'll be making another trip to Target for that one! Kennedy was so excited that Santa said the he was going to talk to the elves about making her Christmas wishes come true! I really see no harm in this imaginative side of Christmas, as long as the focus remains on Jesus in the manger come to save the world.

Sweet Redness.

NEED I SAY MORE? SWEET SWEETIE IN RED.

For the Love of Red.

My favorite color is RED. I'm not sure that I really realized that until the past couple of years, but I just love red, all it stands for, how it makes me feel, and the reactions it evokes from people. One of the things that I love about this time of year is that red is out in full force everywhere you look. I remember there was this one boy in my high school class who told me, each time I wore red, "You look so good in red." Red, to be short and sweet, just makes me happy. Red can represent so many different emotions, from anger to love to joy. Red is a strong color, an assertive hue that won't be overlooked. Red stands for the holidays. Red is the color of blood that gives us life and breath and hope. Red was likewise the color of the blood that our Savior, Jesus Christ, shed when he willingly hung and died on the cross for us. To offer us eternal life and hope. I love the strength and the life of red. Some of my other favorite red things.....Crisp apples in the fall. Old weathered barn wood. Gerbrera daisies. My favorite red shoes. Bright red nail polish (my favorite is OPI's "I'm Really not a Waitress" red). My husband's red t-shirts. My son's red-striped PJ's, especially after his bath. Cold kid cheeks coming in from playing in the snow. A field of poppies. Holly berries (real or fake). Red beach buckets on the white Lake Michigan shore. Red-and-white polka dots on anything. My red leather purse. My red Franklin planner cover. Red ink (except when I am grading). Red walls in my entryway. Red stripes scarves on snowmen made with my kids. Red socks and slippers. Red rubber balls from the playgrounds of my childhood. Red hand-painted mugs. Red ribbon in my little girl's hair and in my scrapbooks. Red scrapbook embellishments of any kind. My husband in his red Chevy truck. Red hearts at Valentine's day. Fresh red raspberries with a dollop of whipped cream. Red ornaments against the fresh pine backdrop of our Christmas tree. Red marker of the "I love you" note that my 5-year-old daughter wrote. The red patches on our bed quilt. Red spashes of paint in my kids' paintings. Red is definitely one of the joys of this season for me.

Christmas Love.

OK, brother-in-law Dan, who keeps the number of times that he is mentioned on this blog....just couldn't resist posting this one....so sweet.....so cute.......a perfect touch of holiday. So, thanks for bearing with the crazy sisters who wanted a cheery holiday photo with their sweeties.....

Top 10 Weekend Accomplishments.

OK, this is one of those pre-holiday weekends that was chock-full and that just flew by, but I was able to accomplish many things and check them off my to-do list. I was also able to get some much-needed time with family and spend some fun time with kids.

1. Stood in a line at the mall for over one hour to buy mall gift cards.....and ended up having to pay a 2.00 service fee per card. As if the mall doesn't make enough money at this time of year anyway......I definitely need to write a complaint letter for this one.

2. Purchased cool stocking stuffers for my kids at Cracker Barrel. You have to love the old-fashioned goodies that they have......things like Chicklets gum, big Tootsie Rolls, Chuckles, gold coin chocolates, Pop Rocks, Whistle Pops....so many fond memories from my own childhood. Especially of trips down town to Fred and Betty's drug store with quarters in my pocket to pick some candy treats. So cool to be able to share these same simple pleasures with my own kiddos....though they are a bit more expensive than that quarter that used to go so far at the 5-and-dime candy store!

3. Got a pretty cute family photo taken for our Christmas card. My sister, Kendra, took this photo, and I love its balance of fun and festivity. The framed look turned out really nice and I can't wait to get started (yes, STARTED!) on my cards tomorrow. Thanks, Kendie, for such an awesome photo.....this was a lot easier than trying to get a decent photo with the self-timer and tri-pod.

4. Directed the church children's Christmas program....pretty much organized chaos, but the kids were so adorable and were worshipping Jesus in their own way and with their own voice....what Christmas is all about. I am especially proud of my little girl who spoke her 2 lines loudly and clearly!

5. Hosted my family Christmas party at our home.....a great day with lots of appetizers (and ham for my Hubby!)....generous gifts......laughter.......a Nerf missile gun that ended up being the hit of my little boy's Christmas......and a game of UNO ATTACK that we NEVER thought would end. A nice celebration with my family.

6. Ordered my new project desk from Pier One for my scraproom. I have been saving for this desk for nearly 6 months, and I finally had enough to order it along with two stools. I love the spacious workspace and the shelves on each end......I'll be sure to post photos once it finds its way to my room.

7. Made Rachael Ray's 5-minute fudge....yes, it took five minutes, but it took nearly 30 minutes to try to chip it out of the pan (even though I did spray the pan prior to chilling). One batch down the drain (literally!) so we'll try again this week.

8. Took my kids to see "Happy Feet".....such a cute movie with a deeper message about environmental stewardship and accepting yourself for your individuality and letting your own unique light shine.

9. Updated my IPOD with Christmas songs....especially songs from the December album by George Winston. I love the peace of Winston's piano interpretations......conjures up images of winter scenes such as festive holiday celebrations, the peaceful manger scene, and a hauntingly cold winter night. Other favorites include Oh, Holy Night, Not that Far from Bethlehem, Silent Night, Away in a Manger, and other Christmas classics. I plan to listen to these tunes as I go through the week with the final preparations leading up to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

10. Made post #50 on Half-Baked and Firefly Free....WOW! This has become such an important expressive tool in my life, one that I look forward to each and every day. I am definitely planning on 50 more and beyond......

Tones and Tunes of the Season.

Without a doubt, music is a major part of both my holiday memories and our current family Christmas traditions. Yes, there are the fun songs that we have sung since childhood and that our own kids now sing with passion.....Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jingle Bells, We Wish you a Merry Christmas, I Saw Mama Kissing Santa Claus......so fun and festive. But even more central to our celebrations are the sacred and holy songs of the season that help us to keep our focus on Jesus during the holidays. My very favorite Christmas song is "Oh, Holy Night"....the stars were brightly shining, it is the night of our dear Savior's birth. I love memories of touring our neighborhood, caroling with these favorites and just connection via song....and of course countless school concerts and church hymn-sings. One of my favorite things to do at Christmas time is to go to church, sit in a darkened sanctuary lit only by white lights or candles, and sing Christmas songs.

I took Kennedy to her first "real" concert last night....the Winter Wonderland Tour with Point of Grace and Scott Krippayne. What a great musical treat! Point of Grace has the most awesome harmony that I have every heard.....shivers up and down my spine and a pure delight for the ears and the soul. We went with a group of moms and daughters from church, and we had a really nice time. Without a doubt, my favorite song that Point of Grace sings is "Not that Far from Bethlehem," a song that talks about the fact that although Jesus' birth was many, many years ago, the truth and hope of Christmas is right here and right now in our lives. I try to carry the truth of this song with me through the season, to help me keep my eyes firmly on Jesus. They also had some of their kids up on stage with homemade nativity costumes on singing "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" at pretty much the top of their lungs.....so, so precious.

This morning, we had another musical treat in my daughter's kindergarten holiday concert....what fun to see them all dressed up singing the fun song of the season. They did a rendition of "Silent Night"--complete with sign language--that was so precious. Kennedy is SO EXPRESSIVE when she sings, it just made me smile (my mouth and my heart!). They also did a very cute rendition of "Must be Santa." I love that Kennedy loves music and sees it as a form of expressing herself and her emotions.....they were singing a song about a single little lonely Christmas tree in the woods, and her little face was so, so sad.....and then the twinkle in her eye when talking about Santa's arrival......just so dramatic! I look forward to helping her to develop her musical talents and seeing where she will go in this area. Love, love, love, LOVE the sounds and songs of the Christmas season, especially when they are sung by my children.

....still grading......

.......and grading and grading and grading and grading and grading.....if I see one more run-on sentence or split infinitive or the word "thing" in a paper, I am going to literally need my own services (therapy, that is!!). Hopefully, by tomorrow, I will finished with grading so that I can blog about something besides the huge stack of grading that I still have to do!!