Day #12 - Celebrate the Day!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Day #11 - It Was Not a Silent Night

I know I had this song on the list last year, but I dont' care. It's one of the most powerful songs that I've heard in years and a song that makes me think even more about Jesus entrance into the world.... It was not a silent night:

Day #10 - Wonderful

My parents played this for me last year. They watched this special on TV and recorded it and really enjoyed this song. Natalie Cole is really just as wonderful a singer as her father, so since it's normally Nat King Cole I put on my Christmas video music list of the year, this year I'm going to put up Natalie:

Day #9- John Mayer

Really... he could sing this to me... I'd be ok with it...

Day #7 - She & Him

Every year I have a Christmas tradition for myself. I buy myself a new Christmas album. This year I picked up She & Him: A Very She & Him Chistmas. I love the sound of Zoey Deschanel's voice. The lovely airy feel and the 1960's vibe she has. I hope you enjoy She & Him:

Day #6 - Little Drummer Boy

I think this is the oddest video I've ever seen. It was brought to my attention this year and I can honestly say I never thought I'd ever see Bing Crosby singing with David Bowie. But here it is. Bing and Bowie:

Day #5 - Dreaming

Ok, so it's not Beverly Hills and the sun isn't always shining, but it is hard to get into Christmas mode when it's in the 60's (and sometimes raining!). I am, however, dreaming of a somewhat White Christmas (even though Chicago hasn't gotten much this winter yet). I hope your days are merry and bright...

Day #4 - Christmas Time

Today is Roommate Christmas! None of us are actually roommates anymore, but we still like to get together whenever we can =o) So in honor of Roommate Christmas day with A, C, and RJ; Charlie Brown's Christmas. Really this is especially for C who really dislikes the music from this movie... she'll have to explain that to you ;o) Merry Christmas C, A, & RJ! I love spending time in the busy Christmas season with you guys!

Day #3 - Marley and Marley

I'm reading A Christmas Carol for the first time this Christmas. I've owned the book for several years and it is one of my very favorite Christmas movies (especially the George C. Scott version!). I'm just done with the first chapter which ends right after Scrooge's visit from Marley and I had this song stuck in my head the whole time I was reading it! So here you go, Scrooges visit from Jacob and Robert Marley in a Muppets Christmas Carol!

Day#2 - In the Bleak Mid-Winter

Is it just me or does it seem that every year brings a new Christmas song that you seemingly hear everywhere? Not necessarily a brand new song; perhaps something old that just seems to all of the sudden be popping up everywhere. This year, for me, it has been In the Bleak Mid-Winter. Our church choir sang it at our Carols of Christmas program where our Worship Minister shared about how this song was originally a poem that someone wrote music for. I shared the poem below the video so you could really read/hear the words/lyrics. I think it's hauntingly beautiful.... What songs have been following you around this year?

In the Bleak Mid-Winter

Words: Christina Rosetti

Music: CRANHAM (Gustav Holst)

In the bleak midwinter,

frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

water like a stone;

Snow had fallen, snow on snow,

snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, heaven cannot hold Him,

nor earth sustain;

Heaven and earth shall flee away

when He comes to reign.

In the bleak midwinter

a stable place sufficed

The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ.

Angels and archangels

may have gathered there,

Cherubim and seraphim

thronged the air;

But His mother only,

in her maiden bliss,

Worshipped the beloved with a kiss.

What can I give Him,

poor as I am?

If I were a shepherd,

I would bring a lamb;

If I were a Wise Man,

I would do my part;

Yet what I can give Him: give my heart.

Day #1 - The Grinch Song

Happy first day of my 12 days of Christmas. I know that technically the real 12 days of Christmas start on Christmas day, but I thought we could all use a little bit of Christmas music and movies and fun to help get rid of a little bit of holiday-related stress ;o) Today's song is for all of my favorite Grinch's this year! haha... I have a lot of coworkers and friends who are very bah-humbug-y this year. For you guys, The Grinch Song:

Prepping

I know... I haven't really blogged more than a song since Thanksgiving day!* But here's the thing, blog friends, I'm getting ready. And this year is taking some preparation.

*how was your Thanksgiving, blog friends? I really want to know, really!

Ready for what you ask? Well, if you've been following my blog for the last couple of years, you may remember what's coming up. Yep! My annual Christmas video blogging! An this year? This year it's going to be the 25 days of Christmas! 25 VIDEOS!!

I have no idea how I'm going to come up with 25, and I'm promising there will be some duplicates, but I'm looking forward to posting away and keeping up with a master list for all to see!

What's your favorite Christmas song/movie/video?

I'm Not Starting Yet

My multiple days of christmas videos, that is... but I heard this today and it prompted me to want to watch Holiday Inn and White Christmas both tonight! So take a listen and enjoy Bing...

Happy Christmas in July (a day late)

[little tree] by ee cummings

little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flower

who found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetly

i will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don't be afraid

look the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,

put up your little arms
and i'll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won't be a single place dark or unhappy

then when you're quite dressed
you'll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they'll stare!
oh but you'll be very proud

and my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we'll dance and sing
"Noel Noel"

sickness and packing and other odds and ends

1 Thessalonians 5:18 - Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

Have you ever been thankful for being sick? I have! This past weekend I had a cold. Not a bad one, but still annoying. But in the midst of my whiny, poor-me mood it dawned on me.

 "THANK YOU, GOD, FOR LETTING ME BE SICK!!"

You see, I'm heading home for Christmas, and for our family we're actually celebrating Christmas this Saturday due to family/in-law holiday scheduling… and if I hadn't gotten this cold last weekend I could have gotten it this weekend, and if I had gotten it this weekend, I wouldn't have been able to hold/hug/kiss my niece and nephews and that REALLY stinks because I have a brand new nephew that was born in October that I haven't met yet and I really want to hold him a lot!!!!
 *phew*
 I'm glad I got that out…


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I am an amazingly dedicated packer.
 It's true.
 Look at my list!

There is a column for toiletries, one for clothes, electronics stuff, and a to-do list for the week prior to my traveling that I update daily.

I wish I was this organized in my everyday life

(it can be a little exhausting)


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This is the first time I'm going home in the last five years (since I moved to TN) that I haven't overbooked my time home with tons of things to do. It's going to be great! I'll get to hang out at home with my parents and take it easy… I'm normally going from one outing to the next!

Now don't get me wrong, I love spending all kinds of time with my friends. I miss you guys!! I have a few friends who aren't able to make it to Chicagoland for Christmas this year so it's leaving some time free! I might even get to make cards with my mom and play some pool with my dad!

The other bonus to that? Getting to spend time with new-old friends.

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I'm doing a Bible Study with two other girls (we're using Living the Cross Centered Life – READ IT!) and last week we were talking a little bit about Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
It's such a common passage; I mean the Byrds wrote/sang a song about it! But as I read and reread all of chapter 3 this week I was struck by verses 14 & 15

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. (Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 [ESV])

What is, has been.
What will be, already happened.
Who am I to worry when it's already been taken care of?

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And lastly for today…

I am taking a week long blogging hiatus. I want so very much to be able to enjoy my Christmas with my family and friends and focus on them. I'll try to get up and do the video of the day through Christmas (although I make no video promises!), and I will still post a Wordless Wednesday next week, other than that, nothing new. I pray you have the true joy of the Christmas season inside you.

Luke 2:8-14

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Merry Christmas!

Blog Hop: Holiday Photos

I was actually already planning on posting about this fun Christmas tradition in general!! It's a favorite of mine… at least of my Christmas traditions in Tennessee ;o)

The first weekend in December, my roommate A and I went shopping in Franklin, TN. It's not too very far from Murfreesboro, but it always seems like a very special trip. This year was our 3^rd annual trip and it was as fun as always. I love being able to spend a day catching up (I know we live together, it doesn't mean we always see each other!) and just spending time in their little downtown area and at the antique mall and other antique stores.

I captured a few fun memories this year…

Blog Hop: Christmas Ornaments

This is my second Christmas with my roommates! RubyRed and C have had three Christmas' together in the house, and who knows where we will be next year... except RubyRed, she's going to be with her husband =o) ... We've also made R-Jo an honorary roommate, even though she lives with her husband. But that's another story.

And that was all a long introduction to the not great pictures of the ornaments I'm displaying for you all today! They are pictures of our matching ornaments!!

yep.you read that right.matching.

This first is a set of bears we got when we all went to Gatlinburg together before we were roommates.

 The Candycanes, C picked up for us last year

And this year, R-Jo came over with these adorable penguin ornaments that I featured on a Wordless Wednesday just last week! (we 'tagged' ourselves as penguins)

I think it's fun knowing that we will always have a reminder of our Roommate Christmas's!

Christmas Ornaments, Disco Balls & Giving Angels Wings

Is it a Disco Ball or a Christmas Ornament?

You decide...

My least favorite Christmas movie is It's a Wonderful Life.

So sue me.

I watched it so many times growing up

I could probably quote the whole movie to you.

Thus the annoyance I have toward it.

But still, I like to joke that,

"Every time a bell rings and angel gets it's wings".

So we have little bells up all over our tree.

Of course it's more fun that we joke that by shaking them a lot,

There are a lot of akward looking angels flying around with multiple pairs of wings.

Look - that angel has 8 pairs!

Christmas Ornaments

3 Christmas Trees, 2 Snowman Tins, and a Very Akward Christmas plant