Can it be the 16th already? And how is it that when we were kids, December just c r a w l e d along? I have so much I still want to do, and the time is slipping away...

Today I was reminded that as wonderful as the holiday season can be, for many families it's a time of turmoil, of pain, of real anguish. I ache for friends and family this year who will be happier to see New Year's Day than Christmas. What is it about this season that seems to magnify and amplify all the heartache and discord that's palpable enough all year long? If you're one of the ones who would like to tear out the last calendar page of the year and move on, my heart is heavy for you today and I am praying a special prayer for you and your family.

Tomorrow I will mix and bake cookies for a good part of the day, making sure that they're ready to decorate by Tuesday, our annual Cookie Day at Granny's House. This year we'll have the Texas grandkids, the Krug boys, and a couple of special guests with us so I need to make sure we have lots and lots and lots of cookies and frosting! (Oh, and brooms and mops!)

Yesterday was Shelley and John Caleb's Christmas piano recital. I was so very proud of both of them! John Caleb played "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" and for the first time ever played it flawlessly. Shelley played a spectacular arrangement of "O Come All Ye Faithful" with a backup CD of orchestral accompaniment. She brought down the house, if you can believe a mother's opinion :-)

There's got to be some clever use for all these tags of wrapping paper. You know, the ones that are 4 inches by 3 feet. I have a whole pile and every year I detest throwing them away...I used to make tags out of them, but now I'm addicted to the self-stick ones so I'm back to wondering how to use the scraps.

The weather has gotten really frosty here, just in time to make it really feel like Christmas. I'm itching for a fire in the fireplace, but the Papa keeps using some excuse about not having any wood. You would think the answer to that would be to go get some, but that's evidently a little too creative. I might have to resort to breaking down all the Amazon boxes and starting a fire with those!

Raspberry hot chocolate is a very good thing. In the absence of Starbucks' holiday lattes, that is.

From this morning's worship service, a verse of my favorite carol that was especially meaningful:

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road
and hear the angels sing...



May you have a lovely week of preparations and of remembering the waiting of the world for the Savior.

Labels: Grandkids, Holidays, Kids