Merry Christmas

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas full of family and friends. Overall my Christmas was good a good one filled with family and friends, it was one of those times where I reminded myself to just take everything as it comes and just smile and laugh. My Christmas celebrations started on Christmas Eve with lunch at Uncle Jimmy's, which proved to be one of the moments where I just had to smile a lot, but I am glad we went over there and saw that side of my family since I don't really see them except for holidays b/c my dad is a little anti-family social at times. Dad, Marsha and I literally only ate lunch over there and left - we took our presents for that side of the family but we didn't stay to exchange them. After we left my uncle's I headed off to church without my dad and Marsha in toe, oh well there is always next year. But I actually didn't mind so much having to go to church without my family b/c SarahBeth, Jeremy, and I all ended up sitting together so we were our own little family. Since I have never been to a Christmas Eve service at Watermark, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect but I knew I would love it and I did - I honestly probably enjoyed it more than if I would have been in Wichita Falls. After church it was back to dad's house for me b/c he had cooked a really nice dinner for all of us including Maverick. After dinner we exchanged and opened presents. Once again my dad went overboard with his presents for me, but I excited about all of them and he was really creative with some of them this year.

On Christmas Day after a nice homemade breakfast by dad it was time to hit the road for Wichita Falls. For some of you this might seem weird that I travel on Christmas day but it is honestly the best way I have found to keep my parents happy and they both actually get to see me on Christmas. The drive really wasn't a bad one this year, and I am very thankful for that. I missed my mom and step dad by less than 10minutes at our house, so that meant I had to drive another thirty minutes out to my aunts (step dad's sister) where we were meeting to celebrate Christmas. As I arrived at my aunts house I notice something a little odd, my mom was sleeping in the chair and not sitting at the table - my mom had finally hit her exhaustion point of the past few days and literally couldn't keep her eyes open. While I completely understand how and why she got to that point it really made me sad that my mom slept most of the day on Christmas - so I actually only interacted with her for may-be two hours all day, but I promised myself I was just going to smile and take things in stride. I enjoyed the time at my aunts house because my older sister, her husband and my three nephews were all there, so it was nice to see all of them. One of my cousins and his wife were there with their son and then the new baby, which was just so much fun. Plus since they live out at the lake there is just so much for all the boys to do and lots of room for them to play - I think we all had a fun time playing. Christmas night it was back to my parents house for me to open my presents from that side of the family. Plus my favorite cousins all came over to celebrate Christmas and see me even though most of them had just been at my house the night before.

Overall it was a really good Christmas, while at times I did have to just smile. It was good for me because it taught me just to go with it, but more importantly in those moments where I just had to smile - I was able to remind myself of the true meaning of Christmas and the reason we celebrate it.

Happy Birthday Jesus! I hope it was a good one.

Where are you Christmas

On of the Christmas songs that I have found myself singing over the past few days is the Faith Hill "Where are you Christmas" from the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Here are the lyrics to the song....

Where are you Christmas

Why can't I find you

Why have you gone away

Where is the laughter You used to bring me

Why can't I hear music play

My world is changing I'm rearranging

Does that mean Christmas changes too

Where are you Christmas

Do you remember The one you used to know

I'm not the same one See what the time's done

Is that why you have let me go

Christmas is here Everywhere, oh Christmas is here If you care, oh

If there is love in your heart and your mind

You will feel like Christmas all the time

I feel you Christmas

I know I've found you

You never fade away

The joy of Christmas

Stays here inside us

Fills each and every heart with love

Where are you Christmas

Fill your heart with love

I think part of the reason I have found myself singing this song so much over the past few days is because I have realized that Christmas isn't what it once was for me - don't get me wrong I still love it but I use to love it so much more. And I think a big part of the reason I am going back and forth as to whether I am excited about Christmas this year is because my family on both sides are so incredibly tense and it has been such a drama filled month that it has taken it's toll on everyone. When I am with my friends I am extremely excited and filled with the Christmas spirit and I am trying really hard to be the same way around my family it's just hard when they are all so tense - I hope they aren't my Grinch who steals Christmas. I am honestly excited to see my family and spend time with them over the holidays. I just hope and pray that everyone can find Christmas in time for Christmas.

A Christmas Story

So I realize most of you are quiet aware that Christmas is in just a few days - get excited. I wanted to take just a couple of minutes to remind everyone what the true reason of the season is, and that is Christ birth. Several weeks ago we showed this video to our Jr. High students at church, and I really liked it so I wanted to share.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-4y5mK_o9E

(Sorry I am not smart enough yet on this whole blog world to know how to post the video inside my blog)

Merry Christmas!

Holiday Fun

This past weekend was a weekend jam packed full of fun holiday events, and really put me in the holiday spirit. On Friday night my friend Julie organized a large group of people to go to the Gaylord Hotel to partake in the ICE exhibit. Needless to say this event alone was enough to put me in the holiday spirit - I was like a kid in a candy store, only because I have wanted to go see ICE for the past three years and for one reason or another haven't been able to go. For those of you who don't know what ICE is, it is a basically a "city" made of entirely of ICE. It really isn't a city, rather different rooms with different holiday scenes in them. It is minus 9 degrees in the entire exhibit so they give you big parkas to wear while you are inside ICE, needless to say we all looked like big football players. But we were all very thankful for the warmth of the parkas. It was a well worth the three year wait for me, and given the opportunity I will go back.
Hugging the ice ornaments Student Ministry leaders

In the gingerbread house

Roommate Picture

Saturday involved last minute Christmas shopping and lots of time spent wrapping Christmas presents - I can't show you the pictures of the wrapping mess because I don't want some people to see their unwrapped presents. Saturday night was the annual Maple Terrace Christmas party, and like the past two years it was one of my favorite Christmas parties of the year. There are always so many fun people that I don't get to see as often as I would like and it is in such a fun place. (Sadly I don't have any pictures of the night). Sunday was a pretty typical Sunday, but Sunday night after church a group of about 80 of us loaded up on three trailers and went for a hayride to go look at Christmas lights and sing Christmas carols for the WM elders Christmas party. I love looking at Christmas lights, but who doesn't? However I don't know to many people that get to do it with 80 other people or have a hayride in the city of Dallas.

Sasha and I

Kelly, Brooke and I

Trailer #1

Kelly and I

I Believe....

Yesterday I was asked the question by my 7th grade girls if I believed in Santa Claus – I was honestly able to answer them yes. I will say it I do believe in Santa Claus! So I understand that some of you might not believe in Santa Claus as the man in the red suit who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve and brings presents, eats cookie, and fills your stockings. While I know Santa Claus is not the true reason we celebrate Christmas that would be Jesus birth. But have you ever stopped to watch the world at Christmas time? While even though people are usually stressed around the holidays, you tend to see people giving more, caring more, and just being joyful more. If you are to ask any kids about their visit to Santa Claus their eyes light up and sparkle, and they get so excited that they can hardly complete their thoughts. You see the innocence and pure joy of Christmas in them. While almost year around you can see the innocence and joy in kids, it is very rare that you can see it in adults too. However, if you are to ask any adult about Santa Claus they usually will make a strange face at first but then they usually smile and their eyes light up too as they remember a wonderful Christmas morning from their childhood. Santa Claus is more than just a “person”; he is a part of the spirit of Christmas, he is something that stands for goodness, peace, giving, and joy.