Oh, Christmas...

December may have been a tough one, but Christmas [and the surrounding festivities] were quite sweet...

I'll leave you with a pictorial view...

our simple decor

some homemade gifts..

(for sister)

unfortunately I didn't make these;
but I did have the honor of sewing them together
and hemming the tops for our sweet cousins! :)

an early December photoshoot with Claire & Darcy...
Check out what Claire's up to: http://waters-rising.blogspot.com

cookie decorating with the Goff girls <3

first married Christmas morning!
mini-gift-exchange before heading downstairs...

...to a very excited 8 year old!

PJ Christmas breakfast with the G-fam

to Grandma's for Christmas lunch (yay for BFFs)

presents with the A-fam...

sweet bro&sis-in-love

happy with his BOOKS for Christmas!

and the next day........ TARGET with Mom at 7am.....
and snow flurries!

It was a sweet holiday indeed. So much to be thankful for!

...almost time for some New Year's thoughts and resolutions!

Christmas Blessings..

...message over at our Sunsets and Sushi site.. :)

♥

Love wins again...

It's almost time for work today, but I must pause and say that thankfulness and laughter are really the best medicine!! (This morning has been full of both and my heart is glad!!)

The Christmas message this morning at church (via Luke 1:5-56) warmed my heart big time.

I get so caught up in my circumstances sometimes that what I need and want most threatens to pass me by!!

But not today.. Today the love of God flooded my heart in a fresh way --through Jeremy, the sermon, hugs and kindnesses of friends, and the simple nudge of remembrance that these are the sweet blessings of life. Got it. Loud and clear. And I'm so thankful!

My prayer today is that all this joy and thankfulness is what will flow out of me at work tonight. I regret my complaints and be-grudging attitude. I am beyond blessed to not only have all my needs met, but extra goodnesses too!!

(About the photo: last Wednesday evening we got to enjoy some sweet time with my brother and his family (including my sweet nephew pictured here with J!:)

Fighting Holiday Scrooginess

The past two years I've really struggled to enjoy the holiday season. For good reason, though... I've been working RETAIL! (blah!)

Must work, though... Must smile and laugh and relax.. (but honestly it's hard; Joy is not something that's willing to be mustered! It just doesn't work that way!)

Therefore I really must remedy this for real.. And quick-like, before the whole season passes me by!!




So, to help, I've brainstormed a little list of helps.. My very own little 'Guide to having Happy Holidays!'



1. Aim to make someone's day. Or, better yet, lots of someones' days!

2. Make time to be still, think, dream, and PRAY! (for me this includes drinking my coffee while sitting in a comfy place!)

3. Seize the moments you have with people- with family, esp husbands!, friends, customers, etc. (cherishing people will make the day/time better!!)

4. Be thankful. All the time. (name a few blessings and see if you're not smiling in less than 12 seconds!)

5. Remember this crazy-cold-bitter weather is fleeting. Try to embrace it like a child and remember it'll be gone as quick as it came. :)

...this is just the beginning.

I'm going to keep brainstorming as I have 9 more work days left (out of 10 days till Christmas)!

..time to go make someone's day!! :)

Double-family goodness...

mmmhmm!

We all gathered for an early Christmas gathering.

It was epic. ("heroic; majestic; impressively great")

Okay, so maybe it was not heroic in the eyes of some, but to me it was 'impressively great'.. we ate, we laughed, and we made some sweet memories (and maybe even a new A + G family tradition!?:)

nephew-date...

Just before December hit, we also squeezed in a birthday-date with my nephew.

17 years young. wow.

Love that guy!

And that sister!

♥

about Thanksgiving...

I've been so busy working retail I never celebrated Thanksgiving in blogland.


J & I went to his parents' and Grandma's house... (while Mom, Dad & Kayla traveled to Granny & Papa's)

It was a sweet day full of eating, napping, catching up with cousins, and Legos! :)

I especially like the guy on the white horse with flowers ;)

two favorites!! 

Grandma's old photos kept us busy for a while :)

Thankful for these times.

Here's a cool idea we borrowed (& modified) to help us remember all our Thankfulnesses this year! ♥

Thankful...

Thankful for good conversations

and good hot drinks

and cool 50-cards-free-promotions like this one from Shutterfly!

This week when Stacy and I got together, instead of sticking with the agenda and studying John 10, we talked about the ACTS prayer method..... I don't really love those words 'prayer method' but I do like that this one is based on the Lord's prayer and that when I follow it, my brain and heart are actually engaged; that is a very good thing.

If this is new to you, the acronym stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication... and the point is to spend a minute or two thinking & praying through each...

A: What do you adore about God (about His nature and character)?

C: What in your heart/life needs confessing (fears, anxieties, commissions, omissions)?

T: What are you thankful for -specifically?

S: Supplication = petition/request: What needs do you have? What's broken & needs fixing? What feels too big, too heavy, or beyond your reach? How about desires and dreams and wished-for things?

Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. -Phil.4:5-7

Maybe this seems silly, but I think it's honestly sweet and just simple enough to be totally effective!

♥ ♥