Christmas 1980

Jolly old St. Nicholas,
Lean your ear this way;
Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me;
Tell me if you can...

(From Jolly Old Saint Nicholas)

Build-a-Bear Parade

What do you do on a cold, snowy Sunday afternoon? Curl up on the couch with hot cocoa and a Christmas movie (my first choice)? Sit on the sofa with soda and snacks to watch some football (Jay's preference)? Neither! Instead, we were treated to a Build-a-Bear Parade! Our kids provide us with endless hours of entertainment...

Here is a little clip from the parade:

Chloe was listing off all the animals by name (Sophie and Charlotte were "helping"):

And finally, all three girls and their Build-a-Bear collection...
Yes, they have WAY too many!

How We Spent Our Saturday

Yesterday morning we took all three girls and went with my parents to see the new Disney movie, Tangled. (Tip: If you go Saturday morning, then the tickets are only $5.) It was a really great movie! It reminded me of the old Disney classics like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.

Afterward, we had a quick lunch at Arby's, then Dad and Papaw took the girls home to watch a couple more movies: Kung-Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. Papaw hadn't seen either one, and the cold, rainy day made for perfect movie-watching weather. However, Mom and I braved the nasty drizzle and crowds to make a large dent in her Christmas shopping. We have had several Christmas shopping trips this season, and though I can't speak for her, I have really enjoyed all of the time we've been spending together!

SPCS Choir Concert

Chloe is singing in her school choir this year, and they had their annual Christmas concert on Thursday evening. Jason, Sophie, Charlotte, Mamaw, Papaw, Grammy, Grandpa and I all went to watch and listen. She did a wonderful job, and she looked so beautiful!

At home in front of our tree

Waiting for Chloe's concert

Chloe and Sophie

Grammy and Grandpa with Chloe

Papaw and Mamaw with Chloe

Forgive the poor quality of the video... I shot it on my little Canon PowerShot!

Then Mary said, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Luke 1:38 (NKJV)

I have found that God can use anything to speak to me, to reveal Himself to me... things that I might not expect. I once heard a Christian music artist say that God had used the words of Bob Dylan to speak to him, and I must say that I was skeptical. Yet this year, for some strange reason, God has spoken to me through the Beatles, Let It Be.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Let it be, let it be
Let it be, let it be
Whisper words of wisdom
Let it be

Now, I'm not sure what the Beatles intended, and I sure don't ever see Mother Mary standing in front of me, but her words in the Bible are often staring me right in the face: "Let it be to me according to your word." What a beautiful thing! That is the kind of faith that I want to have. That is the kind of relationship I want with God. And that is what God has been teaching me this year. No matter what the situation or struggle might be, God has held my hand and helped me to say, "Yes, Lord, let it be."

Big Girl Bed

I decided to move Charlotte's things into her new room yesterday . I had been hesitant to do it before because I am REALLY clinging to these "baby" days with her. Say what you want, but I have a 7-year-old and a 9-year-old: two-years-old is still a baby! So, we snuggled into the big girl bed together at nap time, and she quickly fell asleep. This is how I left her:

Love this sweet girl!!!