Weekend Reflections

Life is certainly good...and I am indeed blessed!

It's Sunday night and I'm sitting in one of my very favorite spots during the holidays. I'm on the couch in our living room; the lights of our two trees twinkling in the dark; a fireplace roaring right next to me. It's such a cozy, nice spot during the wintertime and it just makes feel all warm and happy inside.

It's good that I feel warm inside and that I have a fire raging...because our crazy Southern weather decided to go from 80 degrees (remember that picture of Santa in shorts a few posts back?) down to 29 degrees (yes, baby, it's COLD outside right now!).

I'm sitting here on the computer (I LOVE my wireless internet!), reflecting on our weekend. And thinking about how blessed I am that I have two trees...and a cozy living room...and a fireplace...and all the THINGS that we have. But oh so much more blessed that I have love and contentment and laughter and family. You know? all those things that can't be bought and wrapped and put under a tree?

We just finished our Family Advent time and it was a very meaningful one, as they always seem to be. We talked about "trust" and how we need to get rid of worry in our lives...and just trust! Christmastime is the perfect time to trust in what God has done for us, and to enjoy it instead of worrying so much about things we can't control. Sydney sang "Jesus Loves Me" to finish off our time, and it was just a good, good thirty minutes with my favorite people!

The rest of the weekend was really nice, as well. On Friday afternoon, the girls and I met up with Gary at the mall so we could visit with Santa Claus. Let me tell you, it was a surprising blessing that we found a parking space with NO trouble and then got inside and there was NO line to see the Big Guy. (Don't you just love it when things go so much better than you expect them to?)

Sydney marched right up to Santa, sat in his lap, and proceeded to have a normal conversation with the guy. She whispered something in his ear, then sat there and talked with him for several minutes. As we walked away from Santa, he said to me in a low voice as he pointed at his head, "That little girl is smart as a whip. She is something else." I totally agree with Santa!! (Isn't that funny?)

We got this picture of Sydney and Santa (I just LOVE it, by the way! lol) ...

And then all three of the girls...

By the way, Sydney's list for Santa includes "Just five things" (in her words!). She wants: a Disney Princess Kitchen (isn't it CUTE?), aDora Dance Mat, Polly Pockets, Hungry Hungry Hippos (she doesn't just say it, she sings the song from the commercial when she says it. Too cute!), and a Pretty Dress (mind you! it' s not just a dress, it's a "pretty" dress!).

After seeing Santa, we had a quick bite at the mall Chick-Fil-A (and yes, Dawn, I totally thought of you and mentioned you as I ate it! lol) and then headed home. McKenna headed off with her Dad to have her Christmas with her grandparents, and we all enjoyed a nice evening at home.

On Saturday, we SLEPT LATE!! Let me tell you...that has not happened in a LONG time and Delaney was so excited about it! We slept in and then decided to take in a movie at the Dollar Theatre (you all know how cheap I am about going to the movies; we go to the dollar theatre pretty much all the time!). Lo and behold, when I checked online to see what was playing, my FAVORITE guy was showing!! The movie, "Martian Child," starrring my one-and-only John Cusack was at the theatre...so off we went, and had a great time! We ate three refillable bags full of movie popcorn (extra, layered butter please!) and I slurped at my Johnny several times throughout the film (I try to keep it kinda quiet, so as not to embarrass Gary too much!).

After the movie, as we headed over to Krispy Kreme for an after-movie treat (cmon now, don't tell me that you can resist the "Hot & Now" sign?), my favorite conversation of the weekend took place. Gary and Delaney argued jokingly about what planet Sydney was from.

Gary: "I think Sydney's a martian child. She's from Mars!"

Delaney: "Nope, I think she's from Pluto."

Gary: "Nope, I think she's from Venus."

Sydney: "No...I'm just a people."

Again...too cute!

That night, Gary headed off to go hunting and I literally laid in bed for three hours straight watching holiday shows on the Food Network. It was quite heavenly, and not something I do too often.

On Sunday, we had church; a meal at KFC; more lying around in bed (this time, watching Dallas get beat; yuck!); and then a cool activity at church (the youth sponsored "A Night in Bethlehem," which was a really cool, interactive event with booths to let kids learn about what life was like around the time Jesus was born).

And then home to greet Gary back from hunting, some more lying around and being lazy, and then enjoying our Advent together. And here I am now, back where I started from. Enjoying the trees and the fire...and liking life!

And now...another week is ahead of us. (And do you realize that it is just a week from Christmas Eve?) On tap for this week? Some high school band concert-going; some birthday party-ing; some last-minute-gift-buying (yep, I thought I was done, but two more appeared!); some gingerbread-house-making; some girls-night-outing; and some (actually, a lot of) Christmas treat baking!!!