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Merry Merry!!!

Sending Merry Christmas wishes your way...from our family to yours....

We've had the best time with all 3 kids together in one place! Lunch together...

And making cookies for Santa was especially fun!

Everyone got in on the decorating...even Daddy!

Austen worked hard on his cookie for Santa

Jessie puts up with my picture taking...
Reese needed blue icing for his Christmas tree....

A plate full of Christmas cookies to share...

And a special letter to Santa:


Dear Santa, These cookies r for you. Love, Reese

A special plate of cookies for Santa...one cookie made by each of us...

Opening Christmas gifts together...Daddy got a very special, handmade gift from Grammie!


We hope your Christmas was a fun-filled morning with many blessings!

Christmas Movie

Hymn To Joy

I checked out Christmas in the Stable by Beverly K. Duncan from the library because it sounded interesting. The poems are all told from the animal's point of view as they lived in the stable & wondered what was happening when Mary came & Jesus was born.

Hymn To Joy
by Julia Cunningham

Give greatly of your grunts, O pig!
Scratch deeply of your joy, O hen!
Sing out in choired squeaks, O mouse!
To herald in the Boy. Amen.

The tiger's head shall know His hand
And bow that He may stroke his ears,
The lion lend his ropey tail,
The jackal joke away His tears.

A stable will become His home.
Three kings will journey far to see
His sleep. His waking, how the world
Shines in this moment's gaiety.

So bray your best, O simple ass!
Release your cheeps, O little wren!
Trumpet down stars, O elephant!
Announce your love! Amen.

The Stork

I checked out Christmas in the Stable by Beverly K. Duncan from the library because it sounded interesting. The poems are all told from the animal's point of view as they lived in the stable & wondered what was happening when Mary came & Jesus was born.

The Stork
-Old English Ballad

The Stork she rose on Christmas Eve
And said unto her brood,
"I now must fare to Bethlehem
To view the Son of God."

She gave to each his dole of meat,
She stowed them fairly in,
And fair she flew and fast she flew,
And came to Bethlehem.

"Now where is He of David's line?"
She asked at house and hall,
"He is not here," they spake hardly,
"But in the manger stall."

She found Him in the manger stall
With that most holy maid;
The gentle Stork she wept to see
The Lord so rudely laid,

Then from her panting breast she plucked
The feathers white and warm;
She strewed hem in the manger bed
To keep the Lord from harm.

"Now blessed be the gentle Stork
Forever more," quoth He,
"For that she saw my sad estate,
And showed pity.

"Full welcome shall she ever be
In hamlet and in hall,
And called henceforth the Blessed Bird
And friend of babies all."

The Barn

I checked out Christmas in the Stable by Beverly K. Duncan from the library because it sounded interesting. The poems are all told from the animal's point of view as they lived in the stable & wondered what was happening when Mary came & Jesus was born.



The Barn
by Elizabeth Coatsworth

"I am tired of this barn!" said the colt.
"And every day it snows.
Outside there's no grass anymore
And icicles grow on my nose.
I am tired of hearing the cows
Breathing and talking together.
I am sick of these clucking hens.
I hate stables and winter weather!"

"Hush, little colt," said the mare.
"And a story I will tell
Of a barn like this one of ours
And the wonders that there befell.
It was weather much like this,
And the beasts stood as we stand now
In the warm good dark of the barn--
A horse and an ass and a cow."

"And sheep?" asked the colt. "Yes, sheep,
And a pig and a goat and a hen.
All the beasts of he barnyard,
The usual servants of men.
And into their midst came a lady
And she was cold as death,
But the animals leaned above her
And made her warm with their breath.

"There was a baby born
And laid to sleep in the hay,
While music flooded the rafters
And the barn was as light as day.
And angels and kings and shepherds
Came to worship the babe from afar,
But we looked at him first of all creatures
By the bright strange light of a star!"

It's A Christmas Carol Mash-Up

One of my favorite Blogs, The Sneeze put together a Christmas Carol song that is pure greatness. Twenty one singers, taking turns singing Walking In A Winter Wonderland.

Click HERE to visit the Sneeze page with the song. It's funny.

My favorite singer on the list? A tie between James Taylor & Neil Diamond. What's yours?

The "Winter" Concert

We attended Jessie's school "Winter Concert" last night. Which they might as well have called the Christmas Concert or some other name, because every single song was a Christmas song. With one Hanukkah song thrown in. Why call it a "Winter Concert?"

Jessie looked beautiful....dressed up in a floor-length black velvet/satin dress, hair done so pretty. Her Cantori choir sang two songs & were the best group to perform (in my humble opinion!).

As I taped her singing, it brought back memories of when she was 4 and performed in her dance recital. Just stood there, on stage front & center, with her mouth wide open, looking to the side at her neighbor, & sort of danced...but just barely. It's hard to believe that 10 years later, I'm sitting at the concert looking at such a grown-up young lady. She was precious then, and she's beautiful now. I'm proud to be part of her life....

**This video, unfourtanetly, cuts off in the middle of Jessie's performance because I taped for too long & my file size exceeded the limit for any of the photo/video hosting sites I use. Enjoy what you can!! It's awesome..**

I Love Christmas Because...

For the month of December, I will add one reason daily Why I Love Christmas.

Of course, the most important reason to love Christmas is because it reminds us of the birth of Jesus...so please don't think my mundane reasons discount the MOST important reason what so ever!

Check the left hand column for my growing list :)