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Snow for Christmas!

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Yesterday was a Christmas Day for the record books. The newspaper this morning stated that Greenville, South Carolina hadn’t had snow on Christmas for forty-seven years. My husband had never had a white Christmas in his life until it started to snow yesterday afternoon.

Watching the snowfall outside our windows as we sat down for our Christmas lunch was wonderful. It was a little like sitting inside a snow globe. For most of the afternoon and evening, the snow fell but did not stick to the ground. It looked like it would only add up to a slight dusting not nearly enough to play in.

This morning we woke up to a few inches of snow on the ground and damp roads. It was just the right amount of snow to play in and play we did.

After dressing JDaniel in snow pants, hiking boots, and a big winter coat my sister Kate had sent us in a hand me down box we headed out to play.

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After almost an hour my husband and I were ready to come in from the cold and he still wanted to stay outside and play. JDaniel’s cheeks were bright red, but the rest of him was warm and toasty.

We promised JDaniel more time in the snow after lunch and a good nap. He wasn’t happy about it, but he did finally agree to come in from the snow.

 

Musicians Making Merry Music

There is just something wonderful about Christmas music. If songs are familiar, the words just dance about in your head like sugar plums. You may start to hum the words or eventually, they may just slip across the tongue and through your lips.
Last Saturday I drove JDaniel and my mom to Atlanta to attend my nephew Jason’s orchestra concert. He has been playing the cello for a year and a half. Jason is the kind of boy that takes everything seriously from playing the cello to entertaining his biggest fan and youngest cousin. I knew if the other children were anything like Jason the concert would be well done.
When we arrived in the auditorium for the performance, my sister and her husband found a seat up front to make recording the performance easier. My mom, my nephew, JDaniel and I sat in the middle of the middle row to be able to see the performance well and hopefully focus on it. They worked out well for everyone.
There were three sections of the performance. The first-year students went first. Then the second year performed. Finally, the teacher performed with both groups of children together. The person in charge of the production decided to take advantage of all the bells and whistles available in the auditorium to help the audience enjoy the music. There was a projection screen that displayed parts of Christmas specials that fit the music like Frosty the Snowman. JDaniel loved watching the images flash by. There were all kinds of lights that danced around the musicians. Sometimes they danced like a conductor’s baton over the head of the musicians and onto the ceiling. JDaniel’s eyes caught the movement of every light. At the end of the concert the smoke and snow machines add their special effects to the music.

JDaniel sat mesmerized through most of the performance which is saying a lot for a two and three-quarters-year-old. He hopped off and on my mom’s lap twice but, most of the time he sat in a chair by himself and took it all in. He loved music. I could hear him sing the songs that were familiar to him in a sweet quiet voice. Thankfully the people around us didn’t mind.

The appearance of snow at the end of the performance was his favorite part. Curious George has an episode that features a snow machine. JDaniel has been asking me to make it snow inside for a few weeks. Now someone else has made the dream come true.
Jason did a wonderful job. He was in the first chair in the second row. We were able to see him play and enjoy the performance. All of the children did a great job really.
It was a wonderful way to introduce JDaniel to attending a concert and support his favorite cousin.
I hope you have had the opportunity to hear merry musicians make music this holiday season.

 
 
 
 

Christmas Time Game of Tag

I have been tagged by Noelle from Jumpin Bean. She is a great blogging buddy and friend. I have answered the questions below and have tagged a few bloggers at the end of this post who will hopefully continue the game.

  1. When do you usually know and feel that it’s finally the holidays? We wait a long time to put up our Christmas decorations. When the lights are up outside and the tree is up inside, it finally feels like Christmas.
  2. What do you want for Christmas this year? I would love a new cell phone and a computer monitor. I believe Santa is bringing a cell phone.

  3. Do you go all out with decorations? We put up several crèches and a tree in the living room. The kitchen has an advent calendar and Christmas Countdown chart. We don’t go all out. I am not sure where we would store a lot of Christmas decorations during the rest of the year.

  4. What are you doing Christmas Eve? We will be having a simple dinner and opening one gift. It will be just the three of us.
  5. What are you doing Christmas Day? I have my mom coming for a Christmas lunch and my father will arrive from Virginia around dinnertime. I will be serving my dad a Christmas dinner. I can also see playing with new construction equipment a lot on Christmas Day.
  6. It’s Christmas time. What are you reading? We are reading a lot of children’s books about Christmas and I am reading a non-Christmas related Nora Roberts’ book.
  7. Favorite movie to watch during the holidays? I love It’s a Wonderful Life. I love the part when Clarence arrives on the scene.
  8. Favorite Christmas song? I love Mary, Did You Know? It has wonderful words and the music puts me in the right frame of mind for Christmas.
  9. Favorite holiday drink? I love hot cider with caramel. It has a great mixture of spicy and sweet.
  10. How is your Christmas shopping going? I need to get stocking stuffers. The big presents have been purchased and need to be wrapped.
  11. If you could spend Christmas Day anywhere else, where would you spend it? I love being home for Christmas. Traveling over the holidays is lots of fun, but I love being home Christmas Day.
  12. Any holiday traditions? We are waiting until Christmas Day for Jesus to be placed in the crèche. We have shepherds that have been circling around the house waiting for Jesus’ birth. They will arrive on Saturday. We are having a birthday cake for Jesus on Saturday too.
  13. Favorite thing about the holidays? I love getting cards from family and friends. I get to see what they are up to and how their children have changed and grown up in a year.

I am tagging the following bloggers:

Two Bears Farm and the Three Cubs

Spell Outloud

Life of a Sippy Cup Mom

Birds and Nature

Manger Prayer Challenge

While sitting in a pew at church last Sunday, I was thinking about the blog posts I needed to write for Christmas. I know I should have been focusing on church, but I wasn’t. What came to mind was the Manger Prayer Challenge I am writing about in this post. I don’t write about my faith often, but I thought it would be perfect as Christmas draws ever closer.
Ever since the idea was planted in my head I have been praying through it. It has helped me ready my heart for Christmas. I hope you will take a few moments and reflect on the Manger Prayer below. If you do, please let me know you took the challenge. I would love to know how it affected you.
 
The Manger Prayer
Mary’s Section
Mary has been called blessed in the Bible.
Take a moment and thank God of the blessing in your life.
Joseph’s Section
Joseph was handed a challenge by God. His bethrothed was expecting a child that wasn’t his and yet when commanded to by God to do so he took her as his wife.
Take a moment to thank God for the challenges that God has carried you through in your life.
The Star Section
God placed a star in the sky to guide people to His son.
Take a moment to thank God for the guidance he has given you through His word and through people He has placed in your life.
The Shepherd Section
The shepherds shared with all who would listen to them the message the angels has shared with them.
Take a moment to pray that God will guide you to people you can share Him with.
The Wise men’s Section
The wise man came to bring treasure to the King.
Take a moment to adore God and all the He is.

 
Please indulge this shift in my typical Saturday post.