Expectations {EXCEEDED}

Happy "Monday" to you fine folks! Today is my Monday and this week will be a fairly short work week for me (hello 4-day weekend round 2) and I can't say that I hate it. Did everyone have a wonderful Christmas?? I've loved seeing all the pictures of family and friends coming together to celebrate life, love, and Christ's birth.

 

We enjoyed a beautiful Christmas eve service at our church with Hunter's family and then some yummy Carabba's afterwards. Hunter and I decided to revert back to our childhood ways and when we got home, we all hunkered down in the living room (2 adults + 2 large dogs) and watched movies.
 

 

Christmas morning came bright and early for us as we took a few moments to enjoy our Christmas together and opened gifts. We then headed over to Hunter's parents house to continue the Christmas fun and deliver all the yummy goodies that were packed up. It's always such a treat being able to bring a smile to someone else's face. Just about every place we delivered baked goodies to were totally caught off guard and pleasantly surprised.
 

Even Ezra had fun packing those baked goodies

 

After that we headed over to my parents' house to continue the Christmas fun there. It was the first time in awhile where all the siblings were together under one roof and it was glorious! Even though we're all adults now, your siblings will always be just that - your kid siblings.

Don't mind my "no makeup" look {Impromptu photo sesh)

 

I can honestly sum up this past weekend in one word - RESTORATIVE. It was exactly what our souls needed to start back fresh this week, ready to tackle all the tasks ahead of us, and to bring in 2017 with such flair. I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas, however and wherever you may have celebrated it. Thank the good Lord He sent His son to live, breathe, teach, walk, and eventually die for us. Let's embrace this coming year with all the goodness it holds!

Christmas Day

I always love hearing about other folks' Christmas traditions, how their days go about, what they have planned to do with their families and friends. That's something that marriage really taught me - not everybody's Christmas looks the same but it's still so wonderful and beautiful. Hunter and I have started a couple of our own traditions but we also meld together each of our own individual traditions that we had when growing up.

 

Our Christmas day looks a little something like this...

 

... We start by waking up pretty early and opening gifts with each other. We might have Christmas music playing in the background (I get this from my dad, we ALWAYS had music playing in the background). Of course, coffee is consumed because #NotAMorningPerson.

 

... Next we head out to meet up with Hunter's family and friends to deliver Christmas cookies to folks who have to work on Christmas day. This is something we started about 3 years ago and it has stuck. We always get the best responses when we deliver the goodies - people are always so shocked and appreciative. Totally makes the entire day worth it. Be Jesus every day, all day.

 

This was from a couple of years ago (I think)

Last year's cookie packing party!

 

... From there, we head to my in-laws house to eat a yummy breakfast and do Christmas gift exchanges with them. My MIL can make some dadgum good food ya'll. I'm talking biscuits and gravy, sausage, casseroles. Lord help me, my mouth is already watering. Some people always seem irked to have to spend holidays with their in-laws but I'm quite the exception I guess. I love it!

 

... This year will include a new tradition that was inspired by a friend of mine (hi Denise!). She was telling me about how she and her late SIL's friends will all get together and make a beautiful cake from Southern Living's magazine to honor her and her life. I was so moved by the idea that I decided to snag a copy of the December magazine and I will attempt to make a pretty cake too. I'll keep ya'll posted on how that goes.

 

source

 

... For Christmas dinner, we all (my in-laws included) head over to my parents' house to chow down. Ya'll, we have folks tell us all the time how lucky we are that our parents get along and like to hang out with each other. AND WE KNOW. We seriously LOVE that our parents are friends, text each other, call each other, hang out with each other (sometimes without us ha!). It seriously is such a blessing for us because we're both so family oriented. I could not even imagine a marriage where our families didn't get along (I know this is sadly the reality for some people).

 

... And finally, one more tradition being added to the mix this year - GAMES. I'm talking the hilariously quirky Christmas-themed games. And yours truly will be leading the charge and planning that! I will gladly be sharing those pictures.

 

What are some of your family's traditions on Christmas day? I'm hoping I can add "wear footie pajamas on Christmas eve" to the list of traditions but let's be real:  I will never get my country boy in footie pajamas. It would be a sight to see and probably hilarious. HA!

Be {NEAR} me

I'm not going to lie - I started listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving came around. I know, I know. I'm always the person that stresses the importance of not letting one holiday overtake the other... And I let it happen! No shame in my game though.

Have ya'll heard the new Lauren Daigle Christmas CD? Goodness, it makes me feel all kinds of feels. I especially love her "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" because of the New Orleans feel it has to it. I grew up listening to jazz music (thanks dad) so anytime I can get a taste of it, I'm always taken back to my childhood days when I didn't appreciate the music then.

I think we can take for granted the lyrics and meanings behind songs, especially Christmas songs. They're full of hope, rejoicing, and the fact that we can celebrate these things, is a miracle. For example, the following lyrics are from "Away in a Manger" (Third Day version):

Be near me Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever and love me, I pray...

 

Don't you ask those words daily?? I don't know about ya'll, but I'm always thinking, "God don't fail me now!" My point is this - be sure to embrace the holiday season and all that it stands for. For me, Christmas is a time of rebirth, the closing of a chapter and the start of a new chapter. It's a time of reverence in my otherwise chaotic life, and a time to slow down.

 

How are you spending your time during this Christmas season?

Gratefulness + Memories made

Goodness gracious, happy week of New Years! Christmas flew by in a whirlwind with so much love, laughter, time spent with loved ones, embracing life... It was just what we needed to recharge our batteries.

 

I'm so grateful for all the wonderful memories made over the past several days. Of course, I only took just a few snapshots of our adventures because I was honestly too busy experiencing them. But alas, some photos to share with you fine folks...

 

the gals doing cookie missions + Abel

my MIL + Abel

my SIL + Abel - he gave her the sweetest kisses!

One of many tacky Christmas sweater parties

my FIL going over shooting instructions - safety first people!

 

This Christmas was definitely one for the books. It's not in the presents, or the lights, or even the food shared, but the beauty in Christmas comes in the form of hours spent with your loved ones. It comes in the form of a good doctors visit with your MIL to find out that her cancer numbers are stabilized. It comes in the form of melted snowmen cookies and rice krispie treats. Heck, it even can come in the form of relieving stress on a paper target. Whatever form it comes in, I just pray that your Christmases were wonderful!

 

 



 

Christmas in nutshell {for me}

I'm not entirely sure if it's the oncoming joyous holiday that's soon to be here at our doorsteps, or the devastation that surrounds us daily in the world, or even the ridiculous controversial red cup, but it has become painfully apparent that Christmas is no longer CHRISTmas. Consumerism America has certainly taken over with bright colors, "look-at-me" decorations, and lofty snowmen full of promises.

 

Don't get me wrong - I do love a good snowman and wish we could build one. And I surely love to decorate my home.

 

But what I'm noticing is the once-Christian-oriented holiday has now become battle grounds for people to spew their hateful and, many times, uneducated ideals towards their "opponents". Christians are busy abashing non-believers to stop trying to make this holiday what's it not about and to not "forget the reason for the season". Non-believers are frustrated with Christians' stereotypical, judgmental attitudes. And it just goes on, and on, and on....

 

I want to use this blog as a platform to call out my fellow "Christians" - stop engaging in arguments. Stop belittling those around you because they don't quite understand the truth behind the reason for Christmas. Stop loudly proclaiming on your social media that you "have had it and you're going to tell that fool MERRY CHRISTMAS rather than happy holidays". Just, stop it. You're making yourself look like the fool and honestly, is that what Jesus would do?

 

To my fellow Christ-followers - did you notice that Jesus never once paraded around pompously declaring His ways were the right ways and those not believing in His ways are just pure idiots? The answer is no, in case your bible knowledge is a bit dusty. Instead, Jesus lovingly showed others how He loves, how He lives, and how His heart breaks for those that reject Him. He didn't engage in verbal warfare just to prove His point. He allowed those around Him to see the Truth through His gentle, peaceful gestures and examples.
 

 

Stop spewing hatred and condemnation to those around you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead, be the hands and feet and heart of Jesus through loving on others, despite how much they despise you. It really is hard for somebody to hate a kind person, as much as they may try. Rather than obnoxiously proclaim your Merry Christmas into the faces of all those that won't listen, try speaking with Truth and Love, and really get to know those around you. You'll be surprised in what you will discover in others.

Let's embrace this Christmas with hearts full of love not only for our brothers and sisters in Christ, but for those who just don't get the big deal about a kid in a manger. Because by being loving, you can attract so many more flies with honey. Merry Christmas my friends!