Things I learned while Christmas Crafting

1. There's hardly anything more endearing than pictures of little ones crafting. The actual real life crafting is a little more stressful than the photos reveal.

2. When 75% of your crafts involve straight pins, there will very likely be screams of pain.....and 8,765 straight pins on your floor.

3. There's hardly anything more endearing than pictures of little ones crafting.

4. When 50% of your crafts involve gum drops, there's a good chance you will find gum drops in odd places for the next 5 days.

but it will most definitely be worth it!

5. When you plan too many crafts in one day......

the children will leave you for dead in a pile of straight pins, gum drops, fabric scraps and felt birds to........

make some fun of their own.

6. Those of your children who are very diligent and slightly perfectionistic will continue the 'creating' and complain that the "snow" is very runny this year.

7. Everyone works better if the projects are edible.

Check out the crafts we attempted here at my tumblr site (the place where I store links/things I don't want to forget).

Update on photo: Thanks a million for all your funny and thoughtful responses to my Christmas card dilemma. I think I have a win/win solution. I got an email today from Vista for 50% off New Year's cards so I think I'll take that option. I also plan to use some of the funhouse photo cards to give to people at church and to some other folks whom we see often (who know that our real life faces are not quite that wide). How's that for compromise?! Hope your week is merry.

And thank you Cindy for the PS tutorial. Now I need 4 or 5 good undisturbed hours (or weeks) to play!

Lots of love to you all!

Decking, Wrapping, and Christmas Card Woes

I'm still decking the halls in preparation for Christmas Eve Brunch (I'm hosting my extended family), which includes a little cleaning, a little table setting, and a lot of snipping from my magnolia, holly and pine trees. It took all morning to clean the gum drops and toothpicks off my kitchen floor from crafting day (yesterday). You can visit here to see the crafts we made and I'll post about it soon. I'm collecting recipes for the brunch (which shall include the lightest fluffiest angel wing biscuits and my blueberry coffee cake among others yummies) and wondering if I should add homeade waffles to the already bulging menu?! I'm gathering my hodge podge of dishes and adding festive touches with Christmas napkins and mugs.

And then there's the wrapping. Did I mention we have eight kids? And every year, we purpose to scale down the commercialism and focus our attention on the blessed work of Christ on our behalf. But we also want to use this opportunity to give with a cheerful heart to our kids and to our family. So, there's a certain amount of commercialism that creeps in, despite our best efforts. If all goes well, most of the 'work' will be done this weekend, which will leave plenty of time for movies and board games and 'rocking around the Christmas tree'. We're looking forward to 'time off', Christmas and Advent services, time to knit and read and enjoying the company of those we love most.

I'll likely be about as scarce around here as I have been at the gym lately. I'm sure I'll miss you more though. Actually, I already have a couple posts ready for next week so I take that back---I'll definitely be more scarce at the gym! Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

P.S. I need your help. I ordered Christmas cards from Vista Print and they arrived 2 days ago, in perfect time to quickly mail them out. However, the picture on the card is very distorted and makes us look like we're standing in front of a fun house mirror. The cards themselves are so perfect and I really wanna send 'em anyway. Vista refunded my money but couldn't get any new cards to me before Wed. Dec 23rd. So here's my question. Do I?

1. Send the fun house picture and hope the recipients enjoy the wee bit of Christmas entertainment they provide.

2. Upload a picture to Walgreens and pick one the their photocards that can be printed in an hour.

3. Don't send anything at all and use the cards we have to make paper airplanes to throw at each other on Christmas morning.

4. When the family is together for Christmas, take a picture and do New Year's cards instead. (I've done this before and it's not so bad)

Please advise.

The Bridegroom

“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis

Yesterday, he:

1. Went to work, just like every other day, and tried to make a difference in someone's life--if in no other way than to relieve suffering.
2. With great interest and love, made sure that our girls know that their daddy is on their side, that he is their biggest fan, their protector and their provider.
3. Came home early, gave out smooches and hugs galore, read most of the afternoon from Paradise Lost by Milton and commenced to draw parallels between C.S. Lewis, George McDonald and John Milton.
4. Discussed Issues like this and this and lamented the large gaps in our education.
5. Decided to take us to dinner out and then to our churches' third Advent service.

And walking out from church, that's when I felt the weight of it----a glimpse of true joy, of complete contentment, a transcendent and yet very physical reassurance that this moment is a foreshadowing of the fullness we have in Christ. And this man, this husband and father is a picture of Christ---the very means God uses to nurture wives and children. A tangible, wonderful taste of what Christ ultimately gives us in Himself.

I receive it all with gratitude, take mental note of how handsome he looks in the white shirt (and the well- fitting jeans) and close my eyes to bask in the light.