the past few days..........

Christ's Mass

these were the highlights of my day.

hope you all have a blessed ChristMas too........

a CHILD is born

The Proclamation of

the Birth of Jesus Christ

Today is the twenty-fifth day of December, unknown ages from the time when God created the heavens and the earth and then formed man and woman in HIS own image.

Several thousand years after the flood, when God made the rainbow shine forth as a sign of the covenant.

Twenty-one centuries from the time of Abraham and Sarah; thirteen centuries after Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

Eleven-hundred years from the time of Ruth and the Judges; one-thousand years from the anointing of David as king; in the sixty-fifth week according to the prophecy of Daniel.

In the one-hundred and ninety-fourth Olympiad; the seven -hundred and fifty-second year from the foundation of the city of Rome.

The forty-second year of the reign of Octavian Augustus; the whole world being at peace, Jesus Christ, eternal God and Son of the eternal Father, desiring to sanctify the world by his most merciful coming, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, and nine months having passed since His conception, was born in Bethlehem of Judea of the Virgin Mary.

Today is the nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh.

Christmas Eve Daybook

Outside my window..........alternating clouds with sun

I am listening to.......Christmas carols, of course!

Towards rhythym and beauty..........I am cleaning up and decorating, despite the fact that we won't be home tonite

I am thinking about..........how it is almost time

I am thankful for...........this beautiful season, the gift of God in the form of HIS Son

In our schoolroom.........it has been transformed into a Christmas room: lights, a tree, books, quilts and pillows for snuggling and reading the Christmas story

I am wearing........a long brown-knitted sweater, teal long-sleeve shirt underneath, with jeans and converse tennis shoes with butterflies on them

From the kitchen...........sugar cookies and white-texas sheet cake

I am creating..........a few finishing touches on handmade gifts: a stocking for my godson, ornaments for my mom, grandma and aunts, a pop-corn and cranberry garland and some rag-balls

Towards a real education..............measuring for cookies, sorting clean socks for my little one, keeping track of the timer so we don't burn the cookies, need I say more??

I am going..........to start getting stuff ready to take to my parents house, we are spending the night and going to midnight Mass

I am reading..........mostly children's Christmas stories

I am hoping.........my washer will be fixed soon, REALLY fixed

Around the house.........a washer that is still not working, a dog with a hurt leg, cookie and craft messes, great-grandma spent the night, lots of little ones underfoot

One of my favorite things...........all of our twinkling lights

A few plans for the rest of the week............finishing some presents for Epiphany, crafting that couldn't get done during the holy season, a park day with our homeschool group-we are the Holy Innocents-so we'll celebrate that feast together, sale-shopping for a little boy who has grown out of all of his pants, finding some time for myself

Here are some picture thoughts I am sharing...............

paper snowflakes

on making winter windows.........

the first time i ever stumbled upon a blog was last Christmas when i was looking for a "how-to" on making paper snowflakes. this particular place was where i found my crafty-self again after struggling through some unexpected family tragedies and an ugly bout of depression which followed. but that my friends is another story for another day.

so if you want to add a little winter to your windows-because you are blessed with yet another sun-shiny day-like we usually are-or if you are blessed with lots of snow and you just want to bring a little bit of the outside in-then here is a little inspiration just for you.............

you can visit the link above for specific how-to/cutting instructions.

the kids made these without any help from me.

it was a great lesson for following step-by-step directions.

p.s. your home might just look like a blizzard has passed through

after attempting this craft.

we've got tissue paper, regular paper, glitter and little pieces of ribbon all over the place!

a little Christmas

this new/old house is so cozy,

which is another way of saying small!
i don't even know where we'll put a tree...........i told the kids maybe we could put one outside like the Christmas cards you see where there is a decorated tree in the forest.

i am really not in the mood to put too many things out this year.

maybe i am secretly afraid that if there are too many things,

HE will be crowded and HE won't come....

striving to keep things simpler, i am letting the kids have it their way.

i thought it was interesting that the pope is encouraging families

to display nativity sets in their homes.

he should be glad to know we have one in every room!

i've picked up so many different ones through the years at thrift stores and yard sales.

i haven't gotten the big one out yet, but i will as it was a wedding gift from my parents.

right now i am loving:

greenery here and there, many little trees, some pinecones and of course stars!

i was very excited about making some glittered pine-cones that i've seen in various spots on the web. i told amy i would be borrowing her idea when i took a tour of her home.

i made one simple pillow cover with some vintage fabric

i bought and added a doily for decoration.

the jesse tree embroidery project didn't make it into a pillow like i'd thought.

i decided to frame it in an old frame after much painstaking hand-sewing.

really there are little bits of Christmas sprinkled all around the house: on bed frames and in corners, on top of dressers and tables, which in many ways reminds me of life:

finding Jesus-and God-just about-around every corner, in every leaf on the ground, in the sky and sunset, in flowers and trees, subtle, yet so powerfully moving at the same time. His beautiful presence is everywhere, you just have to know what you are looking for.

i know what i am looking for right now............HIS peace.

i have always loved the scripture verse that says...

"He shall be peace...."

not that He shall bring peace or give peace,

but that HE shall BE peace.

so today, whether you're planning and decorating

BIG or little for Christmas

i wish you His peace!