77 Days ’til Christmas [31 Days of Mental Pause]

I love Christmas!  I don’t know why, because it’s really not over the top around here. Yet, it’s with full anticipation that I look forward to its coming every year. Only 77 days ’til Christmas!!! (so sorry for those who duck and run until after Thanksgiving!)

Now, in full disclosure, there was a time I was over the top with all things Christmas. My husband and I collected an ornament from each special trip we took  together, and then when we had our first son we did the same for him. Our collection of ornaments is full of very memories of wonderful times and places. However, it has been YEARS since we’ve seen them.  After 10 years of Ma living here-and who had the energy for more than wake up and live during that decade?-we were thrilled to realize we actually could get away for a Christmas to Disney if we wanted to, and boy did we ever. Then, it became our favorite place to be right before Christmas and it was a wonderful way to spend our money for the holiday; who needs another toy, or baseball bat, or jewelry when we can have a week together smiling, laughing and making more memories? No one here! So, off we go every year we get the chance. Dorothy says there’s no place like home, but if you’re a Mickey Mouse lover, noone does Christmas like Disney does!

Disney Christmas

 

Unfortunately, it looks like this year we won’t be able to, but we’ll find other ways to enjoy our Christmas. Maybe this will be the time to get all those decorations out and go down memory lane together. Or, maybe the Lord will provide a way to be at Disney soon despite what looks to be impossible. Last year I had prayed for an upgrade when we got to our resort. We could afford a standard room at our favorite resort and I knew that it was possible to get upgraded, though it didn’t happen often and always out of the hands of the guest. If you want to see how that turned out, look HERE. It was AMAZING!

So tonight I’m over on pinterest looking for diy Christmas gifts and crafts as well as yummy recipes to add to the old faithful traditional ones. It’s time to start on all that because these days will go quickly by.  With all we do, we keep the excitement of Christmas on Jesus, on His story and on the fact that the Lord deserves our glory and thanks for His Son’s birth. Lord willing, we’ll have a wonderful Christmas 2013 at our home, no matter where or what that entails. I’m already excited!

I think I’ll be listening to a little mood music in the morning!

Who’s with me?

October 14, 2013 - 12:18 PM

Joy - I’m with you! 🙂

I must confess that as much as I LOVE Christmas every year, it’s only been the past 4 or 5 that I have truly come to treasure. I love celebrating! I love decorating! I love family! BUT…Christmas had become more about doing than being and each year it led me to the emergency room, over-stressed and battling anxiety. I expected too much from myself and lost the delight of the season and the reason.

I let go of expectations. Sssh…don’t tell anyone…but there have been some years now that I haven’t sent one Christmas card! We moved family Christmas dinner to a date a week before the 25th so that the pressure of preparing and hosting a huge gathering doesn’t interfere with the joy of Christmas day. I have scaled back on the decorating. Instead of having family arrive early in the morning Christmas day, they now come later and we just share a light brunch before they all visit other extended family.

It’s simple, but it’s simply divine. Focus has returned to Jesus and a time of celebrating the greatest Gift we’ve ever received.

Think I’ll pull out a Christmas CD,
Joy

A r c h i v e s