He is clearly seen.

Last week, several days prior to Thanksgiving, I was in a department store looking for storage boxes.  I was in a hurry and the store seemed really busy but I tried to press on and pick up the one item I was looking for and leave – quickly.

And then it happened.  I saw the Christmas decorations aisle.  Right then and there I froze.  If I’m telling the truth, I didn’t just freeze I began to get jittery.  Panic attack jittery.  Heart quickening jittery.  GET ME OUT OF HERE jittery.

So, that’s my confession.  I get jittery when I get nervous.  Not the kind of nervous one might get speaking in front of other people or meeting new people.  My kind of jittery comes on when I feel extremely uneasy.

Christmas decorations aisles can do it to me.  They make me extremely uneasy.  Uneasy like I want to cry, uneasy.

I got out of dodge as quickly as I could and headed home.  Ahhh.  Home.

The uneasy feeling I get is propelled by the way Christmas is celebrated around these parts.  In America.

Last year, I decided to remedy this by creating a family advent calendar for my family.  By creating my calendar last year, as a family we made a promise to one another to be together every day in December.  We promised to experience the love we have for one another.  We promised to enjoy the days leading up to the birth of the Messiah – our King Jesus Christ.  Yes.  That’s what we promised.

I went about creating our advent calendar again this year.  It’s our daily reminder that we will be together everyday this December.  The girls enjoy pulling the tag off of the hidden activity every morning.  They know something is under that little tag each day and that it’s a promise that we’ll do something together.

Tomorrow begins our activities – although it really isn’t December until Wednesday.  Tomorrow we will ready the big board in our kitchen to make our Jesse tree.  Each day has an Old Testament Bible verse that prophesies the coming of the King.

Here is my list of December’s activities:

1. Write letters to santa
2. Make mistletoe and hang it
3. Go to Christmas parade
4. Go to tree lighting ceremony
5. Go to see the decorated trees
6. Make snow scene from jelly candy
7. Read Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado
8. Make Ornaments
9. Make Popcorn Garland
10. Go see Voyage of the Dawntreader (YAY!!!!)
11. Drive through Grand Geneva with hot cocoa
12. Bake Cookies
13. Read Christmas Story
14. Wrap some gifts and make bows
15. Make Gingerbread house
16. Drive to see neighborhood lights
17. Watch Christmas Carol
18. Go to nutcracker ballet
19. Watch it’s a Wonderful Life and make Caramel Corn
20. Wrap Teacher’s gifts and make cards
21. Donate to Shelter & give away ornaments
22. Watch the Nativity
23. Bake more cookies and package them
24. Girls play piano & sing carols together
25. Celebrate Immanuel

I have extra things planned for some of the days.  However, last year we didn’t get to each activity so I decided to make the calendar extra doable and then add delightful things as time permits.

I just wanted to share this – hopefully to help you come up with a list for your own precious family.  Because that’s what matters  - loving one another and celebrating the King.  Not those darn Christmas aisles.

Jesse tree link:  advent.html

Yesterday we gathered together as a family – like millions of other families in America.  We had a traditional turkey dinner (tofurkey, too) – like millions of other families in America.  And we played games together – like millions of other families in America.

Yes, millions celebrated just the same way we did.  The big difference is that I was with my people.  My peeps.  The ones who have known me all of my  life – and still love me; now that’s really saying something.  The ones that I can lounge with and relax.  The ones with whom I  can be me.  The ones that cheer me on and say hard things when needed.  The ones that will always be there for me as long as it’s possible.  The ones that will fight for me if need be.  The ones that shower unconditional love on my husband and my girls.  The ones that make me laugh so hard that I cry.  The ones that I share millions of memories with.  The ones that I go to my knees in prayer for daily.

Yes, they are my peeps and my world is not like millions of other’s worlds because they are in my world.  They dance and twirl around my world and make it more beautiful than I could possibly imagine, pray for or hope for.

I love my people.  Golly, I do.

My mom and dad………..oh my, my mom and dad.  We all ADORE my mom and dad.  My mom not only made a traditional Thanksgiving dinner but she also made a vegetarian one, too.  How wonderful is that?  On top of that, she made this amazingly beautiful cornucopia.  Yes – she made it from scratch.

My brother, me and my sister.  I couldn’t love two people more than I love them.  So, so much.

My very scientific drawing was conducted early this morning.  Yes, very scientific.  We wrote all of the entry names down on little strips of paper and placed them in a very scientific bowl.

And then one little hand picked the name from the very scientific bowl.

And then she read the name:

CHRISTINE F. – you are the winner!

Thank you all for entering the drawing.  I wish I could give away twenty five sessions!  For those of you who entered, however, I am offering some discounts.  If you entered the drawing and you book with me in 2011, you will receive $20 off of the session fee and 10% off of your total order!  I’m very grateful for the interest in my photography and thank you for the lovely sentiments you left here for me to cherish.  Cherish them I will – for a long time to come.  Thank you.

He is clearly seen.  And I am thankful.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated Lulu’s birthday at the Museum.  It was lovely and I loved our friends and family for coming to celebrate our spunky girlie.

For her birthday, she asked me to sew a bag to hold her ballet things.  I’ve learned to love embroidering personalized things, so before I actually sewed the bag I personalized it for her.  I’ve decided that I love linen.  I made the bag out of plain linen.  I was so tempted by the reduced price of the “faux” linen but I’m very thankful that I didn’t go for the fake stuff.  I love the way it turned out.

Marshmallow treats on a stick (the were so easy to make) & pretty goodie bags:

The beautiful treats Livy’s GrandMary made.  Aren’t they precious (and they were yummy!)

Earlier in the week, Papa took photographs throughout the museum.  We placed the exact same photographs  in two envelopes, divided the children up into teams and off they went to find all of the items in the photographs.  We also played old fashioned games – aren’t those the best ones?  Pin the tail on the donkey – only we played pin the ear on cotton (the horse Olivia rides) and musical chairs.

I love her.

We are giving away a gift card for a dawn nahorniak photography photo session!  The winner of the gift card will be entitled to a full photography session (typically lasting between 1 – 2 hours) for no more than 5 people, unlimited clothing changes, up to two locations (within 15 minutes driving distance between locations), a private online gallery of artistically edited photographs, 4×6 prints of each photograph in the online gallery as well as 1- 8×10 and 1- 5×7.  The location of the shoot must take place no further than 30 miles from zip code 53104.  The shoot will be scheduled between May, 2011 and October, 2011.

The gift card will be beautifully presented in a wooden gift box.  It is a perfect gift for you to give as a Christmas gift or to keep all for yourself – so spread the word!

The winner will be randomly drawn and announced the day after Thanksgiving – November 26th.  Enter by leaving a comment to this post.  Be certain to include your email address so I can contact you if you win!

*******

Sometimes while I’m driving I am completely distracted by what the Lord has painted in the sky.  Here’s one such example – taken by my iphone in the early morning last week.