Thursday, December 20, 2012

in the land of woulda, coulda, shoulda

gangsters in a christmas paradise,

it should have been our christmas card.


merry christmas from our family to yours!

*thank you to our squadron christmas party for providing the props for this spectacular picture!

Monday, December 17, 2012

christmas tour 2012

this is hands down my favorite time of year.
and honestly, the decorations play a bigger role than i would like to admit.
i can't get enough white lights and red accents.
don't even get me started about sitting on the couch, with a lit tree, a cup of mocha hot chocolate with french vanilla creamer, and a warm fire.
it's the best.

 here's a little tour of our house at christmas.


my favorite spot in the house...


past christmas cards and the infamous stick reindeer...


my creepy nutcracker carolers

 beautiful outdoor decorations curtsey of fly boy



our first ornament together...from the DAFB 3rd squadron christmas party

a plane for fly boy

stockings, complete with our elf on the shelf 
(that charley is too young to care about, but fly boy and i enjoy hiding placing around the house)



fly boy really appreciates charley's help wrapping presents...
(notice the intricately wrapped stuffed animal, a hot pink manatee,  fly boy is working on)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Saturday, December 15, 2012

oh holy night

fall on your knees
oh hear the angels' voices
oh night divine
oh night, when Christ was born
oh night, divine
oh holy night 
oh night divine.

i turned on my computer and immediately opened itunes to put on my favorite christmas mix.  "what a nice way to finish up my final paper: sitting in a cushy office chair, sipping my starbucks (extra cream) with point of grace quietly playing," i thought.  it's my favorite version of oh holy night.  i love the sweet voices, the harmonies, the soft harp in the background...i usually keep the song on repeat for a good 10-15 minutes before moving on to another song.  as the song changes keys in the last third of the song, this verse caught my ear.  

fall on your knees.  

as so many americans did this weekend, i could only imagine those parents in connecticut, falling to their knees, tears streaming down their cheeks as the horrific event unfolded, changing dozens of families forever.

oh hear the angels' voices.

i imagined hundreds of angles, surrounding these families as they learned of their young, sweet children.  

oh night divine.

friday night seemed to be so far from divine, yet, this is why Christ came.  he came to rescue us from sin.  from something so unimaginable.  he came to love the suffering.  to heal the broken.  these are the families he came to rescue.

it seems like every reporter requested that we keep these families in our prayers, but there is an urgency to pray for these families that cannot be reported on national television.  to pray that Christ would comfort the parents who now have an empty bed in their house, christmas presents wrapped that will never be opened, and sorrow in their hearts that can only be healed by their Creator.  

as we quickly approach Christmas, let us not forget.  let us not become consumed with the hallmark christmas, but remember, this is the day our Lord was born.  born to die.  born to conquer sin once and for all.  as Christ called us to love God, he called us to love our neighbors.  so tonight, and the next ten days go on, my prayers go to the families in connecticut.