Christmas Walk

We went to the annual Christmas walk last night.  For the first time we had kids performing in it so it was a little different.  The girls did great and we even had some time to walk around.  We saw the juggler which is always a huge hit.  We ended the night with the kids running around the park--it always ends this way.  Lots of parents and lots of kids.  We are blessed to live in a town with traditions like these that my kids have been a part of since birth.  

Just Call Me Martha!

Well, I am not doing so good at having a "Mary" Christmas.  I have been just as busy as ever.  My thought was that if I do everything then I can sit back and relax.  Well, I've realized that I will never be done because I keep thinking of more things that I need to do or could do.  If this continues all my stuff will get done and then some but I will have completely failed at my intent to have a "Mary" Christmas.  So, my new goal is to do a little bit at a time and take time daily to rest, relax, play a game, do a puzzle, color a picture, watch a movie, whatever.  If my Christmas cards don't go out until after Christmas so be it.  If my neighbor doesn't get a plate of homemade cookies so be it. You get the idea.  I think this plan will work better.  I am succeeding (with God's help) to get up early every day for quiet time--prayer and reading.  Wow, that makes a difference in my perspective and my attitude.  I have also really missed blogging so I'm back!  I didn't realize how much I enjoyed it and how it actually was good for me.  
I've posted a bunch of pictures from the last couple of weeks.  We've been to Disney twice--I love the Christmas decorations, parades, lights, etc.  Grace has had her show and did wonderful.  The girls are performing tonight and in a parade tomorrow.  It will be a fun but busy weekend.  We have our big quilt party Sunday night so I will post pictures of my quilt after that.  
I'm off to fix dinner and get ready for our evening!  I'm sure I'll get some pictures posted this weekend.

Happy Birthday Jesus party

We had our annual Happy Birthday Jesus party today at the park.  Everyone brings a dish to share for lunch, an unwrapped toy to donate to Toys for Tots, and a wrapped coloring book to swap.  We eat, then read the Christmas story and talk about why we have Christmas, then sing Happy Birthday and eat cake.  Everyone gets to take home a coloring book.  We have been doing it for 7 years now and it is always such a fun time and such a blessing.  One new tradition we started two years ago is running over any remaining cake.  How did this get started you  may ask?  Well, at our other church I knew some people who run over their gingerbread houses every year.  So, two years ago I was walking into a store and on the phone leaving a message for a friend.  She was making the cake for the party the next day.  I had also just been given a store bought cake.  So, I was trying to tell her that I had a cake if she wanted to be released from the cake making job but I also knew how much she usually enjoyed making the cake.  As I was leaving the message I just said, "if we don't need the other cake we can just run over it or something, bye!"  So, the next day we did have extra cake and I ran over it as I left.  It turns out that that was a huge thrill for the kids and they have never forgotten so we did it again last year.  I knew they would be expecting to do it again this year and was concerned that we might not have extra cake so I bought some Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes.  This was fun because lots of people got to run over cakes.  It was pretty funny and the kids really got into it.  A corny tradition but a fun one!  I have to add that the first year as we were driving away Hannah was completely mortified.  She said, "Why mom?  Why did YOU have to be the one to run over the cake?"  

Running over the cake!

A Day at Magic Kingdom!

Grace had her first show!

An Evening at MGM!