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Ready or Not

There are some people who are crazy. Let's just call a spade a spade: they leave their lights up all year round and shop for Christmas gifts over the 4th of July. There are others that sync up Thanksgiving and Christmas as if they are one holiday together. Then there are those like myself who must wait until the day after Thanksgiving to fully embrace to season of Christ's birth. I always wait until at least the day after to turn on the carols and drink the gingerbread latte. But for some reason this year, I couldn't wait for Christmas. I of course sat on my hands and waited until the 28th of November, but man was I ready to get into the season sooner than normal.
I think it had something to do with how rough our fall was this year. I was just ready to start a new season fresh. Yet, even though my mind and heart were ready to be merry and bright all day long, we couldn't really get our act together at the Smith house. With weddings, birthday parties, and stomach bugs, we struggled to get any of the traditional Christmas events accomplished until just recently.

Though, the daily realities of life have enabled me to take a step back and ask myself why we do some of the holiday things that we do each year.

We didn't line our home with lights this year; we didn't send out a happy Christmas card either. Instead, I've chosen to embrace the simplicity of the holiday, and once I let go of the unmerited expectations, I actually prefer this "undone Christmas." No matter what you or your life look like this Christmas, don't forget who is actually looking at your heart- the one who created it.

One of his favorite pastimes lately is cooking! Maybe we have a little chef on our hands.
A little lesson in the joy of giving.
We've been to "Hunters Farm" the last couple of years to get our Christmas tree. It's such a kid-geared place. Silas is still talking about all we did, including this ornament he helped make.

Mommy and Daddy awkwardly sat with Santa alone until Silas saw that he was harmless.
Silas loved how his voice shook on the tractor ride.
Free pony rides! I was amazed at how Silas was more scared of Santa than the giant animal, as seen below.
Eventually he calmed down a bit for a photo opp.
"Mama sar, mama sar" He sounded just like those wise men back in the day.
If I sent out a Christmas card, this is what I'd want it to look like. A little piece of Christmas morning.
~SimpleBuster

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