Scrapbook Sentiments

I enjoyed making this little scrapbook for a friend for a Christmas gift this year. It only took me about half a day to complete and was so much fun! I wanted to remind her of who she was "in Christ." The most time-consuming task was searching the Bible for relevant Scriptures to what I wanted her to remember. It's definitely something I want to do again and will be looking for just the right person who needs one.

Here it is, starting with the front cover and ending with the back cover.

"Twas the Night Before Christmas"...or my take on it anyway

'Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,

not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...

Apparently the author didn't have teenagers.

They are up until the wee hours of the morning.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, yes they are

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

and hopefully mom bought enough stuff to fill them.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, NOT...remember...teenagers...

While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads. or iTunes

And mamma in her kerchief (on her chiropractic pillow)

and I in my cap, wishing everyone would shut up and go to bed

Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap. Yea, right. Try 5 hours.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

Yes, I hear the neighbors celebrating

I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Go to sleep, Genny. Pretend you don't hear them.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

No, I am not calling the police. Need sleep.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow

Gave the lustre of midday to objects below.

Snow? In Texas in December? Right.

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.

Must be dreaming now.

Oh, the anticipation of waiting for Santa. And how could you sleep when you were so excited? And parents staying up late to put together various assortments of toys and paraphanalia only to be woken at 5:00 a.m. with a whispered, "Dad, it's time to get up! Santa came!" Huh...what? And then there was the year that Jeff convinced the girls that he was a Regional Distributor for Santa because Santa couldn't possibly be all over the world in one night.

I'm wondering if this year will be slightly different - three teenagers in the house who love sleeping in on vacation. I'm betting we get to sleep in until at least 8:00 a.m. Actually, I'm counting on it. And in case you were wondering? Yes, Santa still brings gifts to teenagers.

But I heard him exclaim 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Couldn't Survive Winter Without Them

Brrr....it's really getting chilly at night now. There are many things I couldn't imagine going through winter without; for example, thick socks, flannel pajamas, goose down comforter, etc. One thing I don't want to go through winter with is dry skin. I hate it. Despise it. Can't stand it. So, here's a few things on my winter survival list:

Oh my goodness....best.lip.balm.ever.

Hands down!

You must trust me on this.

Honeybee Gardens

My mother gave me a bottle of this lotion a few

years ago and it has been a favorite ever since.

We've laughed about the name: Elixir of Love #1.

I don't actually know what that means, but Jeff likes it. : )

And, if she's reading this post, I'm almost out.....

Just found this product this week...Garnier Nutritioniste Moisture Rescue.

It's like splashing fresh cucumber gel on your face every morning.

And, it's light and refreshing, and all that good stuff.

My one true love of lotions...Johnson's Baby Lotion.

Oh, the smell, the smell...

I use it every day because thankfully,

you don't have to have a baby to use it.

This last product, of course, is no dry skin remedy. But,

I couldn't imagine winter without it. (For that matter,

I couldn't imagine spring, summer or fall without it either.)

Add a little sweetener, a dollop of whipped cream and bliss.

Please Note: This is not a paid endorsement for any of the products listed above. If, however, someone stumbles on this blog and wants to pay me, they can.

Keep warm!

A Little Joy Can Be a Dangerous Thing

Yes, it is true, my friend, Melissa and I will go to great lengths to tell a good story or set a good stage. I've been helping her decorate the sanctuary at church and it is finally finished. Melissa has gone through many hours of painting, glittering, crafting, glittering, glittering, glittering....sorry. Ask the janitors to tell you how much glitter has been used this year!

This is Melissa perched about 14 or so feet above the baptistry,

which is who knows how many feet above the choir loft,

which is who knows how many feet above the floor.

I actually helped to make this wreath. I have never had

wreath-making skills until this year. Never. Ever.

In fact, there is an unfinished wreath on my hearth right now.

One of my favorite parts of the scenery, and it's on the piano!

The feather tree is so pretty, and Melissa hand-crafted the other

two to make a set. Hoping to get her help on some for

my unfinished mantel, which is above the

unfinished wreath on the hearth.

Sensing a pattern here???

So glad I took this picture of snow on the drum cage.

Melissa spent 30 minutes, once again perched precariously

on a stool getting the gossamer and batting just right.

Sunday morning our drummer's stool collapsed,

sending him and the drum cage and the snow flying.

We didn't have time to repair it. Bummer.

The finished results were quite beautiful. We sprinkled snow on all the trees, and lit the lanterns and it was lovely.