Friday

Hello and Happy Friday! I have no morning walk photos to share with you because it has been cold and rainy here, and today, we even have some snow! So, for the time being, I am enjoying cozy mornings with the pups and am actually writing this from this very spot.

This week was a quiet one here, staying home, doing school, drinking coffee and cocoa, listening to Christmas music by the tree in the afternoons as the darkness comes, and immersing ourselves in this special time that comes only once a year.

One night this week, we had an impromptu Grinch movie night. The kids mentioned that McDonald's had a Grinch Meal, and so Nicolas picked them up after work for us. The verdict? They were great! After dinner, we watched the newer version of The Grinch. It is one of our favorite Christmas movies! So cute and funny. I remembered I had a pack of Place and Bake Grinch cookies in the fridge, so Madison popped those in during the movie. It was fun, stress-free, and cozy. 

This weekend will be quiet and cozy. We will go to mass for the Second Sunday of Advent, watch some Christmas movies, wrap some presents, and make some meals. And because this is December, sometimes dinner looks like this.

And that is ok with me!

Have a cozy weekend, my friends. Enjoy this Christmas season!

Billie Jo

I Was Just Wondering

 Do you prefer

1. Having excessive amounts of heavy snow falling on Christmas or sun and eighty-degree weather?

2. Eating your big, fancy meal on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

3. Slowly opening presents one at a time so everyone can see everything, or have a total unwrapping frenzy, complete with shouts of joy?

 Rudolph or Frosty? Serious stuff here, my friends.

5. Putting all the presents away on Christmas Day, or leaving them set out for a while?

6. Hosting a big holiday party or attending one?

I know. This is really not the most intellectual or thought-provoking post. It is, however, fun. And who doesn't enjoy a little Christmas fun this time of year?

Have a cozy, fun Wednesday, my friends!

BillieJo

P.S. My answers, if you were wondering...

1. Give me all the snow at Christmas!!!! Please! As long as no one is traveling and everyone is safe and sound and cozy.

2. We eat our big meal on Christmas Eve at Madison and Nicolas' house. They host a traditional Danish Christmas, and we love it. On Christmas Day, I will have appetizers and soup so people can eat whenever they choose. We do have a simple but delicious Christmas brunch before opening presents.

3. Now that our kids are older, we like to gather by the tree and take our time opening gifts. When they were little? Different story!

4. Rudolph. Always.

5. I always leave our gifts out for a while. My Dad used to love sitting by the tree and looking at his new shirts, pajamas, and Old Spice underneath. When my kids were little, they would always ask me to "organize their piles," and I would leave their things out through New Year's. If there is a time for a messy, chaotic family room, Christmas is that time.

6. Trick question. Neither. But you already knew that, right??

Google for the images.

Monday Morning Christmastime Coffee

Good Monday morning, my friends! And Happy December! Here we are, at the cusp of all this new month brings. This year, I am entering December with a sense of peace and a desire to embrace calmness and intention. It may be the season of life I find myself in, but I want to let go of all the distractions and simply be in the moments that make this time of year so very special. 

What does this look like? Well, I think it means less scrolling on social media, where extreme excess is the norm, and where somehow traditional, homemade Christmas has been replaced by constant pressure to engage in rampant consumerism, to the point that women actually think they need to redesign their Christmas tree every single year. It means setting that phone down and instead putting on a cozy Christmas YouTube scene with Christmas songs playing and relaxing by the light of our Christmas tree. My parents used to do that all the time. They would sit by the fire in the morning, drinking their coffee, and by the Christmas tree in the evenings, just being together. 

My December will be focused inward, toward my family and our home. I want to light a candle and watch those Christmas movies we all love: Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, The First Christmas Snow, and Annabelle's Wish. If you haven't watched these in years, I encourage you to do so with your family. Make some tea or cocoa and some place and bake cookies and snuggle in. Somewhere along the line, we began to think everything had to be a production. It doesn't. Just be in the moment. I plan to slow down this year, do less, rest more, and find the peace of Christmas. 

We did attend one event this past weekend. It was the lighting of the Christmas tree in our lovely downtown. Nicolas, Madison, Kyrstin, and I went and had a wonderful time. Flynn was home recovering from an annoying cold. 

We had a nice time, but the real reason we were there was to watch Madison put the finishing touches on her new bridal boutique on Main Street! Yes, my girl just opened her new bridal shop in the town of her dreams, and I am so very happy for and proud of her!

She and Nicolas have worked so hard, and it was an absolute labor of love. It is beautiful! 

Well, my friends, I wish you a happy, healthy, cozy December week. We will be here, eating cupcakes made from a mix, and snuggling by the fire. I don't mean to suggest I don't have worries on my heart, and sadness and grief in my soul. I have work to do, of course, like scrubbing toilets and sweeping floors. All these things weigh on my mind. However, I am determined to put them in perspective and embrace this time of year for what it is: waiting for Jesus, and waiting for Christmas. Thank you for visiting. I am always glad you do.

Billie Jo

Thankful And A Birthday

Hello, my friends! How was your Thanksgiving? It is hard to believe it has come and gone, but the stack of aluminum pans filled with leftovers in my refrigerator proves it. And is it just me, or does everything taste even better the day after? 

And not only did we celebrate Thanksgiving, but we also celebrated my Madison Marie! My firstborn, the sweet baby that made me a mommy on a snowy November night, turned twenty-nine. That baby has become a most lovely, caring, talented, hardworking, fun, and responsible young woman. I am blessed by her every single day. I am so happy for and proud of her and the beautiful life she has made with Nicolas. She has celebrated with my blackberry pie since she turned 4.

Tonight, we are heading to our little town's Christmas tree lighting and then to dinner. Saturday, we have mass, and then I am making the turkey soup our family has come to love. I just boil the turkey carcass in chicken broth with poultry seasoning for about an hour, then drain it before adding cooked noodles. So good! Well, I need to get going. I have to get to the post office to mail a package and get some stamps. Have a wonderful weekend! See you back here on Monday, when it will be December!

Billie Jo