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. Maybe it is 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less scrolling on social media, where extreme excess is the norm, and where somehow traditional, homemade Christmas has been replaced by constant pressure to engage in rampant consumerism, to the point that women actually think they need to redesign their Christmas tree every single year.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 toilets that need scrubbing and floors that need sweeping. All these things weigh on my mind, of course. However, I am determined to put them in perspective and embrace this time of year for what ot is: waiting for Jesus, and waiting for Christmas. Thank you for visiting. I am always glad you do.

Billie Jo