Christmas Fun

Well, we are getting closer, aren't we? I hope you are enjoying this special time of year in whatever way brings you and your family joy and peace. This week, we sprinkled some Christmas fun into our beautifully ordinary days. We bundled up and walked through the Winterfest of Lights, a display of beautiful Christmas lights downtown. It was cozy, pretty, and calm- just my speed. It is in a park that surrounds a pond, and the lights reflected in the water are amazing.

While we were enjoying Christmas lights, Rhett and Kyrstin had fun at their work Christmas parties. Rhett's work party had a dessert contest, and clearly, baking runs in our family because Rhett entered this beautiful two-layer Jello Cake...

He baked and decorated it all by himself! And at the end of the night...

He won! So proud of him and how he embraces everything in life with joy! 

Other fun, festive things this week included watching the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas together and enjoying a little Grinch loaf cake Madison made...

Watching Red Boots Christmas, one of Madison's favorites from when she was young, on YouTube...

And lots of this -

Watching pretty Christmas scenes with cozy music playing on Youtube while we sip tea, coffee, and cocoa. 

This weekend, we hope to continue our quiet, cozy, intentional moments of appreciating Christmas and all that comes with it. We will attend mass for the Fourth Week of Advent. And I have some wrapping to do and a grocery order to make. One of the gifts getting older has given me is a beautiful sense of peace. I am content with things as they are and no longer fret about ensuring I get everything done: the house cleaned, the cookies baked, the phone calls made, the neighbor gifts delivered, the clothes all pressed, and the fridge all stocked. Now, I pour myself a cup of coffee, snuggle on the couch, and rest, knowing Christmas will come and go until next year. Why not enjoy?

Have a wonderful weekend, my friends.

Thanks for visiting!

Billie Jo

Our Christmas Home

Hello, and happy Wednesday, my friends. This year is our first Christmas in our new home, so I am inviting you in for a visit! Pour a cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa, get cozy, and spend some time with me in our Christmas home. Finding new places for our special Christmas decorations that hold so many memories for us was fun. So please, come in the front door into the foyer, which usually contains numerous pairs of shoes, several coats, and other random items, but miraculously, it was completely clear on this day. 

From there, we move into the family room, where we spend most of our time. See Mocha? That is where I am in right now, typing up this post!

Behind the sofa, I hung these beautiful pieces I found on Etsy. 

And nearby, a perfect place for my beautiful nativity.

From here, we head into the kitchen, the heart of any home.

And, finally, the Bird Room, as we call it because You can see so many different types of birds at any given time from the beautiful windows across the back of the house. 

The tree is adorned with our special ornaments from years past...

And that makes me happy. 

As do pups and cozy blankets on a couch near a Christmas tree in December.

Thanks for visiting our Christmas home, my friends.

Have a wonderful day!

Billie Jo