Jesus Is

Christmas Eve Eve, friends.  We're here.  The season went fast, as always.  It was full, as always.  There was struggle, as always.  And there was joy, as always.  But most of all, there was Jesus.  And HE, He is always.  He's in the standstill traffic I encountered on Hwy. 58, the extra-long checkout lines at Target, and around the table last night.  He's in that candle flicker I hope to help Mila balance on Christmas Eve, and He's in our home as Cruz gets over this stomach bug.  I think what I love the most about Christmas is all the opportunities to see Jesus in it.  And when you're looking, He's everywhere!  I had Bible study on Thursday morning at Panera and decided to bring five little plates of cookies to the five older gentlemen that gather there for coffee.  For nearly two years, we see these men on Thursday mornings, they ask us questions about our lives, and share about theirs.  And I can't tell you any of their names!  But this week, I brought them cookies.  And I delighted in their surprise, their charm, and the twinkle in their eyes.  And I felt Jesus.  A few hours later, when a friend had a disappointing day and needed me as her sounding board, I felt Jesus in that, too.  He was in my phone call with Cruz's teacher during lunch yesterday, when we talked about Mary Poppins, spelling lists, scripture boxes, and the importance of family, and He was in that simple text from a friend I haven't talked to in months.  Jesus is always, always there, and when you recognize Him and see His very presence, everything takes a different shape.  Everything becomes more meaningful and sometimes even magical.  And the best part is - we don't need Christmas to feel it.  We just need Jesus.  And HE, He is always. 

         
Cheers for a blessed Christmas.  Praying you can see the baby in Bethlehem in it all.  Not just the memorable stuff, because that's easy.  Seek to see Him in the mundane, even the messy parts of Christmas.  And if you can't find Him, you share him.  Give a big hug to a scrooge.  Stay in there a second or two longer to really make it stick.  Send a text to an unsuspecting friend.  Say thank you.  Say you're sorry.  Light a candle.  Eat a cookie.  Pour something in a fancy glass.  Sneak outside to stare up at the sky and say a prayer.  Be expectant.  Sink in the stillness of a winter night and truly believe what we all sing about: The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.  

Christmas Goodness from this past week...                      

774. Picnic suppers around the tree.  Baked ham and cheese right out of the oven as Mila and I walked in from dance.  Adding a little magic to our Monday night. 

775. Our entryway cocoa bar.  It's taken very seriously here during the winter months.

776. Our advent books and those little tags attached to each one that push me to go for it, even when I'm not really in the mood.  Like this night, when we read "Christmas in the Big Woods" and pretended to be snowed in.  We turned all the lights off but the trees, lit a bunch of candles, and played a game of Sorry in the dark.  The ground outside might have stayed dry, but we kept talking about how many inches we were getting and dreamed about a hopeful snow day to come.  

777. My first Friday afternoon of break.  Grades were submitted, I chopped five inches off my hair, and I felt like a new woman.  I baked a batch of chocolate star cookies, turned up Campfire Christmas, and turned this place into a gingerbread house.  

778. One of my favorite traditions - a Christmas campout by the tree.  We move the mattresses to the living room, let the kids jump off the ottoman and do somersaults and replace my Christmas music with Imagine Dragons, then lure them to be still with blankets and popcorn and Buddy the Elf.  I love their matching Christmas jammies, the way they preferred to be in the middle of the two mattresses even though the crack had to be less comfortable, and their sweet sleeping faces once the movie was over.  I didn't sleep there all night, but did lay there for a good while to stare at them.  These are the days...

779. Frozen at the Oster Regent with Mila, Harper, and their dollies.  I'll say it again, Cedar Falls and their Holiday Hoopla cheer is pretty unreal this time of year.  

780. We haven't had much for snow so far, but we have had some beautiful balmy temperatures this month!  I had plans to bake cookies last weekend, but when we felt the warmth as we left the theater, it was time for a change of plans.  Off to the woods we went for a late afternoon hike, complete with a blanket, a thermos of cocoa, and all the fixings for a little Christmas picnic.  Hartman had never felt so still and so quiet.  The sun was just going down and the geese that flew above us had bright orange bellies.  Even the kids noticed.  After the sun went down, we hopped in Dad's truck for a night of scoping out all the Christmas lights.  We found an album by My Morning Jacket, the kids were all excited about the scavenger hunt I printed, and I reminisced about this annual night as a little girl in the backseat of Mom and Dad's car.  This is the good stuff, I told them.  Except we didn't have all these Christmas inflatables back then! 

781. Another Bears' win and a Sunday afternoon of baking.  Sugar cookies made the plate again this year, thanks to Target's little baking sets that made the decorating process a breeze.  

782. My husband's closet creativity that most definitely comes out when Boone's involved.  

783. Cruz got to play his Christmas pieces at the Western Home last Monday night.  He had a half hour all to himself and played from 5-5:30 for residents as they enjoyed their dinner.  It was all so sweet.  He was nervous at first, but his expression quickly turned to a smile when the room filled with applause after his first song.  An older gentleman got up from his seat and shook his hand.  And I didn't know where to look!  I love watching Cruz play the piano, but loved watching the faces of his audience.  Many of them were nodding their heads to the beat, many were singing along, and many just had the sweetest look on their faces - reminiscent of all the things.  

Afterwards, we celebrated with dinner at HuHot.  The kids ate with chopsticks and all felt festive.  Then afterwards, we walked through the mall, the kids ran a few circles around Santa, and Mom and I did a little browsing at Von Maur.  Even late nights at the mall feel a little more magical this close to Christmas.  

784.  All the serious prep work.  Cards and packages for teachers and and plans to spread some epic kindness and joy.  This year?  The kids had the idea to bless some of the nurses who loved on Papa Curt during his surgery last month.  We made them cards, then went into school late one morning last week and picked up a big ol' box of Icon Donuts.  We had so much fun doing that, that we picked up more donuts and did the same at Mila's daycare!

785. And the Christmas boot.  I found this at Target in those sneaky dollar bins and couldn't help myself.  It soon became our Christmas boot, a place to hold spare change, dollars earned from good deeds, and yes, a few sneaks from Beau's nightstand drawer.  We grew a boot of almost $50 and used it on sharing some love during one of the busiest weeks of the year.  And this spring?  That boot is going to look pretty cute with something green planted in it!

786. A Mila "yes" day.  She's been playing hookie from school most of the week and Wednesday we declared it a "yes" day.  I told her I would say yes to anything she wanted...anything.  And my girl, she just wanted to play.  After a little tea party lunch, we played for three hours straight.  Calico Critters house, Barbie princesses, "house" where I got to be the baby-sitter and drive around in my car in the closet, and later, freeze tag and hide-and-seek outside.  I haven't played pretend in ages and trust me, it took true commitment!  But Mila, I haven't seen her that happy in ages.  We throw our kids into so much, fill their lives with things, and activities, and experiences, when all they truly need or want is us.  I am going to commit to more "yes" days in this year to come and it will be fun to see what the kids come up for us to do.  

787. A December IF:Table with some of my favorite friends.  I made lasagna and Katy brought sugar cookie bars with brandy ice cream, we toasted a good year of God's provision with prosecco, and took part in a fun gift exchange together afterwards.   

788. A movie night to myself.  This basement of ours is the best place to cozy up for a movie and I did just that with a plate of cookies, a few candles, and The Family Stone.  Afterwards, I wandered around the house with the trees lit and found myself on the steps of my porch under a starry-filled sky.