So I’m probably the LAST person living in the south to blog about our snowfall but alas, better late than never!!  Even Southern Savers.com and Hip2Save blogged about the snow instead of coupon savings that day.

So here we go:
The night the snow began….


My favorite snowman in the neighborhood:

Early the morning after:



On my way to CVS……snow has already melted in the driveway as baby girl sticks her head out to yell goodbye…..

Snow photos are not complete without icicles…..

The snowball…

The snowball fight….

The silly smile has begun….

Oh, I think his snowball is bigger…..

More scary smile photos….

At least she is wearing a coat.  Her brother was in short sleeves.

Today has been one of those days I’m struggling to be thankful….

• Thankful for things like a toilet that overflowed and took 8 towels to soak up the water which leaked into the vent and down into the basement.

• Thankful for the orange juice spilled all over the floor 5 minutes later.

And then a friend called and gave me wonderful uplifting news about a friend’s marriage.  I have been so burdened about marriages in our church lately.  I see couples falling apart all around me and remember that the fight is in the heavenlies.  How often is Jesus in our ministries, our serving, but not in our families, our marriages and in our home??

I remember the triangle……

GOD

Boys will be boys!
And these three are something else.
Two are mine and one is a good friend.

I don’t know how many of you watched the Hallmark Special A Dog Named Christmas …it was on a few weeks ago.  We taped it and watched it as a family.  The jest of the story is that a family adopts a dog for Christmas and then the boy asks the entire community to adopt a dog for the Holidays. 

We had just recently found a stray kitty and gave her to a dear friend. 

We missed her terribly.  All of the sudden there was a hole in our family.  See?

There’s Fred, the now 20 lb cat.  And Cruiser, another stray who found his way into our home about a year ago. 

After contacting PetFinder unsuccessfully we decided to visit our local shelter to see what they had available.

We found a very sweet loving 7 month old cat.  We really had hoped for a younger kitten but, hey, everyone needs a home.  So we adopted her with the help of a dear friend from Bible Study.  She paid for the adoption fee.  Thanks so much!!!

Here she is being held captive by my youngest in the school room.

Oh that’s better, now she’s relaxed!

Needless to say she gets lots of love!

So can anyone guess her name?
Yep.
"Christmas"

So now the unfilled sofa cushion can have a nice warm kitty on it too….
…once we let her outside.

This year I think Christmas is going to be different for a lot of people.  Just like us.
It took a good friend to show me that the other day.

I know the economy is tough everywhere.  And I’m guessing a lot of folks are bypassing buying presents for fellowship.

And I’m thinking that sounds kinda nice.
Fellowship.

Here’s Webster’s version:

1 : companionship, company
2 a : community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience b : the state of being a fellow or associate
3 : a company of equals or friends : association
4 : the quality or state of being comradely
5 obsolete : membership, partnership

I think we could all use some more fellowship (company, community, association, partnership) don’t you?

Christmas really isn’t about the presents.

And I tell myself that every year but this year I think God is helping us all to understand it’s about relationship, not gifts.  And I find myself relieved, in a way, that we can’t buy, buy, buy for Christmas.  Because it makes me stop and think.  What really is important to me at Christmas?

Is it that I want to have enough gifts under the tree for my kids?

Or is it teaching them about love, and fellowship, and togetherness?

What do I really want my kids to learn?

I’m sure, in my heart, that it’s about relationship.

Now, if I can only get my brain to follow my heart I’ll be in good shape.

IN HIM ALWAYS…