There’s no place like home for the Holidays~

 

 

“Festive decorations are a gift from your heart to the hearts of those who enter your home. They simply and sweetly say, ‘love lives here’ and ‘we were expecting you, welcome!’ ” ~Dolley Carlson

I thought I would share one of my Christmas presents with you. If you remember my last post, I shared this mantel but the TV hanging over it was kind of screaming for a new cover. (below)This is the amazing cabinet that hubby built for me to “cover” the TV.

 

• Symbolizing eternal hope, the wreath goes 'round and 'round, And where it starts or ends cannot be found. Woven of things that grow - for life, and hung for holiday delight. The wreath must be left in place. From Advent through Twelfth Night.

I have removed a little bit of my Christmas but not all of it yet. I tried to make the mantel a little more “winter” looking. I like to keep the lights for the winter to add a bit more light and it always seems drab after removing it all.

I now have another spot to decorate but I don’t have much in mind yet to put there…….yet.

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Here are a few more leftover Christmas pics~

and these are for Earlene~ She wanted to see it after the mess with all of the children and grandchildren!  Well let’s see~ wrapping paper flying everywhere……….

We have two future daughter in laws~ the ones below (our youngest son) are looking into wedding plans and that may happen soon. They are both in college and looking into a new school for next year. We gave both daughter in laws a recipe binder, we included many of our family recipes for them.

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I love the word Merry! To be Merry is to be jolly… cheerful… light-hearted…carefree…joyful… joyous… festive …happy… gleeful!  Proverbs 17:22 says  “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.”   That’s one of the reasons I love to decorate for Christmas (and  all the seasons for that matter)…it creates a merry…joyful….and festive atmosphere….and that kind of atmosphere is good for us! Beauty inspires! Beauty lifts our spirit! It refreshes us.  It can give us a positive outlook on life. It’s a way of celebrating the glory and blessings of God. Our environment and the atmosphere around us can effect our emotions, and our emotions can affect our physical health. Dr. Don Colbert says ” How you feel in your heart can show up in your body, for your heart and body are more powerfully connected than you have ever realized.”  So even the tiniest bit of  candle glow or sparkle here and there can remind us that Jesus is the true light of the world, that He is the reason for the Season…and in Him we have hope and a future.~ quote from Auntie Ruthie over at Sugar Pie Farmhouse

Wishing you a Merry New Year! ~Sara

 

~ The door to your future is only big enough for you. It will not fit you and your past. In order to walk through it you must LET GO of all your past failures, mistakes, disappointments, and embrace the future God has for you! ~ Danny Gokey

It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year~

 

Christmas~

~behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord

 

Things are clean and in order for company~

 

The tree is up~

A few special ornaments~

Went looking at Christmas lights~

Did some baking and cookie decorating with the grandchildren~

 

 

We received some goodies in the mail from family~

Sent a few gifts~

We also sent a few trees to family in nursing homes and those in need of a pick me up

We have gone to Christmas concerts and Christmas Church services….

Tried to take a few family pictures~ some worked ~some …..not so much~

Now I need to go have another cup of eggnog coffee and get ready for the Christmas Eve service and company.

and maybe have a piece of ribbon candy…..

Now to sit back and relax for a few~

 

 

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

 

Merry Christmas!

And I had to share this~ We always love to see how everyone displays our creations. Here is a pick of a sign that we created, one of our customers gifted it to her grandparents and they are using it in their Christmas card this year!