A First for Eden, Antics of Harry Boy, and a Few Dancing Elves

This post is so no one forgets just how random this blog can be. :) 

One of the traditions we have at Christmas time is to go see our local School of the Arts' production of the Nutcracker. Grammy bought tickets for all who wanted to go every year and it is one of my favorite things. This year was Eden's first year! 

Here she is all dressed up and ready to go:

This year our group consisted of Grammy, Kellan, Sarabeth, Eden and me. 

We had a great time, as always. Thank you, Grammy, for taking us every year!

Harry boy has been up to his normal tricks, entertaining us with his antics:

(wearing Daddy's shoes)

(he likes to use the slide as a pillow)

(caught him on our bed - guess he figured out how to climb up)

(Harry is the king of lounge)

(one of my faves!)

And seriously, these kids have a really tough life. :) 

Lastly, I know these have been around for ages, but it is the first time I've done one for our family. I CANNOT stop laughing! Jason's face looks all gangsta cool and seeing myself move like that is so improbable I can hardly stand it. Be on the lookout for Harry, he only pops in a couple of times. :) 

The Meaning of Christmas

I have already stated how much I love Christmas. The smells, traditions, fellowship, etc. And all of those are definitely part of this time of year. But they are not what it is about. It is just like everything else in life - it is about God. 

As a child, especially in our culture that teaches "it's all about me," it is so very easy to miss the real meaning of Christmas. There are even people who miss it when they try to move the focus from getting gifts to spending time with family, or thinking of others. While those aren't bad things, it still isn't quite right. 

The Bible tells us that our whole life - what we do, say, think, etc. - is to be unto Christ. That doesn't mean we can't do "good" things, like spend time with family, decorate for Christmas, give gifts to each other, etc.. It just means that our goal in doing those things has to rotate back to honoring Him. 

Of course it is easy to get wrapped up in all of the many wonderful things that happen during December - in today's world, it is some of the few opportunities for "good, clean fun!" People seem to be nicer in general, thinking of others more than themselves. But why? 

I can only speak for myself, but the reason I make an effort to be loving to others is because that is how I can be a testimony of God's love to me. And this shouldn't be just at Christmas - it should be a daily commitment. 

My prayer at Christmas and throughout the year is this: Lord, please let me be a light for others to see You. Help me to show Your love in everything I do - making my home an inviting place, giving freely to others, breaking bread with fellow believers - EVERYthing. May every action I do and every word I say be honoring to You and bring You glory, and help me not get wrapped up in anything but You. 

Christmas is when we celebrate the coming of Christ as a baby. It is the pivotal point in history when everything changed and we had a Savior. Our sins would be forgiven and He would bridge the gap between ourselves and God. May we focus and celebrate this every day, but most especially on Christmas.

Wishing you and all of your loved ones a Merry Christmas, reflecting on the One who came to save us.

Christmas at the Caranci's

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Christmas. I love the home-y, warm, cozy atmosphere, time with friends and family, decorating the house, thoughtfully thinking of gifts for those I love, baking and cooking traditional recipes, the lights, everything! So here's a little look into our home after putting up some decor. My normal rules of neutral colors and clean lines go out the window and instead anything goes for this festive season. 

(please excuse the pile of dishes/clutter on the counter)

This is one of my favorites - it has a light bulb behind it that shines through but I couldn't get a good shot of it with the light on. 

Printable with song lyrics courtesy of pinterest and Christmas magnets are for the kiddos from Auntie Sarabeth; the manger scene is from Germany.

This is the dog tree - all of the ornaments on this tree are specifically for the pups, and they even have their own personalized stockings. 

I got this advent calendar the first year Jason and I were married - it is one of my favorites too!

I'm not a huge Santa fan, but this one reminds me more of the traditional St. Nick, very rustic and natural-looking.

Even Neiman Marcus got in the holiday spirit! He is hanging out with two snowman smokers. If you don't know what a smoker is, it is basically an incense burner. My Grammy always used to have balsam fir incense cones burning in a smoker when we would come see her at Christmas time (the smoke billows out the mouths). It is a tradition that smells like home to me!

If you can't tell, I love anything with reindeer on it. Got this pillow with a gift card this year at Target.

Jingle bells on the front door! I am thinking I need a wreath on here too...

Yet another pinterest idea. I know you can't see it in this picture, but the white paper is old sheet music of classic Christmas carols. I stenciled the letters on top and tied with a ribbon to hang it. You can see a close up of the music here (and print some for yourself!). 

The tree! We decided to put it downstairs in the man cave this year and I love it there. 

Another favorite every year, found at Hobby Lobby with my Mom a few years ago. 

Each of the kids have their own tree in their rooms, too. Pink for our princess and blue for our prince.

We don't have much going on outside, but simple is sometimes best. Next year I would love to swoop garland and ribbons from the fence in the backyard. The little trees in the front have lights but for some reason are not working (and we haven't taken the time to fix it yet). 

Snowflakes were hung throughout the house.

Centerpiece for the table. 

This was added a week or so after the lighted garland on top of the cabinets (forgot to turn the lights on for this picture). Once again on pinterest I saw the idea of hanging Christmas cards on velvet ribbon on kitchen cabinets. We usually tape them around a door post, so I thought this was a nice change. 

And there you have it! There are all sorts of little knick knacky things around the house, but I decided to spare you from seeing each one. Almost all of them have a special story or were from someone dear to us. It is fun to pull them out every year and enjoy them!

Multi-tasking: Health Check-In, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Tree Hunting

This post is going to be one conglomeration! First up, my weekly health check in. I made it through the holidays without overindulging, although I certainly ate some very rich, sugary foods that I wouldn't normally! I was up two pounds at my weigh in, but I am not discouraged. I am pleased with how I ate, especially with so many temptations lurking. Exercise has been on somewhat of a standstill because my back is really having fits. I would appreciate prayer, if you think of it. My verse for this week is Galatians 5:16: "So I say, live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh."

We did have a wonderful Thanksgiving day, consisting of cooking, the Macy's Day Parade, lunch with family, naps, and lots of family time. We always drive up to the mountains on the Friday after Thanksgiving to get a Christmas tree, so all of the pics in this post are from that day (I forgot to take any pictures at our family meal on Thursday!). 

Eden couldn't wait to pick out a tree - here she is waiting on the rest of us to get ready:

Still waiting, outside this time:

The place that we go to is called McInnis Farms and they have a hayride down to the tree fields. This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Jason, he is making an expression exactly like his dad:

(they always have hot apple cider to take with you on the hayride)

Eden was hanging out with Grammy and Grumps on our ride:

Harry spent most of his time hunting for sticks and rocks, but he loved being outside and roaming the hills:

Our tree!

One of the best shots of the day:

We claimed that baby!

The G's:

Family shot:

Love this one too:

Sara and Kellan (who had to play Harry herders all afternoon):

Harry loved riding on the hayride:

And last, I had to share this series of shots. We were trying to get one with all of the kids and Harry just was not interested in helping. Poor Kellan, he didn't stand a chance! 

~Heehee~