I finally feel like myself again because this morning, Kabob mailed our newsletters! I’m SO glad to finally have that checked off my to-do list. It’s amazing how time-consuming it is to design, edit, and print 160 colored, two-sided newsletters with envelopes and response cards. Each holiday that I do this, I remember why we only do this once a year and send the rest via e-mail. I also did Christmas cards at the same time, to get it all over with, so I am absolutely wiped. Just trust me…it’s a lot of work. But it’s done!

So it was weird to wake up and not have that looming in my head. I can actually think about enjoying Christmas! Maybe I’ll have time to blog more! By the way, in case you’re wondering, I have managed to do something Christmasy each day in December (as I mentioned wanting to do in an earlier post). I’ve made ribbon chains, a wreath for the front door, done a little shopping, watched “A Charlie Brown Christmas” last night, I’ve been reading Charles Dickens’ “The Christmas Stories,” and have tried to have Christmas music on in the background while doing everyday things. Oh, and while we haven’t made a point to celebrate Advent as a family (too chaotic, unfortunately – but I want to), I have been reading an Advent devotional my sis-in-law Jodi sent us. Sigh…I just love Christmas.

Soon I hope to start baking some Christmas cookies, watch some classics (“A Christmas Carol,” “It’s a Wonderful Life”), and wrap some presents.

So here’s a deep-ish thought I had last night as I was rocking my baby girl before bedtime. She does this sweet thing every night of resting her head on my left shoulder and patting me gently on the other shoulder with her right hand – this is, of course, before she starts bouncing up and down on my legs and trying to stick her fingers up my nose, which is the signal to switch from cuddle time to bedtime. But she’s just gotten very affectionate lately, and in all her sweetness, I find it amazing to think Jesus was probably the same way as a baby. To think that Mary rocked, cuddled, and played games with the God of the Universe is just…you know, I can’t even think of a word. Awe-some is all I can think of. What’s more, to think she gave him baths, wiped his bottom, nursed him during ear infections and sniffles, and listened to him crying at night is just astounding. On that note, I wonder what a sinless baby is like – do they whine and cling in neediness when you leave the room? Do they get upset when you won’t let them touch the electrical outlets (okay, so Mary didn’t have to deal with outlets)? In other words, is that stuff part of a sin nature, or is this part of just being human? Can you even separate the two? Obviously you can, if Jesus was fully human.

Okay, I’m getting carried away… My general point is that having a baby in my life has given me a fresh pair of eyes for Christmas. Jesus was a baby. Amazing.

To get back to more trivial things – is anyone else in Austin weirded out by the fact that the high today is supposed to be 34, when on Saturday the high was 82?

posted: 05 December 7
under: family