Some (lots of) Shots from Christmas

Christmas eve we exchanged all of our gifts.
After Jesus' birthday party, we laid out cookies and milk for Santa, and hit. the. sack.

Christmas morning Santa had come and brought lots of awesome stuff...
a basketball hoop for the driveway...

and a huge 8 foot stocking full of things for all four kids. The boys paraded it around the room completely on their own! Hilarious!

Oh yes, all three of my sons got real bow and arrow sets!
Watch out neighbors!

These were one of their favorite gifts!
We're a Toy Story family!

The rest of the morning was spent...

...playing with some new toys

...cuddling with the kitties while watching cartoons

...playing cards with Daddy

...snuggling together on the couch

...coloring

...reading Christmas books

Then we got ready to go to my Aunt Kim's for Christmas dinner.

Pictures in their new flannel shirts for Christmas...

Oh Hunter...


This is Blake Bizayehu's camera smile. I don't know.
He doesn't smile like this in real life...I promise!

Kara and Chad wore "ugly Christmas sweaters"! I think it's awesome!

I've always adored my Aunt Kim's ability to host. She puts personalized touches on every one of her gatherings and I can tell truly enjoys having people in her home.

This year she found pictures of almost everyone on Santa's lap and used them as name holders at our seats.

The adorable kids table with plastic snowmen plates and matching cups!

There was lots of sitting around and visiting with family...

Christmas was good. We are blessed.

Happy Birthday to Jesus

Every year we have a birthday cake for Jesus. This year my Mom picked one up while she was out to save us the mess of baking one.

On Christmas Eve, after PJ's were on, we gathered around the table and celebrated Jesus birthday in a "tangible", "real" way that the kids could grasp. We talked (once again) about Christmas being Jesus birthday and how lucky we were that God sent Jesus, His son, to earth for us.

We sang Happy Birthday and blew out His candle for Him.
Then we talked about what kinds of gifts we could give Jesus this year. Ideas like:
"having a happy heart", "opening doors for strangers", "pushing someone's wheelchair for them", "praying more", "telling Jesus you love Him", and "introducing yourself to someone who looks sad"
were all said.

I absolutely love my kids getting older.
They are beginning to be able to grasp the reality of who Jesus is...
and what He did for us.
for them.

I love quiet moments like these with my children.
teaching them.
celebrating with them.

That is what Christmas is all about.

ps - Rocking Journal Day 2:

Graysen (9:30): She wasn't feeling good today. She was crying and clingy, so I got out the Moby wrap and held her in there for a bit while I finished up the boy's breakfast. Then we sat down and stayed in the Moby. After a few minutes she wanted out and wanted covered up with a blanket. She layed down across me, I covered her up and we rocked for about 10 more minutes and then she fell asleep.

Blake (12:30): He had just gotten out of time out and was feeling angry toward me. I thought this would be the perfect time for rocking! He cuddled up against me immediately and stayed that way the whole time. He asked lots of questions about the maternity pictures on the wall, talking about what "place" each of the children have in our family, how long my hair was, why we were making a heart around my belly button, etc. We also talked about some of the Christmas cards that are hanging near the rocking chair. He did not want to get down after his 15 minutes..."keep holding me Mommy!".

Hunter (5:00): He and I read a book and then played rock paper scissors a few times. We talked about his sleep over with Grammie and what he wanted to do out there. He was very happy to have time with Mommy and when I told him his time was over he wanted to play "one more game of rock paper scissors" and then he happily hopped off.

Silas (5:20): He was very discontented. He wanted off the entire time and we only sat for 10 minutes rather than 15. He didn't want to read a book or play a game or anything. He complained that he was hot and I fanned him and blew on his back to cool him off. That seemed to be the only time he was happy. He made comments like "why do I have to sit here for more than 100 minutes?!" He did give me a very tight hug when I told him he could hop off my lap.

Rockin' Momma Challenge (Rockin Dads welcome too!)

I am taking on a challenge...and I hope you will too! Essentially, I am going to try to find 15 minutes a day of uninterrupted rocking time for each of my children. This challenge is "really" for adopted kids to encourage bonding and attachment, but I think it can definitely be for any child! I hope that I can build a better relationship with Silas and Blake through this, and I hope that I can help Hunter and Graysen through this transition with the one on one time.

This means 1 hour of every day will be spent rocking my children...having one on one conversation, maybe reading a story together, singing a song together, sharing our hearts.

This is going to be hard, but sooo worth it. I am going to attempt it for 28 days and see where we are... I can't promise I won't miss a day, but I'm going to really try to stay the course and invest this time in my children.

You can go to Lisa's blog to read more about The Rockin' Momma's Challenge, but here is some of what she says.

"Many of us are mothering children who came to us with broken hearts; it stretches us and sometimes we doubt our ability to help them become whole. In the nearly four years since our adopted children joined our family, we have sought many avenues of healing for them. One of the simplest and most profound means of encouraging attachment we’ve found is rocking our children in our big “Ugly Chair.”

On December 20th I began a personal challenge to rock Honeybee 15 minutes each day. It has not been easy, in fact, some days it is quite difficult — but I am hopeful.

Join me in the Rockin’ Mama Challenge!
(Rockin’ daddies also welcome)

• Join the challenge by clicking HERE.
• Rock your child for 15 minutes each day for 28 days. If possible, these should be consecutive days, but don’t let that stop you! Since starting the challenge, I have already missed two days. The perfectionist in me is tempted to give up, but the benefits of rocking cannot be denied, even when days are missed.

  Some children cannot tolerate being touched and held for 15 minutes. You may want to try five minutes at a time with a goal of fifteen total minutes per day.

• Rock your child alone. Honeybee says, “no other kids allowed!” No phone, no books, no computer, no distractions.
• Keep a daily journal of rocking. All you need is one line to say how many minutes, what time of day, what you did – did you sit silently, sing, eat a cookie together, chew gum? Record any impact or change you see in your child’s behavior — and in your own, even if it is negative.
• Email me once each week or so to share what you are learning; email it to challenge@onethankfulmom.com. You can send a copy of your rocking journal, excerpts, a summary, or a one sentence observation.
• Start today, start New Year’s Day, start whenever you can. It is never too late to join the challenge. I will officially close the challenge on February 14th (time to start holding your hubby), so that I can collect the lessons you shared with me.
• Please share this link ( http://bit.ly/hWiC2O ) on your blog, twitter, facebook, etc. Encourage others to join us.

I will gather our experiences into one document that will be available on my blog. If enough people join us, maybe we will publish an ebook. Wouldn’t that be great?!

Let’s rock our children and give ourselves deeply to loving them and bringing healing to their hearts."

My journal, Day 1: started at 10:30 a.m. - rocked each 15 minutes (timed with my cell phone)

Hunter (6 years, bio) went first. We read a book and then looked through an eye spy book. He was happy and content on my lap, and when the timer went off, he happily hopped off and went to play.

Blake (6 years, adopted, home 7 months) was second. He wasn't nearly as relaxed on my lap as Hunter was, but wasn't wanting off either. We played rock paper scissors for a few minutes and then just talked and talked. He asked question upon question. When the timer went off he laid down and begged for more time. I told him that we would try to get in another session today and if not, definitely tomorrow.

Graysen (3 years, bio) was third. She was happy as we read a book two times and then just rocked and sang together. We sang "Graysen is my baby", and "Graysen is a pretty girl" (my mother made up the first one and sang it to me as a baby and my grandma taught my mom the second one.) When her time was up she was also disappointed and cried not wanting to get off. This is very common with her, as I hold her the majority of every day.

Silas (6 years, adopted, home 7 months) went last and he was not nearly as content on my lap as I expected him to be. He tried to get off several times and wanted to play with the Bop It, which I didn't allow. We read a short book together and played rock paper scissors just a few times. We talked some, and sat in silence some. He also didn't want to leave when his time was up. This made me laugh because he wanted off the majority of the time!

The rest of the day they were all very whiny and complaining. Just discontent in general. I think I will try this activity toward the end of the day tomorrow rather than toward the beginning...

Will you join me?!

A little secret I'm ready to reveal.

I rarely write about my weight loss struggles on here, mostly because I don't ever want Graysen (or my boys) to think that their self worth comes from what number is on the scale or what size clothing you wear.

But...here's my little secret. I'm working hard to lose some (a lot) of weight! I started Weight Watchers on November 30th. Since then I've lost a little weight every week.

The first week I lost 3 lbs. But it was hard! It was a whole shift in the way I ate. I had to choose bananas over Oreos. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I ate more fresh fruits that week than I had in a whole year I bet!

Week two I went on a girls trip to Chicago and only lost 1 lb. I didn't do well while we were there, but I was concious of my eating...instead of a full sized cupcake I ate a mini one!

The third week I did much better and lost 4 lbs. The choices were getting easier and I had come up with several options for when I felt hungry.

The fourth week was Christmas and I lost 1.8 lbs. Again, such a hard week for food. So many gatherings center around a meal...and not a healthy one at that! We had a Bible Study gathering at our home where my kitchen table was covered in delicious foods that I shouldn't eat, and then of course Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Let it be known that I didn't eat 7 Layer Salad this year at Christmas. I also didn't eat a single bite of pie or cookie!

I know that when I get to where I want to be, I will be able to indulge in those things once in awhile, but for now I must stay the course!



Although I don't know exactly where I want to end up, I am imagining that I'm about 1/4 of the way there! I don't have a specific weight in mind, but I do have a pants size that I think I would feel good about wearing...I'm just kind of playing it by ear (or feel of the clothes!).

Tuesday is my "weigh day" and I think that most Tuesdays I will probably mention something about my weight loss journey on here. I may post some of my favorite Weight Watchers Recipes from that week, or I may just share my pound loss (or gain).

I'm inspired by so many people to get healthy, but mostly my Mom. She has lost so much weight since she started Weight Watchers and she just looks beautiful! I can imagine how much better of a Mom (more active, better self confidence) I will be when I can say that I have achieved my goal of becoming a much healthier weight!

What a girl.

How sweet is this little girl?

...and how hard is it to tell her "no"!

2010 Redburn Christmas Letter

Family and Friends,

Our house has been a flurry of activity and adjustments this year! As Christmas quickly approaches we are taking some extra time to quiet our home and hearts in order to prepare for Christ's birthday, what a special day for all of us! We hope you are able to find some quiet time with your family and friends as well.

January was a wonderful start to our year, as we saw the faces of our new sons for the first time on January 19th! After praying for our new children for 6 months, we were finally matched with two beautiful boys and started the process to bring them home! They are six years old, making them five months older than Hunter. What a joy to have "non-traditional triplets"!!!

February was a rather calm month which brought Lincoln and I's sixth wedding anniversary.

March was a month mixed with all kinds of emotions. My Grandma went home to be with Jesus. She was admitted to the hospital on her birthday, March 1st, had open heart surgery, and stayed there until March 19th when she met Jesus face to face! We also passed court in Ethiopia, and Blake and Silas legally became our sons on Lincoln's birthday, exactly one week later, on March 26th. God has had His hand all over this adoption process, and as yet another reminder, we passed court exactly one year from the night that we made the commitment to say Yes to God and pursue international adoption.

April was filled with Hunter playing soccer again, and Lincoln and I preparing to leave for Ethiopia. We gathered lots of donations to take to the orphanage where our boys had been staying.

May was a huge month for our family, as Lincoln and I traveled to Ethiopia to meet and bring home our new sons, Blake Bizayehu and Silas Sintayehu. The travel was 24 hours and we were away from Hunter and Graysen for 10 days. It was a huge trip, but so worth it! Ethiopia is a beautiful country, full of a rich culture and very warm people (not to mention the food is great!). Becoming instant parents to six year old boys who speak no English was very interesting to say the least, but such a fun experience! There was lots of charades for the first several weeks, and anyone who saw us got a good laugh I'm sure! Graysen also had her very first dance recital on May 15th! Mommy and Daddy missed it, as we were in Germany on our way to Ethiopia...ironic that a dance teacher misses her daughter's first recital, isn't it?!

June was a month of cocooning in our home learning all about our new family members and learning to become one family again. We also started the process to readopt the boys in the US.

In July we traveled to Branson for Lincoln's annual family reunion over the 4th. We also appeared in court on July 14th and Blake and Silas became American citizens!

August was a fun month. Hunter turned six on August 5th. We celebrated with a birthday party at a mini-golf course! All three boys started kindergarten August 12th. They are in three different classes, which has kept me busy!

September brought another soccer season, this time with all three of our boys playing! Lincoln helped coach their team this year, his first time coaching a little kids team. I think they all enjoyed the time together. We spent another fairly quiet month, as the boys were adjusting to starting school.

October was fun starting all the fall activities again. Fall is one of our most favorite times of the year, and we had a blast going to pumpkin patches, carving pumpkins, and preparing our Halloween costumes (Hunter was Woody, Blake was a Toy Solider, Silas was Buzz Lightyear, and Graysen was Jessie...all characters from Toy Story!) Lincoln took his fifth annual Disc Golf Road Trip with his brothers. They went to Michigan this year and had a wonderful time!

In November Lincoln started coaching basketball again. This is his seventh year coaching at the local High School. We also were extra thankful for our family all being together over Thanksgiving.

In December Ashley was able to take a girls weekend trip to Chicago with two long time girlfriends. We had a great time shopping, going to the spa, and seeing The Nutcracker. We are loving experiencing Christmas with the kids, as it is Silas and Blake's first experience with Christmas!

Much love from our home to yours,
Lincoln, Ashley, Blake, Silas, Hunter, and Graysen Redburn

I'm a simple girl.

It's no secret that I'm always ready and willing to listen to lessons that God sends my way.
I'm desperate for them in fact!
But, I'm a simple girl.
I don't pick up on subtle hints most of the time, I'm not a deep thinker who can figure things out on my own. I need obvious!

Today I was blessed to have this come in the form of a book Hunter picked out for me to read to him. "Veggie Tales Dave and Giant Pickle".

Although I know this story from the Bible, sometimes it's good to hear it in an even simpler form!

"Dave couldn't believe his ears! Had they forgotten that they were the children of God? ...and whenever they went into a battle, God was there with them.
They had always known that if God was on their side, no one could stand against them!"

How is it that I so easily forget that God is always with me?
How can I forget, after all His faithfulness in my life, that no one can stand against me with Him on my side?!

"...they had forgotten that God was even bigger!"

Sometimes the things I'm facing in my life seem so overwhelming that I forget, God is bigger than this.
He has good plans for my life.
He will see me through, if I just let Him!

"But Dave was convinced that even though he was little, he could do big things with God's help!"

Ah God, give me that confidence!!!

"Well, Dave wasn't exactly sure what he was getting into, but he knew God would be there with him."

We weren't sure at all what we were getting ourselves into when we started this adoption process. We have been changed so much over the last 2 years that I hardly even recognize the person I used to be. We had no idea whether it would be an easy or hard road, we didn't know if we would regret our decision or not, but what we DID know was that God would be there with us...all along the way.

Why have I forgotten that now that we're home?
Why would I think God had abandoned me just because "the process" was over?

He hasn't.
He's here.
Helping me every day.

Memories for this Christmas

Lots of Christmas Cards reminding me of lots of people who love us.

A new Christmas ornament

Six year old wrapping
(Silas)

Squished bows
(because a certain three year old girl put it on!)

Six year old handwriting
(Hunter's)

Creative wrapping...
Grammy: Okay, what paper should we use?
Blake: It's good like that!
Grammy: But it doesn't have paper on it.
Blake: But it has pretty pictures on it!

A new Nativity Scene...hand made by my kids!
(Mary, Joseph, the three Wise Men, and the Angel)

an almost empty pot of my Grandma's Wassail...

Christmas platters filled with yummy cookies...

A few warm(er) days to play outside...

Lazy mornings making reindeer pancakes...

I hope, no matter what your Christmas has felt like, that you are able to see some priceless memories to cherish this year...

Another small glimpse

...into what our family can be like some day.

Today Blake came up to me in the kitchen, gave me a hug, and said "I love you Mommy" totally out of the blue! No prompting, not a normal time of the day when I'm leaving or putting him to bed...but, just because!! It made me smile and I let him know how much it meant to me.

The 12 Days of Christmas: Large Family Style

This is great! I think we've been asked every single one of those questions except "Are you Catholic"?! I hope you get a great laugh out of this today!




For future reference when my blog is in book form here is what the song says:

On the first day of Christmas a stranger said to me "Oh Boy, you've got your hand full"
On the second day of Christmas a stranger said to me "You must be Catholic"
On the third day of Christmas a stranger said to me "How do you afford it?"
On the fourth day of Christmas a stranger said to me " are you having more?"
On the fifth day of Christmas a stranger said to me "are they all yours???"
On the sixth day of Christmas a stranger said to me "better you than me!"
On the seventh day of Christmas a stranger said to me "how do you manage?"
On the eighth day of Christmas a stranger said to me "do you know what causes it?"
On the nineth day of Christmas a stranger said to me "which ones are twins?"
On the tenth day of Christmas a stranger said to me " Is this a daycare?"
On the eleventh day of Christmas a stranger said to me " just wait until their teens!"
On the twelfth day of Christmas we once again replied
"we'll lock them in the cellar,
no we aren't a daycare,
they're two years a part,
and yes, we like it,
one day at a time,
we are very blessed,
Yes, they're all ours!,
They're cheaper by the dozen,
we shop at Goodwill,
No, not Mormon either,
and we wouldn't have it any other way!"

Broken Heart

This lovely adoptive mom (also an AAI mom), wrote this post recently.
Ahhh, how it EXACTLY explains my heart right now.
I told you in this post that I was tired.
Tired of parenting, tired of disciplining.
But the words that I could not put properly together to explain are these...the words that she wrote.

"We've been having a rough time with the boys in their sunday school class lately. A few weeks ago Eli bit Ezra for a minor (obviously not to him) offense. Is it bad to admit that one of my first thoughts was relief that it was Ezra that got bit and not one of the other kids?

Then the next week I got called out of my class because Ezra was throwing an inconsolable tantrum for an unknown offense. And oh my! It was a tantrum and a half that included yelling, hitting, stamping feet, and the throwing of his body onto the ground.

Nice.
And quite humbling.

Those preachers kids, huh.

I spend pretty much all of my day every day with my boys and know how they can be.
They are three.
And boys.
And Ezra seems blessed with an extra four doses of boy.

Ok, and if I'm honest...Ezra has been in a difficult stage for the last year and a half. It doesn't matter that I am consistent. And I promise I do supervise him. He is just one of those kids.

With that said and all kidding aside...

It still absolutely breaks my heart when they choose to make bad choices. Breaks it right in two.

I want them to obey and make right choices. But not (just) for my sake.

But because I know that climbing on the dresser is dangerous. And because I know that learning to share is only for their benefit throughout life. And because biting your brother is not a reasonable way of learning to resolve your problem. And because eating 11 cookies in a row is not going to make you feel very good.

And. Mostly. Because I know that those actions do not bring any honor to the one who made him.

When I took Ezra home after his sunday school altercation I took him into my room to discuss his consequences. As I was talking to him I could not hold back the tears. I did not want to give consequences. I am so so so tired of giving consequences.

And in that instant I had a moment of seeing how the Lord must feel about me when I choose sin. How I must break his heart. Right in two.

He knows that my bad attitude only makes me and everyone around me miserable. He knows that putting myself in that situation is dangerous. He knows my complaining attitude only breeds discontent. He knows my independence causes distance between us and control issues within me. He knows that comparing myself to such and such only stops me from doing the things he has created me for.

And. Mostly. He knows that my actions do not bring any glory to Him, the one who created me.

Forgive me Lord for the many times I break your heart. Right in two.

Psalms 51

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know my failings, and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned.
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit withing me."

All of this is so true for me.
(Right down to my kid getting in trouble in Sunday School Class...seriously, Blake got put in time out in Sunday School a few weeks ago!!!)

And instead of my boys being three...
they are six, but emotionally they are three.
Honestly, they are three year old's in six year old's bodies.

They are immature, love deprived, and inexperienced in everything in life.
Living in American conditions, education,
and most importantly, being part of a family.

It's frustrating, but mostly
it's tiring...
and it breaks. my. heart.
and His.

Things I need to remember

I'm going to make it a point to start adding little entries here of things I want to remember...especially during this stressful time of year.

Thing number one: the kids are laying on my bed, all four of them, tucked in next to each other in a row watching a movie and out of the blue I hear this conversation:

Hunter: "I love you Blake"
Blake: "I love you too Hunter"
Hunter: "Love you Silas"
Silas: "Love you too Hunter"

...then silence. They are back to watching the movie. How precious these little ones are to me...

I've (still) got The Joy!

After yesterday, where I felt like pure crum, I decided it was time to take the bull by the horns and get RID of the winter blues! I made up my mind that I was going to enjoy my life, enjoy parenting (even the hard parts), revive my (normal) positive attitude, and find the joy in my life again. I was encouraged by so many comments and emails from people. Here are some excerpts from emails that I received from the beautiful people who surround me with love and prayers everyday.

"Praying for you every day! I love you! If you need an escape...you are ALWAYS welcome to bring the kids over here! We can lock them all in the playroom while we sip hot cocoa! :o) You are a wonderful momma and woman! Hugs to you!!!"

"I really hope you will be able to relax and enjoy this first Christmas with Blake and Silas and watch their excitement as they learn all about the holiday here in America. I know I get so stressed that I forget to enjoy the moments watching the kids open their gifts and seeing how something small can make them so happy."

"You have done so much praying for me during the past year, I'm going to say a prayer for you. I imagine things are difficult for you right now, but our Lord and Savior will never abandon you."

"I read your blog last night, and you are in my thoughts today. I really, really love you...you and Lincoln are SOOOO special...and you have a VERY special family..."

You all are such a joy to have in my life. God has blessed me with some awesome people, that's for sure!

As we all loaded up in the car last night this song came on and I decided to take that exact moment to rejoice and feel better. We danced in our seats and sang loud (even Blake who can not get the words right no matter how hard he tries!)...I felt better almost immediately!

I hope you can find The JOY as well!



Hunter woke up at 3:00 this morning with the flu, and he had to miss his Christmas party at school. I felt so bad for him, but I think he enjoyed the special time at home with Daddy and Graysen today. I got to go to school and enjoy time with Silas and Blake in their classrooms. What a great kick off to Christmas Break!!!!!!

Thursday Thoughts: The Not-So-Happy Version

Where have I been? Oh, around I suppose...

It's winter time...and Christmas time...which means that Ashley becomes a hermit and tries to avoid contact with as many people as possible. Sad, but true.

I'm praying for a joyful heart, a spirit so full of excitement and joy that it can't help but spill out all over everyone I come in contact with, but so far I've yet to accept that gift, and therefore I sit here with my pj's on and my kids in front of a movie.

It's like the bitter cold just cuts right through me and I have a hard time enjoying anything in life during these months. I long for the day that I can be peaceful at this time of year. I have been avoiding my blog because I just honestly don't have very many positive things to say right now. Although I try to stay real in this journal, I don't necessarily want to record the "bad times" for my kids to remember. So, I just disappear.

We have been doing some fun Christmas / winter activities.

I was able to sneak away to Chicago for three days with two long time friends. We had a blast going to the spa, shopping, singing Christmas carols down the Magnificent Mile, and seeing the Joffery Ballet perform The Nutcracker.

The kids and I made gingerbread houses. We're listening to Christmas music.We're almost done with Christmas shopping. We've got plans to make Christmas ornaments, make our own Nativity, and drive around and look at Christmas lights.

But to be honest I get really stressed about Christmas. I don't like gifts. I don't like the stress of picking out and purchasing gifts for other people (both financially and mentally). I don't like how they bring out the ungrateful spirit in my children.

Mostly this year I am just tired. I'm tired of parenting 24 hours a day. Being on my toes constantly. There is never a second where I feel like I can let my guard down and just enjoy my family. I'm tired of teaching Blake and Silas all the new things that come with being a part of a family, living in America, and healing from their pasts.

I just want to be a normal family. I want for everyone to be able to communicate effectively. I want for people to not stare at us every time we leave the house. I am tired of being the freak, circus side show. It's just. plain. exhausting.

I want Blake and Silas to understand simple rules like not to poke holes in the kitchen table with their fork at dinner. Like the fact that they can not talk back to me or disrespect me just because I am a woman.

I imagine us some day all sitting around the kitchen table playing a game together, reading our Bibles together, eating a quiet meal while we all calmly share about our days.

I've now stopped and started this entry 4 times as I go to break up fights, send someone to time out, make lunch, clean up from lunch, start a game, etc.

This year Christmas, and all that comes with it in America is just too much for me. The commercialism, the expectations, the songs and traditions.

Maybe I'm just expecting too much too soon. Maybe I should have been prepared for this. But I wasn't. I simply wasn't.

Christmas around our home

We don't do much decorating around our house for any holiday. We have small, modest home, so there isn't much space to decorate. We also don't have much space for storage, and I don't like clutter, so...

Decorations + Items already displayed = too much clutter!

Anyway, I do try to decorate for Christmas a bit. I mean, who's birthday is a bigger deal than Jesus'?! So...mostly we have nativity scenes!

This Nativity was, I believe, my Great Grandma's.
The garland is new this year, as is my sign that I scored at a yard sale!

My Grandma kept this Nativity (it lights up) in her living room year round.
Guess where it's been since she went to meet Jesus in person in March?
In my living room...and it will stay there, year round.

Lincoln and I recieved this Nativity as a wedding gift almost 7 years ago.
(What an awesome wedding gift!!)
Hunter made the angel on top a few years ago...

Here is what our fireplace looks like when you step back a bit...
Six stocking holders (but not six stockings yet...yikes!),
three Nativity scenes, and a little garland thrown in for good measure!

This is our newest addition! Our Nativity that we purchased in Ethiopia!
(It's sitting on a mat from Kenya as well!)

Yes, you counted right, that's four Nativity Scenes in my living room!

As a side note...I love receiving Christmas Cards. I think it's a lost art. I will say that I have always sent out New Years Cards, but am trying really hard to get Christmas Cards sent this year! I adore seeing everyone's family year to year, and reading about the new happenings in their lives. I think it's a wonderful time to get a quick update on those that you don't talk to regularly. I hung the garland around our bookcase this year, in hopes that we will receive lots of Christmas Cards and can hang them there for everyone to see! I remember very fondly the Christmas Card holders that we had in my home growing up and how much I loved reading everyone's cards to my parents, even as a child. Even now, I always read everyone's card to my Mom every time I'm at her house.

Merry Christmas!