These Are The Special Times: December 2009

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Saturday's Song - The First Noel & Joy To The World

Well this will be my last installment of the Christmas version of Saturday’s song. I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas day yesterday. I hope it was filled with the ones you love celebrating the birth of one who loved us so much He came to this earth born in a humble stable to save us from an eternity of being lost.

We will be traveling today to spend the rest of the holiday season with my family in Boise. It has almost been a year since we were last there and I’m still reeling from what happened to the year that has flown by so quickly I wonder where it went. They say time flies when you’re having fun, I don’t think 2009 was a particularly fun year (only a few great highlights) but not working has had some plus sides to it.

I still keep coming across Christmas songs that are my favorites but I will end it with these two.

The First Noel
as sang by Carrie Underwood

The First Noel, the Angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star
Shining in the East beyond them far
And to the earth it gave great light
And so it continued both day and night.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!

Joy To The World
as sang by Casting Crowns on the "Peace on Earth" album

Joy to the world
The Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and heaven and nature sing

Joy to the world
The Savior Reigns
Let men their songs employ
While fields and floods
Rocks, hills, and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat the sounding joy

He rules the world
With truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Saturday's Song - O Come All Ye Faithful & Silent Night

This is my 100th post and I'm less than 2 weeks away from my Blogoversary, wow!

I can't believe Christmas is less than a week away...where did the last month go? But then again where has the last year gone. This has probably been one of the better Christmas holidays we've had in a long time...even though we are short on finances this year and are paring way back. Scott has had very few days in the last 2 weeks where he has actually worked and in the next several weeks things look as if they will be slow for him as well. We went to his Christmas party tonight and the owner of the company he works for apologized to all the guys for being slow but also expressed that they were hoping things would pick up soon and that this is the first time ever they have had to deal with these challenges....for being in the construction industry that is pretty good if this is the first time they have encountered a slow time. Since Scott has been home more, we have decorated together, baked together, shopped together, wrapped together, watched Christmas movies together and have been spending a lot of time together...he's been speaking one of my love languages. It has just made this normally hectic time flow so much smoother and relaxing for me.

Here are another 2 Christmas favorites of mine. I can remember singing "O Come All Ye Faithful" year round though in church (especially those years where my dad was the worship leader).

O Come All Ye Faithful
Casting Crowns from the Peace on Earth album

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye
To Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the king of angels
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the lord

Sing, choirs of angels
Sing in exaltation
Sing, all ye citizens
Of heaven above
Glory to God
Glory in the highest
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

Yeah Lord we greet thee
Born this happy morning
Jesus to thee be all glory give
Word of the Father
Now in flesh appearing
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him
Christ the Lord

O come let us adore Him
He is Christ the Lord
O come let us adore Him
O come let us adore Him

Silent Night
Casting Crowns from the Peace on Earth album

Silent night
Holy night
All is calm
All is bright
Round yon virgin
Mother and child
Holy infant
So tender and mild
Sleep in heavenly peace
Sleep in heavenly peace

Silent night
Holy night
Shepherds quake
At the sight
Glory streams
From heaven afar
Heavenly hosts
Sing alleluia
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

With the angels
Let us sing
Alleluias to the King
Christ the Savior is born
Christ the Savior is born

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Christmas Tour of Homes 2009

Last year at this time I came across The Tour of Homes 2008 from one of the blog's I follow and thought it was pretty cool and loved some of the decorating ideas that others had. I thought about joining in then but I hadn't started a blog yet and I had a lot going on last year so I kept it in mind to do this year. If you have a chance go here to check out everyone who has joined in on this years tour; it can be overwhelming so you have to do it over a period of time since there are so many. If you would like to join in you can also do so by adding your link to that post.

This is what the outside of our house looks like all lit up. We used to put up two of those animated deer and three spiral trees in the yard, however, after the last two winters we've had, where the snow is so deep they are buried, we've left them in their boxes. Maybe one of these years we will have a mild winter again and they'll be able to join the rest of the holiday lights again. We try to get these lights up the weekend before Thanksgiving before a lot of the snow starts to fall.

We usually try to get the inside decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving or that first week in December. It takes a couple of days to get it all up and this year I was so thankful that Scott helped put up 90% of the decorations. I hate doing it all by myself and it feels more like a holiday if you can do the decorating as a family.

Two years ago we added the smaller 4' tree to our decor and I use it to put all the grandkids ornaments and any fun type of ornaments...making it our grandkids tree. I got this wonderful idea from my stepmom, who puts up about 15 (I think that is the number this year) trees (mind you they are the pencil trees) all decorated differently and put throughout the house. I collect ornaments and I have so many that I can decorate two trees and they both end up very full. I've also added to our main big tree lots of twisted glass icicles and a lot of clear (crystal looking) snowflakes. The picture of our banister all lit up is taken standing next to the larger tree, so all of this is in our living room area of the house. At night when all the lights are off besides the Christmas lights and all the candles lit our room ends up being so beautiful and cozy. The "Noel" blocks in front of my tv were a gift from my stepdaughter last year, so this is the first year I was able to add them to the decor.We put all the stuffed "toys" on the stairs and the snowman at the piano is one of those Hallmark specials that is Scott's favorite...he feels the need to hit the button at least a couple of times a day going up the stairs....it cracks me up that he is so much of a kid inside.

The red and gold floral arrangement on the floor is one we got from my dad and stepmom that was part of the decor in their December wedding several years back.

In the picture with the two Santa's (the closer one) is a new addition this year. It belonged to Scott's parents and he has always remembered and loved this Santa and has wanted it passed down to him. His mom passed away almost 4 years ago and his dad brought it over to him a couple of weeks ago when he came across it while going through things, making Scott very happy that he now gets the Santa (apparently it is a very old one as well).

The cream colored nativity in the bookcase is probably the oldest (aside from some of my collected ornaments) of my Christmas decorations. I've had this since the early nineties, way before Scott and I were married, and it is one of my favorites to put up.

As you can see I have a lot of candles all over too, I've learned it is best to just use a lot of tealights so I don't have all these candle cups to clean out.

These are only some of the ornaments I've collected over the years. I love Tinkerbell and have several ornaments with her, we have several from different trips we have made, and my sister and I always exchange an ornament with each other every year. A lot of years it will be a "sisters" ornament but not always. The Santa and Mrs. Claus ornament in the bottom right corner of the picture above is really cute, I have it on a spinner thing that you plug into one of the sockets on the light strand and it spins around like they are really dancing. The two bears kissing on a pinecone in the top right corner, was our first ornament for our first Christmas together.

This is the first year I've done the top of my tree so elaborately with all the "stuff" coming out of the top with the angel. After seeing so many trees decorated this way at the Festival of Trees I decided to try it on our tree this year.

We got our tree the first year after being married (so we've had it 9 years now) and it is 7.5' pre-lit with 800 lights (last year I put flashers in some of the strings so it kind of twinkles) and has a motor in the base of it that makes it spin around. I love this because we get to see all of the ornaments on the tree. This year we had quite a bit of trouble with the lights because after 8 years, there were a bunch of bulbs that had just had it and needed to be replaced so I ended up replacing a ton of them before we could even decorate it.

These remaining pictures are throughout the house. Above my kitchen cabinets I have the snowmen with the silver metal trees, the Santa next to the green sleigh, the pencil trees with poinsettias, and the silver lit tree. The nativity was a new addition last year and is one of my favorites. The white poinsettia trees and the poinsettias going down the railing downstairs are also leftover wedding decorations from my dad and stepmom's wedding. It was a beautiful wedding all the "Christmasy" decorations. I do have a few more things here and there but I already overdid it in the pictures department.

I hope you enjoyed seeing all my decorations, I know I enjoy doing it. My house makes a transformation at this time of year, I take down all my pictures and collectibles that are usually on the bookcase and hutch and put up Christmas. I try to get as much enjoyment out of it every year. Sorry for this being such a long post, if I decide to do this again next year, it shouldn't be so long.

Merry Christmas & God's blessings to everyone this holiday.

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Saturday's Song - The Virgin's Lullaby & Joseph's Lullaby

These two songs are ones I remember hearing for the first time last year and I just love them both.

The Virgin's Lullaby
performed by The Nativity Voices (from the movie "The Nativity Story")

I am a shepherd
Humbled by Heaven's bright star
I am nothing to offer
But the peace that I hold in my heart
Tonight I saw the Heaven's open
As angels filled the sky
But nothings ever touched my soul
Like a virgin's lullaby

Chorus
Sleep tonight
Close your eyes
Oh child of mine
You bring the world love
Glory divine

We are the kings
Traveled so far from the East
Bearing gifts
To lay before the Prince of Peace
We've seen the world and all its wonder
But here before our eyes
We're humbled by the miracle
Of a virgin's lullaby

Chorus
Sleep tonight
Close your eyes
Oh child of mine
You bring the world love
Glory divine

We are the angels
Sent from the throne on high
To join in this lullaby
His praises we sing

Chorus
Sleep tonight
Close your eyes
Oh child of mine
You bring the world love
Glory divine

Let your light shine
Bring the world love
Glory devine

Joseph's Lullaby
by Mercy Me on their Christmas Sessions album

Go to sleep my Son
This manger for your bed
You have a long road before You
Rest Your little head

Can You feel the weight of Your glory?
Do You understand the price?
Does the Father guard Your heart for now
So You can sleep tonight?

Go to sleep my Son
Go and chase Your dreams
This world can wait for one more moment
Go and sleep in peace

I believe the glory of Heaven
Is lying in my arms tonight
Lord, I ask that He for just this moment
Simply be my child

Go to sleep my Son
Baby, close Your eyes
Soon enough You'll save the day
But for now, dear Child of mine
Oh my Jesus, Sleep tight

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Saturday's Song - Breath of Heaven & Mary Did You Know

Another couple of Christmas favorites of mine.

Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song)
as sang by Amy Grant

I have traveled
Many moonless night
Cold and Weary
With a babe inside
And I wonder
What I've done
Holy Father
You have come
Chosen me now
To carry your son

I am waiting
in a silent prayer
I am frightened
by the load i bear
In a world as cold as stone
Must I walk this path alone
Be with me now
Be with me now

Chorus
Breath of Heaven
Hold me together
Be forever near me
Breath of Heaven

Breath of Heaven
Lighten my darkness
Pour over me, your holiness
For your holy
Breath of Heaven

Do you wonder
As you watch my face
If a wiser one, should of had my place
But I offer-all I am
For the mercy-of your plan
Help me be strong
Help me be
Help me

Chorus

Mary Did You Know
as sang by Mark Lowry (he also wrote this song)

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know
That your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered
Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?
Did you know
That your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby
You've kissed the face of God

Mary, did you know?
The blind will see
The deaf will hear
And the dead will live again
The lame will leap
The dumb will speak
The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know
That your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary, did you know
That your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know
That your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding
Is the Great I Am

Oh Mary did you know?