As I carried the tree in the house, Kaitlyn stood inside the back door and said, “T’mon Judy…you tan do it.” I had to set down the tree because I was laughing so hard. I cleared a path of furniture to the tree’s designated resting place and then carried the tree through the house. A few of the frozen needles fell off and left a path on the floor, which Kaitlyn insisted I sweep up right away. She helped by pointing them out to me.

Down in the basement we found some Christmas decorations and a few boxes of lights. I plugged in the string of lights to test them which caused Kaitlyn to “oooooh and aaaaaah.” I draped them on the tree and then connected the star. Needless to say, the effect inspired four or five verses of “Oh my goodness, Judy. It’s so bewtiful.”

It was getting a bit late so we decided to leave the rest of the decorations until morning. Caressa and I easily convinced Kaitlyn to get in bed by stringing the last box of lights over the window trim in her bedroom. From his crib, Jeremy’s eyes twinkled and a great big smile broke out on his face.

I’m so thankful to be sharing Christmas with Caressa and the kids. It’s a blessing I never expected. My heart is happy and I feel like Buddy the Elf does about Christmas. I like smiling. Smiling is my favorite thing. I serve a gracious God who always manages to add a little something special to the story of my life.

Thanks to Nathan, my nephew, I can gaze out the backdoor to check the temperature and pay homage to my SF49ers at the same time.

This afternoon, the temperature dropped from 30 to ten in just a few hours…and now it’s six (6) degrees.

It’s beginning to look – and feel – a lot like Christmas.

I’ve given up trying to pretend I’m not crying. And the truth is, all the hymns have words that would melt even the hardest of hearts. I am particularly vulnerable because of all the grace that’s been extended to me. So not tears of sorrow…tears of thankfulness that overflow from my heart.

My Song Is Love Unknown

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so devine!
Never was love, dear King,
Never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend,
In Whose sweet praise
I all my days
Could gladly spend!

Being reminded of how His suffering is a small sacrifice I can willingly endure. Thankfully, I know the end of the story. Christ has Risen and He is the King!

Five years ago…

Pray for my Mom. She thought she was avoiding the Idaho snow…only to be in Greece for a freak snow storm.

I believe spring starts when my neighbor, I’ll call him Mr. Jones, mows his lawn.

I watched the “process” through my kitchen window. First Mr. Jones takes “the walk.” He slowly scans the yard for *objects* that could be hazardous to the lawn mower, while at the same time looking for his arch nemesis–the dandelion. Once the hazards are removed and the evil dandelions plucked from the soil, it’s time to get the mower. Mr. Jones fills the mower with gas, pulls the cord thingy a time or two, and the engine wakes up after a long winter’s nap. They work as a team, moving over the yard, leaving a pattern behind that inevitably looks like spring. Mr. Jones makes it look so easy.

I hear from a neighbor kid that the dastardly dandelion has been joined by an equally formidable foe this year –clover. Good luck Mr. Jones and thanks for ushering in spring.