my husband is not a card person. he just doesn't see the point, and slowly his views on cards have been wearing off on me over the years. a couple of years ago we decided to forego cards in order to save some money. when it comes right down to it, i'd rather spend that money on a gift for someone rather than 100 cards that will get thrown in the trash.
and this year since i have this tiny little corner of the internet to hold our friends' and family's attention, i will share with you what would be in our christmas card, if we were to send one.
ahh, the most wonderful time of the year. it's here, and i couldn't be more excited. but the fight to remain "un-busy" (that could be a word, right?) seems so much harder around this time, you know? it's like a rule or something. from thanksgiving until the first week of january, you must be busy.
period. not up for discussion.
we are fighting the good fight, though, and trying to make the most of this holiday season and treasure the spirit of what this season means. so, like a lot of families, we tried to start doing an advent calendar and activities each day to prepare for christmas. however, two days into it, we discovered that with our schedule, it just doesn't really work. we have a window of time between 11:30 am until 1:30 pm that is "free", where for the most part, we are all together under the same roof, but it just feels like too much to try to schedule some type of activity in there. i tried really hard to organize it, creating a calendar of full of family activities for everyday, and on that second day when i was sitting on the couch all by myself, i realized i was going to have to let go of my advent ideals and just have to accept that it might have to be more spontaneous this year. so when the opportunity presents itself, we jump on it. it's a lot less stressful and way more fun! the other night was one of those times. we grabbed dinner out and as we drove home in the snow, mike drove right past the driveway and headed over to a house that puts on a musical light display complete with their own radio frequency. it was such a simple activity, but to us it was so special to have a night where we could choose to live in the freedom of a night without responsibilities.
my heart's desire for christmas in our home is to protect the spirit of christmas and create fond memories for our kids. i want eli and any future children to look back and remember the fun we had during this time of year, as well as to learn from a young age why we celebrate christmas. but i'm thinking, this is really hard with a 2 year old. we tried reading through the "jesus storybook bible" and you would have thought we were reading from encyclopedia britannica. he sat through maybe a paragraph and proceeded to climb off my lap and locate the nearest toy to escape. so, either our child hates the bible or he's just not quite ready for that level of reading material. so, then i found a children's book, a golden book no less, about the christmas story. perfect. this will be perfect.....until we come across sentences like "The streets were full of cheerful, jostling kinsmen." really? jostling kinsmen? so that book will go on the shelf until next year or 5 years from now. i guess for now we will stick to talking about the nativity set and try to focus less on the wise men bringing Jesus presents and more on baby Jesus.
and of course, what's christmas without some crafting? this time of year always sparks my desire to make all the things. and naturally i want to impart my love for arts and crafts onto my son.
here's a recent conversation between mike and i after an arts and crafts session:
me: "so i feel like eli isn't going to love crafts like i want him to."
mike: "what do you mean?"
me: "well, i try to do crafts with him, and he he's done after like 2 minutes. he just doesn't seem to love it."
mike: "well, he is 2."
yes, there is that. me and my high expectations. i will keep trying though, don't you worry!
on a completely unrelated note, can i tell you what i can't get enough of this christmas season? candles! i love christmas scents. my hands down favorite christmas candle is one i found at kohl's years ago called "white christmas". i stock up every year. but then there are so many other yummy smells. i seriously have to restrain myself from buying a candle every time i go to the store. there's just something about cozying up the couch with a hot drink and candles burning when there's snow on the ground and a chill in the air.
now if only those little elves would be so nice as to come keep my house clean everyday in preparation for christmas.......
Christmas has come and gone, and yes, I'm quite sad about it.
It never lasts long enough.
I think this year was especially different because our little boy spent the latter half of Christmas day with a fever.
It made me really sad to see him not being able to enjoy Christmas because he didn't feel well.
AND we didn't even get a family picture.
Yes, I am sad about that too & yes, we will put on the same clothes we were wearing and recreate the night so we can get that picture...once the sickness has left our house.
Our poor boy is still fighting this nasty flu bug & it stinks!
He's never been sick before so this is new for us.
We're just taking it day by day & praying that we don't get it!
Good thing we didn't have big NYE plans!
Enjoy 2 weeks worth of pics since last week I sort of fell asleep.
1. Praising Jesus
2. She Reads Truth goodness
3. Visiting a horse
4. Kisses for Dink Dink
5. Socks & a diaper
6. Saving money on gas? Yes, please!
7. New scarf from a friend
8. Wrapping gifts
9. Double-fisting it
1. New game
2. Thinking I might get some quiet time before everyone wakes up....didn't happen
2. Valentine's already???? On Christmas EVE???
3. So much to do but so comfortable sitting right here
Tonight I'm linking up with Julie at Green Eggs & Hammes.
She and some other gals are hosting a link up party:
Friends, I love Christmas time.
I just love everything about it.
The decorating, the baking, the picking out of gifts, the making of gifts, the lights, the music.....it's just such a special time that I truly cherish.
So, I thought it might be fun to join in the fun to share some of our Christmas with you & check out how others make Christmas special in their homes as well.
So this is about as festive as the outside of the house gets.
We don't have any electrical outlets outside which makes it pretty difficult to do anything really nice, so I just stick a wreath on the door & call it decorated. {and yes, those pumpkins are still there....meshing of the holidays? i don't know!}
This year I switched it up a bit, & I decided to make this frame wreath I found on Pinterest.
I think it turned out pretty cute, but I just can't figure out how to get it to stay up!
Every few days after I fix it, I hear a crash at the front door & find it in shambles on the ground.
I'm on my second frame. The frame in this pic broke.
I will persist though!
Onto the entry way: {not that people actually enter our house this way. if you came to our house, we'd totally invite you to use the back door just like everyone else!}
This year I wanted to get an Advent calendar & went with one from Naptime Diaries. We don't do a very good job of completing an Advent activity everyday, but it looks really pretty!
And here's a look at the living room: {which is still not complete, so please ignore the blank walls & lack of curtains}
{ooh sorry for the blurry pic}
I got this little tree from a friend a couple of years ago & I really like it because the stars are magnets so I can change them around. This year Eli decorated this tree!
I used to put all of the cards we got around a door frame, but this year I decided to use this planter I had as a card box instead. {maybe you see yours in there?}
This year our tree came from the lovely tree farm found at Home Depot. We used to cut it down, but found it to be much cheaper {and easier} to just buy one with the work already done for us.
Our tree pretty much looks the same every year, but I really love it. I have a thing for stars, so you'll find quite a few variety hanging on the tree. I also love the word "joy", especially at Christmas, so there are a few of those floating around as well.
The one thing I did differently on our tree this year was make a new garland.
At midnight. On a Saturday night.
It just had to be done then!
Here's a pic at night, when let's be honest, is the best time to gaze upon the tree.
I've done quite a bit of Christmas crafting in the last couple weeks:
I like how this garland frames the tree when you look at it through the doorway. {and in this pic, the cute little one playing with the trashcan}
And a few other random decorations...things I've picked up over the years:
Even though we aren't going to "do" Santa with our kids, I really like the vintage look of this little guy. And if our kids ask, I'll call him St. Nicholas.
As far as traditions go, the biggest one is a big family breakfast on Christmas morning.
And because breakfast is my absolute favorite meal, this is one of my favorite traditions.
And with the invention of Pinterest, there are so many recipes I want try this year.
We also host Christmas for my mom's side of the family, so in the evening we'll have everyone here to eat dinner & exchange gifts.
Mike & I exchange one gift Christmas Eve and then do the rest before our families come over Christmas morning.
I'm excited to see how Eli reacts to opening gifts this year. I'm sure the paper & boxes will be a huge hit, which is ok, because honestly, he's not getting a ton from us. Between grandparents, aunts & uncles, I'm sure he'll get more than enough!
I'm sure there is more that I could share, but I feel as though this post might just be the longest post ever.
So, thanks for allowing me to share Christmas at the Rubin household with you.
May you be blessed this Christmas season & experience true Joy in the birthday celebration of our Savior!
Now that the holidays are quickly approaching, you know you can't turn on the radio without hearing the most wonderful tunes of all.
A little "Jingle Bell Rock", "Santa Claus is Coming to Town", "O Holy Night".
Christmas music.
I do love Christmas music,
though I will share with you two songs that I CANNOT STAND:
Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time"
&
"Christmas Wrapping" by the Waitresses
{totally had to look that up because I really had no idea who it was}
Worst.Christmas.Songs.EVER.
Well, the other day I was in the car heading over to Lowe's to get paint & singing along to the tunes playing in the car when one song just hit me over the head.
Did you ever have a moment like that when you hear something or even read something 1000 times & for some reason in that 1001 time, it just strikes you as something you've never heard of or thought about before?
Ok, well this was like that.
The song was "A Baby Changes Everything" by Faith Hill.
I've definitely heard this song countless times at Christmas, but for some reason, hearing it the other day really hit me & I was fighting the tears back.
{only because my dad was in the car with me & I just didn't feel like having to explain why heading to Lowe's was causing such an outpouring of emotion.}
I know I heard this song last year & Eli was 3 months old, but I think I was still too much in that "new baby" fog to really think about this song.
But on this day I started thinking about Mary & the implications of her pregnancy.
The thoughts that must have been running through her head.
Humbled, honored, confused, scared, joyful, maybe even embarrassed.
But she had to have known that this baby would be The One.
This would be the Messiah they had been waiting for & she would've known what the Old Testament prophesied:
Jesus Christ would be hated without reason.
Jesus Christ would be rejected by the Jewish people.
Jesus Christ would be plotted against by Jewish people and the Gentiles together.
Jesus Christ would be betrayed by a friend.
Jesus Christ would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
Jesus Christ would be forsaken by His flock.
Jesus Christ the shepherd would be struck.
Jesus Christ would be spat on.
Jesus Christ would be mocked.
Jesus Christ would be beaten.
Jesus Christ would be executed by Crucifixion, having His hands and feet pierced.
If you're a parent, if you're a mom, can you imagine?
Knowing you will be bringing a child into the world to face this.
As parents, it's our job to protect our kids, not lead them into the face of danger.
But Mary, do you know what she said?
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”
{Luke 1:38}
and
“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant."
{Luke 1:47-48}
I think my favorite part of this last statement is
"for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant".
She completely, 100%, without a shadow of a doubt, trusted His Sovereignty.
She knew she was just a nobody in the grand scheme of things, but trusted Him to do whatever He wanted with her because she loved Him.
It didn't matter that she would have to go explain to her fiance, that she had not so much as touched, that she was going to be having a baby & she already had a name picked out.
It didn't matter that people would most definitely be pointing & talking behind her back.
Not to mention she was young! Just a teenager.
But then she also knew that:
Jesus Christ's death would atone for the sins of mankind.
Jesus Christ would ascend to the right hand of God.
Jesus Christ would exercise His Priestly Office in Heaven.
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