CHRISTMAS EVE FAVES

 

Our host, Susanne, from Living to Tell the Story, is not having an official Friday Fave Five but I decided, since I'm on Christmas vacation and have the time (in this house we are all set for the Christmas celebrations to begin....I have a free morning!) that I would list FIVE of my FAVE blessings from the past week.  Feel free to write your own post and leave me a comment so I can come visit your faves.

the side entrance from the garage to the kitchen

• CHRISTMAS CARDS!  We have more Christmas cards this year than in the past couple of years....I think maybe because we have so many friends and family who don't really get on social media and also we both have family that live quite far from us....and I have friends I still keep in touch with from my undergraduate college days out in Rochester, NY. I even have one friend from  grad school from my Uni Albany days that stays in touch with me via Christmas cards.  It's always fun to see how many we receive and to read the messages inside.  Some people still do the old fashioned newsletter too!  This year I sent just a short summary of what's going on in our lives but this will be my last year for all of that.  I do like sending and receiving cards though and they look so pretty on our kitchen door.  As of 3 pm yesterday, we have received 25 cards! I'm thankful for each and every person who sent their Christmas greetings.

the quote is from John Muir 
and was sent by a blogging friend from Utah

from a woman in my small group

from my student J-----
who also gave me a gift card to Target!

• GIFTS! I opened up 2 packages this week:  one was delivered to me at the last small group I led in November by a woman who has joined my last few studies.  She's a quiet woman who doesn't share much during group but the note she wrote to me and the book about various Christian women in history were very touching to me.  I also received a fun mug (remember: I collect mugs!) with one of my fave John Muir quotes on it from a blogging friend who is also a pen pal via letters and email. I also received numerous coffee shop gift cards, a cute gnome santa, another mug, and chocolate truffles from the parents of my students.  It's little gifts like these that make my heart feel full of thanks.  

the beginning of the wooded trail
Crossings of Colonie

first day of Winter beauty

golden sunshine on Winter Solstice Day

The Orchard Trail
Crossings of Colonie

• WALKS IN NATURE:  This past week has been a wonderful ending to our very mild Autumn and a great start to the Winter season. I walked on 21 December, Winter Solstice Day, in the large park in the south part of our town after work.  It was wonderful.  Temps were in the low 40s and many people were power walking, casually walking or jogging.  Children were at both playgrounds in the park and laughter filled the air.  I decided to do the wooded trail (more like a fast-paced hike) and then take the trail over to the Orchard part of the park where it is flat.  I ended up power walking about 1.2 miles and then had to run errands.  I'm thankful for safe places to work out and that I've been able to get work outs done outdoors in the fresh air.

Claire at UNH
Graduation Photos

• Birthday!  Claire, our Winter Solstice baby, turned 23 on Tuesday!  How the time flies.  She is still living at home and requested my Veggie Pot Pie (totally vegan!), Cranberry Mimosas, and my Russian tea cakes for her birthday dinner. She went out for appetizers first with her friend Jonny to a new vegan pub in the city across the river from us.  I'm thankful for this girl.  We ended up watching her favorite Christmas movie that evening.  Time spent with this girl is something I'm always thankful for. 

6:45 am
24 December!

• SNOW!  We woke up to the sound of the garage door closing (Claire had to be at Starbucks at 5:30 am) and since we both are on vacation, Dave and I went back to sleep not knowing it was snowing outside!  When I came down to the kitchen at 6:45 to make coffee, I realized there was a strange lightness to the morning and I turned on the deck lights off the family room to see it is lightly snowing!  Snow in time for Christmas!!  We aren't expecting much but it's so pretty and pure. I'm thankful I live in the Northeast where we enjoy the beauty of 4 distinct seasons. 

That wraps up my week leading up to Christmas Eve/Christmas.

I hope and pray you embrace every moment of this weekend and that you remember to look to the One who brings Peace, Joy, Love, Light, and Life.

image courtesy of p*nterest

MERRY CHRISTMAS!