Just when you thought the marathon was over, I find a song worthy of extending the posts one more day. Besides, I have family photos to share.
One of the family traditions is that the grandkids have special Christmas PJ's. This year the girls went with a Star Wars theme while the grandson opted for Arkansas Razorback attire.
Our daughter and her husband decided on a more subdued wardrobe.
Meanwhile, my wife and me chose traditional Christmas red. Merry Christmas everyone.
This is the first year I have done an encore song. Most of the songs I have posted have centered around the birth of our Savior. Questions have been asked like, "Mary did You Know?" and there has been celebrations like "Hallelujah Chorus". A couple of songs have reminded us that there was no room at the inn for Mary and Joseph. The real question that remains to be asked, "Is there room in your heart for a Savior."
Merry Christmas! Today is the day to celebrate the single greatest event in human history, the birth of Jesus Christ, God's only Son and the Savior of this world.
Well it's time to bring another marathon to a close. Thank you for enduring this adventure with me. It has been a joy and a pleasure to find and post music that speaks to the core values of the Christmas season. It's been a good year.
So from our family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Each year I begin this journey with the Trisha Yearwood video, Take a Walk Through Bethlehem. Yesterday I posted what I believe to be the best arrangement and performance of O Holy Night by David Phelps and today I wrap up this eighth music marathon with my traditional grand finale, a flash mob performing the Hallelujah Chorus. Enjoy.
It's Christmas Eve Sunday!!! Today people all over the world will gather in churches to celebrate the birth of our Savior. They have worked all year, bought gifts, sent cards, traveled across the country to see family, and now it is time to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. A Savior is born. The Prince of Peace, Wonderful Counselor, Emanuel has come to bring peace to the hearts of men.
May you and your family experience the joy of the season. Have a blessed Christmas and a prosperous New Year.
After finishing my post for yesterday I went back into the archives and found other photos of the grand kids baking with Nana at Christmas.
This is 2001 when the oldest was only 5 and the second was about 18 months.
In 2002 cookie cutting training had begun for grand daughter no. 2.
In 2003 grand daughter no. 3 joined the party at the age of two. We were renting a duplex while our new house was being built. The kitchen was tiny so their table became the work space.
By 2005 we were in our new home and all three grand daughters were fully involved in the Christmas baking tradition. Nana kept the youngest one close to her so things wouldn't get too far out of control. Still, you can see flour on the floor.
In 2008 a five-year-old grandson put a masculine touch to the cookie decorating process.
In 2010 The entire crew gathered around the kitchen counter and decorated cookies for the whole family.
Fast forward to 2015 we have downsized and moved into a new home. The second grand daughter is now the tallest of the grand kids and they are all helping Nana in her fourth kitchen since moving to Arkansas.
This year it was all girls in the kitchen once again and the results were spectacular. Just scroll down to the previous post to see a sample of their work. The oldest, on the right, is engaged, so one young man is going to get an experienced baker for a wife. Around our house, it's never just another Christmas. May your family have a very Merry Christmas and the best that the New Year has to offer.
Every year Nana and her baking elves show up in the kitchen just to make sure that Santa and everyone else have sweet things to eat. The kitchen island turns into their workshop and a sea of sweet treats begin to appear.
And you thought that the movie "Elf" was fictional. I'm here to tell you that the magic happens right here in Nana's kitchen. Family and neighbors will benefit from the work of Nana and her baking elves. Goodies will be packaged and delivered before Christmas day.
And there will be a special plate of delights for Santa.
In a society that seems to always be in a rush to get to the next thing, slowing down and taking the time to enjoy family and friends throughout the holiday season is just what we need. It's like a "Breath of Heaven". Have a blessed day.
Soon we will be exchanging gifts, sharing food and fellowship with friends and family. Time will be spent with those we love and memories will be made. The greatest gift of all was shared with us by our Creator. Jesus is called Prince of Peace, Emmanuel, Savior, and yes his birth brought this world Glorious Impossible. Have a blessed day.
My favorite ornaments are the photo ornaments of the grand kids. We have one ornament for each child from their first Christmas until they reach the age of 18. Each year we add a photo ornament of each grandchild until they graduate high school. As noted on Monday the oldest grand daughter is now 21 and engaged to be married. The second grand daughter is 17, so next year will be her last ornament. The youngest grand daughter is 16 and the grandson is 14, so we are nearing the end of our ornament journey. I would suggest this Christmas tradition for any family. We have a small tree in the den to display these ornaments. There are now far more ornaments than space on the tree, so we trade different ones out each year. Christmas is about a Savior. But Christmas is also about family and sharing our lives together and making memories. The photo ornaments are a way of preserving those memories. Have a blessed day.
