musings of a christmas elf

I LOVE Christmas.  I love everything about it.  I love decorating and buying gifts for people.  I love all of the family events that occur around the time of Christmas; this years events were gingerbread men at the Gaylord Hotel, driving to look at lights, crafting, baking, and going to see Santa.  However, my favorite day is actually Christmas Eve.  I love how quiet it is since we've finished buying, wrapping, decorating, and baking.  I love the focus on Jesus.  I LOVE Christmas Eve service.

My first Christmas Eve service memories were my friend Brent singing "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" year after year.  I still think of him as I hear that song. As we got older, my youth group friends and I would always sit in the balcony and exchange gifts and would wait until midnight to say "Merry Christmas."  After B. and were in high school, we would go to his service at 7, then go to our friend Pam's house for a party and then on to my church at 11.  I don't remember many of the services though I do remember one particular service at B's church where it was silent prayer after each bible verse.  We prayed silently for sooo long that Brandon's mom leaned over and said, "I have cancer and i"m praying for my hangnail."  It was a sign of a service too long. hehe

Since moving to our home, our Christmas Eve services haven't been the same.  One year we went to the late service and got there 30 minutes early like you have to do at our home churches and we were practically alone and in the front row.  It just wasn't the same with out all of the family and friends.  After A. was born we tried the family service and got there on time.  We sat outside of the sanctuary where people had to keep going in front of us to get to the bathroom... 30ish times.  We couldn't hear anything and we didn't know any of the kids... we didn't get any closer to God from that service.

This year, was a whole new experience.  A. was in the service this year.  She was a shepherd.  According to her, there were too many girls that wanted to be angels and there weren't enough wings.  So, she got a pink shepherd shirt. She wanted to know her name.  I tried to find some names int he bible though surprisingly, I couldn't really find any, even Joseph's brothers weren't named.  Anyway, I finally just settled on some random biblical names that she didn't know.  She was Typhus.

 She was an adorable Typhus.

She was a scared to death, I don't want to wear my head piece, Typhus.  

Then, she turned into a I'm so comfortable up here, I'm going to sit down and take off my shoes Typhus. 

I was a proud mama, tearing up at the "Happy Birthday Jesus song,  that was thanking the Lord for putting us in this church.