Can Hardly Wait...!

I know I haven't blogged any ornaments in a few. It's been kinda busy trying to finish up all the things that need to be done before...I GET TO GO TO FLORIDA FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!
I am so excited! I can hardly wait!! It's gonna be so great!!!
We have to make it through set up, a DOUBLE 18th birthday party(with about 50+ kids expected), a lock-in after the party of OUR youth group kids, a childrens church Christmas party in the morning, and a youth Christmas party. Once this is done, we will go home, sleep for a little bit, then take a trip to Florida!!!!
I am really looking forward to the parties...it will be fun. I just want to get on the road and head south!

I can hardly wait to get there and see my parents and my brother & his family!
I can hardly wait to see all our Florida friends! I can hardly wait to hang out with them all and enjoy some good fellowship and make some wonderful memories!!!!

Until then...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE! Remember how much God loved us to send us the precious gift of His Son for us~

R U still interested in my ornaments?!?

I know to some people collecting momentos from places you've been seems silly. For me, it's the memories that it brings back!

This ornament comes from Colonial Williamsburg, VA!

Our very first winter that we stayed here in NC, my parents came up to spend Christmas with us! Now, that was a HUGE DEAL to me! You see, I have a brother and sister-in-law who have given my parents 5 grandchildren (4 at the time!). For my parents to come and spend it with me and Claude was a priceless memory! Anyway, a couple days after Christmas, we went to Williamsburg together. None of us had ever been! It was alot of fun shopping, sightseeing, etc!

So, this little porcelain ornament reminds me of how much my parents love me! They gave up spending a Christmas with their grandkids to spend it with their daughter and son-in-law!

I love you, Mom & Dad!

Gotta love them ornaments!

Anyone who knows me fairly well KNOWS that I love CocaCola! I love the CocaCola polar bear even more! I have a hope chest FULL of CocaCola stuff and my spare bedroom & bathroom are CocaCola!

I have several Coke ornaments, but this one's my favorite!

I believe we got him on our trip to Atlanta at the CocaCola store! That place was AWESOME!!!

Ornament memories #7

This is not a very good picture of this ornament. It's "falling stars". I told you, I love unique ornaments! There were only 2 of these (again!) so i got both of them!

No real sentiment behind them either, just love the way they look on the tree! Like stars falling down the branches!

More Christmas fun!

This time, I'm gonn post 2 ornaments! they kinda go together!

I've been collecting ornaments every year since we've been married. Here are 2 of my favorite!

I'm not a teddy bear kinda girl, but I just thought this was sweet! This was from 2003!

The look in the eyes of these reindeer had me from the start!

This is me, looking all flittering eyed at Claude, who looks like a "deer in the headlight"!!!

This one from 2004!

Christmas, take 6

There's no real sentimental story behind this ornament!

I just thought it was unique! Instead of hanging from the tree, it looks as if it's floating and holding the tree limb up! I could only find 2 of this ornament...so I bought both!

I've had these for about 8 years! (I'm still amazed at how I haven't broken any of these!)

It's soooo pretty!

Christmas, take 5

For those who don't know, this is an Irish symbol, called Claddagh. The hands stand for friendship, the crown stands for loyalty, and the heart stands for love!

(The very first piece of jewelry Claude every bought me was an Irish wedding band, aka Claddagh!). I love the absolute beauty in what it stands for!

Everytime I pull this ornament out and hang it, I'm reminded of that first Christmas gift I received from my wonderful husband!

I am so blessed!

Christmas #4

While we were in Florida, Claude & I were heavily involved in the AWANA clubs. Claude was the AWANA Commander at our church & I was director of the 5th-6th grade girls.

We loved this ministry because we saw what a huge impact it made on kids!

After a few years of helping out with the ministry in Central Florida, the AWANA missionaries, Jim & Tara Lambeth, asked us if we would like to join the missionary team! We, of course, said YES!!!

Jim & Tara had an opportunity to go on a missions trip to India one year. They brought back this ornament. I just find it so pretty and, to know that it came all the way from India, is just neat!

Christmas #3

When we were in Florida, we became friends with a couple that, I must say, I NEVER SAW MYSELF being friends with! He was always so full of Biblical knowledge and so "deep" and she SEEMED like the submissive sweet wife!

Well, I was wrong! About a great many things when it came to this couple!

Todd & Diona Boyle are a unique couple. He actually IS very spiritual and deep. But, not in a pious or fake way. He truly loves the Lord and loves sharing what he's learned about Jesus with anyone who will listen! He's a kind and thoughtful man and I know Claude loved hanging out with him!

Diona...what can I say about her?!? We are ALOT more alike than I ever dreamed possible! Sweet...yes! Submissive...yes! But, definitely the feisty, stubborn one of the two! She was my "partner in crime"! Our motto was always "better to ask forgiveness, than permission"!!! You laugh, but we got ALOT more accomplished when we went with our guts than when we waited on the committees and red tape that sometimes go with Southern Baptist churches!!! I love her! She was the brains and I was the brawn! She'd have these brilliant ideas and it was my job to make sure that they happened!

For the entire time we've ever worked in childrens church, they have been the ONLY couple that was in there all the time with us. We've never had any other 2 people dedicate their time and their chance at sitting in a service to the childrens ministry!

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that they gave this ornament to us the year before we moved. It means so much to me bcause everytime I pull it out and hang it on the tree, I remember them and how much they love us and pray for us!

Thank U Todd & Diona! We will always love U and ur family more than we can say!

No ornament today...

I am having some difficulty getting my picture uploaded, so I decided to put something else on!

I was looking at animal videos on youtube and thought this was soooooo adorable! Hope u enjoy it!

I love Christmas #2

Claude didn't really see much need to put up a Christmas tree and decorate the house up since we won't be here for Christmas. But, somehow he understood just how much it meant to me so he pulled all the stuff out of the attic space and hauled it downstairs for me! I just adore that Man!

I love having a fake tree...I loved having a real tree. But, all in all, I love my fake tree better. It's just so convenient! When I'm ready to put it up, I don't have to go pick one out from Home Depot (NEVER LOWES!!! Got one with worms in it one year...NEVER AGAIN!). It's me, whatever works the most efficient. Besides, I got the tree 6 years ago from Walmart for $25!!! How can u beat that?!? A 7 1/2ft tree for $25 that I can use again and again!!!!!!

Anyway, I think it looks pretty real! And, I have a Yankee Candle that is evergreen/spruce scented so the house still smells like a tree is inside!

What do you think?!?

We love it!

Friends from Discovery Church gave this to us last year! Isn't it beautiful!?!

Thank U, Gar & Stacy!

"My" nativity scene! I know, I know...it looks like a child's toy. I just thought it looked so simple and yet it tells the story so beautifully!

OK, now for the ornament of the day:

This ornament is a door...the door to our new home in North Carolina, the door to a new life, the door to a new church, and the door to the new path that God gave us 4 years ago.

It symbolized so much for me that first year. I was excited, anxious, sad, happy, lonely...there were so many things happening and I just missed my family (especially during the holidays!).

God was faithful! He is still faithful! He will always be faithful!

So, the ornament means alot to me because of the MANY new doors that were opened that first year here!

I love Christmas time!

One of my favorite things to do is decorate for Christmas! It was always something we did as a family when I was growing up! Mom and Dad would get the tree up, then we'd each put ornaments all over the tree. We had lights, tinsel, ornaments, and sometimes garland!

I loved it!

Well, even though we don't have any children to pass this holiday tradition to, I want to keep doing that with my family (Claude!). So, I put the tree up and he helped with the lights. Then, I put all the ornaments that I've collected in our 15 years of marriage all over the tree!

I decided to blog ones that are special to me over the next couple of weeks.

I hope you enjoy it!

This was our very first ornament! "Our First Christmas Together - 1994".

A dear sweet lady at the job I had when I met Claude gave this to me right after we were married! A tradition I've started for myself is that THIS ormanent ALWAYS goes on the tree first!

I can't believe that throughout fifteen years of packing and unpacking, this porcelain ornament hasn't broken! It's sentimental to me because the lady who gave it to me was like a grandmother to me at work! She gave good advice, Godly counsel, and was always willing to lend an ear when I needed it! When I lost that job, she called me at home to make sure I was alright! Thank you, Clarice Harvey, for making an difference in my life!