Scenes From Christmas Day 08

Scenes from our Christmas Day!

Christmas 2008

OH!!!......What a wonderful holiday season .........................................
.............................................and the very best Christmas ever!

I probably say that every year, but................................................
I really believe this Christmas has been the best yet!


The babies surely renewed the magic of the season for all of our family........

............and I know their enjoyment will only increase.


All of us desire to keep the magic.............


......................and to help the little ones understand and appreciate all that His birth means to us.

To always keep the birth of Christ as the center of Christmas. To help them know the joy of giving as well as receiving.

Isn't that what we all long to do......

( a neighbor's very kid-friendly Christmas display)

to remember the meaning of Christmas, to pause and reflect on the Greatest Gift,

share that Gift with those who do not know Him, then to celebrate that Gift with our family and friends in a meaningful way.

We really made that effort and I think our efforts paid off with a more peaceful season.



It has always been our family tradition to participate in communion on Christmas Eve, both with my family growing up then with my children. This year Jimmy, Laurie, and I attended the Candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church, but Leslie and Jason could not attend since they were spending Christmas Eve with Jason's family. Both of them really wanted to participate in the tradition so......... we had a service Christmas morning. We took time Christmas morning to acknowledge and celebrate the birth, life, and resurrection of our Savior.....



We each read a passage from God's Word, prayed for those who are hurting, broken, and lost,then we celebrated Christmas Communion.


I decided early Christmas morning that I would make unleavened bread to use for our communion. I looked on the Internet to make sure my bread would be somewhat authentic, mixed the ingredients, poured it into my cast iron skillet and baked it to a beautiful golden brown. As I removed the "pita like" cake to cool, I enjoyed the wonderful, rich and surprisingly sweet aroma. Then I moved on to make our Christmas breakfast. Jason had asked for "boy-bread" but I didn't realize that he wanted us to make it together so that he too could make the bread my granddaddy (a non cook) called "boy-bread" because he always said, "Even boys could it make it." ( I did not say that, Granddaddy said that. I know boys can cook!) Anyway.... I mixed the flour, milk, and oil in a bowl then as I poured the batter into my cast iron skillet to bake I noticed that it was unusually yellow. I glance at the buttermilk that I had used (just because I had some for another recipe) and .......................... it was Jimmy's eggnog. And....... Yes!........ I also made the unleavened bread with the same eggnog.

A special, sweet unleavened bread for our Christmas Communion. I think we really have a new tradition that is unique to our family.

More picture soon!! We have tons of them.

Merry Christmas!

My Town!

I love my town. I have lived here for almost 29 years. I would say this is home.

We have the best Court House........................

We also have a great downtown.................... I love our downtown.
Here are some of my favorite places.......................


Cheese and Feed.........................the best camel rider around.....................


Styles Unlimited, where my friend Gloria cuts my hair..... that's all ...... just a cut! I know.....I'm cheap about that!


Some great shops that I frequent...........decked out for Christmas............


..........................and across Main Street.....this is a great new shop in a very old, wonderfully restored theater.



................our friend Sid's Antique store..................................



But here is one of our best treasures.................................


.......our Christmas lights, a long time Moultrie tradition........... I love our lights! We are known for this canopy of lights...


and our turtle pond..( photo is too poor to see. I'll try again later.) .....





and one other treasure that is part of one of my earliest memories.




I was raised in Douglas, but we visited the Atlanta Zoo often enough during my childhood that I knew Willie B, the GORILLA!; I knew my way around the monkey house; and I knew what to expect when the mommie elephants washed their little ones. (They liked to wash you too!) And..........I remembered visiting the elephant grave yard....... but only once. I often wondered about that grave yard and wondered why I only saw it once.





Then, when David and Nancy were getting married, I came to Moultrie for my bridesmaid's dress.............. and.......................... passing a little church......................................







I SAW IT! ................Do you see it the cemetery?.......




The elephant! ......................A six foot tall elephant. The one from my memory!

It is over the grave of a circus owner who died in 1950..........


....... Daddy had brought us to see the landmark when I was a very young girl and lived in Barney.

Now I pass this elephant almost every day. Many days several times. We live in the same town. We love our town!

Christmas Fun!

Just a little something new for Christmas!

A Dancing Family

This year at Thanksgiving Bennett had some new dance moves. Some of the family thought he had just inherited the family dance gene since he had some really funky moves but Laurie and I discovered that he indeed had some new dances. We later saw his entertaining mommie, who is actually a good dancer, doing the Roger Rabbit and him joining in with the same, well similar, moves. Then she moved on to the Cotton Eyed Joe which he also had obviously done before. They dance a lot in that house. And play the guitar and sing too!

We are just a dancing family! ..............Well, actually, we are NOT a dancing family. It is not that we are against dancing, it is just that most of us are not good at it. ( Sorry folks!)

When my nephew, Bradley, was about seven years old Jimmy bought a box a LP's at a yard sale in Douglas. Since Daddy had a stereo that worked, Bradley wanted to play some of the albums. We were all home that weekend for Daddy's birthday.... so, well of course.........when you have a house full of people and songs playing on a stereo you should have a dance. And we did. " Dance Party" was born. Bradley played the records and we all danced. And. We had a ball!.....Laughing and dancing the night away!!! There are pictures, but luckily I can not put my hands on them at the moment.

We need to have another " Dance Party" when Bradley graduates from high school in a few years. We'll invite all of his friends. Maybe he'll have a girlfriend and we'll invite her too. We'll see if she has enough intestinal fortitude to hang with a dancing family. Well, a non dance family having "Dance Party".

Joy

One of the Bloggers that I read does a "7 Quick Takes" every Friday. Since she is what I would call semi-professional, she needs a post every day so she uses quick thoughts on Fridays that are not big enough ideas for an entire Blog. So here are a few of my random photos or Quick Takes that do not "fit" my stories. But I notice they are all things that bring me great joy which is the lesson of our Advent candle this week.



TAKE ONE- The joy of "Paint Party" brought to us by Laurie. Thanksgiving weekend we had "Paint Party" three times where Laurie talked us through these fun, whimsical paintings. Professionally known as Sip'n Strokes. A great time was had by all and great caramel hot chocolate was sipped by most!


Here are some of my treasures on display!












Fun!



TAKE TWO - La reading Hannan's new book That's Not My Reindeer. La brings the best books! Joy!
















TAKE THREE - The joy of having time to decorate!

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