Christmas Countdown 2023…Day 9

It has been a full week and I am going overload you with photos. But photos tell the story of the holidays. So here we go…some randoms from the week that was <3

I have been having fun decorating our house. The trees are the only thing that are the basically the same every year. The rest of it, while not new items, goes out in a different form every year.

This was a fun basket I put together for a nook in one of the bathrooms. I bought those cheap plastic balls years ago, the ring of bells was a gift, the pine cone fell off of a centerpiece and those berries are from a bag of about twenty siblings I got on sale at Hobby Lobby a few years ago.

Another fun thing I discovered this year was during a visit to the “heirloom” closet in the basement. Shelves hold a variety of treasures from the generations that preceded us, plus our own bric-à-brac. Joel and Caroline asked if they could see this stash of collections and one of them found these bells that belonged to my mom.

I hung them on this old wreath that has been sometimes used and sometimes not. I decided to hang in our entryway and I love it.

This is a fun coincidence. Rachel and Zach took a huge trip with his parents and the kiddos this summer to Yellowstone and we discovered that these bells must have been souvenirs from my own parents visiting the National Park. Look what we found on one of the bells…

I feel we tied some generations together and it makes me smile.

Speaking of bells, last Saturday I got to ring the Salvation Army bell for an hour with these friends…

The lady in the middle is the talented writer of a book I suggested you all read, Surrounded by Love. This one is a beautiful account of her families legacy of love as they walked through her father’s diagnosis of ALS. You can find it here https://www.amazon.com/Surrounded-Love-familys-Journey-through/dp/1735270202 She is also the friend who is skillfully editing our Monday – Friday stories. You owe her a huge thank you for finding my typos and helping me minimize run-on sentences.

The other cute bell ringer is responsible for much of the good things that happen in the community we now call home. It was a fun day and we were truly blessed with mild temps, sun and a lot of generous people.

It has been a people-y week for sure. On Wednesday Russ and I worked at the Christmas Walk downtown.

I think Merchant Street is lovely year round, but it takes on a special glow at Christmas time. The store where I worked was jam packed for the festivities and Kim and I burned off a lot of steps ringing customers up. It’s a crazy night and she maintained her smile better than I did…

Midweek we attended a concert for the upper grades at the grands’ school. Graham is in the choir and it was a lovely program. The band, orchestra and choir had worked so hard on their music. I am always amazed at how their teachers can pull so much out of teenagers and learning all the various parts and instruments.

The week ended with another opportunity to gather with people. (okay … you all know me, and I may have mentioned a time or two that I was peopled out…)

Last night after work I headed to church to help with and attend the Women’s ministry Christmas event.

The young women who lead this are so cute and creative. Proof being the new eye ware they provided for us to wear while greeting at the door.

I already own the Santa style of these. Yes, I do have those and wear them. But the reindeer version was just too fun so I offered to buy them. Instead I received them as a parting gift and I will be enjoying the two options for accessorizing my holiday attire.

In the midst of all these occasions to share holiday joy, I did find some quiet moments. One of the most special for me happened one evening as I offered to read Caroline some of their family’s collection of Christmas books. However; the table turned delightfully as she read to me.

Such a treat.

I hope you are enjoying all the fun and joy of the season as you gather with your people or share a quiet moment with someone special. Have a happy Saturday and I will see you tomorrow for the second Sunday of Advent <3