Ruby Tuesday

Merry Christmas from Pawpaw and The Big Guy

Gettin' Ready For Santa

It was a busy week-end. It was also a long week-end. I took a day of vacation Friday and we made the five hour drive to Columbia Missouri to attend the graduation of our niece from the University of Missouri School of Nursing. She will start work in Tulsa in early January. We spent the night in Columbia, got up Saturday morning to head home and spent a few hours at the Premium Outlet Mall in Osage Beach, MO. It was COLD in Columbia and it followed us all the way home. It was supposed to get down to 2 degrees above zero in Columbia last night. It will be 5 degrees above zero here Sunday night. We got home around 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Sunday three of the grandcrew came over to bake cookies for Santa Claus. We brought them home with us after church. I picked up a couple of Papa Murphy's take and bake pizzas. The kids helped Nana make the dough, bake the cookies and then it was every man for himself during the decorating phase. Later that evening I put batteries in all of the Christmas toys that we have. There is a bear that recites "Twas the Night Before Christmas", Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, who sings his self titled tune, and Santa Claus who sings about coming to town. The next hour, the house was filled with mechanical music. I took the grandcrew home around 9:00 p.m., Nana and I picked up the house and called it a night. We're ready for Christmas and it promises to be a busy, fun filled week. I may not get much time to fill you in until afterwards, so, If I don't post again for a few days, Merry Christmas to all and may the Blessings of this special season be yours.

Baking Cookies for Santa!

Batter Lickin' Time

Energizing the Toys

Finally, I leave you with a song that does not have the word Christmas in it, nor have I ever really heard it played this time of year, but the message is clear. It is the message the angels declared to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-14. Again may you and those you love experience God's love this Christmas season and may the New Year be filled with blessings for you. Merry Christmas and the Happiest of New Years! Enjoy.

Glory to God In the Highest - Signature Sound

Mary Did You Know?

The very first time I heard this song, several years ago, it was the Kathy Mattea arrangement and it instantly became one of my favorite Christmas songs. Enjoy.

Mary Did You Know? - Kathy Mattea

Christmas Ornaments

As promised, here are a few of my favorite Christmas ornaments that you will find around our house this year. Well, you'll find them around our house every year, I just decided to share some of them with you. If you read this blog about this time last year, a few of these will look familiar.
Ready? Here we go.These first two guys are about 55 years old. They were ornaments on my tree when I was a child. My mother bought a small tree, put it in my room and let me decorate it to my heart's content. It's a great idea. We did it with our daughter and she has done the same for the grandcrew.The Cocker Spaniel is my favorite breed of dog. I have had them as pets most of my life. Right now, this is the only Cocker that we own and he only comes out at Christmas. I like the convenience of this one, but I do miss having a real pup around the house.
As you probably know, we took the family to Disney World this past June. You can see pics of that trip in the archives. It's worth a look. This ornament did not come from that trip. We bought this little guy on our fist trip to the Magic Kingdom five years ago.Since I am an architect by profession, my bride thought that this Construction Santa ornament should be on my own special tree.
Okay, the last ornament in this post is one that should not surprise you. As a native Oklahoman and an OU alumni, this ornamet is a given in my house. Maybe next year I'll have a minature National Championship trophy to put next to him. BOOMER Sooner!
Hope you enjoyed the mini-tour of the ornaments. I may post a few more before Christmas, so come back soon.
If you don't get a chance to stop back by, then Merry Christmas to you and yours. May the God of all creation give you peace, joy and happiness this holiday season.

Ruby Tuesday

These ruby red berries are hanging on a Nandina bush at the side of the house. With temperatures now dipping into the teens, I don't know how much longer they will last.

Let the Celebration Begin

The lights are in place outside, the house is decorated inside, the shopping is done, and last night the final gifts were wrapped. We're ready for Christmas. Let the celebrations begin. Friday night is our Bible Study group's party. Tuesday night is my wife's office (Church staff) Christmas party. Wednesday night is the church choir (my bride is in the choir) party. Party, party, party! I must admit, it is easier to enjoy the celebrations when the chores are done. I can actually read the ads in the paper and look for bargins for myself or my wife.
This season we are truly blessed. In a down economy, the company I work for is actually very busy. In fact we're hiring some additional staff. Thank you Lord! I have worked in firms that had to "restructure" or "downsize" from time to time. I hated it!!! I was the victim a few times...I really hated that. I had to do the down siziing once...I really hated that too. May your Christmas be blessed and filled with the joy of family and friends. Next week I will get the Christmas ornament photos posted, I promise.
And now, for a little music and light display.



Finally a Christmas song. This is quite possibly the best version of O Holy Night that I have ever heard. Enjoy.

O Holy Night - David Phelps

Make a Joyful Noise

Sunday was the first Sunday of Advent at the church. It was also the Sunday for the Hanging of the Green, which officially begins the celebration of Christmas. As a part of the worship service, the children's choirs sang, and that would include three of the grandcrew.

This choir includes kindergarten through sixth grade. The two grand daughters that you saw in yesterday's post are in the first and third rows of this photo. Click to enlarge.

This cropped shot might help you find them. Lexi (the seven-year-old) is the first girl on the left in the first row. Em (the eight-year-old) is the second girl on the third row. After this group finished, the preschool choir sang. These kids are four and five years old.

The "Big Guy" is right in the middle of this picture. He's in the black blazer. He looks a lot different than the elf from the parade in yesterday's post. Well, he still has that look of mischief on his face.
Children make Christmas special. I believe it is because that Christmas is all about a special child.
"Over two thousand years ago, on a night the world would come to call Christmas, a young Jewish maiden went through the experience countless mothers had before her, and would since: She brought forth a child. But this was no ordinary child. This was the unique Son of God, sent from Heaven to save us from our sins (Matthew 1:21).
Amid the glitter and busyness of the season my you not lose sight of the miracle and meaning of that Christmas night." Billy Graham