Oh little town of Bethlehem

I love our little town so much. The longer I live here the more treasures I find out that it holds.

This year was our first trip to the towns' Christmas parade. Bands, candy throwing and Santa in a sleigh - our girls had an exciting afternoon, but I think Ben and I had even more fun just watching their faces. So sweet!

 

 

After hearing about it for a few years but being unable to go, this year our schedule was such that we were able to check out Bethlehem Marketplace.

WOW.

 

A church near to us has but this on for over 30 years, and it sounded interesting. But there are no words. It was so much more than I can describe, more than these pictures can show.

 

You enter a place that is a recreation of Bethlehem and how it could have been the day of Jesus' birth.

There are beggars.

Roman soldiers.

Women, men and children in the marketplace hawking their items.

 

We almost left with a chicken.



 

 There were camels, wine makers, perfume tents.

There were sheep, goats, bulls. A donkey.

There were Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.

 

And it touched a sweet place in your heart, that place that holds on and wants to make this time of year as special and memorable as it should be.

It was an extraordinary event, on an ordinary day in Bethlehem.

When we got home we strung light s on the tree, shared a few hugs (Alayna shares them with Stormy a lot).

We hung the ornaments on the tree, and I love it when I capture moments like this. Kaelyn telling Ben that ornament should go up high, and that she "is gonna hewp you, a widdle bit."

And here's a shot that I just find irresistible. Sweet snow baby. (Minus the actual snow.)

Merry Merry.
:) dae

Oh Christmas tree...

I'm not sure how December becomes busier every year, but it does.
Next year I am bound and determined to slow it down.
While I love and appreciate the opportunity of going out into the woods and cutting down a tree, this year... just not happening.
So a couple of weeks ago, after work we all loaded up to look at a few lights and go pick out a tree.

I tried.

I tried to make it sweet and idyllic and memorable.
Maybe it was. Because the kids had a good time, and I guess that's all that really matters.

I cared about picking it out together, chatting it up.
You want to know what my kids cared about?
It was not a tree.

They ran like the wind through the concrete halls of Christmas trees.
But it made them happy.

Then they thoroughly enjoyed watching as Ben tried to load up the Griswald tree.
Because that's what it is.
I have an angel for the top of the tree that is currently sitting beside it.
Why?
Because there is no room for it between the tree top and the ceiling.


 



  


Love,
Clark's wife.

Wreaths & Wrestling

There are some weekends - as in most - when if I am able to get the laundry done, I feel very accomplished. This does t even include trying to put it all away, just getting it clean and folded results in a victory dance.

But every once in a while there is a weekend where time slows down, I speed up, and I feel like I deserve a red cape.

This past weekend was that weekend!

First, I was able to hang a very special David Arms piece given to me by a dear friend.

 

 

"Home; a place of refuge and rest."
May it always be.

Then, a little holiday crafting!

The girls Christmas outfits. Skirts are next, but those will be a breeze after stitching around those six point antlers. Whoowee.

The there were naked babies and wresting matches and crazy driving outside in this springlike Christmas weather we've been having.

And a recipe testing - Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana. The only thing I ever go there for.
Huge hit. Try it today (pinned on my board), it's a winner.

Hooray for Christmastime miracles: sweet sweet weekends like these.
xoxo dae