Merry Christmas!!

     Although this picture was taken in the middle of November, it seemed appropriate to add it to today's post.  Not sure what the weather has in store for us in the next several days, but I decided it was safe to go into the picture file and add an older shot.  
     If I remember correctly where I took this picture that day, I will be looking out the back door of the cabin once we get it completely built.  I am so glad that I have taken pictures of what our views will be like.  It will give us some inspiration in the next few months when we are stuck inside doing more of the planning.  I could probably even print these out and put them around our plans...you know, to make the inspiration a little more "inspirational"!!
     Not sure what the next few days have in store for us, but I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas!! We will be celebrating ours on Saturday with my family.  May God bless all of you this holiday season and all through the year!

 But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!"

 ~Clement Moore

Christmas is almost here!!

      Can't believe it...Christmas is almost here!!  I know, don't shoot the messenger, but it's true.  For the ones of you that try to do it all for the holidays, I applaud you...but also, hope that you have time to truly enjoy the season, also. 
      I have been there myself, and I know how hard it is to enjoy the season when you are so worried about "getting everything done on time" to have a "perfect Christmas".  Back when I was a single parent, I would do everything in my power to make the holidays magical for my child.  Getting him to as many of the holiday happenings that I could, baking cookies, mailing Christmas cards,  decorating, Christmas shopping and wrapping presents...and that was on top of working a full-time job that required extra time spent preparing for and attending work-related holiday events.  I love the Christmas season, but I am even tiring myself out typing all of this.
     My son is now an adult and I think that his childhood Christmases turned out fairly well.  Was it because I managed to get all of the above done?
      I don't think that was it at all.  I think that it was because Mom was able to spend some quality time with him.  He was also able to spend extra time with his all of his grandparents, great-grandmother, aunts and uncles, and friends. 
     It wasn't the number of activities that we were able to fit in or things that we were able to check off of our to-do list...it was the memories that were being made by just being together.
     So, if you can, set aside your to-do list, and just spend the time with the ones you love.  There is only one perfect Christmas and it will never be outdone.  It has been the most perfect Christmas of all time.
     I have now taken the pressure off of you to have the "perfect Christmas".  You now have permission to sit back and really truly enjoy the Christmas season with your family and friends, without all of the fuss.

Merry Christmas to all of you!!!

Loving the Change of Seasons

 

 

 

     Before I go any further, let me just say as a lifelong Hoosier, I love the change of seasons....I really do!  I love all of the beautiful shades of green in the springtime, the long days of summer and swimming, and the rainbow of colors every fall.

 

     In winter, I love the holiday season and the beauty of the sun hitting the snow-covered landscape.  However, the one thing that I am not a fan of in the winter is the blah dreariness that seems to come with the territory.  But I guess that I can look on the bright side... cold temperatures, bare trees and gray skies just make you love your nice warm home even more!

 

     Since this is one of those blah, dreary days, I just thought that I would put a picture from my neck of the woods this past fall.  Note the green grass and that the trees still have leaves on them...and the beautiful sunset is anything but blah and dreary!!

 

What is your favorite season?