Sing a song of Christmas

One of my favorite things about the Christmas season is being constantly surrounded by unapologetically religious music, music that testifies of Christ, and his birth. Music that uplifts the soul with beautiful melodies, and carols of the season. Today was our choir program at church and we sang some beautiful arrangements of songs by John Rutter. For the first time the girls sang in the choir with me, as did Ron. It was a lovely way to kick off the week of christmas.

Some of the other music we have been enjoying is :

Gloria, by Michael W. Smith. (Channing is going to wear this one out!)

The new christmas album by Celtic Women,

Josh Groban-Noel,

Anything by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir,

Enya,

Sarah Brightman- A Winter Symphony

And I have enjoyed the new Casting Crowns rendition of I heard the bells on Christmas Day.

Somehow I invariably end up staying up late through the Christmas Season putting the finishing touches on handmade gifts, and I love to be able to catch all the great musical specials of the season. Tonight was one of my favorites. Promise you won't tell?

I love the Nutcracker. I know. Ballet.

It was stunning. So as I tried to finish knitting a pair of gloves I did it to the timing of the sugarplum fairies, and the Nutcracker prince.

Knit one, Purl Two, Leap and spin.

What are your favorite Christmas Songs?

Snow Days

After a balmy fall, and downright warm early december winter has finally fallen. Just in time for the arrival of you know who.

We are eagerly awaiting Christmas day, (or frantically trying to finish everything, as the case may be)

And the snow does something magical to me around the christmas season.

It makes me want to put a log on the fire, bundle up and stay home.

It makes me want my children all around-however loud they are in the evening, and however many nerf bullets get aimed at the ceiling fan.

It makes me love knitting and sewing, and simple cooking like chicken soup and white beans and ham.

(Pause while I put on the beans for tonights dinner!)

I look outside and see the white blanket carpeting everything in sight-even the weeds I didn't make time to pull this fall.

I get weepy at the sight of my tall oldest daughter singing with the fifth graders, because next year she will sing with the sixth graders, and then she will be in junior high.

I want to freeze everyone and wrap them up like a picture postcard, giftwrapped with a bow on top.

So Merry Christmas everybody.
Hope to see you over the holidays, but if not you can find me snuggled on the couch with a lapfull of wiggly kids all trying to get the most lap space.

P.S.- our basement apartment is available, so if you know someone who might be interested check out the pictures here.

Ouch!

Merry December Everyone!

I know we are all feeling the holiday push, gifts to buy, projects to finish, concerts and school events to attend, so I wanted to lighten things up with a quick update.

Things are busy at the Spotts house. We decorated for christmas this last weekend, and now I am officially in the Holiday mood. Despite the casualties of the weekend. (#1 being the fact that I broke my nose trying to get the christmas tree down instead of waiting patiently for my husband, who was on the roof putting up christmas lights.) No one has ever accused me of being terribly graceful!

I have gotten into recycling wool sweaters for some of my projects this year. The above picture is of Evie styling a pair of slipper socks/boot liners.

And we found this great site that the kids have loved playing with.

Ever wanted to walk on the moon?

Be on a billboard?

Grace the pages of vogue?

Just go to Photofunia.com.

One of the kids favorite things this time of year is a felt advent calendar, with toys and elves, and santa, where you put the toys in santas bag for christmas eve. Every year they fight over who is going to put the last toy in, which is one of Santa. It is funny to see the mathmatical manipulation that occurs as they figure out who has to start the calendar to achieve the desired end result.

What are some of your favorite family things this time of year?
Have a great day!