We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. ~Isaiah 64:8



Monday, December 19, 2011

Nativity Carnival: Keeping Advent -- Dec 18th



Welcome to the Nativity Carnival: Keeping Advent

Each week, Advent through Epiphany, a new "Mr Linky" will be posted for you to share your Nativity Season-related ideas and thoughts from your blog.  (Just copy the link to your post and paste it into the Mr Linky box below.)  NOTE: next week's link will probably posted on Tuesday.

Also, please add a link on your post back to this page, thanks!



My kitchen arrangement (hides the dishes in the sink) all decked out for
Advent (purple and silver additions).  I have Christmas additions ready to be added.

Christmas is only a week away!  I finally have all my gifts purchased, the house is modestly decorated, and I have purchased the ham for Christmas dinner, but that is about IT!


Faramir expressing his feelings about the frozen food section of Wal-Mart.
His face mirrors my feelings!
The tree is still sitting in three pieces waiting to be assembled, and I am PRAYING that all the lights work, because the entire metro area is completely OUT of lights.  Unless you want pink.  Or blue.


Our Saint Nicholas collection on the family room mantle.

Haven't done cards or even the photo to put on the cards...I'm afraid I'm going to have to do an "e-card" this year.  Which would be a step up from last year, but sadly won't be able to go to the many friends for whom we only have mailing addresses.  I keep tell myself that I do have until Jan 5th to get cards delivered, right?!?!


Found this cute little lantern for $5 at Lowe's.  Added the bow and jingle bells, then
stuffed the Christmas lights inside the lantern, too.   Sadly, no fresh pine garland here.

I still have friends' gifts to deliver (Fig Jam made from our fig tree), grocery shopping to do, and gifts to wrap.  And that doesn't include the fun stuff I want to do (go see lights, etc) or the cleaning we need to do for company.


Fresh pine garland - smells so good! We hung sweet little white lights in the garland
to begin with.  But 1/3 of the strand was out!  These were the ONLY white lights I could find.
They aren't wonderful, but they work!
But more importantly, my heart doesn't feel very prepared for Christmas which will be here regardless of my readiness, won't it?


The kitchen mantle: My crochet garland with traditional Swedish straw ornaments.
 I made one of these in white last year and love the way it looks on the tree. 

What was it the narrator of the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" says?

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.” 

And by all means it does.  Lord, help me live into that meaning this year!




If you are reading in a feed reader, please click through to the blog for the Mr. Linky posts! 

For those submitting links: 
So that others might enjoy the carnival, don't forget to add a link on your post back to this page, thanks!



5 comments:

momco3 said...

Thanks, Kerry! Blessings to you this week!

DebD said...

I think I'm going to wait until after Christmas to send out cards this year too.

But, I also don't feel prepared in my heart. I feel SO distracted and this week is crazy busy... I just want to slow down and take a deep breath.

Michelle @ Liturgical Time said...

I don't feel ready either! I still have gifts to buy. We're going into town today for shopping.

Michelle @ Liturgical Time said...

He's almost here! Our King!

Amy said...

Merry Christmas Kerry!