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For anyone who might not know... I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

It's by far my favorite holiday. I have always looked forward to it the whole year, since I was little. Not because of presents or anything. I love having my family all together in one place. Every year we go to my Granny's house for lunch and dirty Santa. Because none of my family lives in Montgomery with me, this was special. All my aunts, uncles, cousins gathered together in one house. Then on Christmas my sister, who either lived with her dad, away at college, or in Birmingham throughout my life, would be home for breakfast and presents. :)

When my dad passed away last year, we drove to Brimingham with my brother and had Christmas day at at my sister's house with her and her husband. I loved it. We were still together.

But this year, it's my turn! :) I never realized until I actually had a house big enough to host people in, how much I love having people over. :)

Decorating was a full scale endeavor this year because (a) there was actually room to decorate, compared to our sardine apartment we lived in last year, and (b) we can have people over to see them!

Strangly enough, I haven't been too terribly stressed out about the fact that there is SO MUCH TO DO and so little time. In addition to my siblings staying over Christmas Eve, We will be gone the three or four days before Christmas Eve seeing my husband's family (and frankly just having a small get away before the baby comes.) This gives me THREE days nest week to do EVERYTHING!

But I am nothing but excited. :) Well I'm tired, but who can help that at eight months pregnant. :P

It occured to me recently that perhaps I have a gift I never discovered before now. I have always admired a few friends of mine: those friends that were always welcome to open their home to people at any time. This might be because while I was growing up I often needed places opened up to me. But now I see that perhaps I have this same gift. I love to have people over. :) I love for people to know that if they need anything, they can show up on our doorstep. There is always a couch bed for anyone in need. Jesus called us to be open to such spontaneous ministry:

An Old Table and an Old Memory

One of my very favorite Christmas memories tooks place at my grandmother's house. Every year we would go to Granny and B-bob's (my grandfather) house for family Christmas on my mother's side of the family. I would play with my younger cousins while we watched my uncles and older cousins play football in the yard. Everyone of us had at least one special ornament we would look for on Granny's tree. It was special because it was there just for us. 

Then we would open presents and the children would disappear with their new toys while the adults played a game of dirty santa. We anxiously awaited the day we would be able to join them. Although probably not as anxiously as we awaited the day we were taller than Granny. That's when you could have your food in the living room with the grown ups. :P

My grandfather passed away when I was just seven years old, so this memory is one from when I as quite little. I was probably five at the oldest. B-bob stooped down and scooped my onto his lap, then did the same to my little brother. We each sat on one of his knees as B-bob started to sing. We had these large bells in our hands. I am not even sure where we got them, but as my grandfather belted out the words to Jingle Bells, we offered him the greatest and loudest accompaniment we could afford. 

And that's all I remember. That simple memory has kept my grandfather's face in the forefront of my mind every Christmas season for the last 14 years. I still remember the feeling of his old but steady hands under my armpits, and the jolt of upward movement from  he floor to his slender knee. 

Breakfast of Champions -- a Legacy

This post is kind of a mixture of a few different things. First I kind of just want to brag about a culinary success that has been a long time coming. 

Let me introduce you to possibly one of the most unreasonably difficult but indescribably delicious meals of my childhood: EggnToast. If you have ever been to cracker barrel, you may know this as Eggs in Baskets. 

My mom made this all the time, it was always, by far, my favorite food EVER. This meal quite possibly defines my childhood. I remember my favorite glass to drink out of when I was very young: an old jelly jar that had mother goose and her goslings following her around the glass. Consequently, this glass was also the perfect size for cutting the middles out of the "baskets," also my favorite job to help with in the kitchen. Anytime mom asked what I wanted for breakfast, my answer was quite predictable. But I could never master cooking the egg just right or keeping the creation from falling apart. 

I also grew up understanding this as a sort of family heirloom recipe. This is partially because I VERY rarely met anyone who had even heard of it, and also because mom would always tell me about how Pop (my grandad on her side) created this recipe while he was serving in the military. So, yes, Cracker Barrell, I was eating "eggs in baskets" before you thought they were cool. :P *she said haughtily from behind her hipster glasses*

But today, I got a lovely craving (thanks, baby) for eggntoast and decided to accept the challenge. And what I got? Three perfect pieces (and one broken piece of toast. Our bread is a little stale.) But all in all a success. :) And, man, were they delicious.

But this also called to mind the words of a wise women I heard speak on the descendents of Cain a couple of Wednesdays ago. The women who gives the lectures at BSF said "It isn't when you pass on, but what you pass on."

The passage in question? The Line of Cain

Most Important Days

"The two most important days of your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why." -Mark Twain

 Mark Twain makes a good point, to which I would like to respond. In a sense he captures the essence of the fact that the things that make you who you are include where you came from and where you are going. 

I came from two pretty normal parents, who brought me into a world with a big sister, a great family, a loving church family, and one day a little brother, although I specifically asked for a puppy. 

First most important day of my life:

Actually this is 6 days before I was born, my parents' wedding day. Glamorous, I know. But you get the point. That's my momma, with Savy filling, and my daddy being silly (note the pouty lip).

My momma was a giving woman, always searching for ways to show someone love. For Christmas one year, she gave a little girl in our church a whole bucket of bubble gum, so that kids to come to her for gum, instead of her always searching some out right before service. Daddy was careful, but so much fun. He would tell dumb jokes, silly stories, and play games all the time. I remember the first time I laughed. It was with my daddy. 

So that's my past. It made me who I am today, for better or worse. 

Another crucial day in my more recent past looks more like this: