Christmas Cheer

Hope, peace, joy and love - the themes of advent.  I pray that my children experienced these gifts this holiday season.  Our Christmas festivities kicked off on Thursday with a relatively new annual tradition - dinner at the Shreveport Club.  I can remember going pre kids so it's something we've been doing at leas 7 years.  Since having kids, I think we've had the same Santa Clause in attendance so it's been fun to see their reactions to the big, jolly man evolve as well as how much bigger they get sitting on his lap each year!

On Christmas Eve, we went to church for the traditional Lessons and Carols service.  Again, something I've done since I was little but I was struck how far we've come in the past few years from crying babies to a couple of six year olds that can read the words out of the hymnal as we sing.

Our annual Christmas Eve photo - missing Rebekah and Dave

Christmas morning began very early with Haley bouncing into the living room around 3:30 a.m.!  It was slightly endearing to hear the excitement in her voice as she called for others to join her to see Santa's goodies, but that was entirely too early so we wrangled everyone back to bed and we were able to sleep for 3 more hours, thank goodness.

After opening gifts we went to church for what was a beautifully wonderful celebration of Jesus' birthday. 

Following the service we headed to my grandparents house where we met up with my parents, sister, aunt, uncle and cousins to eat brunch and commence the gift giving/receiving fun!  After a morning full of fun, everyone departed ways for a few hours to rest and to recuperate.  We went back to my grandparents' house later that evening to enjoy dinner together as well.

We are a very blessed family in that we are close by the proximity of our homes (our house, my parents' house, my aunt & uncle's house and my grandparents' house are all with in a 1 mile radius - we could walk if need be!) and we are close by virtue of our love and the family tie that binds.  I have experienced the last 34 Christmases in that very same den and look forward to many more to come!  We certainly missed my sister and brother in law but so look forward to this time next year when they and their new baby girl will be there to join us (Avery is to make her debut in February!!)!

4 generations of Talbots

Santa had a long morning - checking out my cousin's new bottle of whiskey!

Make a Joyful Noise!

We are making progress!  Last year the girls wouldn't even stand on stage; this year they put on the robes and stood in front of the congregation with the FBC Shreveport Children's Choir.  They didn't sing but I'm proud of them regardless.  There is a very good chance that I wore the same robe they had on as I sang on the same stage at that same age! Whether they wear the robes singing hymns of old or wear jeans, clap their hands and sing about taming the tongue, I pray they may understand and appreciate the beauty of worshipping the Lord through music and song.  While I may not be a gifted singer, I love to lift my voice in highest praise and sing to the One to whom all glory and honor be given.  (and I apologize to Sarah Sherry who has to sit next to me in choir as I belt out many of the wrong notes as we sing...I'm thankful she is my friend and loves me anyway!)

Photo courtesy of Candace Chaney

What's so special about a baby



Gracie left, Haley right - early 2006

 I've been going through a lot of photos lately in attempts to come up with fun photo gifts for the family.  I've been getting sidetracked in Shutterfly looking at older albums.  Maybe it's the season and the impending celebration of our Savior's birth, but I keep looking at the pictures of my babies and getting teary eyed remembering those moments.  Moments which were often difficult, often wrought with exhaustion,  yet
moments that I look back with pure amazement, joy and thanksgiving.  Wow, sometimes I can't believe we've survived and the time has slipped by so quickly.  I hope and pray during this hectic holiday season that I take the take to slow down, soak in the moments, hold fast to old memories while making new ones. 
There is a line in the upcoming children's Christmas program at church that I keep mulling over.  The angels learn that God is coming to earth as a baby and one angel says, "...a baby!  What's so special about a baby?"  I ask, what's not?


Sam's birthday 2/23/07