Christmas

[arrival1]

is your house decorated?are you done shopping?is family coming home,going home to be with family?i will have surgery the 17 on my foot so i will have to wait and see if i can walk.

[ladyinmaille]

Arrival, I'm so sorry to hear about your surgery so close to Christmas. Hope it heals fast and you are soon able to get up and about.

It took me all week but the Christmas decorations are up. We don't normally put up a big tree, I have 2 small ones I set up, but we are having Christmas here this year on Christmas eve with the grandkids, so my daughter brought over hers along with her decorations and it looks beautiful.

Today the daughter and grandkids are supposed to come over and we are making Christmas cookies and fudge, which will be the major part of the baking so I'll soon have that done and over with.

Christmas presents will be very sparce this year as hubby took an early retirement and I then had to quit my job in July because of health reasons but the house will be beautifully decorated and there will be good things to eat.

After today I'll just have some cards to write and some presents to wrap and a few stocking stuffers to pick up and then I'll be ready.

Hope everybody else's holiday activities are going smoothly.

[bar_bar]

arrival1 sorry to hear about your foot surgery I do hope all goes well and things will be find for you during this holidays.

is your house decorated no it not was going to put up tree today and realize that I got rid of the tree last yr now I got to go and get one to put it up.

is family coming home,going home to be with family
well the family is planning on coming over here on the 28th to have a big family chinese christmas.

been hectic here for I am helping daughter with a toy drive that is she helping with in her area. in fact she is the one that put it together at the last minute and the voluteers are so far pulling it off. but guess who got to help too, you got it me.

ladyinmaille you been on my mind alot lately and lo and behold I found a thread you are on. good to see you. been thinking about you and yoru pen pal and wondering what u were up to and how things were going for you.

do understand about the retirement thing, dh went on disability this yr due to lots of health problems. and so much going on that our finciances been a roller coaster but we are making it by the Grace of God

working at getting my christmas cards send out and got to send out some ormentments that I am behind on getting out.

Merry Christmas to all of you from our part of the world to yours to our home to yours
may you have many blessing in the coming year

[ladyinmaille]

Merry Christmas bar_bar, Yes, I'm still around. Just not so much anymore. Been learning how to pace myself so I don't overdue and not spending so much time on the puter is one of the things I've been working on.

Sounds like you are so busy as usual. It wears me out reading about all that you do. Please take care of yourself and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The toy drive you are working on is a wonderful thing to do. Every child should have something to call their own at this time of year. God bless you for your work.

[shine]

its been a long time i never come here in the forum dont have time i just watch my 4 mos old daughter and everytime i was about to reply any topic on the message board she get ups and cry so need to rescue mix her milk and she like to talk to me and get back to work since October and so tired...

last Monday my husband bought a christmas tree and my 2 yrs old daughter help me to put decoration she like to put water everytime

[bar_bar]

Christmas is for the kids, and the spirit of Chrisitmas is to put a smile on a child face

the group my daughter is involved with was only planning to help about 50 kids and no more than 75 well there was more of a need that what they thought for there are 200 kids

Tomorrow night is the wrapping party to wrap gifts or at least start wrapping toys as the Party will be on the 19th

the group in my area will have thier party Thur night and they are helping 250 kids

My daughter wants me to play Mrs Santa to a little girl in the hospital that was among the kids in her group. the little girl has cancer so I will if it on a night I can, for dh has to go back to doc on the 22nd.

it all for a good cause and it the least I can do since this year is so tight on us due to sickness of dh this yr and other situations.
things were looking good at one time then the bottom sort of drop. but hey GOD is the Provider and all will get done somehow by the Grace of god.
this is interesting and thought I would post it.

[bar_bar]

Christmas Traditions

christmas Tree, the custom of decorating small e vergreen trees at Christmas time began in Germany. However, it reaches America before it arrived in England. The German settlers in Pennsylvania decorated the tree with lights, sweets and colored paper. This is how the christmas tree became a part of our Christmas

Fir Tree---- remains green all year round, depicting the everlasting hope of mankind. The needles point heavenward, making it a symbol of man turning toward heaven

Christmas Wreath... during the 16th century in Germany, branches of fir of spruce were intertwined n a circular shpae. This symbolized the love of God as christ is the light of the world- he displaces the darkness and which had no beginning or ending

Poinsetta- this christmas flowe was discovered in Mexico in 1829 by Dr. Joel Poinsett. The people of Mexico and Central american calle it "Flor de la nache buena" OR flower of the HOLY NIGHT, because it reaches full bloom at Christmas

The Christmas Candle Medevil christians believed that on christmas Eve, the CHRIST CHILD wandered thruought town and countryside in search of those who believe in him. ON that night they placed candles at thier windows to guide HIM. It also represent that Christ is the light of the world HE displaces the darkness

Star... Heavenly sign of promises long ago... GOD promised a Savior for the world, and the star was the sign of fulfillment of HIS PROMISE
Wreath a love that never ceases ... a love that is one continus round of affection

Holly Leaf.... Represent the crownof thrors worn by the Savior the red berries the blood shed by HIM
gift ... GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS only SON
the wise men bowed before the HOLY BABY JESUS and presented HIm gifts of gold frankincense and myrrh. We should give gifts in the same spirit of the wise men

Candy cane.... represents the shepherd's staff which was used to bring back that strayed from the flock

Angel... the angles hearalded in the glorious news of the Savior's birth

Bell.. lost sheep are found by the sound of the bell around thier neck.. It symbolized guidance and return

[redcardinalbird]

Arrival1 - Well the outside is decorated, alas the inside is not except for a snowman and a couple of Christmas Teddy Bears. DD keeps asking me to put up the tree but due to space problems we have not yet. I need to move the table from the dining area in front of the window to the kitchen and a chest from the kitchen to the bedroom. We usually have the tree in the living room area but added the computer table last year and now no room! Our living room, dining area and kitchen are all open in a U shape with a wall for the sink, oven, cabinets halfway dividing the kitchen and living room.

Shopping is mostly done save for some gift certs. for my nieces and nephews. They live out of town and will not be home.

We don't have our families here as we go to both my mothers and MIL's on Christmas Day. We have Christmas morning for the kids then off for a busy day.

Sorry to hear that you have to have surgery so close to Christmas, sure hope it goes well. We have all been getting sick here which is delaying everything also. Sure hope you don't pick up any of these extra germs!

[Pag36]

Yes we are decorated inside and outside. Presents under the tree and all around the tree. Thanks to Adam's big mouth I even know now there is one somewhere under there for me from Shannon Adam's "boss" at the tanning salong. Total surprise she is so nice.

We have lots of Nativities but not all are out this year. The cards are coming in thick and fast from this group, 4 other groups plus long time friends and family. I love cards and when the new year gets here I cut off the fronts (if no writing on them) and mail them to St Jude's Hospital as the children use them some how for a money making project. So they are not just tossed in the recycle or trash. Some very special ones I keep. I have cards dating back to my childhood days and that is a LONG time ago lol. God bless

Well I didnt do to much decorateing outside this year but hte inside is done my tree is up stockings are hung and presents are almost wraped Have to get a few more this weekend for my parents and then im done I think:p Im going to start my baking this weekend my family comes to my house on Christmas eve and then we go to dh moms for christmas dinner. Hope everyone has a safe and happy Holiday