Decorating the Tree 7th December

Today was tree day time to decorate and start the Christmas excitement. Daniel really enjoyed being able to help decorate it this year for the first time.

Laughter and Tears

So many Christmases, so many memories, so much I could say, so little I have said.
Remembering Christmases from my childhood, I have no photos to use but the memory is clear in parts and very fuzzy in others.
Remembering Christmases of my children's childhood, I have only one photos but the memories are so vivid that words convey better than photos
Remembering Christmases of recent past so many photos but I would rather use the words just to paint a small window into these times, just enough to trigger the memory. Perhaps one day I will write in more depth.

Memories of Christmas Past

Just a layout of my memories from childhood

Advent parcels

When I was a child I can't remember anything about a build up to Christmas day, except seeing father Christmas in the shops and usually going up to London to Hamley's toy shop, the biggest and best toy shop in the world as far as I was concerned. It was spread over several floors with moving staircases to each one. What was so good too I was allowed to wander around on my own as long as I stayed on the floor my parents were on.

When my children were young I used to have such fun making little things to go in match boxes one each for the first 24 days of December
When they were both at university, I bought and made 24 little presents each and wrapped them up as a pass the parcel type present. They both thought it was such a great way to start each day and all the students in there building would want to know what they had each day. Some of the things were very small and I usually found a bible verse that was appropriate. I believe that the verse was just as important to them as the present itself.
Last year and the year before I did a similar thing but with a daughter and son-in-law, then a daughter-in-law and son it has got extremely difficult to find things that are appropriate, and I think I have run out of energy for it, much to my son's disappointment. Perhaps I will revive it for next year, I will certainly try and do something for my grandsons.

My perfect day My Birthday

I love the fact that my birthday is exactly 3 weeks before Christmas, near enough to the celebration to have all the decorations in the high streets, and special events everywhere, but far enough away to celebrate both events separately.
Today, although it is cold the sun has shone and we have had a great day. I've taken lots of photo both of my family and of the countryside around. We have walked, all be it very slowly because Daniel has only got little legs. We have enjoyed to scenery and had lunch out.

Christmas Greetings

Christmas cards, love them, hate them. I love being able to put them up as part of my decorations, hate all the bluetac that gets left behind when I remove the cards. Love receiving them, hate sending them. Feel guilty if I don't make them, never find the time or energy to do so.
Oh dear think I am a hopeless case. Mind you it hasn't always been like that, I used to love to make them, and make the list of people to receive them. Loved doing this together with John somehow it seemed so much better when he was here.
Still not made any yet this year though I do have a couple of layouts from earlier in the year that would make perfect Christmas cards, but I can't do them while I am away as my daughter hasn't got a decent printer, (good excuse eh! lol).

Today we went shopping in Leeds, lots of lovely shops and lots to see and photograph. I enjoy window shopping as much as buying things so was delighted to see and photo this window display because I felt it was perfect when talking and deliberating about Christmas cards.

Christmas Snowman

Here is my Christmas weather wish, I really love the snow well at least when it nice and crisp and white, not when it turns to slush. Unfortunately it very seldom snows on Christmas day, I think I can probably count on the fingers of one hand the White Christmases we have had since I was born 69 years ago.

We'll Weather the Weather whatever the Weather

We'll weather the weather whatever the weather whether we like it or not.
I am not sure where that comes from but I know that my Dad used to say that to me.

 I would love to have snow on Christmas Day

O wouldn't that be great

To look out of my window to a white white world

where bird prints show up and the cat paws have trod

I'll place my own mark beside them

making fresh virgin snow my own

and go on my way so merrily

because it is Christmas day

But we seldom get it on the 25th of December
down here in the south of England
We find the snow white days
in the dreary months
at the beginning of the year

Today the temperature is
here where I live in the south of the country.

I am travelling up to North Yorkshire today to be with my daughter and her family for a week, so that I can spend my birthday with them this year for a change.

Up there the temperature is
( I just love these little icons)

The sun is shining at the moment so hopefully I will have an uneventful journey. I travel by train and it takes about 5 hours.

Advent Preparation layout

What does Advent mean to me. A time to prepare for the celebration, a time set aside by God to prepare His people for the greatest event in history so far. God coming into the world as a baby to grow and experience all that we experience in our lifetime. So that he is fully able to understand where we are, our fraility our humanity. So that through him we can be reconciled to God. For though he knew our fraility and humanity he was without sin.
God called on his people the Jews to celebrate with thanksgiving several times a year, they were to prepare a feast and give him thanks. So I believe it is right to celebrate Christmas in the way that we do. as long as we remember who's birthday we are celebrating.
Here is my first day of December's layout two pages as I am doing it 7.75 x 6 so this way I can get enough details on

December 1st making a start

What will today bring, anything Christmasy? well for a start, I have already wrapped the presents for my family in Skipton because I am going up there tomorrow.

My two cats eating side by side, wow is this the start of The Night Before Christmas? for this is something they very seldom do.












The weather today is rather Christmasy too, no snow but cold and bright

I can't get the back gate open it has dropped as usual but I can't remove the screw that hold the catch at the moment so had to take the photo through the trellis at the top of the fence.