The Cutest Christmassy Dorm Room

Sunday morning we woke up to that little pink sliver of a pretty sunrise. I loved it so much I grabbed my camera but just a little too late. 

I wanted Anna to have a really special, loved on, breakfast - she only wanted fruit but loved the croissant and herbal tea with it. It always feels a bit sad on a day that Anna has to go back to college. We know we are going to miss her so much. 

But one very happy thing is that she said I could decorate her dorm room. She loved some snowmen we had in our kitchen this season (I'll show my Christmas house soon) and I set up a little hot cocoa station in her room. Take a peek! 

Some felt garland over her bulletin board... 

And this tree on her desk. Although not an advent calendar, she decided to add a bird each day until she comes home. So sweet. 

Love her so much! 

I was beaming when I saw this in a store over the weekend. Just the perfect thing for welcoming her each day back to her room!!! 

 

Being the Conductor of Beauty

I count it a full joy that I get to be the conductor of beauty in our home - in our family - in our relationships. It is actually something that brings me great joy. 

As the conductor of beauty means that I try to bring beauty into our days. I also try to make a time when I can get together with each of my precious ones by themselves. 

To take that time is maybe the best gift we can give to one another during the season. 

When I have one on one time with those that I love my my little family I get to talk about God and his goodness when it's appropriate - when I can just salt in a few words here and there because he is the light and the goodness. 

I believe in cherishing joy - placing pleasure into the difficulties of life is the way that we become artists of light and beauty. 

Just as God paints a sunrise and sunset with beauty to remind us he is still there, we can cast in the midst of the darkest light color and beauty for our family. 

It's so important to have those uninterrupted times where no one has access to you to spend with that person you love and that you want to validate. 

So this past Thanksgiving weekend Anna and I crept out really early in the morning before anyone was up to have a special tea time and breakfast together.

We went to Dom's European style coffee shop and we shared a wonderful breakfast sandwich and a cranberry scone. We each enjoyed an Apple Pie Chai (tea). So so delicious. I wish I had a photo of the outside of the shop in an old home. So so charming. 

Here is the menu: 

Even better than our breakfast was our time together. Her heart was open and I had prepared a Bible verse and some thoughts for us to talk through and ponder. This sweet place, that yummy food certainly opened the door to our hearts. 

 

The Story of Our Christmas Tree

I wrote the story way back on an older post. Click HERE to read that post. It tells the background, the whole story that began twenty-six years ago.  

And there are oh so many years on this blog of mine documenting the 'getting of our trees' because to me it is oh so magical and oh so important as that symbol of Christmas. 

2013

2014

2015 (this post tells the meaning of a Christmas tree to us)

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

So here is the story of our Christmas tree this year. ❤

We headed out to the same place we go to year after year. Right there (on the left) is a picture this year of us there. But guess what? We didn't end up picking our Christmas tree from Wades this year. They just weren't big enough, magical enough, just enough. I know you you're thinking looking at that little picture above, "they look big enough to me". Maybe they do but the kind of tree that we love is 

❤too big for the room 

❤it has bottom branches that sweep the hardwood floors

❤it smells like Christmas so much that it makes your heart fill with joy

and it just wasn't there although we walked around and walked around forever. 

We chose a 'maybe tree' the girls standing near it. And then Scott suggested we head to another nursery in a nearby town. 

I'm so glad we did. 

One step out of the car and we all had a great big happy, filled with Christmas sigh. It was like being in a Hallmark movie, if only I took more photos. Even the homes around it were charming, charming, charming. 

Every tree was a 'winner' and we couldn't decide because we loved them all so much. 

This part when on and on and there was even a very enthusiastic worker who stood every tree we thought might work up for us. He spun them around s l o w l y  so that we could see all of the sides. It was wonderful, and the girls were so excited. 

We chose quite quickly (although I wish I could go back and "choose" again it was so much fun!) 

And then we took a few pictures outside and inside the shoppe. 

This is what we pulled up to H O M E. Bringing our tree home ❤

We went out to eat at the Little Oak Cafe (love it there so much) ... 

... and watched a Christmas movie at home before all crawling into cozy Christmas flannel sheets for a cozy slumber. (the tree in the below photo is not "the tree") 

Magical, wonderful, Christmasy day ❤

The Story of Our Thanksgiving

 

Well, Thanksgiving was upon us. No matter what we do in our everyday lives, (working at home, home with littles, working outside of the home, all of it) we all stop and bustle in the kitchen. We set the table with candles flickering, the stoves are hot and the aroma of turkey fills the air. There is swirling in each room, fluffing, filling, last minute touches. The music is playing. Thanksgiving us upon us. 

I love all of it and actually start around October 30th, preparing my home, my lists, my heart for this special day of giving thanks. We start our day with homemade cinnamon rolls made from the dough I use for our dinner rolls. I simply save just enough for four large rolls. I roll it out, dip it in butter, cinnamon and sugar and into the oven it goes. The girls wake up to the sweet aroma and the tradition of tea, the Macy's parade, and these rolls. We stop for just a bit (so much to do that day) and just enjoy. 

And then it's off and going! The pie must be made (I do my pecan pie the night before that that apple pie must be that day) 

Here it is about to slide in that oven. 

And here it is all done in all it's Thanksgiving joy! 

There was dough rising for the rolls all morning and they went into the oven in batch after batch. 

This year I stood back and took a photo of the "mess" but really it rings joybells in my heart. Yes, it does! 

The turkey came out of the "turkey oven" (we call it that all year) at just the right time. You never know with those finicky turkey times, but this year it was perfect timing! 

 

I took one last look at the dining room, making sure everything was all set. Candles lit (battery ones, love those for safety and one less thing to think about), tree lights on, music playing. Check, check, check! 

And just enough time for us to take a few pictures as a family. I love us so much! 

Anna, my lighting tester. 💕

Oh goodness! Then I put my camera (mostly) down and didn't get enough pictures. But they are in my heart forever. My favorite memories are: 

💕Scott and I bustling in the kitchen all day long

💕The girls laughing, talking, talking talking, all day long

💕The doorbell ringing and my parents and brother Tommy arriving just as it supposed to be and shouts of "Happy Thanksgiving" 

💕The coats being hung, my mom bringing in all of her specialties

💕The aroma, the tastes, my Dad saying, "this is the best food ever." 

💕My mom chatting with Anna while Scott made the gravy

💕My brothers heaping plate with the drumstick just like my grandpa used to have - I'm so glad he carries on that tradition

💕Setting up desserts and pouring steaming mugs of pumpkin spice lattes

💕Saying grace - words we say every night around our dinner table but this night meaning so much more.

For the food before us

And the family beside us

And the love that surrounds us

For these thy gifts we are about to enjoy, 

let us be truly grateful. 

And I am.