It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas . . .

                                                                                                Oh my gosh, can it be possible?  Are we really just two weeks away from Christmas?  I don't know how this happened.  One minute I was putting up Halloween decorations, the next I was baking pumpkin pies and turkeys. Then, in the blink of an eye, homes in my village were twinkling and glittering, looking most festive as they anxiously await a visit from Santa.  I realize I am already behind in decorating the house for Christmas. I have the trees up and a few Christmas birdhouses on the fireplace mantel, but I could do so much more. If I thought about it long enough, I could probably start to panic . . . I  need to start baking Christmas cookies, finish shopping, wrap presents - and I'm not even sure if I should bother sending Christmas cards at this point. 

  

They say time flies when you are having fun, so I guess I am having lots of fun.  They also say the older you get the faster time goes, and I do believe it is true.  I wish I could slow down the clock when I am having a wonderful, magical moment, like looking into the eyes of my little granddaughter Ellie as she smiled at me over the shoulder of her father, my son Jamison, my 3rd child. May God bless him if she is anything like the handful he was!  I also wish I could speed through time when dealing with one of life's difficult situations we all must deal with.  

Last night we baptized my fourth grandchild, Ellianna.  

She was so good and quiet, and looked like a little angel in her white gown.  I gazed upon that beautiful little baby and snapped a picture to help me remember the moment. 

 I reminded myself to live more in the moment and quit worrying about all those little things that seem to consume all my thoughts and time.  I need to learn to live RIGHT NOW and turn off the little chatter box in my brain that constantly feeds me all kinds of things to distract me from the here and now.  I must admit to having a nonstop feed of ideas for sewing and quilting and painting and dolls, and I really don't want to turn that one off, just be able to press the pause button every once in a while.  I guess I have found my passion and I can't imagine my life without it.  Of course, God and family and home all take priority, but my creative adventures are definitely what feeds my spirit and soul.

Since I don't post as often as I wish I would, I am taking this opportunity now to wish you all a calm, serene, and happy next few weeks.  Enjoy Christmas without the pressure of making everything perfect.  Embrace the new year and not only wish, but really truly believe that this new year holds many wonderful things for yourself and your family.   

And never forget - every time a bell rings, an angel gets her wings.