Journal Your Christmas, Day Whatever

I’m rethinking how I’m going to do this whole Christmas journal thing, and will probably just respond to the prompts as blog posts. I’m a couple of days behind, so I may be combining some ideas/skipping some things/pretty much doing whatever the heck I want.

(I should add that I seem to have fully recovered from Friday’s excitement.  It was actually one of those days where I was sort of watching it all happen as if from afar, and laughing right along with everyone else.  I have not, unfortunately, recovered from my cold.  I tanked up on decongestant, cough medicine, and Tylenol right before heading to church this morning to play the piano and proceeded to spend the entire church service feeling a bit…jittery…I don’t think I rushed through nay music too badly…I’m just glad my misery is of the upper respiratory variety, I’d really hate to have the stomach bug that’s floating around.  Ugh…)

Where was I?

Ah yes.  Christmas.

The tree is up and decorated, with absolutely no assistance from yours truly.

In fact, all of the Christmas decorating is done, and I didn’t do a lick of it.

The stockings are hung (oh!  that reminds em of a project for my sister-in-law.  must do that tomorrow…)

The garland is strung on the balcony.

Various bits and bobs are distributed throughout the house and we actually have Christmas lights on some trees outside (last year, it got cold early and stayed cold, so the outside lights never did get put up…).

The boys actually did most of the tree (Daddy did the lights), and they are tall enough that they can reach up fairly high (or use a stool), so there isn’t a boy-height concentration of ornaments…

I’ll share pictures later in the month.

At the moment, I’m trying to contemplate what still needs to happen.  What might happen.  If some of it doesn’t happen, the world won’t end.

  1. Christmas cards
  2. Stocking stuffers and some other small stuff for the boys
  3. Load some stuff on the things for the boys (sorry to be obtuse, boys don’t read the blog, but I’d sure hate for one of you to give away their surprise.  My brother-in-law tried his darndest several times while he was here.  Having really small fries at his house, he’s not used to big kids who LISTEN to adult conversations.)
  4. Shop for nieces, nephews, and various other family members
  5. Actually MAIL gifts for nieces, nephews and various family members PRIOR to Christmas
  6. Shop for Mark
  7. Quilts for teachers
  8. About a million other things I’m probably forgetting.

And that’s just the Christmas related items.

How’s your list doing?  Making any progress?

(Inspite of my whining to all who will listen, my cold really isn’t as bad as I make it out to be.  Nor is any of the rest of it that bad either.  I just like to whine.  I’m good at it. )

Suzanne

Journal Your Christmas, Day 4

3083235879 e82dbf2dc4 o Journal Your Christmas, Day 4

I have struggled with what to write for this prompt all day.

If you can’t read it, the text says:

When I was growing up, the days around Christmas itself had a fairly specific sameness to them over the years.  Church on Christmas Eve, presents in the morning, brunch later.  I don’t remember that we ever went anywhere when I was a kid — we lived far from relatives, so Christmas was always just us at home.

My adult Christmases have been all over the map — literally.  We’ve been here in Iowa, we’ve made to Christmas-time trips to see my Dad in Florida (and trust me, Disney World is NOT the happiest place on Earth during the days between Christmas and New Year).  Last year we were in New Jersey with my sister’s family.  My mom’s family takes turn hosting a Christmas Day meal, and when we’ve been in Iowa we participate — either hosting or traveling to the celebration.

As a result, I can’t think of one specific situation that really stands out as an “ideal” or “perfect” Christmas.  I am quite content to celebrate wherever and however we can, as long as we are together.

For reference, here’s a link to last year’s page about the same topic.

December 4, 2007

I can’t believe tomorrow is Friday already.  How did that happen?  WHere did this week go?  Heck!  Where did this YEAR go?????

Suzanne

Christmas Journal Day 1

3076426924 0dd53e4bc8 Christmas Journal Day 1

Template by Jessica Sprague.  Paper, buttons and tag from Shabby Princess Joyful Tidings Kit

I created this digitally, but I may print without the buttons and tag, and add those separately.  Last year I was learning Photoshop and did a lot of fancy stuff, this year I think I’m going to be using templates from a class that I took with Jessica Sprague several months ago, and trying to keep it as simple as possible.  I’ve got some different sizes that I’m going to try using, and some days might be more about a photo than words, and vice versa.  We’ll see how it goes….

pixel Christmas Journal Day 1