Let Christmas Begin...

We are into December. Time to feel that Christmas spirit. These are our attempts to do just that as we being December. 

Thursday, December 1st, we went for our annual visit to Mustard Seed Hill in Millersburg, Kentucky. I love being in this spot at Christmas time. Each year they add a few more lights. This year they moved the vendors that cook things to the side of the main building. The lot they used to be in now has fire pits. You can pay a bit more and have a fire pit to roast marshmallows or hot dogs. This, I believe, is a really cool idea. The temperature was in the low 30's when we visited and those fires could be a real treat. 

First, pictures of the exterior lights and interiors of the two buildings we went through.

Each of these buildings had gingerbread houses on display. This is a competition held in conjunction with lights. There are several categories so your gingerbread house is judged in a class with your peers. Categories like, Family, Youth, Teen, Bakery Chef, Civic & Business. The detail on some of these is beyond words. Which one do you like best?

There were a few that need multiple pictures for you to see some of the detail. The first is a barn dance and is four pictures. I cracked up that they put and outhouse by the side with someone sitting in it! The next four gingerbread houses are each two pictures. 

Before leaving, we went back to the building that has been restored and the crafts people sell their items in it. Then we went next door to the hot beverage and sweets tent. We each had the best hot chocolate ever and a cinnamon babka. A babka is strips of dough wrapped together. They had chocolate and cinnamon. We each chose a cinnamon one as it was closest to a cinnamon bun. They were delicious!

We left Mustard Seed Hill until next year. A lovely evening. No big crowds this early. Very relaxing and calming way to start our December.

On December 1st, we finished decorating our home. Claude did the outside with our nativity with a spotlight on it. He put the snowflakes on one side of the entry way and the little trees on the other side of the entry way. He has wreaths over the windows and sides of the garage. It is 'simply' beautiful. I put up all the interior decorations and then took two days to get the tree put together and then put on lights, ribbon, garland and ornaments. This is a picture of our tree this year. I tossed the gold ribbon used for many years and purchased a white ribbon with sleighs embroidered on it. At the top in my purple Christmas ball from when I was a child. 

These are our new ornaments for this year: Jericho ice cream run, Badger we crossed Lake Michigan on, a pink dolphin from Manaus, Brazil, Bronner's Christmas store, and M119 is the route we took to see fall colors. 

These two pictures speak volumes. They are of our youngest great grandmonster and his dog, Cash. Cash is very patient with this little boy that loves this dog so much. Joel likes to get in the dog crate with Cash. In the second picture, Joel was playing a game of toss with Cash and Cash lovingly put his paw on his little friend. Be still my heart! My father always said a little boy always needed a dog. Maybe, just maybe, Papa was right!

Time for the fun Christmas memes. Some really give me a good chuckle. This is one I loved this week.

Lastly, I will share a post I did to Facebook after returning home today from a special event.

    "How important is a hug?

    "I grew up in Louisiana. All my life we hugged the people we met and cared for. Lots and lots of hugs. My biggest heartache during the pandemic was knowing my father was not receiving any hugs for over a year. 

    "Today Claude and I attended "A Time of Remembrance". Johnson's Funeral Home does this each year for the people who have lost a love one and this funeral home cared for that loved one and the family of that loved one. Papa, Vernon Nelson Lawrence, passed away in May of this year. As part of this little remembrance, each deceased persons name was read and a family member could go up and receive an ornament for their tree to remember their loved one this Christmas and in the future. As each person went up to receive their ornament, the two ladies that work at the funeral home gave the ornament to the family member followed by kind words and a hug. Some of those hugs lasted a bit and were accompanied by tears. 

    "As I watched this, I was again reminded how important a hug is. How grateful I am we can hug again. How grateful I am for Toney and Grant at Johnson's. They have cared for me and each of my parents. Every time I have seen them, there has been a hug. They care. 

    "Hug someone you care about today. It's a good thing to do!"

So, it begins, the ending of another year with the celebration of Christmas. We use this holiday to remember the birth of our Savior. I love Him. I am eternally grateful for his Atonement. It touches all of my daily life. I recognize His hand in my life. He loves me. I look forward to celebrating Christmas and remembering my Savior. 

I think I'll go find Claude and give him a hug!!