Tag: christmas

Happy Sunday

julieannetaylor

The house is quiet – except for my parents stirring in the basement as they get ready for church. The sunlight is streaming through the front window almost hiding the chill in the morning air. My coffee sits close by in my favorite mug, and Malone is curled up near me on the rug.

I am making a list for my day while a Hallmark Christmas movie plays in the background. I don’t plan on leaving the house for anything today. It will just be Malone and me home together all day…and I’m planning on getting a lot of things crossed off my list. The first thing on the list is to carry up all the Christmas boxes and begin to transform the house for the most wonderful time of the year. I normally hold out until after Thanksgiving, but the season is shorter this year, and we have lots of gatherings on the calendar, so today is the day! I am excited about having the whole house to myself to take my time and decorate while a marathon of cheesy Christmas movies play (with a brief intermission to watch the Bengals game – unless it becomes too painful to watch – and then it’s back to Hallmark).

The other big item on my list is a labor of love! Caroline and I will be prepping a whole bunch of freezer meals for Zach and Katie! We want to make life easier for them as they adjust from being a family of three to a family of four! We should have a new baby in the family this week and we want Campbell’s parents to be able to rest and focus all of their attention on her and big brother. So we will be trying to make their lives a little easier by stocking their freezer full of meals! The bonus is that I get to spend the afternoon with my mini-me best friend!

As I type, I realize there is nothing really earth shattering about this post, or even my day…but maybe there is a little more than just a to do list. I don’t feel like my day is filled with tasks that I have to do, but rather things that I get to do- and that is a blessing to be sure. I am blessed to have a home to decorate for my family to enjoy. I am blessed that my home is the place where my entire family will gather for Thanksgiving and Christmas (and all the other gatherings throughout the year). I am excited to add my thrifting treasures to my Christmas collection this year, as each one conjures memories of the fun days spent with Katie and Carty searching for well loved treasures. I am beyond blessed to be able to prepare meals for my son and daughter in law as they bring my first granddaughter into the world! I am so excited for Parker to be a big brother and for Zach and Katie to complete their perfect little family! The mess and the meal making will be well worth the knowledge that we are taking one small thing off of their plates while they adjust to having a newborn along side a very active three year old.

So I guess that this post is about more than an update on my Sunday to do list. It’s more about perspective. I could look at my list and feel dread about the seventy eleven trips I will make up and down the stairs lugging boxes. Or be overwhelmed at the thought of hours of cooking and loads of dishes. But that’s not how I’m feeling this morning. I am filled with joy and gratitude that I get to spend the entire day at home, in my slippers doing things that will be a blessing to others…and to me. I am thankful for all of the items on my list and will find joy in each minute of the day!

Best. Gift. Ever.

julieannetaylor

It was a very quiet Christmas Eve at our house this year…until it wasn’t. Chris and I were home alone. The girls had left for a trip with their mom earlier in the day. Carty was with her dad and step mom’s family. Zach and Katie were on their way down from Katie’s family’s gathering in Canton. We decided to watch a movie while we waited for them to arrive. And then a second movie. Zach texted and asked if we were going to wait up for them, so we started a third movie. (Stop judging – it was a holiday).

Whenever Zach and Katie come to visit, they always bring Archie, their dog, with them. So when they arrived, it was the usual chaos of Archie and Malone (our dog) chasing each other around and jumping over furniture and establishing dominance in the house. It’s honestly a ritual that I have grown to love. After the excitement of the arrival died down, Zach said that he and Katie wanted to give us ONE of our presents. They just couldn’t wait.

Maybe it was the seven plus hours spent on the couch in a movie stupor, maybe it was the wine, or maybe it was just the excitement of their arrival, but I had no clue what was in the box. I slowly opened it and opened the card that was inside…and that’s when I got it.

Instantly the happy tears began to flow. I remember covering my face and trying to grasp what was being shared with us. Our son and daughter in law were expecting our first grandchild. I remember saying over and over “I’m going to be a grandma.” Zach then reminded me that I hadn’t made it past the card yet. So I gathered myself (ish) and peeled back the tissue paper in the box to find a sonogram picture of my grandchild. Katie was 13 weeks pregnant! This brought another round of happy tears and hugs and more proclamations that we were going to be grandparents. Those moments in time will forever and always be one of my fondest memories. We hugged and cried and laughed for quite some time that evening! It truly was the best gift ever.

Now that the holidays are over and life has begun to settle back into its normal rhythm, I have had a lot of time to think about all of it. Zach is my firstborn. My only son. My baby boy. All of the memories of Zach coming into the world and growing into such an amazing young man keep playing over in my mind. I am still trying to get used to the idea that he is a married man. I am still over the moon with excitement and emotion from their wedding day in September. Watching him that night, barely able to contain his excitement while sharing his news wrecks me every time I recall it. My son is going to be a dad. He and his wife are bringing life into this world! And they are going to be amazing. Life truly is so beautiful. This precious memory of receiving the news of a baby is just the start of so many more to come as they form their family.

Wife, momma, teacher, Jesus follower….and now “Mimsy.”