From Thanksgiving to Christmas...

Yesterday was a wonderful day of Thanksgiving!

The new flag in the yard was a gift from my sister to welcome our guests into our front door:

And welcome them we did! From near and far...family from both sides of our family tree came together to share the bounty of what God hath provided...

The Steiners and the Hutchinsons and their offspring

My sister Doris Mursch Hutchinson had most of her family here, and I had most of my family here

The Mursch Sisters: Doris and Pam

And the Steiner brothers also had most of their respective families here...

The Steiner Brothers: John and Bill and our families below:

It was a grand day in every way, filled with much joy, laughter, and good food!

And Grandma Mursch's Orange Cookies (my mother's recipe (Click HERE for a link to that recipe)), enjoyed here by her youngest

Great-Grandson, Jack.   It's a family tradition!

The cookies were baked by my youngest son Scott, seen here mashing the potatoes:

And there was a new member of the family, "Snuggles" the dog, who was sniffing out all the goodies. Seen here with his loving "keeper", our niece Shannon.

So after the day was over and everyone returned to their respective homes (no, no one opted to stay over in our "guest room"), and the food was all put away and everything cleaned up, 

I woke up this morning and decided it was time to "put away Thanksgiving" and start preparing for Christmas.  I know many of you have already put up your trees and have done other decorations even before Thanksgiving, but I am a Thanksgiving "purist" or "Puritan", preferring to keep the two holidays totally separate. (Click HERE for previous posts written on this topic) I have a difficult time multi-tasking with the two major holidays of the year, so I have to keep them separate for my own sanity's sake.

But today we started the day out quietly and peacefully, spending some time on the deck, reading from God's Word, watching the Wood Ducks swimming around the pond:

 Aren't they beautiful???

And as I thought about all the wonderful blessings of yesterday (and this whole past year), I was suddenly filled with the joy and energy to begin the Advent and Christmas season anew...

Starting from the outside and gradually working our way inside...(that will come in the days to come...again...one thing at a time...)

And I knew that this year, in our new house in our new neighborhood I wanted our Christmas message to the world to be about the true meaning of Christmas.

 And as we took a little ride to go take our walk in the woods this morning, we passed a place on the side of the road where a man was selling these wooden Nativity silhouettes! I've long admired them and have wanted one for the longest time, and I told my hubby that was all I wanted for Christmas this year...and so he turned around and we went back and bought this to put along side our original little wooden tree with the message: For Unto Us a Child is Born"

And then we got home and I started getting ready for Christmas!

 Our little front porch tree is all decked out and lit up to spread the joy...

 And the front door is ready to welcome guests...

And we are ready to welcome the Christ-child...The Savior of the World!

Christ is coming!  Time to start preparing our homes and our hearts to receive Him!

Isaiah 9:6-7 New King James Version (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 

Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.