70s Christmas Ornaments

i had a dream that our baby was 3, and i met him at the church nursery for the first time. it was bizarre! we hadn't abandoned him or anything, just hadn't met him yet. we have a name in mind (in real life) that i'm not ready to announce since we're not 100% set, but let's just say it's little timmy for the sake of the story. in the dream last night, i saw this ADORABLE little boy with straight white-blonde hair cut into a bowl, green overalls and red shoes. i said "little timmy?!" and he looked up and shouted "MOMMY!" and ran to me. all i could do in the dream was say his name over and over again and hold him close. it was awesome. i want a kid. good thing...

speaking of baby, he's moving around regularly now!! after i had the worst stomach bug i've ever had, he started kicking and swimming and flipping - whoo! even enough that chris can feel him. it's AMAZING. i'm loving this business of growing a human. it's fascinating!!

i'm sitting here on christmas eve looking at our amazing christmas tree. it's enormous (well, for me at least - forrest would say it was tiny since it's not scraping the ceiling...) and fat and only cost $20 at lowes. thank you lowes. we have a few new ornaments that we've collected since being married, but most of them are old ornaments that our parents have either rejected or had the heart to pass along to us. some of chris' classics: a CREEPY mickey mouse with gloved-hands that spin and no eyes. yes. no eyes. *shiver*; a little marching soldier; a white, lacey (but metal) violin. some of my classics - i apparently did more looting at my parents' house than he did: a santa driving a truck loaded down with christmas trees - it actually rolls around and i remember playing with it when i was a kid; a styrofoam/cloth drum; my favorite little clay drummer boy; all the old vintage hallmark carousels; and the crowning glory - our angel. she has a green burlap dress with white panty-hose wings and a plastic molded head with a 70's hairdo. GLORIOUS. i love her. as long as she is in-tact, i will never have anything different on top of our tree.

i wish i could post photos of all of these glorious ornaments. but alas, our camera is gone forever. no where. lost. vanished. i'm going to the store today, including a trip to (shiver) walmart, and i'm tempted to buy another one...without asking chris...we'll see what i decide.

speaking of "vanished", one of my 5 year old students used that word the other day. i put in a christmas video for them to watch and was looking for the case for video that had been in the machine. i was making a big deal about it being missing and couldn't believe i couldn't find it. preston shouted out with a LOT of feeling and expression, "mrs. slaten! it just VANISHED!!!" it was HILARIOUS. i love my kids.

God looked at the people He created and said "there's only one way for me to show them that i love them..." Jesus left His throne, all the glory of heaven itself, to come down here to dirty, nasty, smelly earth, just to show us that His Father loves us. but He didn't swoop down as an angel or a grown man or something easy for Him. He came down as a little baby. people had to change His diaper. He had to learn to walk, to talk, to tie his...uh...sandals. absolutely phenomenal. thank you, Lord, for loving us so much. may this Christmas truly be about the One that it is celebrating!