Christmas 2009

I love Christmas. I love to shop and find the right gift for family and friends. I really enjoy the gift opening and watching closely as the receive sees what I have carefully chosen just for them. And....I really enjoy torturing my children with the "most wanted" gift by sending them on a treasure hunt through the house to find this most wanted of gifts, but this is only after EVERYTHING is opened and I relish in their attempts to not seem disappointed and to show their gratitude for the clothes and other things they have received. I know, I know, mean, but oh, so fun. Here are a few pictures from this year's festivities.

Christmas Eve pajamas

Christmas Morning (6:32 am) checking out what Santa left on the fireplace for them. The insertion of the time is to show that even 'big kids' get up way too early on Christmas morning!

Opening a "clue" to their big gift

Finding a clue in the linen closet

Opening the X-Box they begged for .... after searching the house for 20 minutes and deciphering their father's clues.... FUN, FUN, FUN!!

What the boys did during Winter Break

Welcome 2009

I adore our connection and wish you:

A New Year minted from love

Gilded with courage

Dusted with wonder

Embraced by contradiction

Comfortable with discomfort

Tenderized by self-kindness

Held in the hands of our Source"

Jennifer Louden www.comfortqueen.com

Holiday On Ice

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Amy Grant. Ok, I will admit it, I am a fan-girl. For my birthday my cool mom bought tickets for the Holiday On Ice performance staring, you guessed it, AMY GRANT...oh yea, and Nancy Kerrigan, Michael W. Smith and some other skaters..... I did my best to take some pictures, but they are not all that clear. And since the event was being filmed for TV, I couldn't get up and take better shots. Here is what I have to share.

The Stage - it was really pretty

Nancy Kerrigan - she had a baby 3 months ago, so here jumps were not high up in the air, but she looked beautiful. My friend Barbara (also LaRae's cousin) and my mom. I had to sneak up and take my mom's picture since she does not like it much..... I like this picture as she was so enjoying herself and the skating and the company.

The blurry image in the middle is really Amy Grant. I truly love Christmas Music and I love her and skating is pretty cool too.....so, it was a perfect evening.

Amy has a new Christmas CD this year and on it she has written a new song called "I Need a Silent Night" and it is amazing...I'm a bit obsessed with it at the moment. On the CD, her 4 year old daughter Corina Grant-Gill reads the Savior's birth story from Luke and it is adorable. How cool to have your child's voice recorded for all time on a song you wrote and sang.

This is a YouTube video of Amy's new Christmas Song "I Need a Silent Night." It isn't a great quality video, so to read the lyrics, see my new widget on my blog.....Pretty cool and high tech, huh?

I hope a few of you caught the Holiday on Ice show this past Sunday at 1 pm PST....I used the trusty DVR to "tape" it for me and I've watched it a few times now, fast forwarding to Amy's parts. The show was great - fun to go out with my "girl-friends" .....just one comment...MORE AMY, less skating next time!!