Relax, and give thanks.

The hustle and bustle is over.

No more parties to attend.

No shopping to do.

No cookies to bake.

No gifts to return.

It's time to relax.

I'm trying to decide where to put some of the gifts I received from my family yesterday.

When I painted the bedroom, I found a RA duvet cover that I liked for the bed.

Kelly and her family gave me some pretty lanterns for Christmas.

Two of them look nice in the bedroom.

The whole room has a fresh new look.

Melissa and the girls gave me these sweet little bird salt and pepper shakers.

They go perfect with my vintage dishes.

Melissa gave me a white pitcher for my collection.

She, and the girls put this lovely terrarium together for me, also.

Erin and her family gave me one of my favorite bottles of wine, along with some clothes that I've been needing for work.

We had a wonderful time with family yesterday. Lots of food. Lots of laughter. Good traveling weather. Most of all....the realization that Our God Is Ruler of what was, what is, and what is to come. 
The days leading up to Christmas might have been busy....but it was all worth it.
As long as we all realize what it is all about.   LOVE. We celebrate His unconditional love toward mankind. 
I am thankful for the gifts I received from my loved ones.
Today I thank God for them.  AND
I thank Him for His Son.
Today I relax....and give thanks.
xoxoxoxoxo

Kindred Spirits and a Surprise!!!

Kindred Spirit: Persons united by likeness of interest, of like nature, or character. Also with references to qualities of disposition, humor, intellect, and mood.

For me...the spirit is the part of me that connects with God.

My soul is the mind, will and emotions part of my being.

I DO understand the term "Kindred Spirit" however.

I feel that connection to some women that have come across my path in this journey I'm on.  

One such friend is Donna, from My Shabby Chateau.

She just "gets" me.

Donna sends gifts to some of her blogging friends each year.  This year, the vintage angel ornament cards she sent are so appropriate for me.  I cannot tell you how much they warm my heart.

They are French, glittered, and have silver, and gold cords.

They could not be more perfect for my home!

The one on my tree has silver glitter, a silver cord, and an aqua snowflake. All the colors that are on the tree!

The image is just precious!

This is one of the pretty icicles Donna made a couple of years ago.

I hang them on my tree every year.

Another paper ornament created by Donna from a previous Christmas.

Donna and I stay in contact with each other throughout the year.
Her husband John is a pilot, and they fly over the lake when they go on trips up north. 
Donna has sent photos when they've flown over-head. I'm waiting for her to drop a package on one of their trips north!
Actually, I'm hoping to meet them in Howell (the town where my daughter lives) at a favorite restaurant, on one of their flights.
I've found Donna to be a very caring, kind-hearted, open person.
She is very talented, too. She shares her creativity on her wonderful blog My Shabby Chateau.  Donna also sells her creations on etsy. 

Thank you, dear friend, for the lovely presents you sent for Christmas! I absolutely LOVE them!!!

Merry Christmas!!!
Debbie
xoxoxo

His Birth and Our New Birth.

" 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us' " (Matthew 1:23).

His Birth in History."...that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God (Luke 1:35). Jesus Christ was born into this world, not from it.  He did not emerge out of history; He came into history from the outside. Jesus Christ is not the best human being the human race can boast of~~~He is a Being for whom the human race can take no credit at all. He is not man becoming God, but God Incarnate~~~God coming into human flesh from outside it.  His life is the highest and the holiest entering through the most humble of doors. Our Lord's birth was an advent~~~the appearance of God in human form.

His Birth in Me. "My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you..." (Galatians 4:19). Just as our Lord came into human history from outside it, He must also come into me from outside. Have I allowed my personal human life to become a "Bethlehem" for the Son of God? I cannot enter the realm of the kingdom of God unless I am born again from above by a birth totally unlike physical birth.

"You must be born again" (John 3:7). This is not a command, but a fact based on the authority of God.

The evidence of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that "Christ is formed" in me. And once "Christ is formed" in me, His nature immediately begins to work through me.

God Evident in the Flesh. This is what is made so profoundly possible for you and for me through the redemption of man by Jesus Christ.

Taken from..."My Utmost For His Highest", by Oswald Chambers...December 25.

Merry Christmas!
Love,
Debbie
xoxoxo

New camera, and some photos!

Good Saturday morning!

My new camera arrived, and I've been having some fun taking pictures around the Lakehouse.

It will take some time to figure out all the features on this contraption, since it's a little more involved than my tiny point and shoot I've been using.

The clarity amazes me!

I love how the roses look almost 3-D!

There is so much to learn.

I would love to take a class.

This is a Santa my dear friend, JoAnne, did for me a few years ago.

JoAnne passed away. She battled breast cancer for as long as she was able.

JoAnne was a fine wife, loving mother and grandmother. She was a loyal friend. One of those caring woman that come along as a true gift. They grace your path, and are a light in your life. Someone you will hold in your heart until your last breath.

A kindred spirit.

A favorite piece.

This little guy sits in with all the iron stone pitchers.

I fancy vintage angels.

It wouldn't be Christmas without them hanging here in our home....heralding the Good News!

I won't post anymore pictures today. I've been walking around with the camera all morning!! What fun I've been having!  
Have a great weekend!
Debbie
xoxoxoxo

Starting to decorate.

Every year it's the same.

You see all the gorgeous new decorations, and pretty Christmas trees in the stores, and you decide this will be the year you change your holiday decor.

You buy a few bulbs for the tree, and can't wait to get started with your holiday decorating.

You start pulling out the boxes from years past, and see a few of those favorite, sentimental pieces that tug at your heart strings....and you make a pile of decorations that you just can't leave in the box this year.

Of course, the vintage ornaments that Dad gave you the year before he passed away...the ones that his mom hung on her Christmas tree so many years before will be hung on the vintage feather tree.

Those sweet little bottle brush trees you've had for years won't take up much room.

Better get those out.

Even though your coveted flocked bottle brush trees have yellowed over the years, it just wouldn't be Christmas without them gracing the mantle along side your favorite mercury glass candle holders.

They still remind us of a quiet winter night.

The kind when the snow crunched under your feet as you walked to midnight mass at the local Catholic church when you were a kid.

Then...you find her.

The precious angel that your oldest daughter(now almost 40) made for you in preschool.

The last Christmas that her Papa was with us.

He had leukemia.

It was a tradition to put this little angel on our tree for many years.

When we moved to our cottage a few years ago, I lost track of her.

Just the other day, I found her gently tucked in a box toward the back of the closet.

I was elated when I unwrapped the box, and found her!

I sent a photo of her to my daughter over the phone saying..."remember me?"

Her response was, "hahaha, Yes!"

My eyes still fill with tears thinking about what this little angel means to me.

I remember asking Kelly a few years ago if she wanted her for her own tree. Kelly said no, that she made it for me. Now that I look at this sweet little thing, I am sooo glad I have her. 
I love her crooked smile, blue eyes(just like my dear daughter) and her green(my favorite color) curly hair.
The new ornaments? I will be using them to decorate with this year. Along side all of my cherished, and, used year after year, favorite things!
Debbie
xoxoxoxoxo