Well, it seems that it was just a few days ago that the leaves started to turn and all the sudden frost is on the ground and we are frantically searching plastic bins stored under our bed for scarves and heating blankets. Winter is hear. And that means that Christmas is just around the corner!
When I was going-stencil-painting-crazy last year on home assignment I made these mini throw pillow covers out of white canvas. They are kind of a fun pair because even when they get switched around the phrase still works. We celaborate God's love that came down @ Christmas. JESUS!
A favorite decoration that gets pulled out each holiday is "Christmas Bear". Tim's dad sent him to us the first Christmas we were in Japan 19 years ago. At one time this plush toy's plastic red blinking heart played festive tunes. Now he quietly sits contentedly in this living room as he has sat in a myriad of our living rooms before.
As we have shared before, space is always an issue here. We literally pack ourselves up every few years and each day we pack ourselves into our little house with little closet spaces. We have shared before with you that Tim and I can be a bit ruthless when it comes to tossing stuff. Decluttering and "downsizing" is something we continually work at. We have to.
Well, one year, I am sad to say that "Christmas Bear" didn't make the cut. This oversized brown fluffy ball took half of my Christmas box and he needed to go. So, we gave him away. In typical missionary style, we put him on the "give away" table at our mission's prayer meeting....you can probably picture a table full of missionary cast offs...or maybe it's better not to! Anyway, we bid him farewell and thought he was gone. Only to discover our soft brown bear several years later greeting us in the corner of a missionary holiday home. Some fellow missionary had lovingly rescued him. And he was back in our lives and back in our packed box of Christmas decorations once again.
Come back next week for a BLOG GIVEAWAY!!!
