I discovered this tonight via a link to a link from Brenda’s blog.
An Authentic Christmas is a lovely reminder about how to keep what is truly important during this holiday season and let the rest go.
Our Christmas is going to be pretty simple and low-key this year. Even though I am doing much better, I still cannot do many things easily. Christmas cards have to be done in small batches because I can’t sit and write that long. Many gifts will be going into gift bags this year instead of being wrapped. We’ll make some Christmas goodies, but we’re also going to splurge a little and buy some special things premade.
We are enjoying this season with Caroline in simple ways. We’re cutting the paper chain links each day as a countdown to Christmas and reading a special book each day with it. We’re doing a chocolate advent calendar. We’ve decorated the house and Christmas music plays all the time. We’ve enjoyed watching Christmas on Plum Creek numerous times (Caroline’s introduction to the Ingalls family on TV and she’s enthralled!). We have lots of Christmas books we’re reading. We’ll go for a drive and see the lights. We’re doing an advent wreath. We’ll see a very limited number of family and friends. We’ll enjoy church. But that is about it. It is a pretty simple Christmas. And that is good.
I hope you enjoy the article and the rest of their lovely website.
I was thinking today how at one time, I would have been unhappy at such a quiet Christmas as we are having this year. Instead I find myself cherishing each quiet day and reading a lot, too.
Thank you for the link Sallie! Looking forward to reading that one.
(Just a technical note, I still can’t get your feed in Bloglines. I remember to click over here but just thought I would let you know.)
We’re having a simple Christmas also. Ours is due to my back/health issues also, so I’m doing things the same way you are! I wind up writing about 5 Christmas cards a day!
We’ve purchased just a few things, all off the internet with free shipping! Otherwise, we give handmade gifts or re-gift (please no comments on that one).
We simplified our Christmas celebration quite a few years ago. Stopped the massive gift giving, etc. It was a blessing in disguise since we could not have known how God was to work in our lives just a few years later. I love the way God works in our lives, bringing us to His will gently and slowly (well, if we let Him that is!).
We are listening to Christmas music non-stop also. We’ve downloaded lots of free stuff, so combined with our past CD’s – (my favorite is Amy Grant’s Tennessee Christmas) we have plenty of lovely music, and in all genres.
we have made a tradition of driving around looking for christmas lights. sometimes we take a friend who’s having a tough time, a favorite church widow, or a young couple. we’ll bring cocoa in a thermos and eat candy canes. and when the lights are scarce we sing “christmas lights, where are yooooouuu?” (same principle as “here fishy fishy fishy!”)
as for simple gifts. my daughter for three years (ages 4, 5, 6) asked for and received a “big box” for christmas. I can’t remember, and I doubt she can either, what other gifts she received in those years. but those big cardboard boxes brought many hours of fun.
Mrs Nehemiah