Merry Christmas, Dear Sisters! We hope you’ve had a marvelously blessed day. What greater cause for celebration could we have? The Word became flesh and pitched His tabernacle among us so that we could behold His glory, the glory of the One and Only full of grace and truth! Joy to the world, the Lord has come. Let earth receive her King!
I dearly love Christmas. I’m dog-tired but so happy. The company’s all gone (at least for a few hours) and I’m taking a break for a few minutes. I’m sitting on the floor in our computer room because we had to use our desk chairs for all our company to be able to eat at a table and we haven’t moved them back upstairs yet. My day started early. I crawled out of bed at 6:00 AM after a late night as Claus. Thankfully everybody slept for another hour and I had some time to myself. A few minutes to get on the floor before the Lord, to read too-fast-a-devotional, and drink a strong cup of coffee with just the right amount of cream. Before long Keith rolled out of bed then Melissa. She is like a 5 year-old at Christmas. She makes it so much fun. She loves seeing all heaps of presents and trying to guess what she’s getting and trying to get you to guess what she’s giving. It was a treat to see that mighty cute Colin Fitzpatrick coming down the stairs this morning. Our family loves him so much and we’ve even adjusted to him and Melissa sleeping in the same room. (Always a tad awkward at first.)
We wanted Amanda, Curtis, and our best boy, Jackson, to get to have the time they needed for Santa at home so we put off opening presents till later in the morning after they arrived. Melissa made a fantastic egg casserole that we pulled out of the oven about the time they walked through the door. We ate a quick breakfast and gathered in the den. It was Amanda’s time to read the Christmas story. She was so beautiful sitting there with that darling tummy. She doesn’t feel very darling but she is. (We’re only 7 weeks out, by the way!) I was sure Jackson would turn into a pumpkin (wrong holiday) before we could get through the Scriptures but he did so well. Keith prayed over us then the mania began. We love to see each other open presents so it takes forever because we keep stopping to look what someone got.
Jackson is at the ultimate age for Christmas. A total blast. He got an entire dealership of cars and trucks. That’s all in the world he loves. Anything on wheels. If I ever end up in a wheel chair when I’m on up in years, I hope he’s still taken with them. His baby sister got so many things for her nursery. It’s going to be adorable! We can hardly wait for her to get here.
I really scored on Colin and Curtis’s presents. I got them remote control helicopters (really complicated ones with an instructional video by some dude that had the personality of a rocket scientist) and they spent the next two or three hours on them. Keith was so bitter I didn’t get him one. Blast. Why didn’t I think of that?
After we dug ourselves out from under six feet of wrapping paper, the family began straightening things up and setting tables and I started cooking like a wild woman. I’ve got to tell you, Siestas, I had the cooking anointing this year. I’m not even kidding. It was everything I could do not to stop every few bites and say, “Is this incredible or what?” (Actually, I first wrote that I wanted to stop every few bites and say, “I totally rock!” but I thought you’d think that sounded a tad boastful. So I didn’t write it. But now I have. You’ve got to give me this one cooking moment. Just one.) My cornbread dressing was killer. My mom would have had a fit. My broccoli and rice casserole was terrific, too, but I made enough for 68 people. It’s what we at our house call a “Moore-der.” (An “order” Moore-style.) If a little is good, a ton is better. I also could feed a football team the rest of my green bean casserole (they’d better eat it after a game, however) and I have two pies that weren’t even touched. (I know what you’re thinking. It wasn’t because they weren’t good. It’s because I made a Texas sheet cake and two other pies and cranberry oatmeal cookies. See what I’m saying? A Moore-der.)
I bet Colin and I peeled 14 potatoes to mash (I make really great mashed potatoes and gravy). I kept saying, “We’d better do just one more.” His eyes just kept getting bigger and bigger. How in heaven’s name are you supposed to gage how much food thirteen people will eat anyway? And two of Keith’s nephews are in college. Have you watched a college boy eat lately? It’s violent.
Colin and Melissa could only stay for a little while after we sat down to eat so that they could head to his house only a few subdivisions from here. She had a temperature when she left so I bet by the time she gets back late tonight, I have a sick girl on my hands. I got Strep throat the week of Converge and then got a chest cold then Amanda caught the cold and now Melissa’s got it. We’re usually a healthy bunch. I don’t know what’s gotten into us. I think it may be because one day it’s 35 degrees here in Houston and the next it’s 80. I had the heater on yesterday and I have the air conditioner on today. Star can’t decide whether to grow more hair or shed it. This climate is preposterous.
Oh, I forgot to tell you that Melissa left her laptop on the side of the stairs last night and while Keith and I were being Mr. and Mrs. Claus and hauling presents downstairs, he stepped on it. (We usually take the chimney but we were afraid Star and Geli would try to leap in behind us and it would take forever to get the soot off their fur.) You should see the laptop. I guess you know what she’s getting for a post-Christmas gift.
OK, I realize this post is really random but, among a dozen other things, Star keeps dropping her favorite ball right beside me so I’ll play fetch with her and I have to stop typing every couple of minutes and throw it. And boy is it spitty. I keep trying to throw the thing at an angle where it will bounce downstairs so she’ll take longer to get it but she’s the fastest thing on four legs.
The last random thing I’m going to tell you is that I got Keith one of those massagers you put in a chair and sit against and it does all sorts of fancy things to your neck, back and shoulders. It heats up and everything. I think he’s about to sit in it and I want to beat him to it so I’m going to have to go. You know how you tend to get people things you want for yourself?
Uh-oh. I hear Keith downstairs singing “Ebony and Ivory.” I bet anything he’s in that danged chair. Something’s chilled that boy out.
Merry Christmas, Siestas. I pray Jesus all over every single one of you this coming year. I want me a Jesus year. That’s what I want for Christmas.
Sounds like a good old down home family CHRISTmas. Which is just what I had here in West Virginia. Yours sounds a lot like mine.
Glad you had a great day!
Much love!
Kristi B.
Merry Christmas Beth!
We ended our Christmas day watching Marley and Me…good but so sad. Big crocadile tears came with that movie. You might want to hold off on that one. 😉
I want a Jesus year too!
(my word verification is sisesses!)
Beth,
I couldn’t log off without telling you how I mis-read a line in your post. When you wrote about Keith’s present, at first I thought it said that he was about to “sin” in it..I thought, yikes, that’s some gift…especially when I read the line where you said you wanted to be first! 🙂
Our weather in good old Missouri is wild, too. We had single digits at the start of the week..now we’re going to reach 70 degrees today and have a tornado watch.
God’s blessings to you and yours.
This has nothing to do with this post, but every time I check the weather this is shown on one of our local news web sites and I have to think of Beth and smile. Look on the right down about three or so “weather blocks” —-
Does anyone know where they put the sun? Has been far too long since we have seen it here in the Big H.
Have a great weekend Siestas . . .
http://houston.justweather.com/
Of all the commentable things in this post, I just have to give a ‘whoot whoot’ to the fact you used the word killer in this post. My hubby was just making fun of me a couple of days ago because it has made a resurgence in my vocab.
Once an 80’s girl, always an 80’s girl!
Merry Christmas to the Moore, Jones & Fitzpatrick families!!
I want me a Jesus year too! Loved the recap, hope you got in your chair time!
Merry Christmas Girlfriend/Siesta!
I love your description of the Moore Christmas. You can “paint a word picture” better than anyone I know! I could see the whole thing like watching a video!
I want a year of “Jesus” as well. I want all of HIM and more..(or moore-der)
You keep glorifying HIM and lifting HIM up to all of us this year! You go forth and proclaim we all can have “More-der” of HIM, if we are willing to empty out our own junk and give HIM all.
HE doesn’t share HIS glory with anyone or anything else.
Loving HIM and you and your precious family!
Blessings,
Teri
Merry Christmas, Beth and family. You are so precious to share your Christmas day stories with us! Thank you!! Our hearts seem to all be united to wanting a 2009 Jesus year. I echo that desire!!
Both my parents spent Christmas seeing Jesus face-to-face this year. I miss them both so much, but rejoice to know that their Christmas was the real thing.
Merry Christmas to you, Beth. Thank you for letting Him use you in such a wild, real way.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year2009.
Merry Christmas Beth I’m glad ya’ll had a wonderful Chritmas! May you hav a Blest New Year!
I just enjoyed (I’d use italics if I could on that word!) this- thank you for including us! Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas.
We also had a very full very Merry Christmas.
It was one for the post cards.
We had a Very white Christmas, then the sun came out! I was saying out loud several times “Thank You Lord for the beautiful eye presents” it was so awesome.
luv ya all….Cindy
Amen to what you wrote to Connie, Beth. I know God is going to meet you this year, Connie. Please, please share some of those precious insights you get about Him with us as they come!
We had an unusual Christmas- opening gifts over the phone with my hubby and then, get this, he sent most of my gifts to our San Diego address since we’re in MN, and he didn’t want me to have to ship them twice. So I won’t even know what I got for Christmas until I get home in February! I guess that will extend the fun…
The girls had fun going sledding for the first time and playing with new dolls and a tea set. My mom got me a new ESV study Bible and I love it! My NIV was going on 16 years and was falling apart, so I’m looking forward to getting to know a new bible. The Scripture memory challenge will help!
Happy new year to everyone!
Rebekah
Merry Christmas Beth! I too had the cooking annointing this year – my Mom paid me the highest compliment when she told me my cornbread dressing tasted as good as what my grandmother used to make. 🙂
Love,
Kim – Doswell, VA
My mom got my dad one of those chair massager things too! We were all but timing each other in it so we could all have a turn! ha!
Regarding your gift to Keith…
My husband & I go on dates to Kohls. For the demo massage chairs! Why pay $69.99 for a good Christmas gift when you could simply lure your man into shopping w/you?…while you shop until your sweet heart is content, your man can chill in the chair. If you hit the right sales, its a potentially cheap date 😉 I'm just sayin'…
Hey Beth,
This Christmas has been especially hard for the our family. My husband left for Nevada about two weeks ago because his father, Dean, was dying of cancer. It started in his lungs about a year and a half ago then spread to his brain. About three weeks ago a PET scan showed that the cancer had spread throughout his body and wasn’t given very much time. Dean has been a Missionary and Pastor for over 40 years now. On Thursday, December 25, 2008 the Lord saw fit to bring Dean to his Heavenly home and set him free of his cancer. He went peacefully with his wife Judy of 44 years and my husband Brian by his side holding his hands. I tried to keep things as Christmasy as possible for our daughters who are 9 and 11 but it has been very hard on all of us. Please pray for Brian, Judy and the rest of the family to have strength and comfort during this time as plans for services are made and we adjust to life without him.
Beth! I got my man one of those massage-in-the-chair deals for Christmas, too! He loves it (& so do WE ALL!!) Next year, i want one for my feet…doesn't that sound LOVELY??
Merry Christmas! My hubby ended up with one of those heater/massager things, too. How am I going to get him to go with me to Bed Bath & Beyond anymore? Ha!
I know this is a bit late…but here it is nonetheless. Beth..I giggled when you talked about the remote control helicopters. Though I did not get to go home for Christmas, by Thanksgiving my father (who is a rocket scientist..I’m proud of my daddy) and my brother who followed in his aviation aptitude footsteps both had one to themselves. Can I just say I spent not a few moments watching them crash the fool out of those things. Destroying batteries, sending them into tailspins and almost crashing down on all 5 of us, and our golden retriever Winston. Maybe your boys will get more out of the instructions than my self sufficient guys did! I just hope they don’t crash it into the coffee table like my dad did…haha…
Spiritual Mom Beth, your post was the best! I like random, you can be random with the siestas, ok?:)…tired? aw…OOoo we take turns at my momma’s too, that’s a long time of opening gifts for 5 girls!:)…Little Jackson likes cars:), they make him happy?:)…First, you are blessed with Keith, then your girls, then Curtis, now Colin AND Little Siesta!? Wow, you blessed thing:)…You make me laugh, that is a bunch of food:) Moore-der, no kiddin:)…Precious man Keith cracks me up (giggle):)…I surely do pray Jesus all over you too, Spiritual Mom Beth!:)
Love and ((HUGS)),
katiegfromtennessee
Merry Christmas to you all as well Beth. Thanks for sharing your day with us. God Bless and Happy New Year.
Well t his may be a bit late…I am just getting on…
I’ve been to East Ar and then to Hot springs and back to the Ozarks…whew! I’m beat.
Beth, I’m sorry you were sick, I had strep over Thanksgiving and it was at my house, not fun!
My niece got a massager and it was the favortie gift, we all were fighting over it! I have a shoulder spur so I think I should get it.
My niece’s Christmas gift from me is missing…(not the masager) no one wants to claim to taking it home with them…..you may just have it at your house…one of the gfits in the big bag was a microwave food cover…it really is neat….you dont’ have to use paper towels any more….
I drove home through a horrible rain storm and home to a house where my housesitter did not do her job….so I spent one hour at 8:00 last night cleaning before I could even sit down.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas. I had four (15 at one and 13 at another) and they were all Merry. Now if we could find my niece and her husbands Christmas gift from me…..
Oh P,S, Beth…I got a Geroge Foreman Grill…I asked for one…do you have any great cooking tips for me?
Thanks Beth! I’m in!
Joanne in Fremont
Merry Christmas!!
taI would love to join in scripture memorization. I need a Jesus year more than ever. Thanks for being so dedicated to helping us grow in Christ. Happy New Year, I already have my first scripture ready. Thanks.
Hey Miss Beth
I want to have a Jesus year too!!!!
Love.
Erin
you make me laugh out-loud!I tried to fix my dad and grandpa some cornbread however it looked like a thin really thin light-brown paper plate! I really need to improve my cooking skills. By the way Im glad you all had a great christmas!:)
I’ve been reading your blog for over a year now and wondered what I really needed to do to become a siesta- looks like I already am one!I’m not going to pledge to do the memorization right now because I know me, and chances are I’ll not follow it to the T- so for now, I’m promising to write out verses and try and place them in places I will see often, so that I can begin to imprint them in my head, and most importantly, my heart. Thanks Beth, for inspiring us and growing with us!
Siestawhodidn’tevenknowshewasasiesta,
Jen in Cali
You are a blessing & delight to know! I really want a Jesus year too! This year I want to stay completely soaked by my Living Water ~ Jesus!
I saw Jess's post and, Siesta, I am praying for you!
Love, Dee
Again, LOVE the “Jesus year”! But have to agree with one of the comments from the challenege…
I WANT ME A JESUS LIFE!!!
from here on out… of course *thoughtfully* He has been here my whole life… Believe Him taught me that!
Loving yall in Christ…
just wanted to add my belated Christmas greetings to you and fam …
and may God continue to bless us – through your teaching in the new year … now that’s a selfish little blessing, isn’t it? *grinning*
Wow, Beth, you have been busy on this first day of 2009. I just wanted to encourage you that your perseverence and diligence in moderating all these comments does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. Over 1100 verses and counting. I just wanted to say thank you and didn’t want to put anything other than Scripture on that post. This seemed like the best place, though it may be a few days before you see it. We are having ourselves a feast on that post and I’ve only read about 250 comments so far.
Love to you and your family,
Patti H.
What a feasting on the Word of God! I’ve read all the memory verses and I am pumped. Beth, will there be a follow-up post? I am about to bust and will have a hard time choosing just one word that God has spoken through His Word today. This is my 2nd comment on this non-related post because I truly do not want to add anything to those precious Scripture passages. Oh my, how God’s Word has resonated in my soul today. Beth and Siestas, you just can’t imagine what a blessing you have been to me today. I could not stop reading until I read every comment.
Much love to all of you,
Patti Hayes – Lutz, FL
OK, I just need somewhere to express emotions after the holidays- seems you have fewer than usual responses on this post and perhaps no one will notice my ego driven expression- hope so- I had great intentions this morning, a great attitude, exercise, praise, prayers, contemplative prayer,the decorations are put away, posted my verse etc. then tonight as I listened to the last of the Christmas songs on my TV cable- I had a few glasses of wine, cryed and lamented over all that should have, could have,would have- what if I don’t change?- I’ve been working on this for decades, giving it to God, letting it go, trusting him so I will not be disappointed….. what if I ????? My intention is the best and my heart is on board with Jesus and his healing ministry- hmmmm, I am human and he is my only way out, please come Lord Christ- thank you for this opportunity to express on such an emotional day- Lots of love
Thank you for the prod to learn scripture. I’ve signed up in the appropriate place but had a thought as I was reading all the siestas’ Bible verses. It would be really interesting to see if we pick more Old T verses over New T verses or one book more than another. This exercise is not about a matrix but it might be interesting.
Anna
Oh Beth that was so fun to read. Merry Christmas to you a week and a half late.
The day after Christmas my husband and I went to FL for a week and I just can not figure out hotel internets so I have a bunch of catching up to do.
I love your rendition of cooking the Christmas meal. I do the same thing with quantities. It is hard to figure out so when in doubt – make more!! And I’m not even a Moore.
Isn’t it neat to know that God has this year mapped out for us and that it’s better than we can imagine. A Jesus year. Good thought. Yes I want that too.
Thank you for all your encouraging words. You bless my socks off!
OH BETH.. you made my day with this post! I am so happy to hear that you had such a wonderfully blessed and FUN Christmas with your family!
I am sorry for the delayed response, I’m just getting back to the normal routine after the holiday craziness!
Much Love,
Groovewoman♫