The First Annual LUE Christmas Tree Tour

Tale of a Nutcracker

Marley and I took a little trip to the happiest place on earth. No, not Disneyland--Target. Okay, it isn't the happiest place on earth, but we had some shopping to do and I had a Target gift card. Marley wrote down our list: shoes for her new dress, shoes for the play, tights for her new dress, tights for the play, a new holiday tablecloth, paper plates. I also knew I wanted to look for a case for my new iPod Nano. As we wandered around Target I saw nutcrackers. Every year we buy a nutcracker. I think we have been doing it for about 10 years. Anywhoo, I thought that it would be a good idea to get our Christmas nutcracker. Bad idea. Target's idea of nutcrackers this year include a Captain Jack nutcracker, a military man nutcracker and this:



A pop star nutcracker. Of course Marley assumed it was a Hannah Montana nutcracker, which is the one she wanted.

No!

No!!

No!!!

Christmas celebration begins after Thanksgiving and pop star nutcrackers are forbidden. Is that too much to ask?  The LUE family nutcracker is just going to have to wait until a more suitable one can be found.

Pop star nutcrackers! Ridiculous.

You may have noticed the gigantic Salvation Army kettle in my side bar.  I'm trying to raise money in my little virtual kettle.  If you are cool with the Salvation Army and have a dollar to two to spare, you can click on the kettle and drop in a few virtual coins.  My goal is $125.00.  If you can help great.  If not, no worries.

29 down, 1 to go

1 to go!!!!!

Christmas Joy

Merry Christmas to the Blogosphere... Here is a clip of something I find sublime in the truest sense of the word:



I'll be seein' y'all around!

An Empty Stocking

Tonight I want to tell you a story about an empty stocking...

Once upon a midnight clear there was a child's cry.
A blazing star hung over a stable and wise men came with birthday gifts.
We haven't forgotten that night down the centuries.
We celebrate it with stars on Christmas trees and the cry of bells and gifts...
but especially with gifts.
You give me a book.
I give you a tie.
Aunt Martha always wanted an orange squeezer
and Uncle Henry could do with a new pipe.
Oh, we forget nobody, adult or child.
All the stockings are filled.
All that is, except one.
We have even forgotten to hang it up.
A stocking for the child born in a manger.
It's his birthday we're celebrating.
Dont let us ever forget that.
Let's ask ourselves what He would wish for most.
And then let each put in his share...
Loving kindness
Warm hearts
and the stretched out hand of tolerance...
All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.
from The Bishiop's Wife

The Bishop's Wife is one of my favorite movies and I try to watch it every year. Many years ago, before Marley was born, as I watched it, I decided that our house needed a stocking for Jesus. We hang it up each year in the center of the mantle and place a copy of this little sermon in it. On Christmas morning when we are all awake, we will read it and then talk about what we have done in the past year, as a family and as individuals, that could be considered a gift to Jesus. Then, of course, the contents of our own stockings are spilled on the floor and the carnage of present begins soon after. But for a few moments on Christmas morning, we stop to consider God's gift to us in the sending of his son and what we can do to express our gratitude for that greatest gift.

Merry Christmas!

While it may look as if my teenage son is facing a firing squad,
I can assure you, it was merely a camera.