Extraordinary Life

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How do three little boys celebrate Christmas? In many ways, but here's how mine have done it in the first five days of December. šŸ™‚

December 1st: Their mother turned on the first Christmas music of the season, and it was glorious. Sebastian didn't even remember how much he had liked With Bells On the year before and was happily reintroduced.

December 2nd: They went to A Christmas Puppet Show at church. There was popcorn afterward, and cupcakes, and a bounce house, and ornament-making. Alec especially was in his element and came home with this funny little ornament. ...continue reading →

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I gave myself a gift last Christmas.

I used to listen to Pandora all year long. (I still would but I canā€™t figure out how to get it back how it used to be and am afraid I have to actually pay something now to go back to the good old days.) But anyway, I especially listened around Christmas time, partly because I didnā€™t own a lot of Christmas music, and also because it was an easy way to get a good range of Christmas music, traditional and otherwise.

Away in a Manger? Pandoraā€™s got thirty different renditions. That Capital Lights song Iā€™ve loved ever since I heard it on the radio when I was a teenager and canā€™t ever remember the name of? Just thumbs-up it and rest assured itā€™ll show up again without having to go searching for it. Casting Crownsā€™ Peace on Earth? Thumbs-up it on Pandora but also go listen to it on Spotify to your heartā€™s content because once through is never enough. Dolly Partonā€™s With Bells On? Well, that one I finally just bought because my boys loved it as much as I did. ...continue reading →

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Since the day we got married, thereā€™s one song Iā€™ve played first every single time Iā€™ve played the keyboard, and I plan to keep playing it first for the rest of my life. That song is ā€œGentle Shepherd,ā€ and it was sung over us on our wedding day, right after we promised ourselves to each other.

We said our vows, and then we knelt as our dads prayed. When they stepped off the stage, we didnā€™t stand up. Instead our talented bridal party gathered around us and sang ā€œGentle Shepherd,ā€ and it is still one of my favorite moments of the entire ceremony. ...continue reading →

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Once upon a time, October 25th didnā€™t mean much to me.

Who knew it would become a date looked forward to for months? Eric's birthday.

I had the funny idea to look back and see what I was doing on all the October 25ths before I met Eric. Apparently nothing picture-worthy, except for in 2008, when I was both chopping wood and wearing a wedding dress (not at the same time). The wedding dress seems like a funny coincidence. The dress was not mine, and neither was the wood actually, and I think I'll spare you the pictures, but suffice it to say, October 25th didn't mean much to me before 2014.

And once upon a time, come to think of it, Eric didnā€™t mean much to me either.

Who knew . . . šŸ˜Š ...continue reading →