Christmas at home

Ah Christmas, a wonderful, heart warming and special time of the year.

I love the lights of Christmas, both outside and inside. We have the lights up on the house, wrapped around the Ivy on the lamp post and draped over all the bushes around the front and down the side.

I used to put twinkling lights around the inside of all of the windows in the bedrooms but with our new windows and blinds there isn't enough room, so they are now outside.

I have a lot of decorating to do before the week is done and it is always a joy to see how happy the grandchildren are when they see it all.

I don't think there is anything more soothing and relaxing than the soft glow of lights on the Christmas tree at night. Turn off the room lights, pour yourself a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy the view.

Kids love it, the cats love it and we do too.

It's even better when you have a fire in the fireplace to crackle and put you in the Christmas spirit.

We wish for you all a wonderful, relaxing and spirit filled Christmas.

Remember, it is the celebration of Christ's birth and the wonderful promise of forgiveness and salvation and life everlasting.

Can you imagine what Christmas in heaven must be like? Merry Christmas moms, dads, aunts, uncles, cousins, brothers, sisters, grandparents and children who have gone before us.

Have a wonderful Christmas and God bless you.

I love decorating at Christmas, not just for myself, we have 19 grandchildren and they are always so happy to see the decorations and enjoy each other's company. I buy one new, special ornament each year. I like our Tillamook cow, we bought him at the Tillamook Dairy operation in Oregon several years ago when we toured the facility.

He hangs with his dangly legs to bring smiles to our faces.

I have decorations my children made over 40 years ago in their classrooms at school. Decorations the neighbor children made and gave me as gifts. Lots of memories.

Christmas is decorations and family, worship and singing, cookies and special meals, gifts and laughing and all of it is a gift from our Lord.

Can you tell we love animals? We presently have four cats Mylo, Blue a Siamese/Burmese mix 12, Emily a black and white Tuxedo cat 15, who I found in the street with her babies and Kirby an orange striper who I rescued from Pet Smart, he is 3 now. All were strays, all are neutered and spayed and have their shots and regular checkups. Please take care of your pets, they depend on you.

So it isn't any surprise that this is one of my favorite ornaments of several cat ones that we own.

Does he look comfy? This is Mylo, our big fluffball of love. What a laid back guy he is and his favorite place at Christmas is laying under the tree, he loves the warmth and the lights; my tree skirt doesn't love the fur!

Mylo is now 12 years old, we've had him for 9 years. He showed up as a young boy and kept hanging around our house, he would sleep in the beauty bark behind one of our Rhododendrons. We were told he belonged to a neighbor.

After treating several wounds and taking him to our vet for treatment, I got mad, had him neutered, got his shots, went to the neighbor to tell them only to find out he wasn't theirs. He's been here ever since.

Our little Yorkie/Doxie mix dog, Betsy, was 14 years old in this picture. She was so patient with me when I set up her Christmas photo session. The look tells me "what the heck does she think she's doing"? She didn't understand the ribbon around her neck nor the reason she was sitting on the end table.

Being the loving little sweetheart she was, she went along with all the fussing and I was able to get this darling picture of her, I'm thankful because we lost her just a little over a year ago.

We had her for almost 7 years, she was eleven when we got her. I will never understand why people take animals and then get rid of them. We gave her seven great years of love and care.