Friday Favorite Five

 1) StoryGraph. This app is new to me, but several of my IRL friends use it. Since I love infographics, I'm curious to see how this new tool works for my reading life in 2025.

2) Little Things Studio. One of my cello students gave me Christmas tea towels two years in a row, and I'm hooked! This shop in Nashville makes beautiful prints, calendars, and towels that help keep my mind focused on "whatever is true...noble...right...pure...lovely...admirable".

3) Know Your Lemons. This website doesn't apply to everyone, but considering my journey with breast cancer, I think this information is vitally important and shared in an easy-to-understand manner.

4) Coffee Mug Stain Remover. Ya'll know we drink a lot of coffee around here. And sometimes the mugs don't get washed for daaayyysss. One of our adopted young adults suggested baking soda and a scrubby sponge to keep our mugs sparkling, and this article backs up his advice!

5) The Gospel Coalition's Women's Conference 2024. Three days of panel discussions and speakers on demand and encouragement. For free.

Christmas Day

As our family grows, we have to plan farther and farther ahead for the times when we all gather. We knew that the #meatcheato "Christmas Day" wouldn't be on the 25th of December this year. As long as we can find time for all of us to be together, it doesn't matter to us which day it is!

On the morning of December 25th, Sarah was the only one of our young adults at our house, so she joined me at the gym. Spending time with her is always a joy! I'm still trying to regain my strength, and I'll take all the accountability I can get.

A former orchestra student has a food truck, and she was making tamales on Christmas Day, so I ordered two dozen to be picked up for lunch. I think we have begun a new tradition!

Our wreath keeps adding candles all the way to Epiphany. I love the end of the day when we all gather round, often in our pajamas, and listen while Aaron reads and the candles flicker.

Hannah and Benjamin arrived in time to play Catan History - Settlers of America, one of our family's favorite games. I still can't stay up as late as the rest of the family, but I sure do enjoy them being in our home.

 

Christmas Eve

Advent last year, by necessity, was slower and quieter. My body was still being inundated with chemo and radiation, and everyone around me supported me graciously.

This year, we were able to play for the Christmas Eve service at church, along with another friend who was undergoing his own battle with cancer last Christmas. What a treasure to have the strength and energy bestowed by our Creator so we could celebrate His birth wholeheartedly this year. Sarah drove in from Dallas in time to join us for the service, and her beautiful voice filled the small sanctuary.

Katherine gave me an extra dose of sparkle with candy cane nails :)