"December Photo-a-Day..." Day 24

"Favorite Part of Christmas Eve"

"What could be in these boxes?"

It's hard to say what part of Christmas Eve is really my favorite. I love the Christmas Eve service: all of the singing and reading the Christmas story. My family's church began their service with a Christmas carol flash mob which was, in Katie's words, "Awesome!"
Then we did the traditional songs and Scripture readings. Someone in the church put together a hysterical video of the Christmas story told by the little children and performed by the youth group.
And, of course, there was Silent Night and the lighting of the candles.

When we got home we had a delicious fondue dinner (another great, and recent, Christmas Eve tradition).
And of course, there is the annual Christmas Eve gift, that we always pretend not to know about. This tradition is much older than I remember. Apparently we've (I've) been getting pajamas on Christmas Eve for 23 years, rather than the 16 that I remember.
Needless to say, I just love Christmas Eve.

"Photo-A-Day Challenge..." Day 15

"Favorite Christmas Song"

I think it would be easier to list the Christmas songs that I don't like, rather than Christmas songs that I like. I went through all of our Christmas song books and had a hard time picking the ones that would feature in the photo shoot. I like fun Christmas songs and beautiful Christmas songs. 

My favorite Christmas carol that does not speak about Christ's birth is Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree. I just feel like I need to start swing dancing every time I hear it (though it would be helpful to know more than the basic steps).

Joy To The World is pretty amazing when played by a full orchestra and sung by very talented people (it's a great song, anyways, of course). It's one of those songs that makes me excited that it's Christmas. (We just heard it played/sung by Katie's school orchestra/choir).

But my favorite Christmas song is Breath of Heaven. I like the idea of imagining what Mary was thinking for all of those months. Luke tells us that she praised God and knew that she was blessed by Him, and that "all generations will call me blessed." But what about after that? Nine months is a long time to think about the enormity and importance of her role. Nine months is a long time to turn the fact over and over in her mind that she would give birth to and raise the Savior of the World. I know that I would think about it over and over and then I would panic (and then I'd think about it some more and be ok. And then I'd think about it again and panic again, and it would be this great cycle of thinking, panic, thinking, ok, thinking, panic, and then somewhere in there I'd remember to pray). 

But then maybe Mary didn't worry or fret at all. Maybe she had peace and confidence that God would give her what she needed to be the mother of Jesus.