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Getting away from it all

Meredith has been discussing (and linking) to some great thoughts on Christmas.
Go on and check them out.
For our little family the holiday is even more crammed because of Maiden’s birthday on the 13^th. It seems that no matter how open we try to keep our schedule it gets overloaded that week before Christmas (thanks in part to my job in youth ministry) and I am always left wishing we could just sneak away to a remote cabin in the wild wilderness for the entire month.
So- since I’m always wishing for this cabin in the wilderness- I’ve been trying to bring that idea into my home this year. How?
Well, one of the reasons we want to sneak away is because the month just seems to get crammed full of this and that with us running here and there and everywhere. Most of the extra activities are all church related- which for me is job-related and therefore can’t be shirked. So how can we make it feel like we’ve snuck away? Well, we can’t do much but we can do a little bit . . . . we’ve made our regular Friday nights (which is usually family movie nite) mandatory. We aren’t going out anywhere and we aren’t answering the phone—we’ve lined up some great Christmas DVDs and family games and planned low key comfort food dinners. We’ll put on our flannel jammies and pile the floor with pillows and blankets. We may even roast some marshmallows on the gas stove (just like I did growing up) and make smores. Mr. Steady and I have also vowed not to add one more event to our calendar. Two nights of caroling, a Christmas cantata, Christmas band concert, church program practice & youth skit practice plus the program AND Maiden’s birthday is enough. Thankyouverymuch.
I let the kids in my youth group know that if they had an event they wanted me to attend- I needed to know by Dec. 2^nd and I put Xs on the youth calendar marking “Amy’s black-out dates”.
As for that cozy cabin feeling here at home . . . . . I’ve pulled out every fleecy warm blanket we own and placed the folded stack in a corner of the living room for easy access. We’ve got Christmas music piping very softly through the house for most of the day and evening. Spruce candles are lit and adding that oh, so Christmas-y smell to the air as well as that cozy twinkle. The wonderful little electric fireplace (my belated anniversary gift from Mr. Steady) is moved from room to room where we can bask in its glow. I pull my knitting out each night as we read our advent devotional and have family time. It just adds to that cozy feeling for me.
So while I can’t actually sneak off to a cozy little cabin in the wilds- I can bring a bit of it right here- where I’m at.
Which is better than not at all.
Yeah- that's my house in the picture . . . . not a cabin but its home.

Me too!

5:49 PM, 2007-Dec-5 .. Posted by blessedmomof10

funny - you should say that about getting away to a cabin in the woods-- I was just saying the same thing to my husband! We miss the snow and I was telling how awesome it would be to get away the week of Christmas to the mountains...... ( no mts here in rural MO!)
Your ideas are great and hey if it helps create a more serene or peaceful setting - great!
Your house looks lovely -- I love, love old homes!
Blessings~
gloria

Hello!

7:25 PM, 2007-Dec-5 .. Posted by Anonymous

Wow!

What a house:) I don't think I would want to go any where alse if I owned a house like yours. Enjoy! God has blessed you indeed!!!

Ma