Are You Ready?

Well? ARE YOU?

I think I have like 2 more things to buy, and I am finished with my Christmas Shopping.

The presents are all wrapped. The decorations are all done. We will be completing some baking this week, with the help of 4 little boys...

The countdown is on.

I love this point of looking forward to our Christmas celebration. It is relaxing! It is a time that I am MOST thankful for. The excitement of children. The blessings are all around.

My Christmas tree, as I mentioned the other day, is a holder of all things of Christmas past, memories that I just love. Our manger scene is a reminder not only of my precious grandmother, and other who have gone on to be with the Lord, but a reminder of the night Jesus was born. What horrible conditions, but what great blessing!

As I look at the gifts under the tree, I think about how thankful I am for my husband's job. And that he is a man who takes care of his family. Not just so we can BUY those gifts, but so we can have heat, we can have food, we can have coats for our kids & boots. Plus much more.

The luxuries are few but MUCH to be thankful for!

I am also thankful for a few other things that I have used as tools to be able to assist my hubby's income to make it a little further. I thank God that I have learned how to meal plan & make grocery lists! And that we have coupons we can use! REALLY! Sounds silly, but if we didn't have those tools, I don't know where we would be. I'm also thankful for my Swagbucks! Again silly sounding, but SO true! I have saved a bunch of money on Christmas, getting things with my "Swag". I am already looking to next year! All of these tools have definitely blessed my family.

Now as there is a blanket of snow on the ground, and there are only a few days until Christmas day, I am sitting in my warm house, counting these blessings and giving all of the glory to the giver of each and every gift. Thank you Savior. Thank you for coming and going from creator of the universe to embryo to man and back to heaven, where now we can enter because of your wonderful gift.

Have you counted your blessings yet this season? In the "hustle and bustle" of this season, please stop and do this. If not for YOUR OWN SANITY, do it so our Savior knows how thankful you are of HIS gifts.