It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…

So I pulled out the old faithful front door wreath that I made like 4 years ago. Yep…she’s still hanging in there. I like to decorate—but more than that…I like to save a buck. SO, as much as I wanted to copy Southern Living’s design for making fresh magnolia wreaths (after all I have 3 Magnolia trees…I put the stinking supplies in my cart online and WHOA…not gonna happen this year:)…instead I pulled out old faithful;). I mean, if you ask me–she still works. And what’s not to love about a wreath that you can stick a letter to Santa in for him to swing by and pick up at his convenience?! If it ain’t broke at the Young household…we don’t fix it;). I actually find pleasure in re-using!!! But I confess–I am always tempted to make new ones. But it’s like cheap jeans—really, no one notices;). I’m just sayin.

And my best find of last years Christmas sale…

…a large nativity scene made out of wood (aka unBREAKable). This one is sweet, big and Laney LOVES lining up all the figures. And added bonus–I love that Mary is holding baby Jesus. Without fail, every nativity scene we own sweet baby Jesus always goes missing. I have found baby Jesus in pockets while doing the laundry, hidden in sock drawers and in game boxes. I had to smile when I saw Mary protecting Him in this one. It was on sale. It was unbreakable. And baby Jesus couldn’t be lost. I knew it was for us! (Special note to my friend Addie–I found our Little People Baby Jesus last night! I almost called you to tell you the good news;) I was so excited! I wanted to shout from the rooftops WE FOUND JESUS!;)

And talking about looking like Christmas–this picture doesn’t do this tree’s size justice. You can barely get in the door! Yes, THIS is the tree that FELL over during our devotional the other night! This is also the tree that wouldn’t fit in the room we bought it for. SO…it’s stuck in the foyer to welcome our guests…if they can get in;)

Wanna see my new favorite ornament on that tree??? Our Aunt Nisia (my kiddos godmother) swung by today to wish princess Laney a happy day and brought this momma the sweetest new ornament for our tree! Everyone needs an Aunt Nisia! (Well, you have to find your own of course…she is one thing I am not willing to share;)

Our Aunt Nisia is the BEST! She even brought Laney a Barbie doll today with some color;). A little trivia–Aunt Nisia was born in Africa and moved to the states as a child…how cool is that for our babies to have a cool connection with their godmother like that?! I love it! And to think Aunt Nisia and Uncle Rusty were our biological children’s spiritual godparents long before adoption was part of the plan! God is so cool like that:)[Just a side note for anyone who wants to know what a spiritual godparent is…it’s a person/couple that you trust to invest into the lives of your children–partnering you in raising them, praying for them and being a spiritual mentor that they can one day run to for advice when mommy and daddy aren’t so cool any more…another pair of arms to hug them, cheer them on and love on them—only they are committed to do this and invest regularly and INTENTIONALLY in their lives.] Thank you Aunt Nisia for another fun gift…you spoil us:) You are right…he does look like he is cheering and saying, “WOOT! I’m finally home!”

And a few more fun trees just because every room needs one at Christmas…

Our stockings all hung by the chimney with care…(and a picture from Wiphan reminding us of our kids in Zambia)…looks like we need ONE more stocking and stocking holder…I’m PRETTY sure we’ll end up with a boy—but just because I’m NOT quite sure yet…because we are open to special needs and we might end up with a girl if a baby girl gets on the waiting child list before our number dwindles down to 1…I just can’t buy a stocking QUITE yet!

(Today was Laney’s birthday…so she thought her stocking holder needed to wear her Celebrate hat today!)

So there ya go…we’re decorated (and we did it on a budget using all decorations from the past…well, minus all the turquiose ornaments on our big tree) and now we are ready…now the music is on…hot cocoa is brewing…time to sit back, relax and enjoy my sweet family!!! Although I’m curious what our new number will be this week…I’m letting the number go and just going to prepare for that baby here at home. I’ve pitched my fit, I’m accepting that we are with an agency that likes to honor birth order—and that I can’t swoop up any older child on the wait list that needs a home…and for SOME reason God wants us to WAIT and to wait on a 0-12 month old baby who needs a mommy and daddy. So, on a baby note–I got that really cute crib delivered here yesterday:)

Have a great week…we’ll be getting ready for a fun birthday party on Friday night for Miss Laney Loo!!!