I think the last time that I posted I was getting ready for craft season. It was a good season overall... I'm definitely still learning and I didn't start crafting as early in the year this year because of the summer moves, but I feel like it was successful, and I'm still enjoying the journey. I'm going to post more about that on my Gypsy Rhetoric blog. But I liked the spacing this year. I did a small craft fair in late October, then the big craft fair, Funky Finds, in mid November. Then two weeks later a small outdoor craft fair in Irving and then two weeks later my final craft fair at The Academy in Irving. I did a lot to get ready for the first two and then just made more of what I ran out of for the third and fourth. It was a good time frame. But I wonder if having so much crafting going on is what made my holiday season feel like such a blur, because I really truly feel like it FLEW by!
Thanksgiving weekend was a four day weekend, and it was SO nice! All of November, I worried about money, but God sent me a sweet reminder the week of Thanksgiving. One of my co-workers, on her way out of the door one day said "Kim, is this your purse?" And I said yes, and she said "I'm putting a Christmas gift in it from Mark and I". It was a few hours later, when I was leaving that I was able to open the card and I couldn't believe it. There was a card with $100 cash and $100 Lane Bryant gift card. I immediately burst into tears and sent her a thank you text. This was her response: "You're welcome. We were praying for you the other day and I just felt God telling me that our tithe was for you. He wants you to know that you are special to him and you are always on his mind."
Friends, that money was an amazing, well timed gift that we were very thankful for, but that text message.... changed my life. He loves me =-)
Then on Thanksgiving day, my sweet parents gave us some money to help us Christmas shop. I couldn't believe their generosity. I love my parents so much, and they love me TOO much. It's one of the things that makes me want to BE a parent so desperately... to know that love personally.
Those two gifts went straight to rent. I know that is not what my parents intended it for, but we were hundreds of dollars short. So short that I had no idea what we were going to do. I had been worrying all month, but God provided in abundance. That money, combined with the November craft fairs covered rent and got us started Christmas shopping. And then December fell in such a way that I had three checks from work instead of two.
You would think that I would learn to just never worry. Ha. That would be nice. Maybe this year. Maybe 2015 will be the year that I recover from my addiction to worry. We shall see.
So anyway, back to Christmas. It has been such a good long weekend =-) We did the usual. Christmas Eve with my dad's extended family. I missed it last year because I was home with the flu, but I always enjoy it. And then Christmas morning we went to my parents house. This year was different in one way - Brett's mom was out of town. Normally we are at my parents house in the morning and then have a late lunch with his mom, but this year, we stayed with my family til mid afternoon. My niece's birthday is Christmas day, and this year she wanted to celebrate her birthday by going to a movie after we opened presents. So we all loaded up and went to see "Into the Woods", which I enjoyed. I think as a stage production, I would love it! I'm glad I got to see it.
The rest of the weekend has been pretty perfect. Christmas was perfect and we have had no rushing around, no "we have to make sure to...". Just taking our time and enjoying our blessings. I did a lot of cleaning, a bit of shopping, a bit of gaming (Lego Batman 3 - love it!), a bit of reading (The Fault in Our Stars... a Christmas gift) and plenty of movie watching. Just how I like it =-)
I hope that you have all had a Merry Christmas. I am looking forward to 2015. 2014 was a year of challenge and change. 2015 will no doubt have it's own set of challenges, but I am looking forward to the changes. I am looking forward to fighting for my life again - I have been lost in unhealthiness this year, unhealthy habits... but I'm ready to fight again. And Brett was just hired by our church. It's only 5 hours a week, but it's a foot in the door, and will be a HUGE mental boost that he really needed.
I've done a lot of hiding from my blog this year, but I am ready to record life again. I'm looking forward to 2015. I am ready to make it a good year =-)
I leave you with a couple of pictures from Christmas morning. I'll have some New Years pics for you soon!
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