Scenes from our Christmas Season 2011

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Season 2011 has been a whirlwind of activities...as usual. 
Over the last year I've had the privilege of working on new Advent banners for our church.  Each Sunday of Advent a different family would come into the Worship Center with a banner, light an Advent candle, do a reading and pray.  It was so exciting to see 'my' banners come out so beautiful, and most of all ~ used for the Glory of God.  I feel so blessed to have had a part in this part of our services.


Week 1 - with Vincent G.

Week 2 w/ Katie and Monty S.

 Week 3

 Week 4

 Hanging Separately...

And finally, on Christmas Eve, hanging together!

Christmas Day - Blake and Karl played music in the Worship Center lobby as folks came in. 

 Christmas Eve - Blake playing the alto recorder during the Lord's Supper.

Ian playing bass in the Praise Band on Christmas Morning.


Christmas Eve candlelight - Pastor Kevin.

Our VERY Unique 'Tree'
This year Christmas was bittersweet due to the passing of dear Pops.  With everything going on, we never go around to getting a tree. So my solution was to do something different. Behold, the McMichen Christmas 'Tree'...

Yes, it's crazy, funny, unique, silly, quirky, and WAY out of the box. And it made Blake laugh during a time when he truly needed that laughter - therefore, it's perfect for us this year.

From outside our window, thanks to the shape and the lights, our tree actually looked like a regular Christmas tree.  Cole was astonished by this view and exclaimed "WOW, it really does look like tree! Now people won't think we're a bunch of rednecks!" hahaha!  One of the absolutely funniest moments of the season!

The more I looked at it, the more I liked our unconventional 'tree'. It's bright, cheerful, and makes us happy...isn't that everything you ever need in a Christmas tree!

Christmas Eve Goober Portrait...

 I convinced Riley to 'sic' Ian.   Riley is not normally allowed on the couch, but he enjoyed this moment.  Ian was completely pinned down by the 100 lb beast.

Most people have to worry about their cats getting into their Christmas tree.  Cole got into ours....

 and got stuck!

Christmas Morning had it's usual fun....

 A shirt that was made just for Cole!   (I've accused the boy of treating ketchup as a 'tomato smoothie!')

 Ian, got a couple of Star Wars shirts...perfect for him.

 Blake with his new hat and overalls.

 Cole was a little bit excited about his new Warhammer stuff...

 Ian was over-the-top excited about Skyrim....despite the insane look on his face, he's really happy and excited.

 Riley with our tree.

 I made the boys a special gift ~ bacon scarves!

 Christmas night...Cole with his Warhammer goodies.

 Christmas Night - Ian intently playing Skyrim.

 A nice picture of Ian, prepared to go to church and play his bass.

Christmas with the rest of the family....
More nonsense. More fun. A few bittersweet moments, but all in all, a day filled with love, hugs, and family.

Ma with the lovely wooden box Rusty made her.

 Pam and Rusty with their Redneck Wineglasses we made them.

 Alan with his new Bacon Scarf.

Blake with some new Taz pj pants.

Ian with his new soft, fuzzy blue blankie... maybe now he'll quit stealing mine!

Alex the 'ketchup hound' got a unique surprise from us...a GIANT bottle of ketchup!

Alan with his surprise tire iron.

 Nicole has been tormenting Aaron and Alan with hints and clues about their gifts. It has been driving these two crazy!  Now they finally get to open it....

 And they found 120-shot Roman Candles.  Right down their alley!

Rusty with a shirt perfect for him!

Three Uber-Bacon-Goobers!

Flying the Millieum Falcon hover craft. Rusty had it under control, but Pam looks concerned.

Most of us.

Four-eyed Blue-Goober Attack!!!!!

A bittersweet moment when Blake gave Ma the poem he wrote about Pops.
So sweet, but made us all cry.

And, just a few more pictures....
Bacon Scarf in the pan.

Pretty!

Blake & I.

Ian (18) and Cole (13).

By the way, from mid-Christmas morning on, the pictures were taken with my NEW camera. Wahoo!!  Blake found the discontinue D3000 that I've been wanting and surprised me.  Yes, I'm still doing the happy dance!

The Reason for the Season....

To God be the Glory!   Merry Christmas!

In loving memory of Pops

I've never blogged about a funeral service and honestly, never wanted to... but this was such a special day, filled with blessings and love, I feel it should be preserved.

After a couragious battle with cancer, Blake's dear father, Pops, went home to Jesus on Wednesday, December 7th.   While our hearts are heavy, we rejoice that he is no longer sick or in pain. He's home.  Things kinda happened fast here at the end, but I look upon that as God's mercy and grace.  And today we sent Pops off exactly how he would have wanted it....

Blake's brother, Rusty, works for a cabinet shop and the owner, Leonard, is also a dear friend of Ma and Pops. (They all do SCV rifle aand cannon shoots together.) Pops always told Leonard he wanted him to build him a 'pine box' when the time came.   Last Friday Pops asked Leonard if he was ready to build his box. Leonard replied 'no, but he would if had to', meaning he really didn't want Pops to go, but he would honor his request. The minute Leonard got the call on Wednesday morning he dropped everything, went home to a stack of Georgia white pine cut from his own property and personally selected the lumber. Then he stopped all the work in his shop and they set to work to make a 'pine box' for Pops. This pine casket was handcrafted by loving hands in less than 2 days. The guys at the shop felt it an honor to make Pops' final resting place, and  Blake and Rusty also helped on the finishing touches. It was so beautiful. Simple, sweet, and absolutely perfect. (Based on the comments and questions asked at the visitation and funeral, Leonard could make a fortune selling these, if he chose to pursue this side-line business out of his cabinet shop!)   We propped Pops favorite fishing pole up next to the casket, and scattered his favorite fishing lures on the spray of greenery on top, as well as his SCV cap. On the front and top of the casket a simple cross made of walnut. Tucked inside his coat pocket, was a silly picture he had kept  that I took of Dasher, Pops' beloved dog.   Clasped in his hand was a sprig of hemlock pine from the tree that grows outside the kitchen where all the little birdies and squirrels gather to eat the seeds he always provided for them. This tree was transplanted from a tiny sprig that Ma brought back from a camping trip to Lake Conasauga, and planted in honor of Ian's birth.   Next to the casket was a picture of Pops taken when they visited their friends the McKenzies at Dunnottar Castle in Scotland. In this picture Pops was dressed in a kilt, jauntily leaning against the castle-lodge wall.    

Rusty and Blake picked out several songs... Angel Band (from the Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack), Do You Know, Wayfaring Stranger, and best of all  ~ we exited the chapel to 'McMichen's Reel'...played from an old recording of Clayton McMichen, a famous fiddler from the early 1920-30s, who was kin to Pops.   He would have wanted us to carry him out in celebration, with a happy song.

Upon arriving at the cemetary, a piper played for us. Pops loved the pipes, so Ma requested a piper play for us. Amazing Grace, as well as a few other hymns, and finally a lively 'Scotland the Brave'.  It gave me chills...in a good way, (although it was also VERY cold and windy out there today!)



Late last night (the night before the funeral), Blake put down these words about his dear Daddy....

 ~ He Cared ~
He was a gentle man...
Always Caring,
Always Sharing,
His own troubles
   Rarely impairing him.
He cared for us all.

He was a Gentleman.
Always thoughtful...
Rarely boastful,
Life was never
   Doubtful to him,
he cared for us all.

And he was a genteel man...
Respectful of God's Light,
Always and ever so polite,
Life fully knighted him
To care for us all.

He was always there...
Ever in waiting,
Ever permeating
   Our life's urgent call,
Because he cared for us all.
                                            HBMc 12/9/11

All in all, it was a hard day, but also a beautiful day filled with blessings.
It's been a loooooooong day.... filled with tears, sorrow, and heartache but it was also covered with prayers, memories, stories and moments of loving joy. We sent Pops off just how he would have wanted it. And I'm so happy to have known him, and loved him, and been loved by him.   Despite all the pain, I just feel so incredibly blessed.
 
Having our family, our church family, and friends near and far surround us in their love and support is an awesome experience. Words can not express how folks have made us feel.  I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your prayers, words of comfort and support.   Having this blessing, the Lord's comforting arms around us, and by leaning on each other, we'll carry on...just as Pops would want us to do.