merry LATE Christmas and happy new year

Hey everyone! I'm so sorry for falling off the face of the earth for a few weeks there!

                                                         

 For this weeks "On Cloud Nine" I decided to post a picture of a very special little girl named Hope. She's my adopted cousin(which some of you know) and her older brother is Louis. I don't think anyone who sees this face wouldn't be one "cloud nine". I'd say I'm pretty lucky to have her as one of my younger cousins! :)

You have no idea how busy December was.
We were preparing for Christmas(of coarse), I was trying to get ahead in my school work, and on top of that I was gone for about a week and a-half because we were up north with some of my family!

Here's a Christmasy  photo...just for kicks,

 

I actually like being busy.

Don't get me  wrong it's a bit stressful at times, but I think that God wired me to always want to be doing something. It doesn't have to be real strenuous exercise, but just as long as my brain is really moving that's fine with me! ;)  

I just can't stand being lazy!

Since I didn't have time to finish my last "What Christmas is to me" post, I'll mention my biggest Christmas "Can't Live Without's" ...

Christmas movies: Usually everyone has their one favorite Christmas movie, "It's a Wonderful Life" all the way baby!!! That is one of my all time favorites and we watch it once every year before Christmas. We also watch "The Nativity", and also all the old ones like "Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer"(I never knew how long the title of that movie was until i typed it out...haha), etc. Getting all cozy by the fire with tea and popcorn and just relaxing as a family is the best! Some of my greatest memories were made by doing just this.

Christmas music:  It just wouldn't be Christmas with out it! My favorite songs are song by all the classic artists. Like Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Burl Ives, all the those good people! But even more so, all the Christian Christmas songs! They help me remember why we celebrate our Saviors birth in the fist place. You can NEVER go wrong with Christmas music!

Family:  I wouldn't be able to live without being surrounded by loved ones this time of year! It's so meaningful to get together at the end of the year and celebrate one of the biggest events of all time. I always smile when my moms side of the family gets together because not everyone of her siblings are Christians. But we are all still getting together to celebrate Jesus, even if they don't fully understand Him yet.

and last but most certainly not least...

Jesus: He is the one and only reason anyone should be celebrating! I don't know where I would be without Him...but I can tell ya...it wouldn't be pretty. 

 Thank you LORD for coming to earth as a baby to save us all. May we be bold as we begin the journey of a new year, and share the good new with others. Thank you for loving us unconditionally!          

Amen 

-ella joy