So this is Christmas.....?

23:27

Yesterday I wanted to post a vlog, my first ever vlog. It started out ok except I forgot to turn my microphone on. I did it again but this time I forgot to turn the microphone sound UP so you could tell I was saying something, but quite what you wouldn't have been able to tell. The third time something else happened....I can't remember what really.

Anyway, so I did a fourth. I watched it back and it started off well, but then the audio started to lag behind the video and then by the end of the video I'd not moved for about 2 minutes while audio-wise I was still just about finishing up. It seemed to stretch as the vlog went on. So I admitted defeat and went to make a batch of 3 minute fudge for my friends at church for Christmas.

Source

It took me more than 3 minutes as I don't trust microwaves so did it on the hob.

Anyway, so back to the matter in hand. It's Christmas eve (or will be in 1 hour's time) for me and I wanted to share a few thoughts on Christmas that Dusband and I have had this year. Ok, mostly my thoughts, Dus tends to be a listener than a jabberer. I know you're all swooning right now over a man who loves to listen. He doesn't remember much of what I say when I'm jabbering though so I think he must go to his happy place.

Ignore the toy hamster in her jumper, I cut her children out of this pic (harsh I know!)
Dusband has a sister. He calls her Chicky. (He calls me Baybee....unless he's thinking of her in which case he'll call me Chicky and her Baybee and then he doesn't even know which way is up!). So, Chicky spent some time in Tunisia with a missions company. I'm not even that sure about who what when where etc but this last visit in November when we visited she told me about a time there that really convicted me of my Christmas attitude.

Chicky was telling me that when it came around to the 25th of December in Tunisia, it was just like any other day. Tunisia is a primarily Muslim country and Muslims don't celebrate Christmas (of course). Christmas was hard for Chicky and her family to celebrate in the traditional terms. Tunisia just had absolutely no concept of Christmas, it didn't exist.

Christmas decorations? Urm, no, where will you buy them from?
Christmas dinner? Urm, no, it's just another day
Christmas wrapping paper, cards, crackers, lights, trimmings? Urm, no, Christmas just doesn't exist.

Chicky recalled that her overwhelming realisation that year was that we make Christmas what it is. We can choose for the tree, trimmings, dinner etc to define what Christmas is or we can define it however we choose.

It really got me to thinking about what I think I thought about Christmas definites. You know, the things that you couldn't have Christmas without. The things that you MUST have in order to feel festive and celebrate. For me, it's the Christmas music. If I want to feel Christmassy then I'll pop some Christmas music on.

I'm not proposing we all become Scrooges and choose not to celebrate Christmas, I'm just proposing that maybe this year, this one single day (because that after all is all it is no matter how long we make the run up) we evaluate what it is we're doing and why.

Dusband and I have never really gone in for the turkey dinner with trimmings, it's a lot of work and effort for a dinner that you might not necessarily love. We like a nice roast, but it's not my favourite dinner. Instead we thought about what our favourite dinner would be, what would be a real treat.

And we decided on home-made pizzas. So that's what we're going to be having for Christmas dinner and I know already that doing the cooking on Christmas day is going to be filled with laughter and a totally fun experience rather than the hot sticky stress of a roast.

Fail proof pizza dough and cheesy garlic bread sticks - Lauren's Latest
(We'll be using this recipe from Lauren's latest)

As I was growing up we had small stocking presents when we woke, then church, home for dinner then only after the clearing away and washing up was done was it time for our presents. Dus had a similar upbringing so we thought about what it was we liked and didn't like from that and this is what we'll be doing this year.

One present when we wake up (because otherwise we'll have to wake up really early to open our stocking gifts before church and now we're old older and don't yet have kids we like a lie in!)

Church at 9:30am then back to open our stockings.

Make our pizzas.

Once the clearing away is done, settle down to a Christmas film (we've got a few on sky+ ready to go).

After the film we'll pop down to visit a couple with children who go to our church as we've got a gift for them and they love to see us at Christmas.

When we get back we'll open our main presents with a buffet/nibbly tea and then play with our new toys admire our mature gifts & relax on the sofa.

It's not too far from Dusband and mine traditional Christmas but it's stress free as we've already got the ingredients for the pizzas and making them is part of our Christmas day entertainment. (last year I was really bored...I'm a born hostess!)

It's whacky/crazy to suggest that Christmas isn't in the turkey dinner, the presents or the family sitting around gently parping thanks to the sprouts in time with the Queen's speech, but Christmas to me is in the very first outing of our day, the visit to church.

P.s. I know God doesn't live in the church, but it makes the whole day special to me to go to church and spend an hour really praising God, thanking Him for coming to earth for me.

So there we go, that's how we're gonna roll in the H residence and I'm looking forward to being able to tell you how we felt and what we'd do differently. It is after all, only a day and one that you don't have to do the same every year....who's writing the rules?

Love you all lots,
much more than jelly tots

Samantha xx

At home with Mrs H

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1 comments

  1. I think it is lovely to be able to create a Christmas experience that is perfect for you and Dus. For me, (I was saying to my hub last night), that I have to have a Turkey Dinner or it wouldn't be Christmas for me! (he thinks I have gone slightly nuts lol!)But as I am doing the cooking, he doesn't care as long as he's fed - so we will all be happy - the kids just like the dessert ;) Anyway enough of my rambling - Have a fantastic Christmas and I look forward to keeping in touch via blogland in the New Year! x

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