I've had Steven Curtis Chapman's "The Music of Christmas" CD since college and I love it to this day. In college during finals week, I would play the CD and put our stereo on "repeat" all night while Sheryl and I slept. And when I living in Thailand I played this CD over and over again at Christmas. My roommates during those times, Sheryl and Misty, probably cannot believe the CD still works because I played it so often. And they like to give me a hard time about playing my beloved SCC Christmas CD so much!
I don't listen to it as much now as I did then (pandora.com is a wonderful thing!), but I have to play it a few times during each Christmas season. This year, the song "Going Home for Christmas" has way more meaning than it ever did. It is crazy how closely it describes my grandma's life.
So, in honor of my grandma and how glad I am for her to be with Jesus this Christmas, I thought I would post the lyrics to this song:
Her house was where the family gathered every Christmas eve (in our case, it was Christmas day);
A feast was set on the table and gifts were placed beneath the tree.
Everything was picture perfect, Grandpa would laugh and say,
That woman spends the whole year getting ready for this day. (My grandma LOVED Christmas.)
One year the leaves began to fall and her health began to fade;
We moved her to a place where they could watch her night and day. (Last year at Thanksgiving she went to the nursing home)
But she kept making plans for Christmas from her little room;
She told everyone, I’ll miss you but I’ll be leaving soon. (Grandma hated being in the nursing home. She wanted to be back at home so badly.)
I’m going home for Christmas and I’m going home to stay;
I’m going home for Christmas and nothing’s gonna keep me away.
I’ll be with the ones I love to celebrate the Savior’s birth;
This gift will be worth more to me than anything on earth.
I’m going home, home for Christmas.
All the leaves outside have fallen to be covered by the snow;
The family comes with food and gifts and Grandpa comes alone.
There’s a sadness in our silence as the Christmas story’s read,
And with tears, Grandpa reminds us of the words that Grandma said.
I’m going home for Christmas and I’m going home to stay;
I’m going home for Christmas and nothing’s gonna keep me away.
She’ll be face to face with Jesus as we celebrate His birth,
And this gift will be worth more to her than anything on earth,
‘Cause she’ll be home.
And as we sing ‘Joy to the World’ I can’t help thinking
Of the joy that’s shining in her eyes right now.
And though our hearts still ache, we know that as we celebrate,
She’s singing with the herald angels and heaven’s glowing on her face.
And now she’s home for Christmas and now she’s home to stay;
She’s home for Christmas, and nothin’ could’ve kept her away.
She’ll be face to face with Jesus, as we celebrate His birth,
And this gift will be worth more to her than anything on earth.
She’s home, she’s home for Christmas.
She is home, she’s home for Christmas.
A feast was set on the table and gifts were placed beneath the tree.
Everything was picture perfect, Grandpa would laugh and say,
That woman spends the whole year getting ready for this day. (My grandma LOVED Christmas.)
One year the leaves began to fall and her health began to fade;
We moved her to a place where they could watch her night and day. (Last year at Thanksgiving she went to the nursing home)
But she kept making plans for Christmas from her little room;
She told everyone, I’ll miss you but I’ll be leaving soon. (Grandma hated being in the nursing home. She wanted to be back at home so badly.)
I’m going home for Christmas and I’m going home to stay;
I’m going home for Christmas and nothing’s gonna keep me away.
I’ll be with the ones I love to celebrate the Savior’s birth;
This gift will be worth more to me than anything on earth.
I’m going home, home for Christmas.
All the leaves outside have fallen to be covered by the snow;
The family comes with food and gifts and Grandpa comes alone.
There’s a sadness in our silence as the Christmas story’s read,
And with tears, Grandpa reminds us of the words that Grandma said.
I’m going home for Christmas and I’m going home to stay;
I’m going home for Christmas and nothing’s gonna keep me away.
She’ll be face to face with Jesus as we celebrate His birth,
And this gift will be worth more to her than anything on earth,
‘Cause she’ll be home.
And as we sing ‘Joy to the World’ I can’t help thinking
Of the joy that’s shining in her eyes right now.
And though our hearts still ache, we know that as we celebrate,
She’s singing with the herald angels and heaven’s glowing on her face.
And now she’s home for Christmas and now she’s home to stay;
She’s home for Christmas, and nothin’ could’ve kept her away.
She’ll be face to face with Jesus, as we celebrate His birth,
And this gift will be worth more to her than anything on earth.
She’s home, she’s home for Christmas.
She is home, she’s home for Christmas.
Eating everything mom feeds me . . . and a lot of it!
Hanging out with Jaida (and Callen Stenberg) last Friday while our moms made cookies...
Hanging out in Aunt Kate's kitchen while mom and Sydney made cookies...
Sydney is such a cute chef!
Mom put me in this clothes basket while she baked. I actually liked it!
Hanging out on the counter with Grey... 
Standing up in my crib (okay, I had a little help getting there). But, I really like standing up!
Reese and Abram, on the other hand, played together for a long time.
Then Reese started rolling again. Oh, these two cracked me up today! It was so fun to watch them play. Abram played way longer sitting in his room than he ever would have if Reese was not there. We are going to have to do this more often!
