A Festive Weekend

This weekend was amazing! It was very busy, but very fun filled.

Friday night RJ and I got to have dinner with his parents & siblings. We ate wings, cut up, and just had a good ‘ole time.  

Saturday was great! Early that morning my hubs got up and cooked me breakfast! That was so much fun, and we had a good time together! We then walked to the church in our sweats lookin’ a hot mess to practice our parts as Mary and Joseph (again). At this point, we were very excited and honored to portray the couple in our choir’s Christmas Cantata. It was such an emotional time for Mary and Joseph as they learned the impact their life was going to have, even though they did not even comprehend the capacity of their decisions to obey and be faithful. Mary was actually scared. She was scared that Joseph would reject her and have her killed, but he accepted her, embraced her, and aided her.  In the cantata I was also very proud to portray the Mary who followed her son to Calvary as he hung on the cross. It was such an emotional role that I had to force back tears the entire time. Everyone said that the message from our human video was great, but I really hope they got it. I pray that everyone is focusing on our Lord and Savior more than ever this season. I have so much to be thankful for. I have so much to live for. My Lord has come, died, and risen. What more could I ask for? My Jesus is alive and real! Amen? This season my prayer for all my friends and family is that they focus on why we celebrate. It is so easy to get off track with the schedules and gifts that we forget the whole reason why we should be joyous! Ok… I’m off my soap box… back to my weekend…

After going home and sprucing up I had the joy of going with my sister to Best Buy. She bought her very first professional camera. I’m so excited for her! She has dreamed of this day for so long! Morgan is hoping to start taking pictures for people and eventually turn it into a paying hobby. She got a Nikon d3000, and it is a beauty!  She took it with us to Callaway Gardens and got to learn about taking moving pictures at night. The Fantasy in Lights show was beautiful! It was pretty much the same as last year, but it took me back. First it took me back to last year, before RJ and I were engaged, when we decided to make this our family tradition. Second, it took me back to a simpler day. I reminisced of cold Christmas nights with my mom, dad, and sister driving around and looking at light displays. I remembered a time when everyone came to Mamaw and Papaw’s house on Christmas (no questions asked). I remember shopping with Mamaw on base and looking at all the beautiful dolls. I remember helping her wrap hundreds of presents.  I thought of days out in the country at Granny and Pop’s house putting up the Christmas tree and the long line of stockings that hung across the room. I remember joking with Uncle Carey because he always had the video camera. I remember ignoring the cold to play in the tree house Pop built me one year.  I remember thinking my Pop was Santa, because he sounded just like him when he chuckled. I wish things were simple like when I was a child, but Christmas allows me to be nostalgic and feel like a child again. It also makes me look forward to providing wonderful Christmas memories for my own children in years to come.  So, if you are bogged down with the hustle and bustle of Christmas, do things that you enjoyed when you were a child. Fill up the car, pop in a Christmas CD, drive around and look at the beautiful decorations! Ya know what else helps? Singing those Christmas songs! On the Jolly Trolley at Callaway that takes you through the Light show, they play music and encourage you to sing the carols. Singing those carols simply makes everything go away, and for a short minute, you can feel like a kid again. Yes, it’s out of your comfort zone, but you should just do it! It works, I promise! I had such a good time singing carols with my husband, sister, and Garrett.

Sunday morning was our Christmas Cantata. The choir did such a great job, and I enjoyed so much getting to play a part in it! I was able to fight back the tears and worship my Lord during it. I really thought about Mary and how she must‘ve felt. Then I thanked God for sending His precious son to the earth for us. We then had a great lunch with RJ’s family, and continued on to take an updated Volnoff Family Picture!  That night at church we had a local bluegrass group, The Kempters, come and do a Christmas show for us. They are so talented and spiritual. If you ever get a chance to see them, even if you don’t like bluegrass, you should go. They are very entertaining!

This weekend was superb! I couldn’t have asked for anything more… ok maybe another day or two ;)