Christmas Random Life

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One week from today is Christmas! It’s probably cliche to say where did the time go? But it’s true. Where did it go?

That aside, it’s Christmas time, and I love that. I want to give you another peek of random life. Everyone here is balancing work, Christmas activities, and for John, house prep, wedding, and work. We’re grateful for how the Lord has filled our time, and I can’t wait to share with you later about our annual Christmas caroling last night.

I’d love to hear 1 special Christmas tradition you enjoy!

Sarah

Brunch with sweet friends.

Making a Christmas gift to send to a friend!

LOVE this one! We watched Calia one night, and this was the set up during Bible time.

John Maxwell and Teri

An early morning help-John-clean-up-before-carpet-came session!

A Nathan Maxwell family outing!

Nathan’s birthday

Arnold kind of gets himself into fixes sometimes.

Nathan’s kiddos concerned when their neighbor had to be taken to the hospital. I love Nathan and Melanie’s hearts for their neighbors!

Betsy with white-chocolate covered Oreos.

Surprising Nathan with decorating outside, something he hadn’t had time to do.

This was a special make-pizza-with-Daddy night. Something Christopher does annually with his children! So sweet.

Anna took Betsy to the store to get a wreath for Grandad’s grave. Sweet aunt + niece time.

Remembering Grandad.

Yep, that’s Benjamin! Cute little guy.

Out shopping.

This was a really great photo–Ellie and Arnold. Hmm. Looks like something is up?!

Anna worked on caroling cards.

Dad, Mom, and Anna tackled a huge basement organizing project Saturday.

And Mary and I went to Kansas City to go Christmas shopping. On what was likely the busiest day of the season, but when one’s schedule doesn’t work to go earlier, well, you take what you can get! We had a delightful time, talking, getting coffee, and shopping!

We do a lot of our shopping online! 🙂

Bless Mom’s heart. She made over 40 loaves of Poppy Seed Bread. That’s a lot!

Finishing out with smiles from Betsy and me!

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.”
(Matthew 2:10)

46 thoughts on “Christmas Random Life”

      1. We also enjoy family get together. On Christmas Day, we always go to my grandma’s house. We enjoy that too. 😀

  2. I love this post! Thank you for sharing. Your posts are always an encouragement!
    One of our family traditions is taking our elderly adopted grandma out to look at Christmas lights. She can’t walk much and is on oxygen, so it works perfectly to pick her up at her door, with the van already warm and heated, and drive her around town to look at Christmas lights (she loves to go for rides any time of year!). This way she gets to enjoy a Christmas outing without having to walk around or be in the elements. We used to take her for dinner first, but these days she can’t have too many solid foods so eating out is no longer a treat for her. So now we pick up peppermint milkshakes for everyone to sip while riding. She loves that! We laugh, sing, and enjoy being together.

    1. Oh, Alinda! That is so sweet! How kind of you all! That means a tremendous amount to the elderly. Sounds like such a delightful evening. LOVE love love this!

  3. OH MY, those covered oreo’s are the best!! We love those.
    Love the poppy seed bread as well!

    My one favorite Christmas tradition is our extended family and friends party. I have been hosting this for several years now. No longer able to host at home as the party get’s bigger each year. We have dinner, everyone brings a dessert, gifts for the little’s and “White Elephant” type exchange for the adults. This year our theme was DIY. Lot’s of interesting and creative gifts showed up. Afterwards we play a game and have a sing a long. Everyone looks forward to this each year. We have it the first or second weekend of December, thus freeing everyone up closer to Christmas.

    Love this post!
    Blessings from TX

  4. Wow – looks like all of you have been kept super busy with Christmas activities this time of year. I love the Caroling cards – so creative! And the sisters’ trip to Kansas City for a shopping adventure sounded splendid.

    For our Christmas table, instead of buying the store-bought bonbons (containing plastic toys and silly nonsense jokes) we make our own for each family member who attends. We like to include a bible verse as well as a small, useful gift for that person, and also a Christmas chocolate or lollie. It’s a tradition we started many years ago and it has become one of the favourite parts of the Christmas Day routine around here!

  5. Thanks for sharing such great fun family times!
    Love to all
    xxxxxxxxx
    We always enjoy having a family get together

  6. I love these posts! It’s neat to be able to keep up with your lives! Sometimes I feel like I actually know you 😀

    I’m so thankful for this “internet friendship.” Merry Christmas!

  8. As a christmas tradition in our house, we pick a night in December and put up our christmas tree and decorate it (the decorations are usually mostly handmade!) along with cookies us girls make! Its so fun 🙂

  9. These are my fav kinds of posts! So fun seeing the photos of what you’re all up to 🙂
    Hosting a Christmas music night at church and drinking wassail as we decorate are some fun annual traditions here.

  10. Enjoyed getting a glimpse of your busy lives. What a blessing to have family close so close!

    Miss Sonja, central Fl

  11. Hi there!
    I was wondering when the poppy seed loaves were going to be baked 🙂
    I usually make lots of peanut brittle to give out to family and friends as a gift. I place it in a pretty jar, and decorate the lid with fabric and ribbon.
    This year, I have been trying something new, adding a little variety to my homemade gifts by making candied walnuts, along with cookies-in-a-jar and chocolate-in-a-jar sets.

    Many blessings,

    Alice

  13. Your family is an absolute inspiration. You have such a treasure having all of your family around to SUPPORT, HELP & ENCOURAGE each other. I know several people that never had great Christmas memories because of broken homes, not even a grandparent’s home to return to for Christmas. Always know that you have the rarest of gifts: a close Christian family!

  14. As for a tradition, for the last few years we go to Silver Dollar City and watch A Christmas Carol & see the amazing lights. I also have a yummy, chewy gingerbread recipe that I make with my children.

  15. One of my favorite traditions is going to the nursing home with our Bible study group to sing Christmas carols and pass out treats to the residents. It’s something we’ve done since I was ten years old and I have always loved watching the residents get excited when we come. They are all so very grateful and it serves as a reminder to me to be grateful for the little things in life too! (:

  17. At the end of each Christmas Season, we buy (after Christmas sales) multiple boxes of faith-filled/Christ-centric cards. When Christmas rolls around, we have a card-signing party with warm & yummy refreshments. I buy each person a fun Christmas-themed pen. We sign the cards ‘Your friend rejoicing in Jesus’ birth, Amy (each signs own name!). We then split-up the cards between us adults & we take the kids & the cards to long-term care facilities. Some homes allow us to hand-deliver; others accept the cards for the Staff to distribute. A trip through the park to see the lights finishes the night & then back home! We get to share the Good News & serve our Lord. Merry Christmas, Maxwell Family!

  18. Since we are currently living in our sixth state (moves necessitated by my husband’s work), our only traditions are baking for neighbors, who are new each time we move, and our Christmas ornaments. We get the ornaments when we travel. This year’s ornaments are from visits to Niagara Falls, Canada and The Ark Encounter.

    I am hoping that we have begun a new tradition this year. A lady from church, her daughter and I went to a local assisted living facility for the four weeks of Advent. We sang, had a responsive reading, and a devotion focusing on the four themes – hope, peace, joy and love – and either a craft or game. The residents loved it – especially the day we frosted and decorated cut-out cookies!

  19. What great pictures! Looks like you all have been having a busy but fun time lately. We love spending time with our family on Christmas Day but Christmas Eve is for our immediate family. After we attend our church’s candlelight service, we come home and have a snack supper, cocoa, and cookies and watch our favorite Christmas movie.

  20. Our Christmas tradition is having a no meat, all fish/ seafood dinner together on Christmas Eve before attending mass. Our church is the only one in our area that sing traditional Italian Christmas hymns. It’s definitely not Christmas without connecting to my faith, celebrating the birth of our Savior, and keeping my Italian heritage alive!
    Merry Christmas ~ Buon Natale!!

  22. It’s so funny every time I read one of these random life posts I think wow our families do so many of the same things. 🙂 y’all have such nice times.

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