Christmastime is Here, Happiness and Cheer

"I think there must be something wrong with me, Linus. Christmas is coming, but I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel."

"Charlie Brown, you're the only person I know who could take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem."
from Charlie Brown's Christmas


Charlie Brown's Christmas has always been one of my favorite Christmas movies. I can't say that I have ever before identified with Charlie Brown. But that opening scene of the movie was like it was taken straight from my thoughts this year. Ev told me the other day that if I wasn't happy right now, I'd never be happy. He meant it sort of tongue-in-cheek, but as usual, those comments always have some truth to them. We have a beautiful home to live in, balmy weather, our family is together for Christmas this year, which is a blessing we haven't always had in years past. So why do I feel like such a scrooge?

As it turns out, it's not the chilly weather, or the smell of freshly cut Christmas trees that creates a cheerful Christmas atmosphere. It's not having beautiful decorations or twinkle lights. Maybe you know this already, but bear with me, I'm still learning. I thought I could go through the motions, and that I could absorb holiday cheer from the outside, in. But it's just the opposite, isn't it? Real joy comes from within. And not just from someplace deep inside of us, but from God, who places it there. I believe that God gives the gift of joy freely, when we ask and are obedient to his will and commands. God will give us joy when we serve him, and when we worship him with our praise. Nehemiah 8:10 says, Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."


Luke 2:8-14
Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multidude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"

Selah

Spontaneity Part 2

I know you've all been on the edge of your seats wondering where the boys and I spent the night. No, it was not the Hotel del Coronado. Maybe someday, though. I'll give you a hint: We entered under cover of darkness, and Trevor and Braden practiced being as quiet as two little mice. They thought it was great fun camping out on the floor in their sleeping bags! It was too bad we couldn't stay longer, our 5th floor room had a great view of the San Diego Bay bridge. I didn't mind leaving early in the morning, though. I had been dreaming of having another latte at the cafe. As it turns out, their scones are also really yummy. I took my latte "to go" and we headed down to the beach.

I hadn't realized how much I missed the ocean. But, as they say, once you get sand in your shoes, it's there to stay.

Trevor ran all over the beach- he wanted to build sandcastles with his hand, chase waves, look at seagulls. Maybe for him, too, it was like coming home to something familiar.

Braden had a slightly different reaction. You can check out the video to hear first hand what he thought of the beach. He much preferred the nature center, which is where we spent the rest of our day. If you ever need something for children to do in San Diego, be sure to add the Chula Vista Nature Center to your list. They had a such a great time looking at all the fish, touching sting rays, and learning about birds. The greatest part about it was the fact that it was so geared for children. They had lots of hands-on opportunities for learning, like a shell table where they could handle all different shells, they did crayon rubbings of nature scenes, listened to different raptor calls and so much more. This view of the sea star was one of my personal favorites!

We left the nature center, tired anc happy. We got to do a lot of fun things, but we still have many more things on our list for next time. We crossed into Arizona with the sun setting at our back, like a scene from a movie. A short movie, maybe, but a good one anyways.

Spontaneity

At the last minute, the boys and I decided to tag along on a trip to Coronado, CA yesterday. I threw some things in an overnight bag and we headed off. We dropped Ev off at his seminar and set out to paint the town. I had a few things in mind for the week- the seminar goes until thursday- but I figured we'd take it easy the first day. So the boys and I did a little walking around the Coronado Naval Amphibious Base. I thought I had been there before, but it was all unfamiliar territory. We inhaled the sweet, moist, salty air. We oohed and aaahed at the Navy base housing right on the bay. Oh, if only we could be so lucky! Then we drove out into the city of Coronado. We found a great little cafe on Orange Ave where we had lunch before walking around peeking in fun little shops. I managed to resist lots of yummy things at the chocolaterie, and sadly passed by a stall of beautiful fresh flowers. If we lived there, I would not be able to pass by without buying a few stems! But by far the best find on Orange Ave was the visitor's center. A wonderfully kind woman working the information booth shared so many fantastic ideas for things around San Diego that she thought the boys would enjoy. So we left there, and went straight to the Coronado Ferry landing.

From there, we caught a passenger ferry for an hour long trip over to downtown San Diego and back. Our ferry also made a stop at the NAS North Island dock, so we passed right next to two aircraft carriers: the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan.

Trevor and Braden talked on and on about their toy aircraft carrier at home and the CVN numbers (his is number 88, and he thinks that it ought to have a REAL number instead). We were very glad we had worn our jackets! The morning fog never fully lifted yesterday, so the breeze and damp air quickly turned chilly as the sun began to set.

We were tired from our busy day, and decided to head back to base to check in to our room. Unfortunately for us, when we arrived at the check-in counter, I was informed that the Coronado BOQ does not accept guests under the age of 12. I was completely at a loss for what to do, since the North Island Navy Lodge was full, and we wanted to stay right on the island. We considered splurging a little to stay at the ritzy, historic Hotel del Coronado, but at $330 per night, it was a little too ritzy, even for a splurge. To be continued...

Grandparents are Special

We said good bye to Grandma & Grandpa this morning. We had a fun visit with them. Trevor and Braden had a great time playing games with Grandma and wrestling with Grandpa. Only Grandma will read 5 straight Dr. Seuss books! Now it's back to the daily grind. We'll miss you guys!