I can’t believe we’ve been here a year! Here are some top projects of 2010 here at 320 Sycamore:

a moving system

Getting It Sold

I am trying to go through pictures and organize, DELETE a ton, and get the rest ready to upload to our family scrapbook blog (which has been so severely neglected these past few months) Here are some things from December I want to remember:

Mater giving baby Jesus a ride…

When I was growing up, our church performed Handel’s Messiah as a gift to the community each year. When I was a senior in high school, I was able to play my violin in the performance. I was thrilled to be part of something I had watched my grandma, my aunt, and my mom perform in every year growing up. During a rehearsal, as we practiced the Hallelujah chorus, something happened. An incredible feeling of warmth and love came over me, and I couldn’t see the music through my tears. It is not a quiet song, and I don’t think anyone noticed a violin player in the back had stopped playing.

I had heard the song dozens of times before, but that night I knew what was being sung and played was more than just Biblical words set to an amazing score.

It was truth.

That Jesus is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The Savior of the World. My Redeemer. It is the greatest gift I have ever been given.

Merry Christmas to each one of you~

Here are some tips for hitting after Christmas sales. We were in the middle of moving last year, so I didn’t post much about it, but I may be able to give better heads up this year.

*try to think ahead. Make a list now of things you were wishing you had as you were decking the halls this year: timers for lights, extension cords, miniature light sets, lighted trees for your front porch, address labels, how many Christmas cards, a storage bag for your tree, wreaths, bows, etc. so you know what to be on the lookout for and you will kiss yourself next year when you don’t have to go buy it at full price!

* Lowes begins their holiday clearance early…like now. My store is 40% off all holiday right now, and may go 50% right before Christmas. They have always gone 75% the day after Christmas. We got an awesome artificial tree at 6 a.m. the day after Christmas in 2007. It is my favorite store to hit early on December 26.

*If there is something you really want, buy it when it first starts going on clearance, save the receipt and if it is still around when it gets more deeply discounted, you can buy another, and then return it right away with your first receipt. Then you won’t be kicking yourself for not getting it if they are snatched up right away.

* Target goes 50% off the day after Christmas, then 75% off right about a week after that, and then around 6-8 days after that it goes to 90% if there is anything left.  Every store is different. You can call every morning and ask to be connected with seasonal or find a teenage worker who doesn’t care and see what he can tell you about what the markdown schedule might be that week. :) Let’s be honest, there isn’t anything I really *need* in terms of holiday decor, but I like to see what I can do with items left at 75-90% off.

These trees were left at Target 2 years ago at 90% off. They were sad and chipped, no wonder they were left.

You mean the milk is saying Christmas is over?? I’m not ready yet!