This year, I’ve chosen to fly to Kansas on Christmas morning. This Christmas will be a little different for my family as we’re all on baby watch! For those who have been asking, still no word yet on when my niece, Bean, will make her appearance, but I think it’ll be any day. She’s “due” on Monday, but you know how that goes.

Since I’ll be spending some extended time in Kansas, I won’t be regularly posting here until the new year. I’ll be sure to post once Bean has arrived, as well as let you know when my “baby” arrives and is available…should be Monday. These are exciting days!

Since this is the first year to be on my own, it’s the first time I’ve been able to decorate how I choose. Christmas is my favorite holiday, so I was excited. Growing up, my mom would literally put a tree of various sizes in every room (maybe still does…I’d have to count). Clearly, Christmas decorating is a big deal in my family.

Looking around my apartment and my budget, here’s what I came up with:

I made this small ceramic tree in middle school. It’s sitting on the kitchen/dining room ledge.

This nativity set was made by my grandmother (Hi, G. Zoe!). She made three sets: two for her daughters and she gave the third to me, her only, favorite granddaughter. This nativity set sits in the dining room, above the books that I’ve had checked out from the library for a long time… Maybe they’ll become a part of the double baby-watch, because I certainly haven’t been reading much fiction lately.

Since the birth of the Savior is the most important thing about this season, I actually have two nativity sets up. The other is on the bookshelf as you enter the apartment:

This wreath is on my front door (I realized I’ve been showing you pictures walking from the back door to the front. So if you climb up onto my balcony and come in the kitchen, this is the order you’d see things…). I assembled it myself, as I really wanted to use LED lights and loved this bow. The neat thing about these lights is that they’re also on a timer, so they’re on from 5-11 PM each night without me doing anything extra.

And finally, for the grande finale, the tree:

As you can see, I decided to make my tree match my apartment. Everything on the tree is new (that and  the wreath are this year’s new additions). I had wanted a prelit tree, but then I had a hard time finding one that used LED lights, and that was important to me. For less than the price of a prelit tree with traditional lights, I put this one together with lights. Best thing? It uses less than 30 watts so I’m not wasting energy and money.

I also had hoped to get a 7′ tree, but ended up “settling for a 6.5′ one. I’m so glad I did…I forgot to factor in how short I am. This one looks great in the space, and I’m able to reach the top. Barely.

For those of you who are skeptical about LED lights because their light is bluish, check out the “warm white” color. It is a bit brighter than what I’m used to with traditional Christmas lights, but not bad/weird.

I considered adding a stocking (or two…being optimistic?) as I had the perfect place for them and I think they’re cute, but I decided not to put up a stocking. Certainly nothing against those who do, but I’ve decided to keep Santa and his accouterments out of my decorating. I find the whole Santa Claus thing (as it is usually done) not only distracts from the real miracle of Christmas, but also adds the whole “naughty/nice” thing which flies in the face of the gospel, which should be the real focus now and year-round.

• The thought of Black Friday makes my stomach flop. I hate that our primary activity of Christmas is buying stuff.

• I’ve been busy crocheting up some presents. It’s the perfect activity to do while watching mindless television or listening to an audiobook (which is better).

• I’m super excited about decorating my apartment for Christmas today. Pictures to come!

1. Ayn Rand. I’d love to ask her why she couldn’t see that any system built on self-interest would never be in the best interest of the people.

2. Laura Ingalls Wilder. I’d just love to hear more stories of her childhood.

3.  C.S. Lewis. I think I’d be way too shy to ask him any questions!

4. Jasper Fforde. I wonder if he’s as humorous in person as he is in his books?

5. Orson Scott Card. I’d love to hear him talk about Ender’s world.

6. Jane Austen. Mainly because I think it’d be cool to say I had Jane Austen at my Thanksgiving dinner…

7. Corrie Ten Boom. Definitely would be inviting her for her, not her writing. Though I loved The Hiding Place in a hard-to-read way.

8. Jerry Bridges. His writing is so gospel-centered, and I think that would be a welcome addition to any meal.

9. Thomas Friedman. I’m now reading my 3rd book of his. I don’t agree with him on a lot of things, but he’s very astute.

10. Carolyn McCulley. I really respect her and think I have a lot to learn from her.

• Since I’m always traveling long distances on Thanksgiving, I never make any food for the Thanksgiving meal. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to make some Thanksgiving foods here or there, but never for “the” meal. This year I’m making the ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, and pumpkin pies. I’m also planning on bringing a olive/pickle tray and spinach and artichoke dip for the all-important munching time.

• So yeah, I won’t be spending Thanksgiving alone, but my “family” here. I’m looking forward to it.

• And I’m also looking forward to decorating for Christmas next Friday. I still have a few “essential” decorations to pick up (basically everything associated with the tree). Can’t wait to show you guys pictures!

• Tuesday when I went to the library at opening time to start my job search, I was shocked. I guess within 10 minutes of opening is the only time the library is not packed. Within the hour, though it was back to it’s busy self. And I’m almost positive that every single person in there was doing exactly what I was doing: looking for jobs. Even the two middle schoolers, I’m just sure of it.

• And before you start to wonder why there were middle schoolers hanging out on library computers on a school day, I should mention that several middle schools here (and even more elementary schools) are on a year-round schedule. It pretty much guarantees that a kid isn’t going to get caught playing hooky. “What, oh yeah…I’m tracked out.”

• I had no trick-or-treaters on Monday night. I didn’t expect any, either. Our apartment community is mostly made up of 1-bedroom apartments, and I’ve only seen one kid who lives here.

• I’m busier now than I was when I was employed. I’ve taken the opportunity to serve others every day this week. I must say, I really enjoy unemployment…but I don’t want it to last forever.

• I applied for 18 jobs this week, which I’m happy about. I could have applied for more, but I was hesitant to start applying for jobs that I didn’t think I’d love. I’ll probably have to settle, but I want to give the jobs that interest me to have a chance, first.

• Speaking of “whatever may be ahead,” I don’t know what that is. Of course, we never really do, but I’m in a particularly uncertain time in my life right now. More details to come, when and if it’s approrpriate to share them. I’ll just say that I’m excited and a bit nervous.

• Tomorrow is an election day here in Raleigh. Obviously, it’s not a big election, but it is the first election I’ll be working. I’m excited to see what it’s like and get a better feel for my neighborhood.

As I mentioned in my 30 Before 30, I have wanted to celebrate Yom Kippur this year. If you know your Jewish calendar, you’ll notice that Saturday, not Friday is Yom Kippur. But because of the OU-Texas game on Saturday, I’ve decided to move it up a day. Not that God isn’t a greater priority than football, it’s just that I want to have no distractions and I know I’d have a hard time concentrating on other things with the game on, especially since I receive text updates.

So how am I going to celebrate? Well, I’ll spend the day (sundown to sundown) fasting and abstaining from television, secular books and music, and other people.

So that’s what I won’t be doing. What will I be doing? Praying, reading the Bible, worshiping through music, and thinking, for sure. But I’ll also be reading some of John Stott’s Cross of Christ and Sinclair Ferguson’s In Christ Alone. I’ll be crocheting and walking, the calmer things that allow for the quiet and clear voice of the Lord to speak through.

I don’t know what the outcome of this time will be. I don’t know what ugliness inside me God might reveal to me or what challenge God may give me. But I know that I want this time with my Lord, and I want to want time with my Lord more and more.