The real 12 days of Christmas

Did you know that the 12 days of Christmas aren't the 12 days before Christmas but actually the 12 days after Christmas. I learn something new every day!

The Twelve Days of Christmas is probably the most misunderstood part of the church year among Christians who are not part of liturgical church traditions. Contrary to much popular belief, these are not the twelve days before Christmas, but in most of the Western Church are the twelve days from Christmas until the beginning of Epiphany (January 6th; the 12 days count from December 25th until January 5th). In some traditions, the first day of Christmas begins on the evening of December 25th with the following day considered the Fhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifirst Day of Christmas (December 26th). In these traditions, the twelve days begin December 26 and include Epiphany on January 6.

Read it all for yourself...The 12 Days of Christmas

Question please

Here's a dumb question that I seriously don't know the answer to...

Does the 12 days of Christmas count down to Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?

...I really need to know!

The tree of Christmas Present

Have you ever seen a Christmas Tree made of laptops...

...NO?

Well let me fix that for you...

The Communication Department at the North American Mission Board made this creation to represent the present day way of communicating!

Pretty creative huh?

A birthday perfect for a princess!

I've been meaning to write about this for two weeks and I refuse to wait any longer!!!

November 29 was my friend Emily's birthday. We had a party with a princess theme, mixed with games, five year old style! It was like stepping back into childhood...

We played pin the tail on the donkey, stomp the balloons(I don't know how to explain this game), there was a Princess castle pinata and of course, a delicious ice cream cake!

I still have dreams about that yummy cake, haha!

Emily was so thrilled with the party and all the love that was put in to her birthday. I wish all of you could have seen the smile on her face...well actually I'll show you!


Love you Emily! You truly are a princess:)

Christmas card envy

Christmas card envy... yep I have it!

Where's my card??

So far almost everyone around me has at least gotten one...even my co-workers!

I want to open my mailbox, browse through the mail and come across a festive little envelope with my name on it. That's not too much to ask, is it? >insert cute little smile here<

So friends, loved ones, acquaintances, can you help ease my bitter soul? haha

Alarm clock malfunction

My alarm clock decided not to go off this morning which made me two hours late for work.

I HATE being late and even more, I hate being unreliable which is how I might this morning. There's just something about walking in late and feeling like you have let down your superiors even if the situation was out of your control...By out of control I mean, it would take an act of God for me to wake up without some sort of loud buzzing noise to shake me from my deep sleep!

Luckily I have two amazing bosses that give me grace for things like that...well grace and some cut downs throughout the day, haha! I deserved them I guess!

Anyway, I have set two alarms for tomorrow morning in hopes of not repeating today!

He was injured, injured bad

So my parents and brother came into town Friday afternoon, hence the reason I was MIA for the past two days...I was having some serious family bonding time. We've had a great time exploring the city, doing a little Christmas shopping, eating at some of the ATL favorites and just hanging out since we barely get to do that anymore.

Now my family is from the country of North Carolina, so the city is a little overwhelming for them, except my dad! He pretty much loves all places...But since we are talking about my Pops, let me tell you a little story about what happened to Daddy on his first day visiting his daughter in the big city.

So, Daddy loves getting up to go get breakfast, especially when we're on vacation. He always gets up super early and sneaks out of the house before my Mom, Brock or I wake up. Actually he is usually done eating and back before we get up...yes we're lazy!

Anyway, yesterday Daddy ventured out and found a Waffle House just a few miles down from our condo. He had some breakfast, enjoyed some coffee and read his paper to catch up on current events. Well, as Daddy walked outside to leave, there was a handicapped ramp painted and a step that kind of blended in to the painted area so it wasn't visible when walking to the parking lot (I am horrible at relaying this story, but I'm going to try to tell it right). As Daddy stepped off the ramp, thinking he was stepping onto flat ground, he twisted his foot off the side of the step that "disappeared" into the painted ramp area. This caused Pops to fall and hit the concrete.

When he hit the ground, he hit his head causing his glasses to cut his nose. Take a look...


The Waffle House people took him to the Emergency Care place across the street, where the doctor glued(yes, glued) the cut back together and placed disappearing strips across his skin for the healing process. He said everyone was super nice and the Waffle House people told him to come get free breakfast every morning this week! How crazy is that? And they were serious...Brock and Daddy went back this morning and they both got a free meal. The Waffle House Staff greeted my Dad by name, haha! I think they might be a little scared of a lawsuit, which Daddy would never do!

Anyway, Daddy told me that his nose doesn't hurt, just itches a little. He is such a trooper, but we're gonna shoot for not getting hurt anymore the rest of the trip, haha:)

Munchkin Obsession

So lately I've had this weird obsession with 'The Wizard of Oz' munchkins...so much that I used Cha Cha for the first time to find out how many of them were still living! I can't explain why I want to know, I just do!

I watched a documentary two weeks ago about 4 of the remaining munchkins and it was so fascinating to hear about their lives since munchkin stardom. I would catch myself singing 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road' subconsciously while watching these munchkins, who are in their late 80s, dress in their old costumes and dance around.

I wonder what it would have been like to be a munchkin? To sing songs to Judy Garland and play this magical part of this amazing story that still brings joy to people today. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated with them right now! Or maybe I just really love the term munchkin:)

What do you think? Does anyone else out there think these people are fascinating?

Welcome to Georgia

Today I did something I said I would never do...

I became a Georgian.



There it is...my new license! I will admit I am fond of the photo, ha! I did smudge the info since there are some crazy people in this world apparently.

Anyway, I know it sounds dumb to make such a big deal over it but I just never thought I would move out of North Carolina and actually stay. Getting a license to me says permanent. >insert Gasp here<

As I was leaving the DMV, the clerk said "Welcome to Georgia!" in a very excited voice. I seriously almost had a panic attack.

Now, I know what you're thinking...'Shannon, why did you do this?'and I wish I had an amazingly clever answer for you. Sadly, all I have to say for myself is 'I hope I really love this state because I just made a HUGE dedication to it!!

I need Africa! Do you?

So, if you are an avid follower of my blog...which you should be...then you probably remember the post from last week about Africa! (I'm sure the reference at the bottom of every post since then has left a photographic imprint in your mind, ha). Anyway today is the day to find out more about this awesome campaign and I'm so excited that you decided to stop back by! Once you have finished reading this blog please visit www.mochaclub.org to check out more!

Now, on to what you have been waiting for. Here is an article from Barrett who lives in Africa and is the leader of this awesome project! Read why he needs Africa...

I NEED AFRICA MORE THAN AFRICA NEEDS ME

When I think of Africa, the following images immediately come to mind: Starvation. AIDS. Child soldiers. Genocide. Sex slaves. Orphans. From there, my thoughts naturally turn to how I can help, how I can make a difference. “I am needed here,” I think. “They have so little, and I have so much.” It’s true, there are great tragedies playing out in Africa everyday. There is often a level of suffering here that is unimaginable until you have seen it, and even then it is difficult to believe. But what is even harder is reconciling the challenges that many Africans face with the joy I see in the people. It’s a joy that comes from somewhere I cannot fathom, not within the framework that has been my life to this day. [read more]



Has it captured your heart yet?

This is such an amazing and life changing project and my prayer is that you will desire to get involved, yearn to help out and crave to know as much as possible about Africa! Head over to mochaclub.org to find out more, find more blog posts and (if you love tee shirts as much as me) purchase a tee to help with spread the word!

Build an ark, He said!

God asks each of us to 'build an ark'; it's hard to understand and may seem crazy, but it can happen...what's your ark?

Thirds

Note to self...

When you are full, don't go back for seconds and thirds! Unless it's for turkey:)
Don't eat pie right before bed!
Always play "He said, She said" at every party from now on.
Never assume anything!
Balloons make for a fun game when they are tied around your ankles.

Hammocks of friends

How many people can you fit in one hammock?



This was such a fun moment:)

I ate too much!

I ate way too much today!

We had a HUGE feast prepared at Brock and Auny's today! Let's see if I can remember everything I had on my plate:

Hummm, well there was turkey(awesome turkey), stuffing, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, peas, gravy, macaroni & cheese, sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top, delicious bread and, what we like to call cranberry crap(apples, orange jello, cranberries, celery and I'm sure something else...it's yum).

OK so that was round one! Then there was round two...DESSERT!

There was pumpkin pie, pumpkin crisp, Texas pie(my absolute favorite), banana nut bread with cream cheese icing, some kind of smore chocolate bar thing and white chocolate covered popcorn. So much goodness all on one table!

It was a great Thanksgiving feast. And after we indulged, we enjoyed some great Thanksgiving zip line rides:)

Oh, did I mention Brock and Auny brought me two sweet tea truffles from the Cocoa Tree? Well it happened and now that I'm thinking about it, I left them at their house.

BUMMER!

Well, that just means I'll have chocolate to eat after gumbo tomorrow night, ha!

Seriously Perfect.

Driving through downtown Franklin tonight made me realize how much I miss this place! Everything looks just how I remember it...perfect!!

The streets are all decorated with gleaming white lights and garland and are still acented with some familiar faces at the local Starbucks on the corner.

The round-about is still fun to drive around more than once just to get the full effect of it being round.

The house on 92 still decorates with huge blow up figures and still has never left me disappointed with their festive selection...right now it's a huge turkey standing beside a massive football player...I mean that about sums up Thanksgiving don't you think?

It's seriously perfect. I love it:)

There's just this comforting feeling when I drive into the little town. Feelings of friendship, love, feelings of laughter and joy and a definite feeling of never wanting to leave!

Wired and Fried

I just totally giggled out loud, in my house, by myself thinking how awesome last night's group adventure was! I'm sure that some of you have read my blogs about Monday's Menu and some may have even visited the Monday's Menu site(which is no longer existent)! If you have, then you know that I have a great group of ladies in my life and we love to travel into the city looking for fun.

Well Monday's Menu has turned into Monthly Menu and it's no really about finding good restaurants anymore. It's about finding an adventure to take where we can put work behind us and enjoy the laughter, the atmosphere and the best part, the company!

Last night the five of us, Allie, Katie, Megan, Jen and myself...with Mal in spirit... ventured down to Virginia Highlands with one mission in mind...POTTERY! Painting pottery that is. We went to this little place called Wired and Fired which is absolutely adorable inside and out. They have shelves of clay pottery to choose from. They have bowls and plates, mugs and goblets, ornaments and cookie jars, etc! It's a little overwhelming but in a good way.

After you pick your pottery, you pick your paint colors then your stencils and then your overall design...Whew it's a lot to take in and explain, haha! Let me show you our night with a little help from my classic photo skills:)

These pictures will tell you all about Allie and Katie...Stencil masters, Megan...color perfectionist, and Jen & I...painting extraordinaires!




Oh and did I mention there was awesome pizza?

Jen's gonna kill me for that, ha:)

I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

A few days ago, while I was browsing through some of my friend's blog sites, I came across something very intriguing and something that I knew from the start I wanted to help with. It's something called Mocha Club.

Ever heard of it? Well if not, then you need to look it up.

Mocha Club [www.mochaclub.org] is a community-based website where members can start a team and invite friends to join them in giving $7 a month – the cost of 2 mochas at our friendly Starbucks or local coffee shop – to support a project in Africa. Mocha Club's vision is to provide a way for people who don't have hundreds or thousands of dollars to make a difference in Africa.

I was asked by Mocha Club to write about the concept of why ‘I need Africa more than Africa needs me.' I have pondered this statement for a few days and I must say hundreds of things have popped in my mind! So here we go...I'm going to tell why I believe I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

Day after day I go through life never realizing how extremely lucky I am. I have a roof over me head, warm water to shower in daily, hot meals and cold drinks, transportation, access to medicines and doctors, education, entertainment beyond belief and a closet full of clothes that I look everyday thinking "I have nothing to wear." I could keep listing on and on about how blessed I am and we are as a nation that doesn't generally have to live in poverty but my point in all this is, even though we/I am so wealthy, I still complain and want more. Isn't that sad?

Now, I want you to stop for a second and think about this... Children in Africa, who have close to nothing compared to us, become overwhelmed with joy from a plate of food that is considered(in our scale) one meal. I've seen videos where their little faces light up from getting to go to school, receiving pencils and crayons to being feed a bowl of grits with a glass of clean water. Would your face light up if someone gave up a glass of water?

Somehow we've got to this point where we give money out of pity instead of out of compassion and love. Africa doesn't need our pity. It doesn't need us looking down on them for what they may not have. The truth is they have more then we ever will because they know what it means to truly appreciate what they have instead of being resentful for what they don't have!

My point is this...

I need Africa to teach me that life is about love and about cherishing what I have. Life is more than having it all or buying the best. It's about the little things. It's about appreciating what is given and trusting that tomorrow will provide. I need Africa to remind me that joy comes from something bigger than a new pair of jeans or a Starbucks coffee every morning. It's about seeing the blessing in everything. I need Africa to teach me how to be selfless instead of selfish...how to give instead of how to receive. To show me what true love and appreciation is, along with showing me some of biggest and greatest smiles ever:)

What do you think?

Share your thoughts in my comments, and even blog about it yourself. Join in! Help out! Because it's more then just talking about it...it's about doing something about it!

Come back Dec 1st to see what Mocha Club is doing about reforming that image. See you then...

Would you?

Would you live your life any differently if you didn't care what people thought?

Today's a Chocolate Day!!!

THE COCOA TREE is re-opening, TODAY...downtown Nashville in Germantown near Monells!!!

This is huge news! Bigger than huge...this is Ginormous news!

You better believe I will be taking more trips to Nashville just to indulge in Bethany's fabulous chocolate truffles! Actually I plan on driving my little self over there next week!

Jealous?

Well you should be!

But for all you ATL chocolate lovers, I will take orders...and I will deliver them to you when I return. Go to the site, pick you out some truffles and leave me a comment with your requests:) www.bethanychocolatier.com

Oh my goodness...Chocolate Marsh mellows and Champagne Rose truffles I have missed you!

As Promised...

Here are some pictures from our retreat at Amicalola Falls.

The Lodge was full of amazing views

I had to take a picture with the bears!

The Falls were so beautiful

To prove to Lebron that we got our exercise in:)

And we even climbed some stairs to get a full workout!

Besides being a little under the weather, I had a great time getting to know my team better, tossing around ideas for 2009, hiking in 21 degree weather and just enjoying a day out of the office!