If you’ve already decorated your house for Christmas and your tree is glittering from the corner with presents tucked lovingly beneath, then—while I really, really hate to do this, and it hurts me more than you know—we can no longer be friends.

I find your level of perfection and preparedness irritatingly . . . well, irritating, and I must remove myself from your presence so that I can somehow look at myself in the mirror again without wanting to retch.

; )

Seriously, though…

How many of you already have everything either draped, wrapped, or hung by the chimney with care?

Deb Raney, I already know you do! I spied your pics on Facebook and your house looks lovely—even though this means we can’t be friends anymore.  Oh, and btw, thanks for letting me “borrow” your picture above. Your house really does look beautiful.

While the decorating part is fun, and the parties are great, this time of year always makes me more grateful for friends and family. And this past weekend at Off Broadway, I was made especially grateful!

Kelsey, my daughter, and I were doing some quick boot shopping this past Sunday afternoon, when a woman walked up to me and asked me if I liked the boots she was trying on. Without even really looking at her, I immediately looked down at her boots and said, “Yes, those are really cute!”

Then she said, “Tammy? Tammy Alexander?”

I looked up again, and—with mouth hanging open, yet somehow still able to talk—said, “Paula? Paula Payne?!”

Paula and I hadn’t seen each other in nearly 25 years. But bless her, she somehow still recognized me (she hasn’t changed a bit!), and we had such fun catching up with each other. We have plans to do lunch, too, the next time she’s in town. Love you, Paula! And I love how God weaves us in and out of each other’s lives.

I’m also grateful for my father-in-law, Fred, and his wife Jan who came and stayed with us recently. Fred has always loved motorcycles, and he must have somehow passed along that affinity to my son, Kurt. Because Kurt recently bought one (insert a mother’s heartfelt prayers for safety here). What other moms among us have motorcycle-riding sons?

Three generations of Alexander men
My father-in-law, Fred, Joe (my husband), and our son Kurt
Love these guys!

I’m grateful for these coupons I recently ran across again, too…

When the kids were younger, we’d bribe encourage them toward a certain goal by offering them coupons if they achieved it. And these are some of those coupons. If memory serves, we also used them as stocking stuffers. I don’t think the kids ever realized that these were activities we usually did anyway, LOL. Getting a coupon seemed to make it more special, somehow.

I had to shake my head, though, at the “let Mom know one day in advance” stipulation. Gracious, I was controlling. Notice the was. I’m all better now.

So, while I have not one strand of lights hung, nor is a sprig of spruce embedded anywhere in my carpet, not to mention not a single, solitary silver icicle (does anyone even sell those anymore?) is draped anywhere—I’m grateful December is here.

Because it’s yet another time to reflect on Jesus Christ and how he came to live among us—fully God, fully man—and the incredible sacrifice he made to ransom us from sin. And it’s a time to be with loved ones. Both those near and those who God, in his mercy and great delight, will bring near again.

So no matter that I’ve not started decorating yet, it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Have you started decorating? Or are you already done (ack!)? Go ahead and tell me now, so I can start missing you. : )

Hugs from Nashville,

Tamera