Star of Wonder, Star of Night

Ever since I can remember, my parent's Christmas tree has been topped by an illuminated white plastic star. It is a very simple five pointed star, nothing really shiny or ornate. Rather classic. It is treasured and beloved by my family. So beloved, that in order to keep family peace, my father has scavenged flea markets over the years so my brother and I each have our very own illuminated star for our respective trees. He's even bought one in a yard sale for a neighbor who expressed admiration for the star.

The tradition continues on to for the next generation. Sometime last week, my niece informed her father that when she grew up she wanted the star from her parent's tree for her own. Instead of scouring yard sales and flea markets or antique stores, Jim went directly to eBay for his little girl. And he found not just one, but two stars exactly like the ones we grew up with and have for our own trees today. Just one little difference....the narrow red lines that Dad laboriously scratched off of each of our own stars are still intact on the stars up for auction on eBay (and Jim really wants to 'try out' the red lines - therefore the extra star Dad has stashed away wasn't exactly what Jim is looking for).

Once Jim found the star, he called me for advice on bidding. I was as helpful as possible but he got inundated with life and incredibly busy. So I offered to bid for him and last night before I went to bed I placed a bid on the 2nd star eBay was offering. I woke up this morning to the email alerting me that I 'won' the star for my brother. And I realized I had an appropriate picture for the 12th Day of Christmas. My original intent for the 12 Days of Christmas was to find a photo subject that I could pair with a Christmas carol. That didn't go so well as you can see if you scroll back over the past week and a half. When I initially had the idea, I thought that I would end the 12 Days of Christmas with the carol, "We Three Kings" since the Magi arrived with their gifts much later than the shepherds and announcing angels. And as events wonderfully work out, today, a new plastic star, beloved by three generations of my family, is finding its way across the continent to come rest in a box and wait to be used on another family member's Christmas tree. Kinda makes me want to sing.....

We three kings of Orient are
Bearing gifts we traverse afar
Field and fountain, moor and mountain
Following yonder star

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to rein

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Frankincense to offer have I
Incense owns a Deity nigh
Pray'r and praising, all men raising
Worship Him, God most high

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes of life of gathering gloom
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying
Sealed in the stone-cold tomb

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

Glorious now behold Him arise
King and God and Sacrifice
Alleluia, Alleluia
Earth to heav'n replies

O Star of wonder, star of night
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to Thy perfect light

The Second Day of Christmas

with just a few hours before the big blizzard arrived, we got down to the pond and got our skates on! Luke likes falling just as much as he did last winter, but he's got more hankering for hockey!

Sarah getting her game face on!

And there he is....debating the merits of snowblowing the ice again....only time will tell.

Meat for the Freezer

This morning, my brother once again proved he is a good shot and brought a deer home on the first day of the season for the umpteenth time in his life. I realize this post might be a surprise to some of you who have only known me for the last half dozen years or so. But no doubt, if you are a longtime friend of the family or family member, Jim's marksmanship comes as no surprise. However, it was a slight surprise that I got the phone call a little after 9AM from Dad saying they were headed out of the woods, and I won't say I wasn't a bit relieved. As good a shot as Jim is, it's not like you can always expect to get a deer early in the season or even before lunch on Opening Day. And since Jim only ever takes one day off from work, on the opening day, to go hunting, this is the best time to bring one home. Now his afternoons and weekends aren't so pressured to go out to the woods and 'get some meat for the freezer' as our Nana would say.

Being Jersey about it......

When my nephew asked me if I was going to the beach today, I told him I was going down the shore. His poor little self was all confused and he said, "But Mommy said that you were going to go to the beach with us today!" So, we explained to him that people from Jersey always say they are going down the shore - and when we are standing on the sand with the surf pounding in our ears we say we are "down the shore".

When we got down the shore we went to Seven Presidents Beach, a Monmouth County Park and very family friendly place where Luke likes to plant flags in the sand. Attending to flags is a big deal and takes a good deal of time - more important than building sandcastles for him.

Sarah and Daddy enjoying the surf.

Big sis shows little bro how to play in the surf.

If you think you've seen this pose before on the blog, you are right. Just a different season and different kind of water!

Snow Tubing Needs to be an Olympic Sport!

Snowshoes are helpful to tamp
down our own run here at The Homestead.

There is no lynx here but a friendly dog.

Sarah wanted Jake to pull her,
but he was having nothing of it!

Walking up hill gets hard at the end of the afternoon.

But the reward of going downhill is totally worth it!

Luke likes to go all by himself!

"He ain't heavy....he's my brother"

Thanks to The Hollies I have a title for today's blog.

And thanks to my little brother
I could go skating after the weekend snow
because he hauled the snow blower over to the
pond and cleared a chunk of real estate on the ice.

Today he brought my neice and nephew to get some more
skating in before sledding tomorrow in the anticipated storm.

Lugging the goal over to be closer to our little set up

Luke liked the black (and biggest) hockey stick
over the ones closer suited to his size.

Helping dad take some movies.

The photographers at work.

Check this out - it rolls!

Little brothers think of the darnedest things
and one day you will be very glad for his ingenuity.
I know I am - thanks, Jim!