Capturing the Joy of the Holidays
Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free

The holidays are like the whip cream on top of life. Throughout the year you get sprinkles of it. Glimpses of this freedom and well of love but at the holidays you get to dwell in it and eat the cherry on top too.

This is what we’re all really working, longing and waiting for. And when you get it — you want to savor every moment, and relish in every drop of its precious dew. As with any family time, it is to be cherished.

All of these moments paint the whole beautiful picture. There is much to be grateful for, treasure and count our blessings for. Here is a sneak peak at some of the savory moments leading up to and in our holiday season (2019) Christmas.

First, the week before Christmas we traveled for my husband’s work trip to Chattanooga TN, staying right on the border of GA in a cute little cottage right on top of the mountain. We stopped on the way down at a Tennessee rest stop and took a hike to stretch our legs and soak in the views. We couldn’t resist the cute photo op that made the kiddos get butterflies in their bellies for Christmas.

We spent the week in this darling house and enjoyed every second of it. While daddy went off to his work events participating in a podcast with FreightWaves  and being a guest on the Fuller Speed Ahead show, we enjoyed doing homeschool and the gorgeous views from the home. It was cozy and extremely relaxing to just have a break from the normal routines at home and life.

We enjoyed exploring nature and the downtown life of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as well as the local eateries. Devouring killer burgers at the Urban Stack, was a cinch. We would absolutely eat there again and have no problem completing another family coloring contest with their Urban Stack coloring sheets.

We also hit up pizza at Community Pie. This place was packed and brought forth some good pizza and a very cool environment. We ate so fast we forgot to take a picture of our pizza. I would eat there again, but, I think most of us agree we would give another pizza place a try first next time around.

Our last day there we hopped in Moe’s Original BBQ for lunch and truly enjoyed a pork sandwich with slaw, fries and fried green tomatoes. I’m personally not a fan of their cornbread but that’s only due to my hate for onions. And no road trip would be complete without treating ourselves to dessert. We found Clumpies Ice Cream which had such a cute atmosphere even though it was small inside. It was certainly a fun treat but doesn’t compare to our Loveland Graeter’s Ice Cream or Loveland Dairy Whip. And mind you all this fun eating was all during my Holiday Hang Ups…

We did miss our cozy Christmas tree but we made sure to still have some holiday fun decorating gingerbread houses, watching Christmas movies and drinking hot chocolate.

We played lots of checkers, created fun memories with everyone feeling cool to have different rooms, and while we can’t wait to stay at this home again sometime in the future, we couldn’t wait to get home and celebrate Jesus’s birthday with our other family and friends. Before we could do that we had to of course take a few family photos, several shots of the beautiful moss here and make a pit stop at Cloudland Canyon State Park to see the beautiful waterfalls. This place was truly breathtaking, my pictures don’t even do justice to the beauty our eyes beheld and of course it added another great addition to our homeschool field trips list.

Once we were home it was a mad dash to finalize wrapping everyone’s presents, cooking yummy delights and celebrating my favorite Jesus at several family events, including our Real Church Goshen family. Christmas Eve we celebrated with my husband Tom’s side of the family and Christmas morning at our home. We continue the tradition I had as a little girl and every year we read the true Christmas story from the Bible before we share gifts with each other. Giggles, screams of joy and shrieks were the sound resounding in our home.

After our own home Christmas we headed to my mother’s house for my side of the family. With the loss of my Father we knew it would be tough at Christmas this year, but we worked hard to make the best of it and celebrate as he would. It was his favorite holiday. There were many tears shed thinking of him and gifting presents that cherished his memory. I made my precious Momma a calendar to help her get through the year that includes photos and funny sayings or scriptures my Father would always say. My husband Tom who had constant running jokes about trucks with my daddy, wore some of my Father’s favorite attire in honor of him. Truly, it was the needed laughter that my Father would have cracked up to see.

My goal with the calendar was to make my mom laugh and smile and help savor these precious memories. My sisters also showered my mom with beautiful gifts in honor of my Father. I am proud of my Momma, she is a royal queen of beauty and grace. She continually inspires me to be better at all things for Christ just as my Father did.

Christmas will never be the same without him, but I am thankful for the time on Earth we got with him, and even more thankful that in just a little while we’ll all be reunited again in Heaven, the most glorious and pain free place to be. Until then may we savor every moment, every crumb and slice of life that God allows us to walk in. May we push to express love, serve and give in our everyday life as we do at the Holidays. That we would realize that life is but a vapor and we must make the day count. My Father always said there is plenty of time to sleep in the grave.

Relish memories, be captivated by the now and seize this life while it’s yet to be seized.

And may we do all things for Christ, the Savior of the world.

Written by Bethany Curee, God’s Daughter – Freckled & Free