This year we cut ourselves a Christmas tree from our backyard. We cut down an Australian Pine Tree (invasive in Florida), but it was too thin and we had to cut another one. Yes, that is a machete I am using to chop the tree down. We twisty-tied the two trees together so that it would look like a more full tree. It still looks like something from Charlie Brown.We had a great, 80 degree Christmas down here. It felt like one continuous Christmas party here at ECHO. All the ECHO folk got together for a brunch at one house, then dinner at another house, then desert and carols at another house.
This is a year that we will probably remember for the rest of our lives, not because of some huge event today, but because of our Christmas Eve experiences. We decided to accompany some of our friends to their service at an Evangelical Free church. After the service was over Jason and I both agreed that it was the most informal Christmas eve service we had ever attended. (After it was over we walked out of the sanctuary to the tune of Jingle Bell Rock)! Needless to say after that we kinda want to have a more reverent experience for Christmas Eve, so we accompanied our friends to an episcopal service that started at 11:30pm. As we sat down and began looking through our 28 page program, we began to wonder how long this service would be. It was very traditional and filled with beautiful music and pipe organs (quite the opposite of our first service) however after 2.5 hours we were totally exhausted. We didn't leave there until 2am. It was definitely an experience - and one to remember at that. Overall it was a fun friend filled holiday.
Let the packing begin!!!
