www.sweetCelebration.com

You've heard me speak of PiM3 before; its the group of women associated with the seminary mostly by having husband students.  Well last night, I began my ascent into the leadership team, particularly the events chapter.

I was given chocolate to melt the night before for a chocolate fountain and then showed up to help at 5pm. I helped carry over all the stuff, set it up, keep it going, and then clean it all back up. Stephanie, the event person now loved me! They already know I want on the leadership team for next year/semester possibly.

I came home at the end of the night (10:20pm) with the leftover melted chocolate and a tub of uneaten large sourdough pretzels. I didn't want to waste it, so I quickly laid out wax paper on every surface in my apartment and dipped the pretzels in the chocolate and then sprinkled them! I'm planning to take them over to the seminary for the "husbands" and other students/staff to eat.

see the ones on the dryer? there were also some next to the fridge and on the kitchen table too!

The event was themed: Simply Christmas and the only thing that wasn't simple was the snacks! Because I got there right after work, I didn't eat dinner so my dinner consisted of: chocolate covered strawberries, chocolate covered marshmallows, chocolate covered angel food cake, chocolate covered pretzels etc. There were also brownies and bars and cookies, cranberry punch and hot apple cider.

The table decorations are nativity scenes collected all over the world from the President and his wife who have lived in MANY countries over seas. They were really really cool! I wish I'd remembered to bring my camera so I could have taken pictures, but hopefully I can get some from Steph. Each table also had a red and green napkin opened and criss-crossed on top of each other, so real live greenery, and candles.

There was a speaker, and Christmas caroling accompanied by a piano and a violin! The speaker spoke on how to have a simpler Christmas, especially for those of us on a tight budget like most graduate student families are. She said, if you have to put it on a Credit Card don't buy it, it's not worth it. She said figure out the receiver's love languages and gift that way; ie. quality time = offer to help them paint that room they've been wanting to paint forever, or physical touch = her mom would loved to be hugged every 5 minutes. I was thinking about that and how it is going to be so wonderful just to hold my mama and daddy's hands again! We are a hand holding family! I know I have their hands memorized, but it still isn't the same as actually feeling it!

My mom's hands are usually cold, and don't feel like she has any meat on them, they're skin and bones and my dad's hands are thick and rough and warm. 13 days and I'll be headed home for some hand holding!

They ended by saying that often Jesus gets left right out of all the Christmas craziness, and asked Kirsten to come up front with her 2 week old baby boy and sang the La Lu Li Lullaby to him as if he was Jesus! It was sweet.


Then we did a craft! Everyone was given a good bag and a bunch of cut up napkins and a string and we learned how to make those puffy paper flowers.

I have a very busy 13 days ahead of me before I go home. This weekend, I have Denver Parade of Lights tonight with the Youth Group, PiM3 girls small group brunch on Saturday, a chance to help decorate the church one more time (I was there 3 hours on Monday) Saturday mid-day. Sunday there is a Sanctus Real, Sidewalk Prophets & Dara McLean K-Love Acoustic Christmas Concert that I'm voluntarily selling Sidewalk Prophet merchandise at.

 Next weekend is the crazy one! Friday night, I'm working at the church (for money!) for the Colorado Christian University's after Christmas Concert party and again on Saturday afternoon. I also have a Soprano Christmas party, that I might be able to make it to in the afternoon, as well as my work Christmas Party at the Denver Nuggets Stadium starting at 5:30pm. Hopefully we don't get to crazy with the Karaoke because we have another Christmas party at a friends house after that.


Then Sunday morning, is the Kids Christmas Choir Sunday, in which they are singing 4 songs! That afternoon there is a Christmas party at the church! The rest of the week will be spent packing my stuff because I have to be at the airport at like 4:30am Thursday and it's an hour drive. I might not go to choir practice that night.... So really I have only Monday & Tuesday to pack so maybe I'll have to start early because I have to pack Nick's too and we both have to take home presents and clothes.....


Wew, I'm tired just thinking about it. Oh wait I was already tired, this being at work at 7:30am is killing me!