A slightly different Christmas

Barbara here, reporting on her Christmas preparations.

I have this feeling my Christmas will be different this year. First up, my Aussie brother is coming with his daughters, all the way from Sydney, and for their enjoyment, I have been praying for snow.

Word of warning -- Be careful what you pray for.

We got snow, and in order to keep it on the ground, the Good Lord has also provided cold temperatures. Which shoots up the heating bill.

Okay, I'm not complaining. I know our heating bill will be higher with my brother wandering around the house telling me how hot Christmas is in Australia. I'm actually thinking of turning down the thermostat and telling him we're tougher than he is. And as a woman who has reached that special age, cooler climes are feeling rather nice right now.

But this isn't only why this Christmas is feeling special. We have a real tree, our first. Years ago, it was touted to be more environmentally sound to buy a fake tree, so we did. But this year, my visitors deserve a real tree.

Now, remember that snow I prayed for? It arrived hours after we dragged the tree home. (Actually, we shoved it into the back of our SUV and I need to clean the needles out, but haven't yet.)

Well, back to the snow. It piled high on our tree, which needed to be brought in and thawed out before being put up.

I'm not complaining. I even got to wash the kitchen floor after. Lucky me.

But the tree is up! And each ornament is special to us. The tiny Bible, the Baby's first Christmas ones, the special ones the kids made. The fragile glass ones that have survived since I was a child.

And as I sit back, completelyl exhausted, sniffling because I believe I have an allergy to real trees, I am happy this Christmas will be special. Family, friends, even snow to make it all nice. All this besides the joy of the season given to us by God's arrival on earth.

Here's hoping that you each can see the blessings of your own Christmas.