The Spirit of Christmas 2018 took it’s sweet time to show up at our door. It seemed like everyone was already up with their Christmas decorations as the calendar flipped to December… all but at our home.
Try as we might have… it just felt like there were too many distractions. Looking back it was the Spirit of Christmas playing a game with us and we decided to play along.
… and so it happened that the Spirit of Christmas 2018 showed up at our door around December 14 – and we decided to go bring home our Christmas tree – this lovely Frazier tree was the last one left when we arrived at Lowe’s – every where else were sold out. This homely tree was crooked and stood at 6 feet tall and no matter how we tried to settle it… it wasn’t til we got it down to 4 feet tall that it was perfectly happy.
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-Christmas decorations were a revisit of 2004, this adds a nostalgic touch to our 2018 Christmas tree.
So this year I decided to go back again and photo bombed Joy’s yard. (checked off my to do list)
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-Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony ushered the Christmas Spirit through-out the city of Lake Helen; and the town was abuzz knowing that the Butler Express would be back on line – truly stirred Spirit of Christmas and much nostalgia.
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-Angels are very special to me… and I take it as no coincidence that the year that I became Mayor for the city of Lake Helen this lovely Christmas angel was donated to our city – she sings her trumpet and lights the darkness bringing Joy and Light to us all.
… and with each passing day I keep adding new “old” decorations to our little Christmas tree.
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-Slowly the little Christmas tree was coming together, we added multi-colored baubles to continue with this colorful theme. Around town, the Spirit of Christmas was well and alive, Santa arrived for a pancake breakfast!
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-From celebrating life and community… at the Lake Helen Christmas Dance, to remembering our fallen heroes at the Lake Helen 2nd Annual Wreaths Across America.
But truly, nothing sounds more like Christmas to the folks of Lake Helen then the horn of the Butler’s Express and hearing folks shout: “Merry Christmas” to each other.
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-One by one mementos of Christmas past come out filling the corners of our home. In between the shopping, the baking, the cooking, the running around town meeting people… we find the time to slow down and accept that the Spirit of Christmas 2018 has found us.
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There was for sure a lot of Christmas Spirit at the city of Lake Helen 5K Christmas Fun Run. But I truly understand that it is a choice… to leave the heart open and allow the Spirit of Christmas find you.
I found the Spirit of Christmas in the smiles, hugs and stories of people in my community… and in the heart of my family whom I keep close to my heart: George and Geordan.
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