From the Inside Out

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house,

Something was stirring, but it wasn’t a mouse.

The presents were placed under the tree with care.

A sense of excitement hung in the air.

The coming day would bring smiles and cheer.

Families would be reunited with those they hold dear.

Gary was nestled all snug in our bed,

While I crafted this blog poem from thoughts dancing around in my head.

I had just settled down to reflect on the day.

The cares of this life seemed so far away.

I knew in a moment His presence had drawn near,

as I remembered why Christmas is my favorite time of year.

I shut my ears to the noises on tv and the laughter;

There was only one thing to do before I closed this chapter.

With a grateful heart, I began to celebrate my Lord and Savior,

Who came to earth and changed the world forever.

The birth of this babe brought peace, joy and light.

It is because of Jesus I can say, “merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.”

We gathered with friends tonight for a carriage ride through the Christmas light displays in the Deerfield neighborhood of Plano. The one-hour tour takes you through the most decorated streets in the neighborhood, including all of the award-winning homes.

During Christmas, Deerfield is packed with people wanting to get a glimpse of the Christmas spectacle — in limos, on foot, in cars, and on horse-drawn carriages. We opted for the carriage which provides the best view of the decorated houses. And we got lucky with the weather because it was a beautiful evening. I’m so glad the cold front held off until tomorrow!

In addition to the lights, the homeowners of Deerfield like to provide additional surprises for those strolling through the neighborhood. One house featured a live brass trio playing Christmas carols. Other homes had people standing outside welcoming visitors to the neighborhood, and Santa even showed up to take pictures with the kids.

Deerfield provides a festive atmosphere. If you’re searching for a place to visit this year, I recommend it. The carriage ride is fun for all ages.

Pictures of the gang before our tour

Live Christmas Music Serenade

A few of the houses in the neighborhood

(excuse the bad photos; I had my camera on the wrong settings..argh!)

I’m not feeling inspired tonight, so I’ve decided to forego the normal blog post and simply spread some Christmas cheer.  This video features my all-time favorite Christmas light display.  It rocks…check it out.

The display was the work of Carson Williams, an electrical engineer who spent about three hours sequencing the 88 Light-O-Rama channels that controlled the 16,000 Christmas lights in his annual holiday lighting spectacular (from Christmas 2004). His 2005 display included over 25,000 lights that he spent nearly two months and $10,000 to hook up. So that the Williams’ neighbors aren’t disturbed by constant noise, viewers driving by the house are informed by signs to tune in to a signal broadcast over a low-power FM radio station to hear the musical accompaniment.

The annual Holdman family display (see video below) is also fascinating. They’ve choreographed the lights to multiple songs, and their display features 150,000 lights.  For more info, check out the FAQ.  You can view their other videos at that site too.  The video below is “Amazing Grace.”  It starts slow, but keep watching, it’s worth it.

As a child, one of the things I loved about the Christmas season was hopping in the car with my parents and touring through the local neighborhoods to look at the Christmas decorations. My father never decorated our house (he always gave us some excuse about the lights using too much electricity), but he did take us to look at the lights put on display by others. We’d roam around for a few hours listening to Christmas carols and appreciating the creativity (and sometimes poor taste) of those who adorned their houses with lights and other seasonal items. I didn’t realize it at the time, but we were creating memories and a tradition that would follow me into adulthood.

I still enjoy Christmas Light displays, even the tacky ones. Most of all, I like the new displays that are completely choreographed to music. There’s one in Plano not far from our house, and it’s hilarious. Gary and I go there at least once during the holiday season, turn off the car, crank the radio to the proper channel, and watch the wild light show. Hey, don’t judge — it’s festive, free and fun!

We’ll be touring through Deerfield to look at the lights this weekend with a small group from our church. Deerfield offers offer a neat horse-drawn carriage ride that’s even better when you mix it with friends and kids. If you haven’t done it yet, I highly recommend it. Bring a few blankets if it’s cold.

If you’re wondering where to go to view some good holiday light displays in the Dallas area, check out these recommendations from Guidelive.com:

• CHRISTMAS IN THE SQUARE. An elaborate nightly light display featuring reindeer, stars and more brightens the area around Frisco’s City Hall Plaza. It blinks along to holiday music that you can tune in to on your car radio. There’ll also be family-friendly activities Dec. 12-13 and Dec. 19- 20, including carriage rides, a trackless train ride, photos with Santa and a train display. The light display continues nightly from 5:30 to 10 through Jan. 1.
• DEERFIELD. This is traditionally one of Collin County’s biggest neighborhood displays. Expect to see Santas and sleighs, cheerful snowmen, Nativity scenes and just about every other type of holiday decoration you could imagine brightening yards throughout. The Plano neighborhood covers a large area north of Legacy Drive between Preston and Coit roads.
• HIGHLAND PARK. Homes are decked out with bright lights and festive lawn displays. Drive through or book a horse-drawn carriage tour departing from Highland Park Village or the Shops of Highland Park. Neighborhood displays are in the area south of Preston and Mockingbird.
• INTERLOCHEN. This Arlington neighborhood features winding streets with fountains and ponds – and tons of lights. The display runs Dec. 13 through 25, nightly from dusk to 11:30 p.m. The Arlington neighborhood is between Interstate 30 and West Division Street, off West Randol Mill Road. Motorists should enter the neighborhood from Randol Mill at Westwood Drive.
• PRAIRIE LIGHTS. Grand Prairie’s annual drive-through light display features more than 3 million twinkling lights in scenic displays, which are set along a 2-mile winding road. Also, check out activities such as carousel rides, a gift shop, food vendors and photos with Santa at the Holiday Village area. Hours are Fridays, Saturdays, Dec. 24-25 and Dec. 31 from 6 to 10 p.m.; Sundays through Thursdays 6 to 9 p.m. Lynn Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake, 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie.
• TOUR OF LIGHTS. Follow the candy cane signs through a display featuring more than 300,000 lights in Farmers Branch. Tour of Lights: Continues nightly through Dec. 31 and starts at Interstate 35 East and Valley View.

Job stress is trying to strip all joy out of the upcoming holiday season. I’m not ready for Christmas. It’s coming too fast, and I’m not in the mood. Normally, I love this time of year. I love decorating. I love the lights. I even enjoy the shopping. Yet this year I find myself preoccupied with the challenges I’m facing at work, and it stinks.

I decided to fight back this weekend by forgetting about work and leaving the stress behind for a couple of days. I even dusted off my iTunes holiday playlist in an attempt to get me in the mood for Christmas. It’s amazing how powerful music can be. It can soothe, uplift and inspire. Those familiar Christmas tunes ringing in your head can help usher in a sense of excitement and anticipation for the holiday season.

If you’re like me and you’re looking for some Christmas inspiration, here are a few of the favorites from my holiday playlist. Check ‘em out:

• Relient K (Let it Snow Baby…Let It Reindeer): Apart from the catchy title, this Christmas CD is one that I highly recommend. Relient K, an alternative Christian band, offers a good collection of songs — some that you will recognize, others that will make you laugh, and a few new ones that convey the true reason for the season. If you don’t have it yet, get it.
• Mannheim Steamroller (A Fresh Aire Christmas): Can you have Christmas without Mannheim Steamroller? I think not.
• Trans-Siberian Orchestra (The Lost Christmas Eve, The Sampler): The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is like Mannheim Steamroller on guitar steroids. I enjoy all of their Christmas songs, but a few of my favorites that never get old are Wizards in Winter, A Mad Russian’s Christmas, and Christmas Canon Rock.
• Mormon Tabernacle Choir (Joy to the World): One of my favorite Christmas songs is the Carol of the Bells. I have the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version and Mannheim Steamroller version. They’re both great.

Music may not be a miracle cure, but it does help. I am starting to feel less like a grinch already!