• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

December 23, 2013

Merry Christmas Dear Friends!

May the miracle of His birth… “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11

The ministry of His life… “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

The sacrifice of His death by crucifixion… “Later, knowing all that was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, ‘I am thirsty.’ A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus’ lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:28-30

Wonderful Counselor

And the truth of His resurrection… “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee; ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Luke 24:5-7

…be real to you now more than ever.

And may you feel His overwhelming love for you, the love that came down in the form of a baby on that night over 2 thousand years ago, like never before!

MERRY CHRISTMAS dear friends!

With love from,

Heather and Vanessa

At the Picket Fence

26 Comments Filed Under: Christmas, Holidays

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « Outdoor DIY Marquee Sign for the Holidays! #damagefreeDIY
Next Post: Almost the Best of 2013 »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marty Walden says

    December 23, 2013 at 3:35 PM

    Merry Christmas, dear friends! Thank you for your commitment to encouraging others and your transparency in your faith. Love you ladies!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:23 AM

      Right back at ya Marty! Blessings to you this Christmas and always sweet friend!

      Reply
  2. Thistle says

    December 23, 2013 at 4:00 PM

    Merry Merry Christmas to you!

    Love you bunches 🙂
    karianne

    Reply
  3. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    December 23, 2013 at 4:48 PM

    Merry Christmas to you and your families!!!…May you have a most joyous Christmas making beautiful memories!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:22 AM

      Thank you so much Shirley! Blessings to you and your family this Christmas!

      Reply
  4. Bridgot says

    December 23, 2013 at 5:05 PM

    Thank you for the reminder that Jesus IS the Reason! God bless you!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:22 AM

      Thank you Bridgot!

      Reply
  5. Bonnie Powell says

    December 23, 2013 at 5:10 PM

    Love your commitment to Christ and the way you are willing to share it with the world. Many thanks for your great ideas and your faith!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:21 AM

      Thank you so much for that encouragement Bonnie! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  6. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    December 23, 2013 at 5:19 PM

    Right ON. Love this. You gals are just amazing and I am so thankful and blessed to have you both in my life {and my inbox} as a daily inspiration throughout the year.
    Merry Christmas to you and your families, Heather & Vanessa!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:21 AM

      And we are so thankful and blessed to call you our friend Claire! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

      Reply
  7. Martina says

    December 23, 2013 at 9:24 PM

    Merry Christmas girls to you and your beautiful families!!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:20 AM

      And to you and yours Martina!

      Reply
  8. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    December 24, 2013 at 5:21 AM

    Merry Christmas! : )

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:20 AM

      Merry Christmas to you too Kathy! 🙂

      Reply
  9. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    December 24, 2013 at 6:30 AM

    Amen! And may His perfect Peace be with you both during this season! Love you girls, xo Heidi

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:20 AM

      Thank you Heidi! Praying a blessed Christmas for you and your family!

      Reply
  10. ange says

    December 24, 2013 at 7:57 AM

    Merry Christmas Heather & Vanessa! May you enjoy wonderful time with your families and celebrating the birth of our Savior!!!!

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:19 AM

      Oh you too sweet friend! Merry Christmas!

      Reply
  11. Marty@A Stroll Thru Life says

    December 24, 2013 at 8:10 AM

    I wish you and your family a very Blessed and Merry Christmas. Hugs, Marty

    Reply
    • At The Picket Fence says

      December 24, 2013 at 9:19 AM

      Thank you so much Marty! And we pray the same for you! 🙂

      Reply
  12. Karen says

    December 24, 2013 at 2:09 PM

    Merry Christmas Heather and Vanessa! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful holiday season with your families.

    Reply
  13. Laurel Stephens says

    December 26, 2013 at 3:04 PM

    Merry Christmas, Heather and Vanessa

    Reply
  14. Yvonne @ StoneGable says

    December 29, 2013 at 7:57 PM

    My dear Vanessa and Heather… what a beautiful and true post. YOu have blessed me this year. What a joy it was to meet you both and hug you and know what darling girls you are! I wish you a very happy and blessed New Year!

    Reply
  15. packer and movers in delhi ncr says

    June 5, 2014 at 5:10 PM

    Thanks for the good writeup. It in reality was a leisure account it.
    Glance advanced to far added agreeable from you!

    However, how can we keep in touch?

    Reply
  16. Marylou Statson says

    December 18, 2015 at 9:15 PM

    Wonderful expression of faith. Praise God for the gift of his son, Jesus!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

Must Reads

Recent Posts

  • Why We’ve Chosen Vacations Over Projects April 26, 2022
  • A New Look for the Family Room March 1, 2022
  • Christmas Kitchen and Family Room December 19, 2021
  • Christmas Home Tour Part One December 10, 2021
  • Easy Hot Cocoa Station November 21, 2021

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

“Those who know your name trust in you, for you, “Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10
This is one of my most favorite projects from my b This is one of my most favorite projects from my book Life in Season! 

Because, if heaven has a fragrance, I’m fairly certain it smells like lilacs.

I think that somewhere along the way the verse in the Bible that said, ‘heaven will smell like lilacs’ just got lost in translation. But it HAD to have been in there at some point, right?

When I bury my head in the blossoms (which I absolutely MUST do every single time I walk past them), I immediately feel a stirring in my soul.

It seems like I wait forever for my lilac tree to bloom. Every year I anxiously watch as the buds begin to form on the branches and then when the blossoms finally burst forth I begin that agonizing process of deciding the absolute perfect moment to snip them and bring them inside.

And then, after all of that waiting and watching it’s just over…done. Because, unlike heaven, lilacs don’t last for an eternity. So, making my own lilac room spray seemed like the perfect way to enjoy their fragrance long after the blossoms have faded.

Here’s how to make it! Ingredients: Water, Vodka, Lilac fragrance oil. Directions: Fill spray bottle with 50/50 ratio of water to vodka. Add 12 drops of lilac oil. Give it a shake, spray and if the scent isn’t strong enough, simply add a few more drops of lilac oil.

Once you’ve made this lilac scented room spray you will be very tempted to spray it in every room in your house. And someone may want to use it in the bathroom to cover up other less…ummmm….pleasing aromas.

But, do not, I repeat do NOT, let them.

You’ve captured the fragrance of heaven in a bottle and you wouldn’t want to go and tarnish it now would you? 😉
We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most We had two back to back days of sunshine (the most we’ve had in a LONG time) and now we are back to pouring rain. This has officially confirmed what I’ve know to be true for awhile now.

I’m a MUCH better version of myself when the sun is shining! 🤪 So I’ll just be over here today plotting and planning how my husband and I can be snowbirds someday when the kids are out of the house.

If you could spend your winters (and apparently most of spring too!) in any part of the country, where would it be?
Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of Happy weekend sweet friends!! We’ve had a LOT of rain lately (which is saying something when you live in Oregon) and I’ll admit that it’s affecting my moods a bit. I feel like I’m dragging and struggling to find the energy to get stuff done. So don’t mind me if I’m over here looking at photos of my garden in the summertime and finding that it keeps me hopeful about those days to come. They will come, right?! 🤪. 

What are your favorite plants that you look forward to seeing in the summer?
We’re going to be giving our laundry room a make We’re going to be giving our laundry room a makeover soon. It’s LONG overdue! In fact, the folks from the counter company were just here taking measurements. While we have made some simple, inexpensive updates over the years, it still has many of the original elements from when the house was built in 1992.

Two of our bathrooms are also in need of major makeovers. And we’ve saved up enough money over the years to tackle those projects. But, for the most part, we made the decision to use the bulk of that money in another way. While we knew that it was financially wise to invest in our house, we also knew that the greatest investment we could make was in our children. 

I’ll admit, there are times where I see other people doing massive overhauls of their entire home in a matter of months and I feel a prick of envy. But, we decided that if our choice was between waiting a bit longer to enjoy a renovated bathroom or going on adventures as a family, we would choose adventures every time. And we don’t regret that decision for a single second. It’s not that we haven’t tackled home projects (we’ve done a lot!). It’s just that it’s been a slow and steady process. 

Most recently, we let our son pick where we would travel for spring break since this is his senior year of high school and we are trying to make up for lost time. With so much of life ‘paused’ for two years, we have appreciated these moments more than ever. And, since he’ll be heading to college in the fall, we are very aware of how important it is to spend this time together while we still have a modicum of control over everyone’s schedules.

We have many years left to remodel our home but only so much time left to make memories with our children.

And, while I’m always happy to look around my home and see rooms that are updated and more reflecting of our style, it doesn’t compare to the joy I feel when I look around my home and see the people I love the most who have been shaped by the many adventures we’ve experienced together.
Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and h Happy Saturday!! After endless days of rain (and hail and snow) we are finally getting some sunshine and warmer temperatures. I’ll be honest, it’s really affected my spirits having one gloomy day after the next. So this is a much needed reprieve. Our cherry trees are showing off outside my kitchen window and we plan to get outside and make the most of these days while we have them.

What’s the weather like where you are?
“The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and “The devil, darkness, and death may swagger and boast, the pangs of life will sting for a while longer, but don’t worry; the forces of evil are breathing their last. Not to worry…HE’S RISEN!” (Charles R. Swindoll).

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!
Who has believed our message? And to whom has the Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For he grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of parched ground; he has no stately form or majesty that we should look upon him, nor appearance that we should be attracted to him.

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face, he was despised, and we did not esteem him. Surely our griefs he himself bore, and our sorrows he carried; yet we ourselves esteemed him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 

But he was pierced through for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon him, and by his scourging we are healed.

All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him. (Isaiah 53)
I try to always remember to put a water bottle in I try to always remember to put a water bottle in my car before I go to pick up my daughter from school. She didn't ask me to do this, but a few months ago I began to notice that she was often thirsty when she would get in the car. Her water bottle filled up at the beginning of the day was empty by the time school got out and she would ask if she could have some water from my hydroflask. So I make sure to have one waiting for her. It's just a simple thing, really. But, I want her to know that I'm paying attention, that I see her.

Isn't it amazing how small gestures can make us feel less invisible? Knowing that someone is thinking of us and takes the time to meet a need that we might not have even realized we had? These little acts can have big impacts. What is something that someone has done for you recently that made you feel valued and seen?

What have you done for someone else to remind them that you are paying attention to their needs?

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.”
― Charles Dickens
“The next day the large crowd that had come to t “The next day the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’ – John 12:9-19
#palmsunday
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2022 At The Picket Fence