Archive for December, 2009
Hideout
December 16, 2009
Decorating Debacle
December 15, 2009I was so excited about decorating for Christmas this year. Most of our ornaments and decorations have been packed in storage for 5 years due to our time in Central Asia. It was a bit like Christmas just getting to open the boxes and remember what was inside. I had fresh enthusiam for ushering in this year’s holiday season as N is finally to an age where he can truly understand what we are celebrating.
At this time last year, we were in temporary housing and were emotionally struggling in our adjustment back to life in America. We almost didn’t even buy a tree but at the last minute got a real one from the grocery store and stuck a few ornaments on it. I wanted this year to be different.
After Christmas last year, we bought a $300 tree for only $10 at a huge clearance center. We were so excited about our bargain and just hoped all the pieces were really there. This year, when the big decorating day came, we assembled our tree for the first time only to realize just how gargantuan it was. Huge. It would look beautiful in the right house but not in our little living room with an 8 foot ceiling. There just wasn’t a good solution as to how to assemble this 9 foot tree. On top of this, the bottom of the tree is about 15 feet in diameter making the radius about 5 feet. My mom is 5 feet tall. My mom laying across the floor. That is exactly how much room this thing claims. Here’s Cliff with a visual:
A trip to Home Depo took care of the height issue. We sawed off the top with a metal saw. Since the tree was only $10 to begin with, this seemed like the best solution. The other option was to leave it like this:
The kids and I decorated while J went to buy the metal saw and some lights. One strand covered less than a third of the tree because if the ridiculously large diameter. Some of the lights were the wrong color. Back to the store. Somehow, the kids thought all the ornaments should go on the bottom limbs.
What should have been a simple evening of decorating ended up taking two days. I was already tired of our one Christmas CD by the time everything was said and done. Better luck next year.
Live a Little
December 14, 2009While most people were watching football and eating yummy leftovers on Thanksgiving weekend, J, my cousin and brother-in-law had different plans. They suited up in J’s spear fishing wet suit for some fun on the lake. I have to admit, I didn’t really think they’d do it. If they did actually get in, I thought only one of them would go and then tell the others it wasn’t worth it. Not so. Instead, they spent two days of wake boarding fun.
Here is J, doing his best to stay young!
J waving to the kids on the dock.
My cousin taking a rest.
For the record, I’m glad they thought this was fun. But, my get-a-rush-by-doing-something-crazy days are over. Long gone, in fact. Soaping up in the shower to get that wet suit on? Not fun. The initial shock of jumping into freezing cold water? Definitely not fun. My last water skiing accident? Still paying when the weather changes and my ribs ache. Yeah, my adrenaline junkie days are done but I’m glad I’m married to one!
Advent
December 11, 2009In keeping with the family traditions theme from yesterday, I wanted to inspire you with a simple Advent plan for presenting Advent to children. Yeah, I know the month is flying by but it’s not to late to start! Just give a re-cap of the first two weeks and go ahead and jump in! We all need repetition not just kids. So, go buy some candles and be inspired.
First Sunday of advent: Hope
1. Light one purple candle to symbolize Hope
2. Ready Luke 1:26-38 about the angel Gabriel coming ot tell Mary she would be the mother of the Son of God. (Mary had hope that God would do as the angle told her.)
3. Pray: Lord, help us to be like Mary.
Second Sunday: Peace
1. Light two purple candles- Hope and Peace
2. Read Matthew 1:18-25 about Joseph finding out about Mary’s pregnancy and being told by the angel in a dream that this is from God. (Joseph had Peace that God was going to use he and Mary to care for His Son.)
3. Pray: Lord, help us to have Peace that you are taking care of us.
Third Sunday: Joy
1. Light two purple candles (Hope and Peace) and one rose to symbolize Joy
2. Read Luke 1:39-45 about Mary visiting Elizabeth and John leaping for joy in her womb
3. Pray: Lord, help us to have Joy in remembering that you care for us and came to earth so we could know how much you love us.
Fourth Sunday: Love
1. Light all four candles- Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love
2. Read Luke 1:57-80 (or some parts of this) about the birth of John the Baptist and his father Zacharias’s prophecy that John would prepare the people to hear of God’s Love by helping them to repent and ask for forgiveness from their sins.
3. Pray: Lord help us to be sorry for ous sins and remember you love us.
Christmas Eve
1. After sunset…Light all four candles and add the fifth white candle (the light of Christ)
2. Read Luke 2:1-20 about the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem.
3. Pray: Lord, thank you for coming to the earth as a light to us. Thank you for loving us and dying for our sins.
Advent plan written by Virginia Kearney.
Create a family tradition
December 10, 2009A good friend gave me a book called Treasuring God in our Traditions by Noel Piper. The book teaches the importance of weaving God centred traditions into our every day lives so that our children have a heritage of memories to take with them. This could be explaining their birth story, teaching them about heirlooms you have saved, or even special meals that they identify with family. Giving our families an identity of their own is a great way for a mother to shape her children into the image of Christ.
One thing I have chosen is to make “Pinch Cake” on both Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings. Our lives have been somewhat transient and for now, we don’t have an established routine for what we do on either of these holidays. A few years ago, I started making a breakfast cake that my mom used to make on each of these days to lend something constant and special to the day, no matter where we are.
This year, J got off an all night on call at 7:30 am on Thanksgiving morning. The pinch cake was on the table the minute he walked in the door. We had a special breakfast together and then piled in the car to go to Grandma and Grandpa’s.
It is so easy to get busy with the holidays and miss the small stuff. So often we get caught up in making it from one holiday event to another without making the time to focus on the holiday itself. The extra effort is worth it. So, go create a new family tradition or just make some pinch cake; it sure is good!
Pinch Cake
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
3 tubes biscuits
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
Melt butter, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla over the stove.
Cut biscuits into 4ths. Place second cup of sugar and cinnamon in a zip lock bag with biscuit 4ths. Shake until biscuit pieces are coated.
Alternate layers of biscuits and syrup in pan, starting with biscuits.
Cook at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
My Girl?
December 9, 2009
Give your heart to Jesus at your own risk.
December 8, 2009Conversations about this topic have been popping up lately. N is 4 and Christmas is on its way. His mind is constantly thinking. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised at last night’s dinner conversation.
N announced, “I don’t want to give my heart to Jesus.”
I asked the most natural question I could think of, “Well, why not?”
N answered, “You to die and I don’t want to die.”
While this was a profound statement in itself, I felt the need to dig a little deeper.
N explained, “You have to cut open your chest and get your bloody heart out to give it to God.”
N hates blood. He doesn’t even like to hear the words blood, muscle, heart or anything inside the body. He waits outside when I have to get blood drawn. He says these things make him feel funny.
He had also just watched the movie Snow White the day before. If you recall, the evil, jealous queen asks the huntsman to cut out Snow White’s heart and bring it back to her in a box. No doubt the visual he now had.
No wonder he didn’t want give his heart to Jesus.
Thanksgiving
December 7, 2009I’m back. I know I missed writing last week more than any of you missed reading! I’m feeling a little better and ready to keep blogging. Just a warning, this post has lots of pictures. 11 to be exact. I wanted to give a recap of our Thanksgiving but just couldn’t decide which pictures to use. So, you get 11.
We went to my parent’s lake house and celebrated with my aunt, uncle, cousins and some dear friends who are like family; we celebrate Thanksgiving with them every year. We forgot to take a group picture. I also didn’t take any of those artsy food pictures that some people are so good at. All I managed was a picture of the kid’s table. I can’t believe I’m not at the kids table anymore but I don’t think I would have fit this year.
We did lots of fishing. J was the first one to catch anything and she was quite proud.
N was proud when he finally caught one too.
If he was proud when he caught the first one, he was shocked when his little kid rod reeled this 4 pounder in! (And we were all shocked the line didn’t break!)
We also did a little boating.
Of course, N liked to be the captain.
There were lots of fun passengers.
And our most honored guest, Oscar. J adopted this owl as her baby doll for the weekend. She lovingly named him Oscar after the Oscar on her Elmo diapers. I’m sure the birds and snakes were glad to see him gone for a few days as J took him with her everywhere she went!
No weekend at the lake is complete without roasting marshmallows over a bonfire.
Lastly, one of my favorites from the weekend, J and Aunt L fishing together. This picture makes me look forward to the time they will spend together over their lives and the privilege it is to have Aunt L’s investment in J’s life.
Yes, I’m thankful.
I’ll be back next Monday….
December 2, 2009I had no intention of taking a week off from blogging but I have been sick and still don’t feel like using the energy it would require to even upload a post a few pictures. So, I’ll try to be back in the swing of things on Monday. Thanks for checking!
