One Day Without Shoes…

…. so that we think about the millions who walk EVERYDAY without shoes. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in our own worlds, our own reality, then throw in all the realities of our family and friends that we stay connected to on facebook, plus the realities of all the characters on tv, books and movies we watch and we often forget about the millions in our world who live so differently than us.

So today was about them. About reminding myself and others around me that it’s not just about ourselves.

So off we went… and luckily I didn’t get a ticket I think the thing that struck me the most was how sensitive I became to my surroundings. Tiptoeing on pebbles, watching out for glass, wondering what had been on the floor, the coldness of the concrete. If I closed my eyes, I could almost imagine myself around many people barefoot in other countries. When I drove in my SUV to buy water, my pretentiousness bothered me…I thought about the many who walk miles to the closest watering hole to get their water, no where near as clean as the water I don’t think is good enough to drink from in my taps.

My daughter HATES shoes… and is only tolerable of her pink rubber boots. Most times she kicks them off so today, we left them off for most of the day. At 2 1/2, she’s a bit young to get “why” we are doing this but I want to raise my kids to be aware of the issues in this world. I’m sure we were a site at Costco… this barefoot duo. I was REALLY hoping I would see someone else barefoot today but I think we have some work to do for next year… letting people know about today and taking part together. I loved checking out everyone’s comments on the #withoutshoes facebook page - social media has created a small world

My favorite part about today was the combination of barefoot and bellyfit! I started taking bellyfit classes a few months ago and love them. It’s great exercise and gets this girl movin’ and groovin’ – which if you know me well, you know my fear of dancing. Our instructor – the totally cool and loveable Tamara Logan jumped on board and stripped off her shoes too, welcoming whoever wanted to, to join in = more awareness in Kelowna. Being barefoot, I felt more connected with the world… let me explain before you think I’m going all new-agey or something, “bellyfit is a mixture of Bellydance, Bongra, African Dance, Bollywood and Fitness with core work and yoga inspired stretching.” So if I closed my eyes while doing African dance movements or bongra, I felt myself in Africa or India. Ok, getting carried away…

In the end, today has been an eye-opening day. I hope next year you will join the movement!

“And barefoot or first thing in the morning, I feel beautiful. Because I feel like me. I didn’t always feel that way, but I feel that way now. When somebody just loves you, and when you make somebody happy, when your presence seems to make them happy, you suddenly feel like the most beautiful person in the world.”

Angelina Jolie

Little Miss Housewife… NOT!

According to Wikipedia, Housewife is a term used to describe an individual married woman whose main occupation is running or operating thefamily‘s home—caring for and educating her children, cooking and storing food, buying goods the family needs in day to day life, cleaning or maintaining parts of the home, making clothes for the family, etc.—and who does not generally maintain employment outside the home^[1]

In the “olden days” there were classes you would take as a young woman to be prepared for your expected role in the home. Nowadays, roles are not so clearcut; and when you go to school, you are educated in Math, English, Science, Psychology, etc. I DEFINITELY believe in gender equality and do NOT believe in set roles BUT have found myself after giving birth to three amazing children in this role of running our household and not always sure of myself or prepared for it.  Really… Me? A housewife?

My mom did an amazing job raising four kids, living with her mother-in-law, working as a teacher and keeping the house kept. She gave out chores, had us help with meals, etc but you know, some things just don’t come naturally. And some things we just don’t like to do.

The MODERN MOM… “Some may embrace a traditional role of housewife, cooking and cleaning in addition to caring for children. Others see their primary role as that of child-care providers, supporting their children’s physical, intellectual, and emotional development while sharing or outsourcing other aspects of home care.” -Wikipedia

Oh, if only I could outsource some aspects of home care, lol.… just an hour ago I was nearly hugging a toilet, making sure I cleaned every inch of it. Thinking the longer and better I cleaned it, the longer it would stay clean. Reality will set in once the boys head to school and I peek in the bathroom. Cooking…. I don’t hate it but it makes me SOOO MAD when my children complain about it. Today I started dinner at lunch, putting the ribs in the crockpot, planning perogies and veggies to go with it. By 6pm, my nine-year old had sat at the table for 90 minutes refusing to eat the food on his plate. And laundry? It NEVER ends!!! Socks are eaten by the washing machine, piles lay unfolded or folded – depending on which floor you visit, and by the time you put it away, you have to start all over again. Yes, outsourcing would be nice, but not too realistic.

So this doesn’t seem like some giant gripe session, I I know we have been BLESSED to be able to live off of 1.5 incomes (with me having a home-based business these past nine years) and have me stay at home with the kids. Sitting at 9 years old, 5 years old, and 2 years old, there’s a bit of a spread – criminals serve less time in prison than changing diapers every day for 9 years, but I wouldn’t change it for anything! First steps, first words, first bad words, the hugs, the kisses, the silly stories, the goodnight prayers. I love the kid part, it’s the cleaning part that drives me crazy…

I post this because it’s a part of my journey of life… and I’m sure of yours too. Being grateful for all we have but wishing, magically, it would just clean itself. Do you have any tips for this non-housewife type, to be improve on my household skills? And don’t you DARE say, “practice makes perfect!”

I will probably NEVER love cleaning my house, but I do LOVE my home and will do my best to care for it, to love the children running through it, and always have it open for anyone who wants to visit – maybe just go to the bathroom before you get here so mine can stay cleaner longer

Time to STOP craving calories, and CRAVE my Lord…

Day Three: don’t they say it’s usually the worst after surgery on day three… maybe they should say that about Spring Break too.

… am I the only mom waking up with a pounding in my chest… wanting to love on my kids, but foreseeing the total failure before snacktime. I woke up feeling extra tired, Trinity woke up really early, I probably went to bed way too late and I just couldn’t drag my butt out of bed. My first thought… drive and get a Starbucks. Nope, not going to do it. I had my one for the week, that’s it… I’ve had my shower, picking up toys strewn all over the house, stopped a fight, read a book about Nemo… “ohhh, just do it! Drive and get a Starbucks; wake up!” “No, I can do it!” Started packing with the help of a 5-year old, kept trying to clean up to no avail, held a crying toddler, said no to computer time for the twelve time to my 9-year old… “LORD, HELP ME TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS DAY!” I still want a coffee, I need something to help get me through this day…

Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever”

I’m TOTALLY excited and SCARED to be reading a new book… and leading a 6-week Study on it starting in a few weeks at Take a Break. It’s called, MADE TO CRAVE…Satisfying Your Deepest Desire With God, Not Food by Lysa Terkeurst.

to crave: means to long for, want greatly, desire eagerly. 

I picked it up before Christmas; intriguing me but sitting on the shelf amidst the busyness of the season… I was looking in the mirror and feeling terrible about myself, stepping on a scale and feeling sick to my stomach that I weighed more than I did at nine months pregnant. In the past, I would just get pregnant again to ease the guilt but this time, not possible.

Deep breath… I had a few good friends exercising and counting calories to lose weight so I decided to join them. MyFitnessPal is a great free app – you can track all your food, water and exercise. I set a goal of 1200 calories per day (later found out from my doctor that was a little too low, so I’ve upped it since) with plans to start exercising. I started out with zumba once a week and LOVED it… by January, I had bought my gym membership and the Kelowna Family Y and was attending two zumba classes per week and one bellyfit class. I LOVE them! It’s March and I’m still going. And of course I hit the “vibrator machine” that we all make jokes about but it’s a calorie-burning, quick exercise machine with multiple health benefits.

So 12 lbs down, and more than halfway to my goal I start reading this book. Crap, it’s not about dieting and calorie-counting. It’s about DISCIPLINE. And it’s too late, I’m already slated to lead the study. I recommended it knowing that so many of us struggle with the issue of food and weight and being healthy. This book takes it so much deeper… WHY do we struggle?! Why is my first thought of food when I wake up dreading a no-good terrible, messed-up day? When I need to take a deep breathe because my kids are driving me crazy, why do I end up in front of the “secret stash” of chocolate instead of on my knees praying?

It’s because Satan doesn’t want us to succeed. He wants us to have a sugar or caffeine-high and then a crash to confuse our bodies and our kids with our emotional outbursts. He wants us to fail. To feel fat. To binge and feel defeated. He wants us to crave ANYTHING but food and for us women, food is probably the easiest most deadly temptation to put in front of us.

Lysa writes…” I am writing this book as an invitation to consider the freedom found when we bring one of our most basic of needs – food – before the Lord and allow Him to guide and guard us in this area.” So, with a beating heart, I accept this invitation and shaking, give this issue to God to guide and guard me in. I am excited for this journey towards better health and closer relationship with my Lord, but also scared…. discipline is not a strong-suit of mine and I can be quite rebellious when I feel boxed in but with God’s strength, this can happen.

My first step is prayer and creating a food plan for me to follow  - and then sticking to it. It’s not about what I’ll be losing but rather about what I am gaining, right?!?! I have a feeling pop and coffee are OUT, as hard as that will be. Maybe just for a time, maybe forever – I’m not sure. Not just because they aren’t good for me, but because they are my first and strongest craving when things aren’t going well.

If you want to join me on this journey, I’d love the company Email me at neumann3@telus.net OR if you live in Kelowna, come to the 6-wk class with me! It will change your life.

A Lasting imprint on my soul…

Sometimes entertainment is just that, entertainment… but other times, it leaves a lasting imprint on your soul. The past few weeks I keep coming across a similar theme in books and movies  - seemingly hopeless situation of the poor and the  ignorance of the rich; along with the diparity between the two worlds.

I’ve heard lots about it but hadn’t dived into the world of the Hunger Games. With the movie only a month away and my niece excited to go, I downloaded my first kindle book on Valentines. Less than 18 hours later I was downloading the next and then the next. I just couldn’t stop reading. Jason rolls his eyes when I have a good book in my hands as my own world disappears and I fall into this other reality.

Wikipedia gives a synopsis: The Hunger Games is a young adult novel written by Suzanne Collins. It i introduces sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives in a post-apocalyptic world in the country of Panem where the countries of North America once existed. The Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis, holds absolute power over the rest of the nation. The Hunger Games are an annual event in which one boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts surrounding the Capitol, as a punishment for a rebellion 75 years before, are selected by lottery to compete in a televised battle in which only one person can survive.

The author was inspired after channel-surfing… one channel a reality-tv show, the next footage of the war in Iraq. The people of Panem are forced to watch the battle playout – probably both disgusted and entertained; aren’t we like that in our reality, staying riveted to our tv’s when disasters strike? I think it was in the 2nd book, where the past winners are at a big party in the Capitol, and they watch citizens of the Capitol taking a pill to induce vomiting so they can enjoy the plentiful food available; not wanting to miss out on anything. Meanwhile, in the surrounding districts where the competitors are from, people are dying everyday from starvation and have to fight for and break the law in order to feed their families. It leaves a sour taste in your mouth but in our reality, how often do we in North America throw out leftovers or over-indulge in social settings while people in Third World Countries are dying every day.

Then on the weekend, we watched In Time starring Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried. In a future where you stop aging at 25 and engineered to live only one more year, people can “buy” more time. The poor are working every day in deplorable conditions for only one more day of life, while the rich have hundreds, thousands, sometimes even millions of years to live. The price of living goes up, in order for the poor to die and the rich to live – the world can only have so many people you know. I loved how Seyfried’s character, Sylvia Weis, progressed. She’s the daughter of a very wealthy family, somewhat trapped but not knowing why or who from, and after being “kidnapped” by Timberlake’s character, she is brought face-to-face with the reality of how most people live, watching her clock and doing whatever necessary for one more hour, one more minute to live. She had been in complete ignorance for 25 years of her life… so what would happen? Would she want to go back to her cushy life? Or fight against the injustice? Well, you’ll just have to watch the movie.

So back to this imprint on my soul… I have always had a heart for social justice and have wanted to live my life helping others. Yet living in North America, I’m still the ignorant rich person who throws out leftovers because they aren’t my favorite, wastes far more than I should, panics when the shelves are only 1/2 full and run out to the grocery store to stock up. Even with knowing the problem, I still have a hard time being a part of the solution. It just seems so big and I’m only one person right? What can I really do?

Did you know that if our world was broken down to only 100 people , 14 would be malnourished and 1 literally dying.  That’s out of a 100.  And that’s malnourished, it doesn’t count all the people who go to bed hungry even in our own communities.

So how do we make a difference? By not being ignorant – educate ourselves. By taking action – sharing our food locally, sponsoring children in other countries, helping to supply safe drinking water, educating our children on thankfulness, the list can go on…

Last winter, a bunch of us ladies had a “competition” to bring in Perishable Food Items to the local Salvation Army. Most donations are non-perishable, which is appreciated, but not always the healthiest option. We kept hearing people’s stories: although appreciative of the food they received, just wishing they could give their children healthy options including fresh fruitsand veggies. We brought in over 8,000 lbs of fruits and veggies in 10 weeks and the feeling of delivering 600lbs of carrots one week will be forever etched on my soul. Some was used for soups and food that the Salvation Army made and handed out, and others were included in food baskets they relied on each week. For me, it was hard to stop, knowing these families then wouldn’t get the same amount of food they had been getting but the group was stopping to meet for the summer. I wondered, what could I do as one person? Finally I realized, I could still do something. It wouldn’t be hundreds of pounds but every so often, when my bank account allows it, I buy extras at the grocery store, and drop it off.

This weekend, our family is taking part in something called: “The Coldest Night of the Year”.  We are walking 5km in downtown Kelowna to raise money for the 30k Club - helping the hungry, homeless and the hurting. Click on the button if you would sponsor our family in this walk. I love talking to my kids about the issues of the world… sometimes a serious conversation, sometimes in anger… “Matty… eat that food NOW! Don’t you know there are millions of starving people in this world!?!?!” I’m human afterall It melts my heart when my kids pray… “And Dear God, help the poor. That they aren’t too cold tonight and that someone gives them food.” I think every child needs to be taught that they can be that “someone” helping.

Kay, just realized I’m totally ranting… lol! And I only touched on LOCAL poverty. I didn’t even touch on INTERNATIONAL poverty which I’m even more passionate about so I will leave that for another time.

I pray that…

you will be imprinted on in regards to social justices…. (if you are a twilight fan, you know what that means).

Micah 6:8 will ring true… To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

we can stand against the disparity between the rich and poor; making that gap smaller.

“We fight, we dare, we end our hunger for justice.”

― Suzanne Collins

Fanatical Birthday Mom… that’s me!

I’m a bit of a fanatical Birthday Mom… not fanatical enough to be featured on Party Mama’s on Slice BUT close… should I mention the party we had a friend’s house where I had ordered a pony and two full size horses and a donkey showed up ?!?! What a memory we made but I never think I am going to live this one down. And to top it all off, Matty had an allergic reaction to the horse and his eyes puffed up.

It’s 5 days before Jeremiah’s 9th Birthday and 6 days before his party. I’m going small this year, but I still feel the same nerves I feel the week before any of my kid’s birthdays. I’m not sure why it’s such a big deal, no one expects it and I usually get in a fight with my husband because I’m so stressed and he thinks it’s dumb that I go to all this work and stay up super late baking cakes and getting ready but I just can’t help myself

So I usually start planning a few months before and make sure it’s what the kids want to do. Jeremiah wants to do Lazer Tag this year… in my mind, I’m thinking, we already did that a few years ago and your friends have done it too, but it’s what he wants, and it’s his birthday… so Lazer Tag it is. Probably another unwise parental moment, but we watched Men in Black with the kids awhile back… I think we were just sick of cartoon movies and the fight over what we were watching for Friday Nite Movie Nite that we digressed. Jer LOVED it! Matty not so much but Jer did. So Lazer Tag, Aliens, perfect combination.

Then a few weeks ago, I started working on his invitation. This is where having a graphic design background comes in handy. I found a link online to alienize a photo of someone and went to work. The boys were watching me make it and thought it was hilarious! I didn’t go too technical but enough to turn Jeremiah into an alien. Since we had so much fun, this week I’m going to take pictures of all the boys who are coming to the party and alienize them too to add to the goody bag. Alien Invasion for sure!

I am not a baker, but I get these crazy ideas in my head about the perfect birthday cakes… here’s some I’ve made over the years:

This next one has a bit of a story to it. Last summer, we had Trinity’s 2nd Birthday Party. I picked the theme of Rio – the movie, as the movie just came out and it was gender neutral. We invited a few families to a public beach. The weatherwas a bit cooler than I called for, lol, so no one swam but we had games and I had hired a professional dancer / family friend – Lucy Hazelwood from LUKI PRODUCTIONS. She did such a great job of games and dancing – for both adults and kids. I had bought the soundtrack to the movie and most of the party surrounded around this music. My bad, I forgot to bring backup batteries and the ipod died! So Jason SPED off to Walmart to grab some… but guess what was in the back of the truck?

Now to the cupcakes I made… they took two days and over 6 hours to make. I didn’t realize that when I started but they were strawberry-infused cupcakes with strawberry cream cheese icing – I wish I could find the recipe to share. They were delicious… literally stopped me  in-my-tracks good. And guess what was in the back of the truck when Jason sped off. My CUPCAKES! They toppled all over each other but I have gracious friends who dried my tears.

So back to THIS birthday… I bet you are wondering what my plan is? I DO Have a plan. Now I just have to finish my shopping list. Jeremiah’s favorite cake is fondant cake but I’m not that talented so he’ll have to do with just regular cake. I’m going to make the space ship for his party and just regular icing. He doesn’t like buttercream so I’ve been trying to find other recipes. I found one today with cream cheese and icing sugar…. it might work. Any other suggestions? And these cupcakes… aren’t they just perfect!?!? You take the cupcake, put half a marshmallow on it and then top with timbit. Freeze them and then dip upside down in green icing.

So the countdown is on… I can’t wait to celebrate Jeremiah turning 9 with family and his friends.

finished the book “Start Something That Matters” by Blake Mycoskie

Thanks to Michelle Collins from Michelle’s Musing’s for the priceless gift of this book…. It does pay to enter blog contests! Your odds are better than in the lottery.

I love the back-story of “Start Something That Matters”…  a regular guy who saw a need while travelling, went home and didn’t forget what he saw.  He saw that kids were going without shoes or wearing ones that didn’t fit and decided to do something about it. He took the traditional Argentinian “alpargata” shoe – tailored it to North Americans and TOMS was born – “shoes for tomorrow” with the concept being One for One – for each pair sold, a pair would be given.  In just 9 months, they were fitting 10,000 shoes on children in their first Shoe Drop. I love his honestly, motivation, wisdom and attitude – he is living his life goal of influencing others to go out and have a positive impact in this world.

Inside the front cover in bold letters… LOVE YOUR WORK, WORK FOR WHAT YOU LOVE, and change the world – ALL AT THE SAME TIME. He says that the definition of success has changed, it’s no longer just about money and status but has broadened “to include contributing something to the world and working on one’s own terms.”

“Finding Your Own Story”. What are you passionate about? What are your dreams? Have you always said, “Oh, one day I’ll be able to do that…” Whether through starting up a new business, being creative in your current work or within your family context, you can make a difference NOW. I also believe in this concept… and feel spiritually, we are called to it. I believe every day God puts situations in our way to help others – it’s just a question of if our eyes are open and we are ready to react.

Because he’s coming from a business perspective, much of what Mycoskie is sharing affects the business world – it got me thinking of some great ideas Jason could incorporate into his real estate business BUT my primary role isn’t in business – it’s at home. So does this transfer over or are us “stay-at-home” moms off the hook? Absolutely applicable… some of his main points are: being resourceful with little resources, facing our fears, keeping it simple, building trust and incorporating giving into everything you do. I think I could write an entire book transferring over all of his concepts to motherhood but I won’t!

There’s a Japanese concept “kaizen” – “which says that small improvements every day will lead to massive improvement overall”. I was talking with a friend who just feels so overwhelmed at times, feels like she’s losing herself and wonders where all of her patience and calmness have disappeared to – she has a 3 yr old and 18 mo old – need I say more? We’ve all felt those feelings but it doesn’t make it any better. If every day we tried to do something a little bit better – take a cooking class, tackle that chore you’ve been procrastinating on, start working out, read one book with our child with no distractions, gave ourselves a timeout before our child gets one… it could make a huge difference!

He talks about a simpler life… I can’t imagine selling my house and living on a boat with my three kids but he’s single – he can do that. The concept I get though… decluttering. This past fall, my newly-retired mom came for a visit – not to relax but to work. Jason was out of town and we redid the entire main floor. Bought a book/toy case, created an art space for the kids, moved furniture around. I was complaining we didn’t have enough room in our townhouse. The real problem is just that we have too much stuff filling it! Our new space made it less stressful for all of us. Mycoskie recommends keeping a notebook with you at all times, saying “when you write things down, you let your mind off the hook, giving it more room for things like problem-solving or spontaneous creativity.” GREAT IDEA – I’m putting one in my purse tonight! Another great tip… Schedule everything. I doubt he was thinking of chores and meal planning but they are a great time-saving, stress-relieving concepts. Just be sure to schedule “me” time, “girlfriend” time and “date nights” in there – crucial parts to staying sane. And don’t let technology enslave you: how many of us are addicted to facebook/pinterest/twitter/amazing blogs? It’s hard, but I’m taking Wednesdays off from the internet and tv. Join me!

He shares a quote from Bob Dedman: “The more you give, the more you live”. I’m often inspired by people’s stories and he shares quite a few. Regular people who act on their dreams; who risk to make a difference. I truly feel in my soul that we are all called to make a difference in this world – not just our world but this world. I’ve come across many women who aren’t sure about this – they feel at this time their family is their only priority. So how can these two worlds mesh? Can we risk while protecting our family? Is it possibly to incorporate our mission in the world with our family life? I believe so; start praying about the mission God has called you to. How can your family help others in this world?

I’m regularly inspired by a blogger: Becca Stanley from The Stanley Clan.

I first started following her because she has the same name as my sister but have truly fallen in love with her story.  This past year, she and her husband bought and renovated an old house in a downtown neighbourhood, their life work to minister to the families around them. There are 13 yr old moms, shootings, crime, hunger, domestic violence all around them but they trust in God and His mission for their life. Their home is often full of neighbourhood children; Becca’s favorite Christmas holiday time was around a firepit roasting marshmallows with all the kids. And it’s not always easy – I love her honesty of what real life is like. And it’s not just them… they have a 3 yr old adorable, spitfire daughter and in the middle of renovations and issues with the house, they were in the hospital watching their newborn son have open heart surgery.  Risk? Yes. Still protecting their family? Yes. Inspirational? Yes. Making a difference? EVERYDAY!

Mycoskie encourages us to give from the core, give more than money, use our skills for good, and incorporate giving into everything we do. Sometimes juggling three kids at such different ages makes someone feel left out so we do special stuff one on one as often as we can. I got in a bit of trouble for this one but Jer has mentioned it a few times – our date where we drove a stranger to the airport. A simple act of kindness but a bit of a risk; turned into an invaluable life lesson for our son. Giving isn’t just about dollar signs, it’s not just signing a cheque and moving on. It’s about being involved in people’s lives, seizing opportunities that come our way, saying yes to helping someone when our first instinct is no.

Not only will this book inspire you to “Start Something that Matters” but also to be someone who matters, making a difference every day in the lives of people around us or halfway around the world from us. READ IT!  …oh yeah, and visit www.toms.ca to buy a pair or two of shoes

Family Core Values… 2007… Family Goals…2012

Have you ever gone back through your old computer files and found something invaluable?!? I was in a class a few years back – AMAZING class called VantagePoint3 and one of our assignments was to come up with our core values. Our family came up with ones for New Years 2007. We don’t always succeed but this is what we strive for.

Fast forward five years… we are all a little bit older and we have one more member of the family; Trinity!

So here’s what we came up with this year…

I’ll check in from time to time to see how we are doing!

Happy New Year

I know it’s a day late… I spent most of yesterday in bed due to my own stupidity, lol but TODAY we start fresh!

Today is the final day of Christmas Vacation for us. I’ve banned the use of the tv for most of the day after having it on all of yesterday and then witnessing WWIII with the kids in the evening – a 6pm bedtime happened but before you think we are mean parents we let them stay up as late as they wanted on New Year’s Eve; they outlasted Dad and stayed up past 2am. I look forward to watching “Daddy” play the boys at hockey outside in the afternoon if they ever get out of their pjs. I hear the laughter and squeals upstairs as they try to wrestle Daddy and big brother Jer yelling for everyone to get out of his room, as he wants some quiet time. Quiet time…. in this house?!?! Who is he kidding

I look forward to LunchTime together. I’ve pre-warned everyone… we are going to come up with a list of New Things we would Like to Try in 2012 and How we Can Make our Home a Happier One. As a pre-cursor I’ll tell you two of mine. I would love to take Jeremiah at least or even the whole family to the Dominican Republic to help with Dominican Feed the Kids - an organization run by my friend’s parents. To make our home more peaceful I would like to stop pushing my family to do something or be somewhere at all times. It fits my personality but not all of theirs… being home doing nothing is not my idea of a fun time but I know they enjoy it so I’m going to try harder to enjoy it. I can’t wait to hear what the rest of the family have to say… off I go to find food for lunch. Now THAT could be a miracle!

 

falalalala…

What’s the first thing you do when you want to get into the “spirit of Christmas”?

You put on the Christmas music!

My ipod has 174 Christmas songs on it right now… we put it on shuffle and fill the house with music! What’s your favorite? I love “Let it Snow!” and  and “Joy to the World”, Amy Grant’s “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year”, Josh Groban’s amazing voice singing any Christmas song makes me smile…

I usually wait until December 1st to put on the Christmas music but this year I started a bit early… do I even admit this???  I bought Justin Bieber’s Under the Mistletoe CD  - for the KIDS of course. We’ve had a lot of fun dancing in the truck while we drive home from school. Trinity’s favorite song is “The Little Drummer Boy” and it’s the only song she’ll let us play some days! “Rum pum pum, Rum pum pum…!!!!” After three times, the boys are covering their ears. In my opinion, it’s a bit romantic for a Christmas CD and misses out on the true meaning of Christmas to some degree. I was hoping for a bit more but the music is fun to listen to, and even after the fifth time through the ipod, it’s not driving us crazy!

Something more about music at Christmastime…

…as children, it made you a bit nervous. As a parent, it make you proud no matter what…

It’s the Traditional Christmas Concert!

This year we enjoyed another one at Heritage Christian School – and we were proud and they did sound great! Be sure to find something “christmasy” to wear – not forgeting the black shoes! and then arriving early to get good seats for picture taking is a must.

I hope you all enjoy a Christmas concert this year… there’s something about listening to our children’s angelic voices singing Christmas songs that warms the heart.

My Mom

Happy Birthday Mom!

I smiled this year as Matty exclaimed, “Grandma’s birthday is this close to Christmas?!?!?!?” Yes, Matty and it always has been. I’ve always felt a bit bad for my mom with her birthday a week before Christmas – as her gifts and party is usually combined with Christmas but we’ve tried to make her feel special during the holidays and she is such a gracious lady, she doesn’t ever complain.

She’s had a big year… 65 and retired! She’s loving spending time with her grandkids, finding projects to keep herself busy, and hanging out with her friends. I look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with Mom. I probably don’t say it enough, but “I love you Mom!”

Speaking of birthdays, my sister’s was just a few weeks ago and a family tradition is the cake she has had every year on her birthday. As it’s the end of November, it signals the beginning of Christmas festivities for our family. It’s the Holiday Poke Cake – so delicious!