Reading Terry's blog this morning inspired me to write about our Christmas experience this year.
Financially things have been really rough since I haven't been working. It's caused us to make some changes in places that we would normally splurge. Christmas is one of those.
I get that from my parents. Christmas morning we always woke with the most amazing amount of gifts under the tree. The sight was unbelievable. Even as I have grown up and had children of my own, they couldn't wait to go to Grandma's house to see just how many presents they managed to fit under the tree.
About 2 months ago we had talk with the kids and told them Christmas wasn't going to be what they were use to in the past. They are getting older, things they would like to have cost more, and we have been living only on one income. What I didn't know is that their grandparents had that same talk with them. My dad retired this year and now they only have one income. Christmas would be small.
Each day they watched as we put the presents under the tree. They each got 4 items. They did ask if there was going to be any more, and I simply said no....and there was no fuss.
Christmas morning comes around and they are excited. I can't tell you a Christmas where I have seen them more excited than this one. It was different. They were patient, kind, and wanted to drag out the gift giving process to last as long as possible. I was so proud of them as I didn't hear one complaint. I heard many Thank Yous and I love yous and saw lots of smiles.....but they never wanted for anything more. Emilie was so sweet and is such a giver. 2 days before Christmas she realized that Chad and I didn't have presents under the tree so she went in her room and started making ornaments, books, and all kinds of things that we could open that were hand made from her with love. It was priceless. Some of the best moments that morning was when we opened the gifts made from her. Christmas morning was good!!!
We proceeded to my parents where again, as adults, we had no presents to open and that was okay. But I loved the reaction of the kids and how they watched us enjoy their moments of opening presents. Normally they would have 10-20 big gifts to open. But Ian got only 1, Emilie got 3, and Lukus got 2....and they couldn't have been happier and more thankful. And you want to know what we did more of that day? They put the gifts down, and we all went sledding and enjoyed each others company! Does it get any better than that?
Society is so bogged down with the wants in life and we forget to focus on the things that we really need which is love, happiness, and just being together. I learned more this Christmas from just watching my kids. Although, they'll go back to school in a week and hear about the Ipod's and cell phones, and all the other accessories that kids got for Christmas and I hope they can share with their friends that what they had on Christmas morning and all during this break was quality time with their family and friends and there is no price you can put on something like that.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Random Tuesday Stuff
I have now seen Christmas Vacation and can't believe how hard I laughed. I can't believe I have gone this long without seeing it.
I still have not seen The Grinch movie. Old or new.
Should I admit that I have never seen "It's a Wonderful Life"???? (ducking for cover)
This is the first year that I have had every gift purchased and wrapped way before Christmas.
This is also the first year that we paid for our entire Christmas with cash! Thank you Dave Ramsey!
Today I waited on a phone call that never came.
The post office in Owasso is rarely ever busy and since that dude knocked down our mailbox....I have gotten to know the people there really well! We're on a first name basis now. :o)
I have come to the conclusion that I type too many typos when texting! You just never know what I am going to say! And neither do I!!!!!
I decided that it is better to give a gift card to someone instead of buying a really cheesy gift that they really can't use or don't want. After all....it's the thought that counts! But I will still spend HOURS looking and thinking of a person.............and then buy a gift card.
Believe it or not, I have ran out of "RED" clothes to wear this holiday season! I am reverting to the black wardrobe and will accessorize with RED! :o) Gotta make it work for 3 more days!
I still have not seen The Grinch movie. Old or new.
Should I admit that I have never seen "It's a Wonderful Life"???? (ducking for cover)
This is the first year that I have had every gift purchased and wrapped way before Christmas.
This is also the first year that we paid for our entire Christmas with cash! Thank you Dave Ramsey!
Today I waited on a phone call that never came.
The post office in Owasso is rarely ever busy and since that dude knocked down our mailbox....I have gotten to know the people there really well! We're on a first name basis now. :o)
I have come to the conclusion that I type too many typos when texting! You just never know what I am going to say! And neither do I!!!!!
I decided that it is better to give a gift card to someone instead of buying a really cheesy gift that they really can't use or don't want. After all....it's the thought that counts! But I will still spend HOURS looking and thinking of a person.............and then buy a gift card.
Believe it or not, I have ran out of "RED" clothes to wear this holiday season! I am reverting to the black wardrobe and will accessorize with RED! :o) Gotta make it work for 3 more days!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Oh! Another family Christmas! 2009
Well...another year and another famiy party has come and gone. As usuall, it was filled with many laughs!
Here you see my aunt and the bathtub back scratcher she got in the dirty santa game. Believe it or not....my mother stole that thing!!! But I think Jeff (her son) is more afraid he is going to be wacked with it for making a comment! :o)
Okay...I am NOT hitting my niece Asasha! I was actually hitting my brother for sticking his hand up there and making her mad!
Ah! The girls! Sarah, Yoana, Me, and Niki! We have fun!
Getting a picture like this takes so much effort. But out of the 25 we took (NOT KIDDING) this was the best we could do!
Now....boxing gloves may never be a good gift at our parties. You can see the adults have more fun than the kids.
So here is a very good reason why we can't take pictures together. This is where it started, and I can't believe after this laughing moment we could even compose ourselves for a serious moment. My brother always manages to crack me up....and then gets cracked up because I'm cracked up. As for our spouses....they just sit and wait. Yeah....good times.
It took several shots to get this picture as well. My mom, me and my aunt Cyndi.
Well.....we were trying again......it just wasn't working.
This is a gift you should NEVER give a child. She knew exactly what to do with it! Poor Chad!
Okay.....serious moment for mom!
Here you see my aunt and the bathtub back scratcher she got in the dirty santa game. Believe it or not....my mother stole that thing!!! But I think Jeff (her son) is more afraid he is going to be wacked with it for making a comment! :o)
Okay...I am NOT hitting my niece Asasha! I was actually hitting my brother for sticking his hand up there and making her mad!
Ah! The girls! Sarah, Yoana, Me, and Niki! We have fun!
Getting a picture like this takes so much effort. But out of the 25 we took (NOT KIDDING) this was the best we could do!
Now....boxing gloves may never be a good gift at our parties. You can see the adults have more fun than the kids.
So here is a very good reason why we can't take pictures together. This is where it started, and I can't believe after this laughing moment we could even compose ourselves for a serious moment. My brother always manages to crack me up....and then gets cracked up because I'm cracked up. As for our spouses....they just sit and wait. Yeah....good times.
It took several shots to get this picture as well. My mom, me and my aunt Cyndi.
Well.....we were trying again......it just wasn't working.
This is a gift you should NEVER give a child. She knew exactly what to do with it! Poor Chad!
Okay.....serious moment for mom!
Merry Christmas!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
To Know You
These words are from a Casting Crowns song. Each line of this song is one I could mediate on for quite a while. It says so much
To know you is never worry for my life, and
To know you is to never to give in or compromise
To know you is to want to tell the world about you
Cause I can't live without you
To know you is to hear your voice when you are calling
To know you is to catch my brother when he is falling
To know you is to feel the pain of the broken hearted
Cause they can't live with out you.
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to ache for more than ordinary
To know you is to look beyond the temporary
To know you is believing that you will be enough
Cause there is no life without you
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
All this life could offer me, could not compare to you
Compare to you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
Compared to you
Compared to you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
To know you is never worry for my life, and
To know you is to never to give in or compromise
To know you is to want to tell the world about you
Cause I can't live without you
To know you is to hear your voice when you are calling
To know you is to catch my brother when he is falling
To know you is to feel the pain of the broken hearted
Cause they can't live with out you.
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to ache for more than ordinary
To know you is to look beyond the temporary
To know you is believing that you will be enough
Cause there is no life without you
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
All this life could offer me, could not compare to you
Compare to you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
More than my next breath
More than life or death
All reaching for, I live my life to know you more
I leave it all behind, you are all that satisfies
To know you is to want to know you more
To know you is to want to know you more
Compared to you
Compared to you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
And I count it all as lost, compared to knowing you
Knowing you
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
I Will Rise
Sometimes a song hits you in a way that you never expected. I've heard this song at least a dozen times and often sing along. For some reason today, it pierced my heart. I have meditated on these words all day. Each line. Every word. Every note. Every emotion.
The song needs no pictures. When I close my eyes....God paints the picture for me.
The song needs no pictures. When I close my eyes....God paints the picture for me.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Another down....and one more to go!
I am very excited that I have completed another semester of my education. As of today I only have 147 days until I graduate. Of course then I will have the state board exams I will have to to get my license but other than that, It's really almost over. I tend to look at this glass as half empty! :o)
This has been a rough semester but when finally get to the end and you succeed, it is such a good feeling. I had to work hard for it, and in the end it paid off.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” – Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
This has been a rough semester but when finally get to the end and you succeed, it is such a good feeling. I had to work hard for it, and in the end it paid off.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.” – Romans 5:1-5 (NIV)
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