I've never been very good about reflecting on a year... or reflecting on anything for that matter. When I was in high school, I'd finish a test and turn it in -- no reviewing my answers, no checking for mistakes. It's onward and upward, don't look back.

Don't get me wrong, I have wonderful memories, and I love to think about them, share them with my family, etc. I just don't typically sit back and take a purposeful inventory.

Now I realize just how quickly time is flying by. My kids are growing up before my very eyes, and I just want to bundle them up, hug them, and keep them in my lap forever. Yet at the same time, I know none of us would be happy with that, for each new stage brings new wonder, new joy, new blessings.

So on this New Year's Eve afternoon, while I sit here alone with my thoughts, I'd like to share my "Best of 2009" with you -- and this is as much for me, as it is anything else! With the exception of the first one, these are in no particular order.

1. My Children's Faith. This is absolutely the best thing about 2009, without question. I know that in this stage of my life, introducing my children to Jesus Christ and nurturing their faith is absolutely my number one priority. While I don't always feel equipped for the job or the questions they ask, I know that with God and with Jon, we'll show them His Light. On December 3, Amara Hope asked the Holy Spirit to come into her heart. Dominic did, too, though admittedly I was suspect due to his age. I know I shouldn't shortchange that -- especially as I heard from his day care teacher that he told a classmate who asked, "Who is Jesus?" that "Jesus saved me from my sins by coming into my heart." A little child shall lead them, right? It gives me such immense joy to watch their faith grow, develop, and really become their own. I love the boldness, the honesty, the innocence with which they speak to God and speak of Him to others. I know they've got a lot more growing to do, and nurturing that is still my top responsibility, but oh, I'm so very thankful that God's working in their little hearts and minds.

2. Family Time. We started the year in Wyoming with Jon's family and concluded the year with my family here... and were able to enjoy time with both sides of the family on multiple occasions this year. We'd still love to be closer and have even more opportunities for family fellowship, but we're thankful for what we are able to have. We were both blessed to be raised in wonderful families who now are not just family but also our closest friends.

3. Vacation Time. For whatever reason, Jon and I have never taken a "real" vacation. We've never purposefully picked a spot, planned around and for it, and left. We've done family fishing trips (which were AWESOME), and tacked onto work trips (also lots of fun), but we've never taken a week to just get away. Not even for our honeymoon! This year we took not one, but two vacations! First in March, Jon and I joined our neighbors from Maryland on a trip to Mexico. Oh what fun that was! It was great to get away (the kids stayed with Jon's brother and his family), the warm weather was divine, and the company was as wonderful as we remembered it to be. Oh how we miss our neighbors who became our family. Our second vacation was also with Maryland friends, also who became our family. Our whole family joined their family for a trip to Ocean City, Maryland. Reconnecting with old friends really buoyed our spirits, reminded us who we are, and did a lot to energize us. We miss you!

4. The Bloom Book Club. It almost seems odd to be thankful for something online, but I'm so thankful for the Bloom Book Club, and especially "The Night Ladies." I've met some simply fabulous and inspiring people, all of whom are a huge witness to me. These ladies love the Lord and live their lives for him. Now could ya'll just move a little closer? :)

5. My Friends. For the first time this year, I was able to join my high school girlfriends on the annual reunion trip. It was SO nice to reunite with old friends -- friends I've known since pre-school in many cases. The only requisite is to have graduated from MHS in 1994 -- so some of them I knew well, and others not as well while in HS. It's amazing to me how much "differences" in high school just melt away as we become adults, raise families, search for our place in the adult world. I hope that I can continue to join them in years to come.

6. My Job. This year has been a rough one for many in terms of the economy and jobs. I continue to be so very thankful for my job, my company, and the wonderful people with whom I work on a daily basis. My company hires "the best of the best" as far as calibre of people, and I definitely believe that. It's a privilege to be able to work with people you also consider close friends.

7. Our House. We've done a lot of work this year on renovating our house. I won't lie and say it's been a breeze -- it's a slow and ongoing process. Our goal is to pay cash for each project, so there really is no deadline to any of it. That sometimes makes it even tougher to live through. However, our house is solid. It's warm. It provides shelter. We have a basement to live in while the upstairs is being fixed. It's a family project, and working through it has brought us closer (cancelling cable has helped with that, too).

8. The Gift Card Giver. This probably sounds silly, but I love it. Just before Christmas, Jon received a relatively anonymous letter in the mail at work. It was from "The Gift Card Giver", which is apparently a non-profit organization. The message inside essentially said that Jon was nominated by someone who thought Jon should be recognized for the services that he provides and the time he sacrifices. They thought he deserved a "date night" and the Gift Card Giver agreed. So Jon was the recipient of several dollars worth of movie and Applebee's gift cards. It was such a pick me up for Jon. Random Acts of kindness such as this -- love to see it, love to do it, love to be a part of it!

9. Love in Action. I had a few opportunities to see people truly being "Love in Action." In one case, I know for sure it was this person being obedient to God. A semi-homeless man walked into our Bible Study asking for help with his hotel bill while he was waiting for his job to pay him. One lady immediately stood up, walked to her car, drove to the hotel, and paid for the man's night. I got up to join her, not only for her safety, but also to give this man Jon's contact information so he could access help from the proper channels. To see that instant obedience was beautiful. The other was at Christmas time. Actually, there were two, now that I think about it. A person I know asked if Jon could find a family for them to adopt for Christmas to show their children "the other side" for lack of a better word. Jon found a family -- this family wanted some of the basic kids' toys, but also wanted an X-Box, and more than anything, the mother wanted her transmission fixed, because without her car, she would lose her job. This person met every single request, including fixing her car. Blew me right away! To witness that kind of generousity, caring, and kindness, just warms my heart and inspires me to seek opportunities to do more. Jon shared with me this woman's thank you letter -- it was the best Christmas her family had ever had. And more than the gifts, it brought back hope, made her feel less desperate. The gifts were great, but how awesome to give a person hope!

10. My family. Last but not least, my family. I will readily admit that I'm more than a little biased -- but we all should be when it comes to our family, right? My husband is generous and caring, he seeks to do everything in his power to help others -- but not by giving them things, by giving them skills. He strives to empower them to seek out the best for themselves. He's an amazing father and husband, putting God first, and showing us all how to care for others. My children are two of the warmest, most enthusiastic, caring children I've ever met. They're friends to all, bullied by none, and they have a heart for those who are being bullied. Their teachers love them and look to them as leaders and examples for others in the classroom. They have a heart for God, that I pray will only continue to grow.

And that, my friends, is the best of 2009. I'm sure I could think of many others, but those are top of mind right now. May you also reflect on 2009, pick out the best, and reflect on those things! Happy New Year!

Before I even start my new topic, I'm going to acknowledge that I still have one chapter left to read and blog about from Crazy Love. (Whew... there, I said it...)

Now that's out of the way...

The next Bloom Book Club book is called "Same Kind of Different as Me."

I'll admit, my first reaction to the choice was lukewarm. While I enjoy reading, I don't make time for it... at all. And I wanted the book choices to be more bible study based -- this one, at first glance, doesn't really appear to me. I haven't opened the cover yet, so I'll reserve judgement.

That said... after looking into it a bit, it seems to be a very compelling topic. It also seems to be a topic that hits VERY close to home.

So close to home, in fact, that yesterday when I was in Jon's office, I saw the book sitting on his desk. I grabbed it, walked it out to the other room and said, "Excuse me, did you steal my book?" He said, "No, Pam loaned it to me; she thought I'd enjoy it."

He didn't even realize I had ordered it.

But you see how close to home it hits? So close that Jon's board of directors knows that it's a topic close to his heart. Even better for me -- we can read it together as I read it with the Bloom ladies!

The Bloom discussion begins in January, so it's not too late to join us! Please do!

The kids got some cash for Christmas this year -- they were in heaven! Everytime they see change laying around, they ask if they can have it, then they stash it somewhere (when we tell them they can have it).

We were talking to them about what they'd like to buy with their Christmas cash -- whether they'd like to buy toys or go to the "fire food house" (the hibachi grill). Amara decided she wanted to buy sparkly make up and necklaces (how'd I get such a girly girl!?)

Anyway, following that discussion, we decided that they'd be old enough to start getting an allowance. If the complete their chores each week, they get their age in dollars -- so Amara gets $5 and Dominic will get $3.

They are SO excited! (and that's an understatement)

So I made up some chore charts for them. I shared them with the kids this morning, and they actually REQUESTED to add a few more chores on there! OK, I can do that!

So here's what we ended up with. I'll let you know how it goes!

So what about you? Do you have chore charts for your kids? At what age did you begin giving them chores? At what age did they earn allowance? If you've used chore charts, what style, what chores, and how successful were they?

Today when I dropped the kids off at Day Care, Miss Jessica stopped me to tell a Dominic story.

Apparently this is the conversation held by Dominic and his friend(s) last week.

D: It's OK to have Santa in your heart, as long as Jesus is in your heart bigger.

Friend: Who's Jesus?

D: He's who SAVED me, because I asked him into my heart.

Oh to be so bold.

We spent some good quality family time this weekend... baking!

There are 4 Christmas cookies that I really wanted to make, and each of them I thought the kids could probably help me bake. They loved it! It was slightly messier and more time consuming than I expected, but hey, that's life with kids, right!

First is snowballs or Mexican Wedding Cakes or Russian Tea Cakes -- I think they have a multitude of different names. As a kid, I loved these. As an adult, I discovered I really don't care for them all too much. The nostalgia just didn't quite carry over. So I've got the cookies this year, but will scratch them off the list for next year.

Next is almond bark pretzels. I've always loved these -- don't like them at all with regular chocolate, but with almond bark, YUMMY! I don't know that I've actually made them before -- I've always just eaten them. They're significantly more time consuming than I expected them to be! Still turned out delicious though! I added the little sprinkle balls to the top -- even better!



Peanut Blossoms (i.e. Hershey Kiss cookies) are my personal favorite Christmas cookie. The perfect blend of chocolate and peanut butter in the form of a moist chewy cookie. And have you ever eaten these fresh out of the oven when the kiss is still all melty. Oh, to die for!



Still on the docket: Kringla.

Stay tuned.

So I almost never go to You Tube, therefore I didn't realize it was even possible to make a playlist. However, I was tipped off to that yesterday... and I've had a bit of fun since then!

My family is coming for Christmas. We've disconnected our cable, so can't "listen" to that channel that plays music only. We don't have a radio that gets decent reception down in our valley. And we don't have a stereo of any sort hooked up (or working?), nor do we even have a CD player right now. Honestly... they're somewhere, just not sure where, nor do I think I want to unbury them.

Anyway, what we DO have is a computer and You Tube. So, I've been busy creating a playlist of some fabulous Christmas songs. Check out my playlist, then tell me what YOUR favorite is. A couple prerequisites: it must be on You Tube (duh!), and I'd prefer it be Christian, not secular. I have no problem with secular music, I just don't care much for the secular Christmas music. Never have.

So here's the link. Have a listen. Sing along. Then share with me songs you think should be added to my Christmas playlist!

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

You may notice that the last post on Crazy Love was quite some time ago. Admittedly, I kind of bailed on the book. I read the first couple of pages of this chapter and thought, “this is going to be all about selling everything you own and going overseas to do mission work in 3rd world countries.”

I really struggled with that. Something interrupted my start of the chapter (probably one of my children needing something), and I never picked it back up.

My initial reaction was that not everyone needs to “make headlines” with how they serve. The story of the starfish came to mind – how by tossing the starfish back into the water, the author “made a difference to that one.” Sometimes it’s the little things that make the big difference in a person’s life. We should be called to that – not the fame that comes with some of the more glitzy missions.

Then I finished the chapter.

Oops.

I was wrong. I pre-judged. I thought I knew where the book was going, but I didn’t.
Had I read even one more page, I’d have read Chan’s words, “yet he died quietly, without a lot of attention; no one really knew about him.” It’s as if Chan knew that people would get all defensive like I did and challenge that it’s not all about fame.

On that note, I was humbled and my attitude changed – so let’s dig into the chapter.

There are many people listed in the chapter. Some I’ve heard about, most I have not. Some really struck me as I read, and those are the ones I’d like to share with you.

Simpson Rebbavarapu was orphaned at around the age of four and was never named during those four years by his birth parents. In fact, his mother tried twice to abort him: once with herbs, and once by going to a doctor (who didn’t show up that day). Those are the facts, these are my speculations: there was no doubt in Simpson’s mind that his parents didn’t want him. Can you imagine that? The hurt. The inadequacy. The lack of self-confidence or self-esteem. I simply can’t imagine how that would feel.

Jon used to work with troubled youth. Many of those were born into families that “didn’t want them.” Many were product of rape. Many were suicidal and violent toward others because they were unwanted themselves and had no self worth. It’s heartbreaking to hear their stories, see the pain in their eyes, and acknowledge the terrible choices they make in their lives, their quest to be significant somehow.

Yet Simpson was different. Chan writes, “Simpson believes that God has always had His hand on his life, because if it had been up to his mother, he would never have been born.” Oh, if only all "unwanted children" could feel that way. God loves each and every one of us, and he makes NO mistakes! We are all perfectly formed in His image and can be used as instruments of His love and peace if only we make ourselves available to Him.

Jamie Lang’s story is similar, except that she adopted a young child born to an HIV positive mother. Late term in her pregnancy, the child’s mother took a morning after pill to abort the child, but it cause pre-term delivery. Due to this, little bleeding occurred, which allowed the child to be born HIV free, and he is a healthy child, now adopted by Jamie Lang. As Chan writes, “What was intended to end his life, God used to save it.” Aren’t you so thankful that God’s ways are not our own? His sovereignty, His power, His grace, His love…. How many things in our life has He used to save us, that would have otherwise harmed us? I suspect that they are many more numerous than I can begin to imagine.

I loved the story of Rings. Rings is a homeless man who is a smoker, an ex-con, an ex-addict, and an ex-alcoholic. He lives out of his truck, but from the checks he does receive, he uses it all to purchase food at the local grocery story and brings it to fellow homeless people. As he prepares the food, he shares the gospel.

What makes this story so interesting to me is that I’ve met “Rings.” His name wasn’t really Rings, his name is Mark Horvath, but the story is similar. My husband is the executive director of our local homeless shelter. During an event to raise awareness earlier this year, Mark came as the guest speaker. Mark is a former homeless person who has come to Christ. This year he has made it his mission to travel around the country filming Invisible.TV – a project that gives homeless people a name. He has interviewed hundreds of homeless people, allowing them to share their story, raising awareness about the problem, and challenging others to get involved and help.

If you want to help the homeless, here’s a great resource listing 35 ways you can help. My husband also said that one thing homeless people really appreciate (especially if you’re not comfortable giving money) is a new pair of socks. Think of it – they likely have one pair. That one pair goes through rain, snow, mud, several days of walking. You know how warm and fuzzy a new pair of socks feel to you – now imagine a new pair after wearing the same pair for 30 days.

If you're looking for ways to help those in your community, check out what some of our friends here are doing with Cobblestone Project, an organization they started to help those less fortunate. Lots of these ideas can be replicated throughout your communities as well. It really just takes a desire to serve, meet people's needs, and be obedient to God.

Anyway, I’m getting off on a tangent not at all related to the book!

So…back to the book.

The Robynson Family had a great tradition whereby they would make a hot breakfast on Christmas morning and bring it downtown to serve the homeless. I love this tradition. I love how the family serves together – this is absolutely what Jon and I are trying to teach our kids. Serving others is such a powerful witness, and truly you get as much (more!) as you give when you’re serving.

I do have a challenge though: don’t wait for Christmas.

Christmas is great and all. It’s a wonderful time to give and share. However, it’s also one of the easiest times for service agencies to get donations and help. I’m not saying DON’T serve at Christmas. I’m saying don’t JUST serve at Christmas. The need is all around us 365 days of the year. Meet it.

By the end of the chapter, as I mentioned, my attitude was changed. However, I still stand by a small portion of my original thoughts – they’ve just been slightly realigned.

I believe that it’s not important to “give it all away” and follow God. I believe that it’s essential to be obedient to God. If He tells you to give it all away, by all means, go with it – He will not only guide, but He will provide absolutely everything you need. Obedience is the key. Don’t just pick a cause and run with it, seek God’s will, His guidance, and let Him use you in ways you’ve never imagined. You can do good on your own, you can even make a difference on your own. But with God leading you, giving you strength, giving you provisions beyond what you could ever do yourself…. Well… as Chan says, “you, too, can live a life worth writing about.”

After all, that’s what made these people noteworthy – their obedience to Christ led them to things that would have otherwise been impossible.

Now that’s some Crazy Love.

A few posts ago, I wrote about Amara telling Santa that she loves Jesus more. I also wrote that Dominic, upon seeing Santa's reaction, had to chime in that he loved Jesus more, too.

I thought that would really be the end of it.

But then Dominic's teacher told me this:

They were sitting as a class in circle time talking about Christmas and about Santa Claus. Dominic raised his hand (what 3 year old does that!?). When called upon he said, "Excuse me, it's important to remember we should love Jesus more than we love Santa Claus."

I love that kid!

May he always be that uninhibited in sharing his faith!

Last Friday, the kids had their Christmas program at their day care. I was SO PROUD of how well they did. You could tell they were a little bit nervous at first, never having been "on stage" before, but the nerves quickly melted away, and they did a fabulous job!

Dominic's class sang 4 Christmas songs. He was very proud to be "the line leader." Truly, he didn't sing as loudly as I expected, because he has a loud personality! He struggled a bit with his antlers falling in his eyes (he was a reindeer) -- but that was too cute! He had to take a pause to come give me a hug, which prompted his little friend to do the same. Irresistable! What I didn't catch on camera is him calling out, "I love you, Mommy," between songs. Since it was quiet, everyone heard, which made everyone go, "Aw...." Immediately after that, he looked back at Jon and said, "I love you, Daddy," which you kind of can hear on video, because it was just as the song was beginning.



Amara's class put on a little play based on "The Polar Express." The teachers had them practicing for weeks, and asked us to help them out at home. She told us she didn't have any lines other than "This one is for you," but the little actress surprised us all! She had a TON of lines. I have no idea how she memorized them (other than she memorizes everything quickly), because she didn't practice at all at home. Apparently one little boy had stage fright, so she was asked to say his lines with him. Then somehow she inherited another child's lines as well. Of course, I get all this information from my friend, Chandra, who babysat them the night before. I asked Amara why she didn't tell me she had lines. She told me the teachers told her not to tell so she could surprise us -- she sure did!

I don't know if I'm craving kringla (cring-luh) or missing my Grandma.... probably both.... but boy could I use a kringla fix right now!

Kringla was a holiday staple at our family gatherings, and Grandma made them like none other! They were soft, moist, not-too-sweet cookies with a thin layer of butter spread over them...mmm...good!

My Grandma made everything wonderfully. My Dad has mastered her lefse. My Aunt has mastered her rommegrot. I have no desire to master her (or anyone else's for that matter) lutefisk. But the kringla, and really the flatbrod, too, I really really miss. More than that, I miss my Grandma's sweet face and gracious smile serving them to us.

We do have my Grandma's kringla recipe, however, it calls simply for "flour" -- not how much. So I've been on a search for a recipe. I've found one. We'll have to give it a whirl (and a figure 8 swirl) and see how it turns out. This is one tradition I'd love to pass along to my kids -- who are a quarter less Norwegian than I am (I'm 50%), but they can flaunt their Norwegian-ness for Christmas and kringla!

Kringla - Norwegian

1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon soda
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup butter
1 cup buttermilk
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Dash salt

Directions:Mix sugar, butter, and unbeaten egg. Add buttermilk, soda, then flour, salt, baking powder, and vanilla. Knead on a board and leave in refrigerator over night. One soup spoon makes a nice size Kringla. Roll on lightly flour board until the size of a pencil. Form a Figure-8 and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 450 oven until lightly browned on bottom. These are supposed to be soft and chewy, kind of between a cookie and a cake. Many prefer to butter them or eat them with coffee. They taste somewhat like shortbread.

I stole this from my friend Nancy's blog.


1) Have you started your Christmas shopping? Yes, I'm mostly done. The crafts are done and ordered. There's a few little things I'd still like to find. And I still want to have a family photo taken, but need to ask a friend if she'd be willing to do it.



2) Tell me about one of your special traditions. We've begun the Advent Calendar tradition I blogged about a little while back. It has been very special to us thus far, and has inspired some wonderful discussions. We also started (or will be starting) pj's for Christmas Eve present so that we can open the stockings in the morning with the kids wearing new jammies. Next year I'd also like to potentially start a book a day in December, so I hope to find some good post-Christmas sales on Christmas books that I can save for a year then unwrap one each night.



3) When do you put up your tree? When we're home for Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving. When we're gone (i.e. this year), we did it the weekend before Thanksgiving.

So "I Heart Faces" only allows for 1 photo to be submitted, but I just had to share the others, because Amara seriously was the sweetest sleeper.



1 Month Old here:


15 Months Old here - look at the little curls finally starting to come in:


Evidence that Dominic did occasionally sleep - 5 weeks old here:


He just preferred to sleep ON people. The date's wrong on this picture -- should be 7/26 -- so he was 1 month old.

A few months ago I discovered "I Heart Faces" and the beautiful photos just captivated me. I haven't participated much, but this week, the theme is "Sweet Dreams" and I just couldn't resist.

My first born has always been such a peaceful sleeper. I just looked back through my photos and found several of her sleeping so beautifully -- it was hard to narrow down an entry (I'll have to post the other ones, t00).

My second born, on the other hand -- I could only find one sleeping picture. He just didn't sleep long enough to get the camera out! Thankfully he sleeps MUCH better now, but he was definitely not a sleeping infant!

So here is my submission for "I Heart Faces" Week 48 Challenge. My daughter, age 5 weeks, with my husband. It's actually been made into a scrapbook page, hence the text.

We went to our local Christmas parade today.

Not knowing the exact route (should have checked), we positioned ourselves nearly at the end of the parade. By the time the line snaked its way to us, the walkers were weary, the waves weren't quite as spirited, the singing was quieter.... and the candy was nearly gone.

*Gasp* the horror -- no candy!

And for whatever reason... the kids immediately in front of our kids were getting all the candy that was being dispersed. Not just the candy tossed, but also the candy handed out. The paraders would come over to the side of the road, give the other kids their candy, then completely skip our kids. Even the other two children with us would get candy, and they'd skip A&D. Not sure why...

Anyway, Amara did get frustrated with it, completely not understanding why she was getting skipped. Frankly, neither did I.

I know it was more the hurt of being skipped than the candy though -- it was all nasty candy in the first place!

After being passed by for the um-teenth time, I said, "Amara, do we still have Halloween candy at home?" She answered, "Yes." I asked, "Do we still have a lot more Halloween candy at home that what they're throwing here?" She answered, "Yes."

And suddenly, all was right with the world.

Now each time she got passed by, she turned to me and said, "That's OK, we've got a TON of candy at home."

Don't get me wrong -- she still dove after every starlight mint that came her way (gag), but she was OK with not getting their first.

Why is it that my heart hurts so bad to see my kids getting passed over for something as frivolous as candy I don't even like (nor do they)? And how much can I learn myself from my daughter's lesson in perspective? Why do I need "more" of any material thing when I've already got plenty at home?

In fact... because of Jesus Christ, I have everything I could ever want.

John 3:30 "He must become greater. I must become less."

Santa came to my office yesterday (in the form of one of my co-workers). So all of us gathered up our kids to come tell him what they wanted, eat some candy and cookies, some Chick-fil-a, and watch Merry Madagascar.

Neither Jon nor I grew up believing in Santa, so we haven't made it a priority for the kids either. He's more of a "fun game" than anything, and certainly I don't want my kids to spoil it for other kids, so I'm trying to walk through all of that. But anyway, I didn't realize just how little they knew about Santa until they got up there and sat on his lap.

They just sat.

They didn't ask for anything. When he asked what they wanted, they said, "I don't know." When he asked what they liked, they said, "I don't know." Dominic finally said, "Yes, I like that!" when Santa asked about cars, and decided that he wanted cars with a race track. Amara told him that she wanted a reindeer -- but when I reminded her that she HAS a reindeer, she said, "Yes, but I want to give that one to Dominic, so I want a new one." I told her she didn't need another -- especially if she was going to give her old one away. So she ended up not really telling Santa she wanted anything. Easy to please, I guess!


What she DID tell Santa was this, "Santa, I think you're cool, but I love Jesus more."

Yes, I did tell her to say that, but I thought it was funny that she did. Santa laughed, and said, "I love him, too." ("Santa" has been a worship leader at a local church for several years.) When Dominic heard Santa's reaction, he ran up to Santa and said, "I love Jesus the most, too." Santa laughed and said, "Oh good, I love him most, too!"

It was so funny. The night before when I told the kids to say that, the kids were very concerned about hurting Santa's feelings. They said, "Mom, we need to love everyone!" I assured them (knowing who Santa was) that Santa wouldn't care. I also told them that I know they love ME, but that I hope they love Jesus more than me -- and that it doesn't hurt my feelings. That apparently made it alright in their mind.

After visiting Santa, Amara asked me, "Mom, do you think that was the real Santa?" Already the skeptic. :) I told her, "I don't know baby, there are a lot of Santa's around -- keeps you guessing, doesn't it."

I've been under some pretty intense pressure (ahem...) lately to blog. Truth is, I haven't had anything to say. (No comments from the peanut gallery... I fully realize my old nicknames and reputation).

But I thought it would be fun, as I get into the Christmas spirit, to look back at Christmases past. These are the oldest Christmas picture I could find on my computer. They're from Christmas 2002.

So what was going on in Christmas 2002?

Jon's side of the family was still living in Oregon -- so this was Christmas at their house. I do believe that Jessica and Matt were married in May of that year, and were expecting Tish in April of 2003. I don't recall if Ann and Donny were engaged yet... but maybe? Jon and I were kidless at that point. Look at that long hair I was sporting! Wish I could grow it back! If memory serves, Luke and Matt (and Jess) were in Colorado, Ann was in California, we were in Buffalo (?), and Mom and Dad were in Oregon. It's hard to believe that was only 7 years ago -- seems like SO much longer! I also believe that healthwise, this was a very pivotal Christmas.

My side of the family was in South Dakota. Prior to kids, we were able to go to one family for a week, then fly to the other family for the second week. I do believe that 2002 was the year that we were flying from South Dakota back to Buffalo in order to fly out to Oregon (it was cheaper that way)... when we got to Chicago, we saw that Buffalo had 6 feet of snow and was expecting more. We rerouted our flights, paid the change fee, and headed to Oregon, hoping that our bags would eventually make it (they did the next day). When all was said and done, Buffalo had 9 feet of snow! So glad we didn't get stuck there!

Anyway, so my side of the family. Our tradition has always been to have my brother and I, my aunt, and both sets of Grandparents join us for every holiday (and every birthday, and really every occasion you can imagine celebrating). My cousins have always lived far away, and it was awesome when they were able to join us, but that only was able to happen a few times. As you can see, in 2002, they weren't with us. My Grandmother also wasn't with us, as she was in a nursing home with Alzheimers. We did go visit her as well -- 2002 was to be her last Christmas, as she died in November 2003.


I love looking back at old photos. Over Thanksgiving last week we were talking about our childhood memories. I have so many fond and just plain amazing childhood memories. I also have a bajillion photos to look back on. And I think the two are directly correlated. I fail to discern whether it's a true memory, or just beloved stories attached to worn photographs. But does it matter? I'm part of two awesome families with a huge, rich legacy.

I'm determined to pass that legacy onto my children. And in the process...no matter how crazy it drives the rest of my family...I intend to document every step of the way with a bajillion more photos (thank you digital camera), so they can have the same "golden glow" of memories that I do.

I’m so excited about the Advent Calendar the kids and I have been working on. I grew up with an Advent Calendar as a part of our Christmas celebration. We eagerly opened each door to find the candy behind it. We’d read the Advent devotionals, light the advent wreath/candles each Sunday, excitedly anticipating Christmas Day and Jesus Birth.

This year I wanted to find a way to combine all of those traditions and point to the Savior each day. I didn’t care so much about the chocolate – I wanted something else to be “hidden” behind each door. I wanted the kids to seek Jesus. He is, after all, the reason for the season.

So this is the result of my quest to create the “perfect” Advent calendar. I hope you enjoy it! And I’d LOVE to hear about your Advent traditions.

To create the “scene” for my Advent calendar, I purchased a miniature Christmas tree (or will purchase one).

Under the Christmas tree, I placed 25 folded paper boxes (directions for how to make these are listed below). I numbered each box 1 through 25. So box 1 would be open on December 1st, and so on. Now I do realize that Advent traditionally begins on the 4th Sunday before Christmas, but for simplicity sake, and so that we can reuse this from year to year, we’re doing it 25 days of December.

Within each box is a phrase, a Bible verse, and a symbol. I put the phrase and Bible verse for each day on the inside of the box top (i.e. Day 1 says, “We anticipate Jesus birth, just as they did many years ago.” The Bible verse, “Isaiah 11:1 Psalm 27:14” will immediately follow it.) I’m only putting the Bible verse reference on the box top – my purpose, especially as the kids grow up, is to have them look up and read each verse.

Within the inside of the box on the bottom is what the symbol for the day is (i.e. Day 1 says, “Branch.”) This reference corresponds to the symbol that will be inside. The symbol will be in the form of an ornament, which will be hung on the tree. For right now, I used clip art to make all the symbols. I cut them out in circles, laminated them, punched holes, and they will be ornaments. Moving forward, the kids and I will be on an ornament quest to find all of the proper symbols for each day in miniature to be made into an ornament.

Beginning on Day 18, we’ll build a Nativity Scene in front of the tree. So rather than ornaments, I’ll find a miniature nativity and put one piece in each box. The culmination, of course, will be Baby Jesus lying in a manger on Christmas Day.

I’m very eager to begin this tradition with my kids! We’re building and stuffing the boxes over Thanksgiving weekend. I welcome you to join me in this quest to point your children towards Jesus. Below I’ve listed each day, the phrase, the Bible verse, and the symbol. I’ve also included pictorial step-by-step directions for how to make the paper boxes. Please let me know if you decide to join me!


DAY 1: We anticipate Jesus’ birth, just as they did many years ago.
Isaiah 11:1 - A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Symbol: Branch

DAY 2: The Bible teaches us about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
John 1:1-2 - In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
Symbol: Bible

DAY 3: Jesus came because we are sinners.
Genesis 3:6-7 - When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
1Timothy 1:15 - Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Symbol: Apple

DAY 4: Jesus paid the price for our sins.
Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Hebrews 12:2 - Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Symbol: Cross

DAY 5: Jesus came because God loves us.
John 3:16 - 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.
Symbol: Heart

DAY 6: Because of Jesus, we can have eternal life.
John 3:36 - He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.
Symbol: Ring (eternal)

DAY 7: Jesus came so that we could join God’s family.
John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.
Symbol: Family Photo

DAY 8: Our joy comes from the Lord.
Psalm 126:3 - The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.
Psalm 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Symbol: JOY Ornament

DAY 9: Jesus wanted to show us the way to the Father.
John 14:6-7 - Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
Symbol: Compass

DAY 10: He is the Alpha and the Omega.
Revelation 1:8 - I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God," who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Revelation 21:6 - And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.
Revelation 22:13 - I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
Symbol: Alpha and Omega Ornament

DAY 11: He is the Lamb of God.
John 1:36 - When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, "Look, the Lamb of God!"
Symbol: Lamb

DAY 12: He is the Door.
John 10:9 - I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
Symbol: Door

DAY 13: He is the Good Shepherd.
John 10:14-15 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Symbol: Candy Cane

DAY 14: He is the Light of the World.
John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
Symbol: Candle

DAY 15: He is the Bread of Life.
John 6:35 - Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.
John 6:51 - I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Symbol: Bread

DAY 16: He is the King of Kings.
Revelation 19:16 - On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
Symbol: Crown

DAY 17: Jesus Christ is the greatest gift.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
James 1:17 - Every good and perfect gift is from above.
2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
Symbol: Present

DAY 18: Jesus was born in a humble stable. (Begin to set Nativity Scene.)
Luke 2:12 - This will be a sign to you: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
Symbol: Manger

DAY 19: Angels told the good news that the Savior was born.
Luke 2:8-14 - And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Symbol: Angel

DAY 20: Shepherds came to worship Jesus.
Luke 2:15-20 - When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about." So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
Symbol: Shepherds

DAY 21: A star lit the way to Jesus.
Matthew 2:9-10 - The star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
Symbol: Star

DAY 22: Wise men came to worship Jesus.
Matthew 2:11 - And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Symbol: Wise Men

DAY 23: Jesus’ mother was Mary.
Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.
Luke 1:30-33 - The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
Symbol: Mary

DAY 24: Mary was to be married to Joseph.
Matthew 1:20-23 - An angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us.
Symbol: Joseph

DAY 25: Jesus, the Savior, is born!
Isaiah 9:6 - For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Revelation 22:16 - I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.
Symbol: Baby Jesus

A few posts ago, I asked for your help in selecting Bible verses for my 2010 digital scrapbook calendar. Thanks to those of you who offered ideas! I'm happy to say, the templates are NOW DONE! If you're interested in downloading free templates to add your own pictures and papers to, they're available at my Simply Sarah Design blog for digital scrapping. Hop on over and grab them!

SPOILER ALERT:
To my family -- now is the time to TURN AWAY. There is no need to read the rest of this post. I know... why share it if I don't want you to see it, right? Well... you know how good I've never been with surprises. :) You'll see it soon enough... live and in person.

I really struggled with the templates and how I wanted to create this year's calendar. I think I tried a few different designs and approaches before settling on this one. I just haven't had time to scrap like I'd like to, which means my creative juices have built up quite a few cobwebs (similar to the back deck, I discovered). When I first put this idea to paper, I thought, man, how incredibly uncreative and boring! But, the message was getting through, and that was my priority anyway. So I took a page from an old digital scrapping friend (Glenda - I should really reach out to her again), and said, "Self, I'm done -- the memory is preserved."

As I worked on the first 4 pages and began adding little extra photos to make the pages more than just the template, I realized that the design was growing on me. Thank goodness! Sometimes the simple clean lines allow the photos to speak for themselves better anyway.

So... since I've been awful silent this week from a blog perspective (nothing to say! Sorry! OK... those who know me well know that doesn't typically happen.....) Anyway, since I've been not blogging.... I hope you'll enjoy some pictures instead. (Here's hoping Lulu.com prints them RIGHT this year.)