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Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
This week I got my Christmas shopping done.
Sometimes life gets a little hectic, and before I know it I have five projects hanging over my head. And the calendar keeps rolling on, and each day passes without anything getting crossed off my list, and the pressure in my chest builds. When I start to feel like I'm a few interruptions away from bursting into tears, it's time to set some things aside and make sure those projects get done.
That's what I did last week. I have a sweet husband who had the week off, so he filled the homeschool teacher role for a couple days. But aside from that, I cancelled school for the week, and I spent every spare minute crossing things off my list. I finished my Christmas shopping (except for a couple little straggler gifts). I sorted, edited, and uploaded all my 2024 photos (so far) for printing in January. I cleaned out my kids' rooms (no small task) in preparation for Christmas presents. And then I spent the weekend sending out emails, writing an overdue book review, writing a couple blog posts.
So here we are. I've been wanting to share our recent happenings on here before we are full-on into Christmas season. Despite what the weather did a couple weeks ago, it's still fall, and I don't want to let it slip by without chatting here.
Our Fall
Our post-election snowstorm.
Ever since 2020, I get very skittish in election years, and I've particularly avoided going out on Election Day. You just never know what is going to happen, and I'd rather be tucked away in my little mountain home to deal with the results on our own, for good or for ill. So I stayed up far too late on Election Day, went to bed with the slow dawning of relief spreading through my muscles, and when I woke the next morning with nary an election hiccup in sight, it felt like Christmas morning in more ways than one. Snow blanketed the ground, and we cheered the results and declared a snow day. I baked, we played Christmas music. It was lovely.
It turned into two lovely days, and then three, as the snow continued to fall, and our previously planned events were cancelled clear into Saturday. Finally on Saturday morning, with my husband and oldest out hunting, the younger kids and I could take it no more. We went roller skating, and had a grand time.
This fall we pinched our pennies a bit. Instead of a corn maze (which are quite expensive here) we went on a tour of a tea factory, and visited a fall bulb sale at our local gardens. Instead of a pumpkin patch, we visited our ranch friends, and they gifted us with pumpkins from their garden that are still gracing our house. Instead of picking produce, we went on an adventure in the mountains, and sat in the middle of a huge, secluded aspen grove while we read books and ate candy corn. Fall fun doesn't have to cost alot, does it? Spending time with people you love in the brisk air is what makes fall special.
Homeschooling is going really well, much more smoothly than the previous two years. As I've written before, I think when you hit a homeschool rough patch, the thing you really need to do is power through. Things do tend to improve if you give them time. Even though I have more to manage than ever before, I feel more up to the task as well. I would like to write about our curriculum choices for this year at some point, since we made a bunch of small changes and we are also managing work for our new homeschool co-op. We are taking a more "purist" approach to Charlotte Mason style history this year - my kids are reading so many good books, and it's really wonderful to see them connecting with what they're reading. I'm reading about half their books with them right now, and I myself am learning so much! A curriculum summary will be coming eventually, but for now all the books are my favorite change.
A Hobby Update
Every year around this time, I find myself wanting to learn how to crochet. I've tried learning to crochet before, but it's tricky! I will persist though. A Christmas ornament crochet pattern caught my eye on Etsy the other day. Even though I've gone shopping for the correctly colored yarn, I have not had time to attempt my project yet. Now that all my pre-Thanksgiving tasks are out of the way, perhaps this week I can give it a go. I hope to report success the next time I write an update.
Reading has been very touch-and-go since the summer. I have finally finished quite a few books, but can't seem to get my reading momentum going on any one book. I will have a reading update blog post coming in the next couple weeks, but I have a feeling my yearly totals are not going to be as impressive as previous years. One recent book quite likely will make my favorites list though - I just finished True Grit by Charles Portis a couple weeks ago, and I found it delightful. If you like spunky main characters, amusing first-person narration, and the Old West, it's a winner.
I haven't been baking nearly as much as I typically would in the fall, but I did make caramel pecan cinnamon rolls last week, and they were very tasty.
Derek and I have found several new shows that we are finding amusing. Our favorites are usually competition shows (think Survivor), and we found one called Anonymous. It's one of those social media game shows, which can often be annoying, but this one grew on us. We also have tried a show called The Snake, which is a one-day game show where contestants have to complete tasks while figuring out which player is secretly trying to sabotage them. And then we stumbled across Frogger - which is, well, a real-life Frogger. Similar to America Ninja Warrier, but sillier. We're saving that one to watch with the kids. One of these days I'll get Derek to finish watching Downton Abbey with me, but for now, competition shows are scratching the entertainment itch.
Gratitude
I told Derek a few weeks ago that this year has felt like a year of disappointments. I rattled off a list of things that have just not worked out the way we wished. We had to buy new appliances instead of taking a planned trip to see friends, we didn't have successful hunting seasons, and finances have been leaked away by scary trips to the emergency room.
What I really needed was a bit of sleep, because things always look worse when you're tired.
But in the last couple weeks, my heart has started to calm. God is gracious to us, and somewhere along the way that knowledge settled back on me, like the snow settled on the ground last week and made it sparkle. We are very blessed. All the things I was disappointed about are just life; but life is also full of gifts, isn't it? This is the time of year when we are reminded to open our eyes wider to see them fresh.
Remember when we all used to post thankful lists this time of year? I'm thankful for:
-A house that is filled with warmth, and voices, and a little bit of chaos
-The way snow looks when it's hanging all over pine trees
-The smell of fresh-baked bread
-Books that make you feel like home
-A healthy husband and children
-The smell of fallen aspen leaves
-Watching the sun rise before anyone else is up
-Holiday plans with family taking shape
-Friends that let you know when you're missed and welcome you into their homes
-A group to study the Bible and sing hymns with
-Good preaching
-The right to educate my children at home
-Pumpkin candles
-Twinkle lights
-Siblings to laugh with and supporting parents
-Fuzzy blankets
-Thrift store finds
-A small-town library that lets you check out board games
-Decaf coffee
-Small dogs that don't pass up a chance to cuddle on my lap
-Sweaters
-Sleep
So many little gifts when you stop to think about it. I know this, I've been counting gifts for years, but sometimes life gets busy, and you forget how wonderful everything can be - God's common grace in showers every day. And of course, underneath it all is always that deeper gratefulness that comes with knowing my Savior calls me His own. If everything else falls apart, if every hope is disappointed, if everything is lost - that is something that can't be taken away.
Happy Thanksgiving season! Knowing me, I won't get around to writing another personal post before the day. So I hope you all are overwhelmed by gratitude to the Giver of all good gifts this year.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." James 1:17
A hummingbird just whirred past my window - I can't see it, but there is no mistaking that characteristic sound of summer. We just got back from a Memorial Day barbecue with some friends from church, the first day this year that I've actually felt like we needed some sunscreen. There is a rhythmic beating sound outside my window and laughter as the kids practice their fledgling basketball skills. I have a La Croix next to me, coconut of course, as I sit on my couch in a messy room, but it can wait because I haven't written an update post in forever.
We finished the homeschool year a couple weeks ago, and the last couple weeks have been about catching up on all the house projects that have fallen by the wayside. I switched out all the kids' clothes last week (a full day project, if you include laundering time), I cleaned out all the school cabinets and packed away curriculum that we won't need for next year, and I've washed all the linens, which was overdue. The kids cleaned out their toy boxes and closets, I dropped off a bunch of stuff at goodwill, we bought flowers and vegetables and got most of them in the ground. We brought out all the summer outdoor cushions for the chairs, put up the umbrella over our porch table, and hung up the hummingbird feeders. I've been making lists of items that need to be bought for summer crafts and summer treats, freezing Koolaid cubes for those hot summer days, overseeding the lawn, and putting together a "summer binder" (full of 'I'm bored' lists, chore lists, etc).
It's been a busy couple of weeks!
In between all that, I've been carving out a little time for fun projects that I haven't had time to do during the school year. I finished a couple books that I've been working on for a while, I tried a scone recipe (fail), I've gotten back to the gym after a months-long break, and I made some clay earrings (just for fun, and to give to family and friends). These little watermelons and flowers were fun to make, and I think clay earrings may be an interesting creative outlet for me in the months to come.
I'm looking forward to the summer, but to be honest the real relaxation of summer doesn't truly start until June is over. The next two weeks will be full of homeschool planning and window shopping before the homeschool conference we have every year in June. The homeschool conference is exhausting but worth it - you can read some reasons why I think you should attend a homeschool conference, if you get the chance, here. We've also got a couple weekend trips in there, a whole week of VBS, and a library book sale, and several playdates in June. And oh, my birthday. I'm not sure why, but everything always gets scheduled in June, and July is the time for kiddie pools and serious summer reading.
Speaking of reading, I made a whole stack of books I want to read in the next couple months, and it's a little out of control, as always. There are several summer releases that I'm hoping come in from the library soon, a friend and I are reading The Hiding Place together, and I'm planning to read Everyone Brave Is Forgiven with my penpal and friend, Felicia. Then I want to participate in a Youtube read-along (on this channel) of Moby Dick. Ever since I found out that R. C. Sproul's favorite book was Moby Dick, I've wanted to read it, but it's a doorstop for sure. I'm hoping to find a copy at the aforementioned library sale.
Other happenings around our house: Derek built an office for himself in a corner of our garage this spring. Ever since Covid - so THREE YEARS ago now - he has been working in nooks and crannies around our house. He actually started out in our walk-in closet, but that was too cramped, so he moved to a corner of our room, then to the loft. After three years of us trying to be quiet for him and not quite succeeding, we finally decided this work-at-home thing was hear to stay, and we needed a more permanent solution. We had some wide shelving in a corner of the garage, and a window, so he just tore down some of the shelving, put up a couple walls, laid down a carpet remnant, and voila - a beautiful, perfect little office. I honestly don't know why we didn't think of this sooner! The kids don't have to be as quiet (or not) anymore, and the whole family still gets to benefit from Derek's two-second commute. Win, win.
For the next six weeks or so, Derek is going to do weekly basketball lessons with the kids. My sister is going to bring her kids over for lessons too, and I think everyone is looking forward to it. I'm also hoping we have time for some swimming lessons for the younger kids this summer, which we mostly do ourselves because it's more cost-effective that way. Our oldest is attempting to grow some vegetables in straw bales this summer. I never knew this could be done, but he discovered it in a book he found at the library, and we decided this may be a way that we can actually grow some things in our rather arid corner of the mountains. I'm optimistic! My dad reports that his mom grew green beans and carrots up here back in the day, but she had a significantly greener thumb than me.
It feels like I'm cutting this post short, but it's nearly dinner time and I think I need to wrap this up so we can enjoy the last bit of this long weekend as a family. I have plans to pop on here more often this summer, but no promises for June! June is the same as December around here, chock full of exhausting fun.
Hope you all are having a lovely start to the summer too, and my there be ore summer relaxation in your near future than mine!
This time last year, none of us knew how much of a roller coaster 2020 would be! Despite it being very stressful from a political and world events perspective, on a personal level there are still blessings to be found as I look back on it now. I have written one of these yearly recaps every year for the last 12 years, and I will continue because it is an exercise in gratitude. It's a way to count blessings that may not seem as obvious, because even in hard times, the Lord's grace to us is there when we look for it.
January was a relatively quiet month. We started out the year with a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park, and a horrid cold that last for 2-3 weeks for me and Derek (knowing what we know now...well, we wonder what that was, because we haven't gotten sick since). Then we settled back into our school routine. At this time I was attempting to take a step back from our co-op, because it was turning out to be harder on our family than I thought. We did squeeze in a trip to a local historical museum with one friend, and a hike with another, along with a date night for me and Derek! We saw 1917, which inspired me to start my World War One personal study project.
On The Blog: Why And How I Deleted Half My Facebook Friends
February
February started off with a flurry of snow days, including one storm that dropped over a foot of snow on us. In the middle of one of those storms, the girls went to a daddy/daughter event with our church, all bundled up in princess dresses and snow coats. We also had the first of many car problems that would plague us in 2020 - a new transmission was installed, though we are not even sure if the transmission was truly the problem. We also celebrated Wyatt's birthday, a very bittersweet one for me as I realized he is halfway through his childhood now. We made valentines to give to our cousins and friends, and spotted a tiny bit of greenery poking through the dirt in town. We enjoyed a family hike at a local state park. I also had a girl's night out with some friends, and we discussed the rumored virus. I remember saying I didn't think it would be that big of deal...hadn't we made it through several other varieties of flu - bird, swine, etc - just fine? Joke's on me I guess.
March
This month started out like every other March I ever remember - brown, muddy, a little boring. We got out and enjoyed the warm weather, and saw our friends one day at a McDonald's play place, were I was informed that if I didn't want to run out of toilet paper, I might want to grab some, because it was selling out. I was honestly shocked at this, very surprised at the level of panic. A few days later we went to a train museum with my sister, and the next day we snuck in a trip to the library and stocked up on books. Our co-op was cancelled for the week (little did we know it would end up being cancelled the rest of the school year). The day after that almost everything was shut down, including our church. We had the first "church at home" of what would end up being way more Sundays than I thought. As our opportunities to get out of the house dwindled more and more, we worked on letters for our family and friends, and I learned how to make whipped coffee. At the end of the month our governor issued stay-at-home orders, but I still went out for takeout scones in my car every Friday, and it was a much-needed outing. We also made it a point to go on hikes as much as we could for exercise and fresh air. People weren't meant to stay inside all the time.
On The Blog: Silence, Post-Apocalyptic Books To Read During The Pandemic, How I'm Changing Our Homeschool During The Pandemic
April
Finally in April I stopped obsessively checking the news for changes, and realized I just had to live my life. Derek started building a playhouse for the kids, and I continued with visits to our local coffee shop for takeout, found several fun projects for the kids, and enjoyed some unseasonably warm weather which we celebrated with going out for grocery-store popsicles - eaten in the car. Easter came and went, and it's the first Easter ever that we didn't start the day by going to church. The kids were especially disappointed that we couldn't do our usual sunrise service, but we did still enjoy an egg hunt at Grandma's house. We celebrated Clyde's birthday as he turned 6 years old! I usually try not to rush the summer vibes, but this month I did. In my mind, everything would be better in the summer. Later in the month I organized a photo scavenger hunt for the kids that we did from our car, as well as weekly family movie nights and Sunday school "parties" through Zoom. We all had cabin fever, but we tried to do little things to make the best of it.
On The Blog: Certainty
May
The weather started to warm up, and we enjoyed more days running around at parks and going on walks. Mother's Day ended up being a favorite for me - we went on a nature walk with Derek's mom, had a picnic lunch overlooking the mountains for me, and then visited my mom in the afternoon. We finished up the school year earlier than expected, thanks to having so many Saturdays at home with nothing to do but school. I had the kids pick out some books for summer, and we finished the school year with donuts. Derek installed a greenhouse on our porch and started growing various vegetables and flowers. At the end of May the beaches in Texas reopened, and we took a road trip to spend a week in Galveston. It was a perfect refresher for our family - I don't think I realized how stressed I was about all the pandemic stuff until we got away for a few days. Though it was an eventful trip, with a problem with our beach house and an ear/throat infection that required an urgent care visit for antibiotics, we mostly just enjoyed the water and pool and restaurants.
On The Blog: Cold Coffee And Sunshine, Recent Reads - Spring 2020
June
We got back from vacation at the start of June, and I determined we were going to have a good summer even if it wasn't totally "normal". But the parks opened, and our church reopened for in-person services, and just those two little things made a huge difference. I made a big summer to-do list that included hikes, playing in creeks, craft projects, and lots of summery food. We also planned an ocean-themed birthday party for the boys with our friends and family, after delaying it for several months! Derek and I got out for a date that involved mini golf and takeout, and we went fishing for my birthday. We celebrated Derek on Father's Day. And overall we just enjoyed the warmer weather and the break from school.
On The Blog: Shouts And Whispers, A Summer Fun To-Do List
July
We found some fireworks to watch on the 4th of July, which I was so grateful for since so many shows were cancelled. Then a week later, Derek surprised me with a weekend getaway to a Gaylord resort for our 12th anniversary! We enjoyed the night away and getting to lay by the hotel's pools without worrying about anybody not being able to swim. We also made the trek to our county fair, which included a free circus show and rodeo events. I was so proud of our little county for continuing with the fair, since so many counties had cancelled theirs. We had a couple hikes with friends and did more at-home summer activities like sidewalk paint, homemade play dough, and local sightseeing at historical sites and national monuments.
August
We started gearing up to restart the school year in August, but not before we sent off the summer with a little more fun - campfires (before wildfires got out of control and a ban was instituted), porch camping, and finally a trip to Arches National Park and Black Canyon Of The Gunnison! It was a beautiful trip, even though it was short. It was a trip that felt truly energizing instead of just stress-relieving, as our vacation in May had been. Derek finished up the summer with getting the roof on the kids playhouse, while we had our first day back to school. Wyatt started 4th grade, Gwen started 2nd, and Clyde started 1st.
On The Blog: Narrowing It Down - Tips For Picking Curriculum
September
We had some wild temperature swings in September, including a first snow! But overall it was a fairly mild month, and we spent time outside studying plants as we learned more about botany for our homeschool science. We also ended up taking a weekend trip to Nebraska for Derek's cousin's wedding. It was lovely, and I read quite a lot of my World War One book in the car. The kids started Awana at church, which gave them a regular outing, and gave Derek and me almost weekly date nights. At the end of the month we celebrated Clarice's 5th birthday!
On The Blog: How To Teach Young Kids About Elections - Resources, A Case For Choosing A Personal Study Project, My Favorite "Five Senses" Learning Resources
October
October always brings a lot of fall fun with it, and this year we managed to squeeze in a trip to a corn maze, and a fall hikes at the peak of color. I took our annual fall family pictures at my parent's house. Derek started gearing up for hunting season, and I started teaching the kids how to embroider (we're still working on it). We took a trip out to our friends' ranch and had a lovely visit with them, as always. I also flew out to Montana with my mom for my cousin's wedding - it was a whirlwind trip, but I'm so glad we went! At the end of the month we went target shooting, and I went deer hunting for the first time in about 8 years. I got one on the first morning, thanks to my great hunting guide (Derek)! We celebrated Georgiana's 3rd birthday at the end of October! We also did our little Reformation Day activities that have become a tradition for us.
On The Blog: The Art Of Coziness, A Worthy Way To Spend A Life, Three Years Of Bullet Journaling - How I Do It, Books That Help Me Find joy In The Small, Celebrating Reformation Day - More Resources, My Morning Routine (As A Homeschool Mom Of Five)
November
Derek spent several weekends hunting in November, so we didn't do too much at the beginning of the month. We voted on November 3rd, and then I spent the rest of the month obsessively reading the news and being stressed about the dubious election results. We visited with friends, kept plugging away at schoolwork, and just enjoyed time at home. On Thanksgiving we enjoyed seeing our family and thanking the Lord for getting us through a very unusual year. Then we cooked a second Thanksgiving dinner for our own little family, just because.
On The Blog: What's On My Christmas List
December
Even though this December was just as busy for us as any December is, it somehow still felt more relaxed. We enjoyed a trail of lights with my family, a Christmas party with my extended family, a Christmas party with our Sunday school class, a winter hike, and a trip to see my grandpa. Even though restaurants were targeted for closing indoor dining this month, we still went out to eat on the patio or in outdoor tents during our Awana date nights. The kids and I decorated a "night tree" with dried fruits and popcorn for the deer, and we read a lot of Christmas picture books to go along with school. We visited a train museum with friends on Christmas Eve eve, and it was so nice to have a field trip after having so few this year! We went stargazing in the mountains, the darkest place we could find, to see the "Christmas star", a connection of Jupiter and Saturn. We somehow managed to squeeze visits with both sides of our family in on Christmas Eve, and then we enjoyed a quite Christmas Day at home, opening presents, playing games, and watching movies. In the week between Christmas and New Year's I became aware of some invasive privacy policy changes to Instagram, and after a year of censorship and activism on the part of the big tech giants, I'd had enough. I prepared to say goodbye to Instagram and Facebook, probably for good. (You can find me on Parler and MeWe now!) We celebrated Derek and Gwen's birthday after Christmas, with my girl turning 8 years old! We finished off 2020 with a family movie night at home, which seemed an appropriate and comforting end to this crazy year.
On The Blog: Starting A Nature Study Journal - How And Why, Stars Write His Name, Is Instagram Necessary For Bloggers, Honoring God Through Social Media Use, The Year Without An Instagram
Even though last year was a rough year, I am so thankful for the way the Lord has carried us through, and the way He has blessed our family this year with time together and fresh perspectives on what really matters. I want to remember that as we head into 2021!
Appreciating...the long weekend, because Derek should be able to make good progress on the kids' treehouse!
Stressed about...the fact that it's supposed to snow NEXT WEEK. As in September 8th. That is way too early for snow, and I am so nervous that all the leaves will immediately die and fall off, and there will be no Autumn to speak of.
Anticipating...the two weddings we have coming up in the next month. I haven't been to a wedding in five years! These are also the first weddings I've ever traveled out of state to attend - one in a neighboring state for Derek's cousin, and one for my cousin that will require a flight north. It should be an adventure, especially in these, ahem, times. If you've flown recently, please let me know what to expect.
Collecting...resources on civics and the electoral process, since I decided this is the year to introduce these subjects to my kids for real! I've got quite a stack going, and so far our little civics lessons have been pleasant. Right now I'm focusing on elections, and I think I will move on to other civics topics throughout the year. I've avoided having to go in-depth on the three branches of government so far, so maybe that will be next.
Starting...Awana. This is the first year my kids have ever done Awana, and I'm glad we have enough space in our schedule to include it! We have always had too many sports, co-ops, etc, in past years to fit one more thing in. But this year, for finances and other reasons, we cut out alot of our other activities, so it was the perfect year to give Awana a try.
Finishing...the ten books that I told myself I would finish before October. Or I'm attempting to finish them anyway. It's been too tempting to start a new book, because fall brings with it different reading moods for me! I have six more books to finish (I removed one that I know is just not going to happen). I need to get a move-on. What are you reading lately? What do you consider a fall-ish book? I started a re-read of Anne Of Green Gables. I couldn't help myself.
Anticipating...the two weddings we have coming up in the next month. I haven't been to a wedding in five years! These are also the first weddings I've ever traveled out of state to attend - one in a neighboring state for Derek's cousin, and one for my cousin that will require a flight north. It should be an adventure, especially in these, ahem, times. If you've flown recently, please let me know what to expect.
Collecting...resources on civics and the electoral process, since I decided this is the year to introduce these subjects to my kids for real! I've got quite a stack going, and so far our little civics lessons have been pleasant. Right now I'm focusing on elections, and I think I will move on to other civics topics throughout the year. I've avoided having to go in-depth on the three branches of government so far, so maybe that will be next.
Starting...Awana. This is the first year my kids have ever done Awana, and I'm glad we have enough space in our schedule to include it! We have always had too many sports, co-ops, etc, in past years to fit one more thing in. But this year, for finances and other reasons, we cut out alot of our other activities, so it was the perfect year to give Awana a try.
Finishing...the ten books that I told myself I would finish before October. Or I'm attempting to finish them anyway. It's been too tempting to start a new book, because fall brings with it different reading moods for me! I have six more books to finish (I removed one that I know is just not going to happen). I need to get a move-on. What are you reading lately? What do you consider a fall-ish book? I started a re-read of Anne Of Green Gables. I couldn't help myself.
Enjoying...nature journaling with the kids. I never felt like I could get the hang of nature journaling, but this year it is coming easier. I credit this entirely to the kids' botany curriculum. Turns out it's alot easier to nature journal when you have some knowledge about plants! They do, after all, make up the bulk of the living things out there.
Making...chocolate chai masala truffles from this cookbook. It's on our "Friday Fun Day" schedule for school today. Is it a stretch to include making rich chocolate treats for school? I'm going with no. Kitchen skills and fractions.
Drinking...the pumpkin cream cold brew at Starbucks. It is just so good! But I'm only drinking it occasionally, because Starbucks prices are getting outrageous (I say this every year, yet I still get pulled in by the pumpkin).
Peace is a theme of the Christmas season, and I've been mulling over the idea lately.
On the night that Jesus was born, angels lit up quiet skies and declared "on earth, peace among men!" But the world still doesn't feel peaceful, does it? Our attempts to drum up some peace around Christmas time feel artificial and hollow. Around this globe, war and atrocities never truly end. Maybe that's why the song "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" has resonated with me in my adult life.
"There is no peace on earth," I said. For hate is strong, and mocks the song, of Peace on earth, goodwill to men..."
I think we understand peace all wrong. We think quiet, or a brief ceasing of strife, or a fleeting feeling, or one happy day is Christmas peace. But that's not the peace the angels were talking about. The peace Christ brought when he was born in that stable is not the temporary, fading peace of one Christmas morning.
"But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace..."
Ephesians 2:13-14a
Christ Himself is our peace.
We are a rebellious, sinful people. We have broken God's laws, we are lost, deserving death as the penalty for the crimes we have committed against a holy God. But instead of giving us the punishment we deserve, God in His mercy stretched out His hands, and offered us peace by offering Himself.
Peace on earth, goodwill to men.
That baby, born in a manger that night, was God Himself. He who had no sin, took the death we deserved by dying on the cross in our place. He rose again, securing His victory over death and our sin. And He still stretches out His hands to us now, offering us peace with God, if we will just believe and trust in Christ to save us. The truest peace of God can be ours forever.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
Romans 5:1
Someday Jesus will return again, and put all things right, and then His people will have peace in every sense of the word. Until then, my prayer for you, my friends, is that you will know His peace in your heart this Christmas and always. That you may reach out and grasp the hand of peace that God has offered to you in Jesus Christ, and find Him while He may be found.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."
Romans 15:13
"Because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace."
Luke 1:78-79
He Himself is our peace. May you know that truly, my friends. And the merriest of Christmases to you!
Christmas newsletters are very hard to get right.
Every year around this time, I get a handful of Christmas newsletters tucked inside of Christmas cards. I am excited each time I get one - it's fun to read a little bit about what my friends and family are up to, what they thought was worth noting about their year.
To the people I know who send a newsletter each year, I give major props, because I also recognize that newsletters are hard to write! You have to come up with something to say about each family member, and keep it within a reasonable length, insert some personality to make it interesting to read, and do it all without crossing the line into "braggy" territory. I think all the newsletters I've received this year were able to strike this balance well, but I've never really attempted a Christmas newsletter because I wasn't sure I could do a good job of it.
However, I read a newsletter blog post on Michelle's blog last week, and it was fun to read! I thought she really nailed the art of the newsletter, and it made me want to try one. So I wrote up a newsletter for our family over the weekend. I don't hate how it turned out, but it's too late to send it in my cards, so I'm just going to share it here instead. Pretend this is printed on Christmas-y paper and showing up in your mailbox!
Note: This is actually a little long for a Christmas newsletter, but in my defense, there are seven people in this family on which to write an update.
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Dear Friends and Family,
I have never sent out a Christmas newsletter, but now that we are exiting the too-tired-to-floss, new-baby phase, which has encompassed the last 9 (!) years, I thought I’d give it a go.
Don’t people usually say something like “this year has been one for the books” to start out a newsletter? I think every year could be considered one for the “books”, but in the general sense of the phrase, this has not been a “big” year. It’s been an ordinary, slow-growing year. But there is something wonderful about those restful, quiet years that I think is worth celebrating too.
For Derek, much of 2019 has involved home improvement projects. We bought a new house late in 2018, and I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that I cried the first night we spent in our new house, telling Derek that it just didn’t feel like “us”. He has gradually been making that statement untrue. In the last year he has remodeled the kitchen and master bathroom, installed new flooring, changed out light fixtures, built a fireplace and (halfway) installed a wood stove, and started on the kids’ new play structure (still in the blueprint stage). I was going to say that it feels like slow going, but thought better of it - seeing it all typed out makes that statement feel silly. That is a lot of work! I’m grateful for all the hours and care Derek has put into making this place home.
Wyatt, to my horror, is nearing 9 years old. I say “horror”, because I came to the realization this fall that once he reaches 9, we will be halfway through his childhood. Let that sit a minute. He is a delightful kid, a little shy around new people, but ask him what his favorite animal or bird is, and he can talk your ear off. He knows more about animals than me, is better at identifying birds than me, and remembers interesting facts we read much longer than I do. Needless to say, it’s pretty easy to homeschool him when we break out the science textbooks (maybe not as much when I bring out the writing book, his least favorite subject). Bike lights and an “adventure kit” (including binoculars, compass, and flashlight) are on his Christmas list.
Gwendolyn will be 7 years old “two days after Christmas, the same birthday as Daddy’s!”, as she likes to tell anyone who will listen. She is fun-loving and easy to like, and tends to make friends wherever she goes. She is reading, but is desperate to get further in her reading curriculum so she can learn to read chapter books. While I have become less of a planner the older I get, Gwen picks up where I slack off. She recently wrote out a detailed plan for Christmas morning that made me chuckle and melt a little. Nail polish and Barbies are on her Christmas list.
Aren’t you supposed to include a paragraph about the family vacation in a Christmas newsletter? Clyde’s paragraph might make more sense if I do. We went to Florida this year, mostly because it is the cheapest place to fly in August. Hurricane season and all. We got home a mere week before the hurricane, crossed the Everglades off our National Park bucket list, and while we feel grateful that we can now say we took the kids to Disney World once in their childhood, our one day there taught us that we are not hardcore Disney people. Our favorite part of the trip was visiting NASA and seeing the Saturn V rocket and moon capsule, and it has launched (ha!) an interest in space for our whole family (except Derek, he was always a space guy).
Having said that, our 5.5 year old Clyde has latched on to space transportation as an interest. When I ask him lately what he wants to learn about, the answer is always “rocket ships!” If I picked an adjective for Clyde, it would be “charming”. The kid can get away with saying the “darndest” things, just because of the charming little way he says them. When he gets one-on-one time with me he always has a lot to talk about, and I learn such interesting things about him (like the fact that he wants to have eight kids someday - he said it so seriously, I knew it was well thought-out). Rocket ship Legos and a model space shuttle are on his Christmas list.
Clarice turned 4 years old this fall, and while she has always had a big personality, especially for being so quiet, I’ve seen it developing more recently. She is my most imaginative child, declaring how fun it would be if the world were made of fudge, and excitedly informing me that the moon is following us home because “ he’s hungry!” Her blue eyes and dimpled smile would probably melt the iciest heart, but when I pull out my camera she frequently takes that as her cue to try out every expression in her arsenal. A Little Mermaid princess doll and a Barbie are on her Christmas list.
Our littlest one, Georgiana, just turned 2 years old, and I’m not sure I’ve met a more easy-going toddler. Redirection is a breeze, and is often accompanied by an enthusiastic “OH-KAY!” Aside from the occasional flirtation with the “terrible twos” (which thankfully never lasts too long), she is very agreeable. She mainly just cries when she is thirsty or cold or within 20 feet of a moving vehicle (a healthy fear). She is my most social child so far (that’s saying something, because Gwen was hard to beat). When we walk through a store or parking lot, she is usually holding my hand, and the other hand is waving at strangers as she shouts “HI!” She is usually rewarded with a grin. On her Christmas list is whatever we decide to get her, and a new bunny-bear, which was her most prized possession before she lost it four months ago.
This letter wouldn’t be complete without including our protector-dog, Harvey. He is mainly a teddy bear, following me around the house and settling in for a nap wherever I happen to be. But he can break out his scary bark when he feels it necessary, which is usually when the poor mailman is trying to drop off a package. He had a tumor earlier this year which briefly made our hearts sink into our feet, until we thankfully found out it was benign. He wants a rawhide bone for Christmas.
I (Callie) have been keeping busy homeschooling the kids, reading a lot of books, and figuring out how to keep this place clean (a never-ending, and possibly losing, battle). While I occasionally miss working as a dental hygienist, settling into these homeschooling years has been very fulfilling (and also very insecurity-inducing, but we won’t get into that). The greatest joy of homeschooling to me so far is the freedom to point my kids to Jesus throughout their education, and getting a front row seat as I watch them grow academically and in their knowledge and love for the Lord. I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Oh, and also I’ve been taking too many pictures. I notice an occasional eye roll from a passerby when I whip out my camera, but most people get it. I’ve been told many, many times by the older generation that “it goes by so fast”. I take so many pictures because I believe the white-haired ladies who stop me in the grocery store to wistfully remind me of that.
Merry Christmas, friends! We pray that you each know the peace with God that comes through trusting Jesus, Who was born to pay for our sins on the cross, that we may live. He is our greatest gift.
Also praying as we approach 2020 that it is a restful, quiet year “for the books” for you too. That may be a tall order in an election year, but nothing is impossible with God! (Joking, but also kind of not.) Hoping for a peaceful New Year for you all!
Joyfully,
Our Little Family
"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." (1 John 5:20, ESV)
And then don't even get me started on the stress of wrapping. We're usually those parents that are finishing up at 11 PM on Christmas Eve.
But there is a part of Christmas shopping that is really fun to me too, and that is anticipating how excited the gift-ee will be when they open their present! This is more and more fun as my kids get older. When kids are little, I feel like they are just happy about everything on Christmas morning. I don't really know what my two year old wants for Christmas, I just grab a couple things that look good, and she'll be excited no matter what is under the wrapping paper. As my big kids are getting older though, their presents are more specific to their interests, and that makes me more excited to give them!
Anyway, I thought I'd share the present I am most looking forward to giving each kid, and Derek! Just for fun. I also got some good deals on a couple "gifts" for myself - does anyone else do that? - so I'll share those too.
Wyatt, 8.75 years old.
If you know Wyatt for more than two minutes, you'll know that his favorite subject is birds. He likes to observe them, and he knows so much about them. At this point I fully expect him to be a world-class birder/bird photographer someday. I am quite excited to give him this book I found - the kid can never have too many books about birds, but this one comes with programmed bird calls for 75 species of birds! Now he will be able to identify them not just by their appearance, but by their sounds too.
Gwendolyn, nearly 7 years old.
Gwen is getting to such a fun and girly age, and I think we have finally reached the age where she is old enough to play with Barbies. I am thrilled about this. My sister and I used to play Barbies for hours, and we had elaborate plots worked out, and distinct personalities for each of our Barbies. Clarice probably isn't quite big enough to play Barbies like that with Gwen yet, but she will be soon, and in the meantime I'll show Gwen how it's done! I found this astrophysicist Barbie and thought it was pretty cool - I know there is probably some sort of feminist message being attempted with the "career" Barbie line (and I am not a feminist), but I do think the career Barbies open up whole new possibilities for Barbie storylines, so I'm here for it.
Clyde, 5.5 years old.
Clyde's interests are starting to differentiate from the other kids, and I'd say they revolve mostly around transportation. He is into cars, trains, airplanes, and to my delight, rocket ships. We went to the science museum last week, and he spotted a toy space shuttle in the gift shop. He actually cried because we couldn't get it - it wasn't "I'm throwing a fit" crying, but just a genuine, heartbroken crying because he didn't think he'd ever get the toy he wanted so badly. It melted my heart a little bit. I am loving his interest in space-related transportation right now, and I think he is going to be really excited to open this space shuttle lego set!
Clarice, 4 years old.
Clarice is still little enough that she will be enthusiastic about anything she opens. However, in preparation for Christmas shopping, I had all the kids go through the toy catalogs we received in the mail and circle the things they wanted. It was very enlightening. There was a theme to the things Clarice circled - every time Ariel (of The Little Mermaid) came up in the catalog, Clarice circled it. We haven't even watched the original Little Mermaid, but I did let the kids watch the prequel (go rent it from the library, I like it better than the actual Little Mermaid movie). Apparently it made an impression, so an Ariel doll she will have! I liked this one because it wasn't a Barbie-style Ariel doll (which I'm not sure would get much play time yet), and I also like that she's wearing the glittery blue dress instead of the mermaid bikini. Modesty and all that.
Georgiana, 2 years old.
Georgie really doesn't care very much what her presents are yet, and I'm pretty sure she is going to love everything I got. But I am personally rather excited about one of the items I bought for her stocking. I found these rock crayons online, and they look like so much fun! Georgie is just now getting into drawing, and these look like a fun tool for little hands. I can't wait to let her try them out!
(Derek, if you are reading this post, stop right this minute! Love you.)
Family Gift
Excuse the warning above, but this is a family gift and Derek doesn't know I got it! This fall we have been studying space, and we've done a couple star-gazing trips as a family. Derek has always been a space nerd, and I've been getting more into space subjects too after the 50th anniversary of the moon landing this summer. The kids have caught some of the enthusiasm too, so I decided to take $20 from each person's Christmas budget, and I put it toward a telescope! I'm not going to include a picture here, just in case Derek does scroll through this post briefly, but this is the one I got. I'm sure it's not the best telescope in the world because it didn't cost thousands of dollars, but you are supposed to be able to see galaxies with it. I can't wait to use it the next time we go stargazing!
For Derek
I got Derek a few things he has been mentioning, but I am actually really excited to give him a "together" gift this year. Every year I try to buy our family one new game for Christmas, and Derek and I usually end up playing it in the afternoon on Christmas Day. We drink wassail, eat snacks, and play our game while we listen to Christmas music, and it's lovely. We especially like strategy board games, and I ran across this one when I was shopping this year. It looks like alot of fun! I think Derek will be surprised that there is such a thing as a Jurassic Park board game.
For Me
I did find some good prices on a couple things for me while I was Christmas shopping this year. I know, I know. But yes, I "Christmas shopped" for myself. Anyway, if you've been reading for a while, you know that I am an advocate for wearing nice, non-frumpy pajamas. For the last few months I have been breaking my own rule and making do with ratty pajamas, so I was overdue for a new set. On Cyber Monday, I grabbed these from Target:
They are soft, cozy, and cute, and also cool and breathable so I don't get too hot, which is important for me. Much better than the items I was wearing, trust me.
This summer I also discovered ColourPop eyeshadow palettes, and I have to say, I really like them. The colors are pretty, and they apply well for being so inexpensive! They re-stocked this palette that looked like a great neutral eyeshadow palette, so I wanted to grab it before it sells out:
I'm excited to play with it a little more!
So those are a few of the presents that will be waiting under our tree this year. Minus the "presents" for me, which I'll be wearing.
What present are you most excited to give this year?
We decide to skip the trolley. After waiting in line for the ferry to leave Disney World for over an hour, I do not want to wait in another line. "Let's just walk," I suggest, and I hope the parking lot is as close as I think it is.
We trudge across a nearly empty parking lot to a bridge that crosses over one of the many channels of water in Orlando. Clouds cover the stars, but we can see the moon peeking out on the edges, a handbreadth up from the horizon. We cross the bridge and I notice how the moonlight shines across the water through the trees. The sound of junebugs are everywhere, and birds that are strange to our ears call from these little patches of nature in the middle of all the cement.
"Let's pretend we are explorers, and we just landed in the New World," I say as I push the stroller, trying to distract the big kids from their aching feet. "See that little water channel, and those trees? It would be like that everywhere. And there would be birds calling, and crocodiles in the water, and maybe a panther in the trees! Can you imagine what it would have been like to be here then? Would you be scared?"
My oldest son's eyes light up as he considers the possibility, while my daughter looks happy that this is just a pretend game. Up ahead I hear laughter, and I glance up to see Derek with our preschooler in one arm, and our near-kindergartner in the other. They grin at me over his shoulders, and I grin back, listening as my oldest two beside me discuss how they would protect themselves in the jungle.
And that's when I finally feel it.
We've been in the "happiest place on earth" all day, but here in this moment, walking on aching feet through a dark parking lot as if we are conquering explorers, this is when I feel the most magical.
And I realize now that we don't have to travel across the country and have "magic" manufactured for us. We had tried that all day, and it was a failed attempt. No, those blessed, happy, magic-filled moments can happen anywhere with a little imagination and gratitude, whenever I open my eyes to them. They can happen with sore feet and damp hair, they can happen at home or far away, when we are doing something exciting or when we are so tired we are merely longing to be tucked under cool sheets.
Just being with the people I love most in the world, laughing and walking along together, that is the happiest place on earth. That is a beautiful blessing given to me by God Himself.
That is magical all by itself.
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I wrote this after our trip to Florida in August, and now seemed like a good time to share it, since my month of memory-keeping is almost over! You can read all my posts in this series by clicking on the picture below.
One of the ways I bonded with my dad growing up was through him teaching me how to hunt.
Hunting is something that has been tradition in my family for generations, and it started with necessity. Hunting is an inexpensive way to put meat in our freezer. My grandpa started hunting when he was a teenager for that very reason, and he and his brother taught their children how to hunt, and they taught theirs, and I guess that's where it became a tradition. We still hunt today for mainly of the same reasons - to fill the freezer being high up on the list.
Another reason we value hunting so much, contradictory as it may seem to those who don't understand it, is because of a love for God's creation. We love getting out in nature, seeing the sunrise, hearing which birds wake up first, finding tracks of animals we aren't even trying to find. We do it because it's a great way to get out there, and we do it for the sake of conservation. Many people don't realize how many animals would starve and die over the winter if their populations are too high at the start of it. It's why there is a Division Of Wildlife - to study these things, and help keep ecosystems in proper balance.
It always irks me to see how hunters are sometimes portrayed by authors or producers who don't have a clue. I've put books down because of a portrayal of hunters as careless idiots with guns who just want to kill something. The ignorance is stunning to me. The hunters I know, who I've grown up with, are some of the most careful and most respectful people you will meet with regards to firearms and nature.
When I was twelve my dad took me hunting for the first time. I had a cow elk tag, and he woke me up early and we made the trek out into the woods. Snow crunched under my feet, and my lungs burned with the cold morning air at the exertion. I hung on to the straps on my dad's backpack so he could help haul me up the hill.
Every now and then he would spot a track, sometimes elk, but I remember specifically seeing mountain lion and bear tracks too. He would whisper and point them out to me, and I'd whisper how cool it was and grin.
I got an elk on that first day of my first hunt. It was a very exciting moment, and a particularly large elk, so it was great to contribute to the family's food like that. But my favorite part was grinning at my dad after a successful hunt and seeing he was grinning back at me, and resting together on the snow as we split a Nutroll candy bar and drank a jug of Gatorade.
You just don't even know how good a Nutroll and Gatorade can taste until you've worked so hard for them. I went hunting with my dad all through my growing up years, and a Nutroll and Gatorade was always our victory meal.
My dad taught Derek how to hunt, and now Derek provides for our family too through hunting, and he's planning to take our kids when they are big enough. So the tradition continues.
I haven't been hunting since I've had kids. It was too hard to go since we'd have to find a babysitter. But as I watch the leaves turn and the frost returning this year, I'm feeling that itch to get out there again (not to mention the meat would help a lot in feeding five hungry kids).
Today, I don't buy Nutrolls or Gatorade. I just can't imagine snacking on them in my living room or car. They will forever be reserved for me as the fuel I'll pull out of my backpack, as I'm sitting on a rock in the brisk fall air after a hard morning of hunting. That's how they taste best.
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