Christmas Reflections

For most, the celebrations are over and decorations are quickly finding their way back into storage tubs.  Not for us.

Having lived in a Swedish community for several years where Christmas decorations were not removed until January 13th on King Knut's Day, we adopted a later set-strike for the Christmas decor.  I want to savor it for as long as I can.

Espeically this year.

This Christmas season I made some poor choices until it was nearly too late.  I chose to become preoccupied for the first time in ...well, forever.

I've never understood those who speak of wildy-busy holidays that they find totally overwhelming.  I've always enjoyed everything about Christmastime.  But this year, things were different.

This year, I lost my focus.

The realization of that lost focus was a major contributor to me posting my 2009 Review and taking off for a while.  I needed to figure out what had happened and how to get back the focus I had lost.

I know I said "until next year", but all it took was a couple of days to reach an understanding.  And what I realized needed to be shared here.

I lost my balance.  Not the kind that causes you to fall off the balance beam in 4th grade gym class, but the kind that leaves you clinging to the sides of life petrified that the white-knuckled grip you hold won't last long.

I was "getting by" and things were still getting done, but I wasn't really enjoying any of it.  I was beginning to feel as if lots of other things "owned" me and my time, but all I really wanted to do was sit still and soak in the season.

This Christmas was spent at home.  On purpose.

We were snowed in to boot.  Perfect timing.

The blog was on auto-pilot and I had nowhere to be and nothing to do but enjoy my husband and children and RE-focus on my Savior's birth.

So, I leave you with a few pics from the quiver.  I pray your Christmas was blessed...

and focused!

 

 

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Favorite Homeschooling Idea of the Year

Join the discussion in my BlogFrog community:

What's Your Favorite Homeschooling Idea of 2009?

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Until Next Year...

The sun is setting on 2009.

It's been a year of healing for our family.  A new baby.  The one year anniversary of our daughter's home-going.  Returning to the places I was never sure I could return to.

The 3 year old got potty-trained.  I managed to put together a few sewing projects, but most of them were quick and easy since I found myself needing to regroup and refocus.

This blog also brought it's own blessings.  The readership here more than quadrupled in 2009!  (Welcome to all my new readers!  I hope you are blessed by what you read here.  I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you!)  I got a blog makeover (and hosted my first large-scale giveaway!) My header picture took on a new meaning.  I did my first ever series on Creative Writing.  I joined the team At The Well.  And just recently, I won a 6 month contract to write for a natural parenting internet company!

Our family started working on eating healthier (continues to be a work in progress) and my closet got a makeover.  I learned more about genealogy, wool longies, and driving a 15 passenger van!  I even learned something more about babywearing...a topic I already felt pretty well versed in!

I found myself climbing out of a crisis of faith that stemmed from losing Emily (I hope to write about that journey in 2010) toward a recommittment to raising children who see God's grace in me.  I learned to listen to my children and enjoy the blessing of children who actually like each other.

I gave all of you some of my favorite recipes, our If/Then Chart, a look into how we homeschool our littles, and the embarrassing and enlightening confession that a man taught me how to keep my kitchen clean! *gasp*

My husband stocked our freezer with buffalo meat and I stocked our pantry with my once-a-month shopping.

We loved, we laughed, we lived.

And now we rest...until next year.

Merry CHRISTmas All!

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Cream Cheese Party Wreath

Have a party this season?

Try this:

Cream Cheese Party Wreath
2 pkgs (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 pkg (8oz) shredded mild cheddar
1 Tbsp chopped red bell pepper
1 Tbsp finely chopped green onion
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
green olives, cut for garnish

Beat cream cheese and cheddar with electric mixer until well blended.  Add red pepper, green onion, Worcestershire and lemon juice.  Mix well and refrigerate for several hours.
Place drinking glass in center of serving platter.  Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of mixture around glass, working outward.  Remove glass and garnish with chopped green olives and pimentos to create holly effect.

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I Am the Proud Owner of My Very Own Domain!

It's something I've tossed around for a while now, but didn't understand well enough to do.  Finally, a few days ago, I took the leap and...

Got my own domain!

I wanted the .com, but someone (who isn't using it, by the way) already owns it, so I "settled" for the .net.  I also had to learn a few things about CNAMEs and A NAMEs and all that jazz (yeah, I almost cried).  But, I figured it out just about midnight last night!

As you'll see nothing changed and nothing is missing and you can still get here from the blogspot address.  But I'll tell you what...it sure feels good to own my own piece of the internet!

So, *drumroll please*...

I am now officially residing at:

www.raisingarrows.net

(woo hoo!)

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Travel Games...Without Pieces

photo courtesy of kevinzim

'Tis the season for traveling!  In fact, the last couple of days I've logged quite a bit of Windshield Time with my awesome husband and cute-as-a-button kids.  

Before we started driving a 15 passenger van, we found more often than not our precious little ones had managed to drag the entire contents of their rooms into the minivan.  Not cool when you have children packed in like sardines with no elbow room in a van that is piled to the ceiling with junk, beloved toys.

When the 15 passenger came home I knew something had to change or else we'd end up with not just the contents of their rooms in the van, but the contents of the rest of the house in the van.  I just couldn't hack the clutter.  So, I made a rule...

No more than 2 items per child in the van at any given time.

That equals 10 items...plenty to keep 'em busy, right?

To be honest, there are still times when they need something to do.  So, in the spirit of eradicating boredom, our family invented a myriad of travel games ...all without pieces!  (I do so love games without pieces!)

My kids and I spent some windshield time the other day brainstorming all our games, so here is the list:

• ABC - Find all the letters of the alphabet along the road.  This is a cooperative game where all the players search out billboards, license plates, restaurants, street signs, etc in the hopes of finding every single letter (no skipping or giving up allowed!) before reaching their destination.

• I Spy - Good old-fashioned game of "I Spy with my little eye something...orange."  Other players guess until someone discovers the answer.

• Last Letter-First Letter - Start the game with any word.  The last letter of that word is then used to begin the next word from the next player.  So, if CAT is the word, the next player has to start a word with "T".  If TURTLE is the word, then the next player has to begin their word with "E" and so and so forth.

• Color/Shape Hunt - Pick a color or a shape (or both!) and work together to find as many things along the road that shape and/or color.

• 20 Questions - One player thinks of an object and the rest of the players ask Yes or No questions until someone guesses the object correctly.

• Spell a Word - Similar to ABC, except you pick a word and then try to find the letters in that word in order.

• Penny Hawks - This game started in an act of desperation (too many voices in too small of a space!) and has become one of the kids' favorite games (probably because they get paid!)  The older kids get a penny (up to ten cents) for each hawk they spot.  The little kids just get a penny per bird of any kind.  You can choose any bird or landmark...make it hard if you're not in the mood to pay out!

• Rhyming Game - Mom or Dad pick a word and everyone takes turns coming up with a word that rhymes.  I say Mom and Dad pick out the word because inevitably if left up to a child to choose, he or she will want to have everyone rhyme with something like "hippopotamus".

• Spelling Bee - Just what it says it is.  Pick a word...have them spell it.  Great way for you homeschoolers to work in a little car-schooling!

•  Stories with Holes (also known as Lateral Thinking Puzzles) - A favorite of mine!  But beware, these are tough!  We have several books of these that we sometimes take along on trips, but I also have a few memorized as well.  One person gives the scenario and everyone else asks Yes or No questions until someone solves these sometimes outrageous brain-teasers.  Riddles can also be a good way to pass the time.  If you get good enough, you can make up your own.
  

Now, gather up your family, jump in the car, and play some games this busy travel season!

If you'd like to know what I pack for our family day trips, just click on the link!  And perhaps you are interested in how those of us sportin' 15 passenger vans organize the thing...read how Peace Creek mama does it.  Take the stress out of traveling this holiday season and enjoy the memories!

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I Won! I Won!

Take a look at the left-hand sidebar, folks!  I'm still in shock!  (and seriously overjoyed!)

Thanks a million to all who voted for me!  I have the best readers in the world!

(and in case you are reading me in a feed reader, I'll have mercy on you and offer you the link to what all this hoopla is about: Winner of Blog To Inspire '09 )

Blessing to you all from a mama who is walking around with a big cheesy grin on her face! :)

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