Christmas Break

For all my lofty goals of posting more often, I was definitely undone by the holidays. Things have been entirely too crazy. I still think it will be a miracle if I survive until we get on the plane Thursday morning. So much for my grand ideas about taking it easy this season.

It has been fun, though. We had our family Christmas Sunday morning, which was doubly fun since we woke up to 8 inches of snow! Cameron has been playing non-stop with his art easel, coloring books and stuffed Brobee (from Yo Gabba Gabba). Kevin and I just exchanged a few stocking stuffers this year. We really wanted to spend a little less on "things" so we could give more in some areas where we feel called. Our church is really focusing on the Advent Conspiracy concept, spending less so we can give more. We are helping a village in Uganda get clean water, and build a medical clinic and a community center. We have really been convicted this season by the spending statistics at the holidays - it's something like $450 billion is spent EACH YEAR on Christmas just in America, and it would only take $10 billion to solve the clean water crisis around the world. It's staggering. Anyway, we are feeling overwhelmed by our own blessings, and called to pass the blessing along.

So, 48 more hours to get all the things done here at home, and then we're off to visit grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., etc., for a week.

I hope everyone has a truly happy and blessed Christmas! See you in the New Year!

Holiday Madness

I am finally getting my head above water after Thanksgiving. We hosted in-laws for the entire week, and since the final group decamped on Saturday, I have been busy cleaning up, putting everything back in place, and decorating for Christmas. Our tree is up, we have a few lights in the bushes outside, and Cameron and I are headed for Home Depot this afternoon to find some more lights for our fence outside.

I love holidays. Any holiday. You name it, I love it. I want to celebrate them all! Big. I'm always up for a reason to celebrate, to cook something fun, to have a party, to put up a few decorations. My favorites are the fall and winter holidays -- I love Halloween -- but I love the 4th of July, Cinco de Mayo, St. Patrick's Day, Valentine's, Easter. Any reason to dye and egg, make a heart shaped pancake, give Cameron green colored milk, hang some streamers, wear a kitschy hat, hit a pinata, I'm in!

At this time of year, which is my all time favorite, I tend to have the bad habit of letting people and circumstances get to me. Steal my joy in the season, so to speak. I'm working extra hard this year to really appreciate the season around me, and to see it through Cameron's eyes. Enjoy every house with Christmas lights, play outside in the cold, take a goofy photo with Santa.

And as Cameron gets older, we are really trying to focus on why we celebrate Christmas in the first place. To make it less about the gifts and Santa Claus, and more about Christ and giving. I don't know about you, but looking back, I can hardly remember a gift I got last year, much less what I got as a child. But I remember praying with my family before we opened gifts. I remember decorating the tree with them every year, watching White Christmas. I pray that Cameron (and the forthcoming child/children) has the same memories. That Christmas is remembered by the times we have at home the things we're doing together...and the gifts we're able to GIVE. Kevin and I are overwhelmed by all we have...we really want to be able to pass on the blessing, and hope our kiddos remember that too.

Anyway, enough of that.

Here's hoping you're all enjoying the holiday season in your own home, in your own way!