Written Words of Cheer - AKA the Christmas Letter

I've sent out my Christmas cards, stamped, sealed and hopefully delivered, and I realized that I may have neglected the readers of this here blog.  And that is just plain RUDE...I mean, really!

So here here is my Christmas card to you in word form:

Salutations and Christmas Cheer!

We are writing to you a brief synopsis of our year…

In January to Vegas, Kevin did go

To visit his brothers and his dad, you know.

February brought Japan business a whole month Long

We sure did miss Kevin while he was gone.

In April Michael got married to Natalie,

Inside the beautiful LDS Temple here in Boise.

After 12 wonderful years we sold our home,

Moving is ‘Heck’ we sure did groan.

My brother and his family moved away

We were all sad and cried on that day.

Then Lisa’s parents moved to Oregon

We are beginning to think it is something we’ve done.

Tyler moved back in at twenty-three

But, he eats all our food because it is free.

He’s going to Rexburg in April, we hope,

With him gone, too…How will we cope?

Nicole is a senior and so smart

She’ll graduate High School with a college head start.

She’s been accepted to BYU – Idaho

Where she will be a Freshman-Sophomore, you know…

We are full of life changes this year and next

Why not write us, call us or text?

And with these words to you, I wish you a Merry Christmas!  Thank you for being a devoted reader.  I appreciate every one of you.  I know you come, I see my stats, but I'd love to hear from you, too, from time to time.  

Lisa Out

Sharing the Love

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I lost three followers over the past week.  It's weird because of the lack of social interaction on blogs anymore, I don't know who they are.  I feel the loss in numbers, but I didn't know them.  The anonymity of the internet can be a sad thing.  I'd like to know people better, but the comments on blogs has really died out.  Unless you are some super star mega blogger.  Have you seen the comments on some of these blogs?  And then there are these big bloggers who have just turned comments off because they can't keep up...then I can't tell them how amazing they are.  Oh well...they probably know.

This Christmas I have been trying to give my focus to others.  Listening to them, interacting with them...making them feel important, showing my love.  This is much easier to do in person...to people we know, see and talk to on a regular basis.

How can I share this love and focus to followers of my blog?  

What have you done to help others feel valued and connected to you?

Advent and Uplift

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There are some really great things going on in the internet world.  One of the things I like to participate in is an advent during the Christmas season.  It enhances my current scripture study and really brings my focus around to Christ.  I love feeling the sweet spirit of love and comfort in my heart and this advent thing really helps. 

In years past, I have used our 24 Days of Christmas book of scriptures, stories and songs.  I have also read from the Book of Luke.  There are exactly 24 chapters...read one per day leading through Christmas eve.

This year I found a printable advent on Facebook.  It suggested actually writing out the scriptures.  And has been an interesting process.  As I have written, I actually ponder more fully on the Words.  It has been fun to change things up just a bit.

In addition to this, I have been working on listing my 1000 gifts.  Ann Voskamp, author of One Thousand Gifts and her blog called A Holy Experience shared this prompt for listing your gifts.  Sometimes I have to really think and ponder, and that's a good thing.

I've also found this really cool LDS Blog, She Teaches Fearlessly that has been posting daily Advent inspiration.  Who can't use a daily vitamin like that?

What have you been doing this Christmas season to feel closer to Christ?

Writing, Journals & Children in Need

Writing, journaling and blogging can be so therapeutic.  Katie Clemmons over at Making This Home and Gadanke journals just created her first bound journal for children.  She is all about being a story catcher and recording the every day journey and struggles.  While I'm not being compensated in any way for this blog post, I'm just really impressed with her latest endeavor.  Katie says,

"Every year, thousands of children are displaced from their homes because of domestic violence.  Gadanke has created a gifting program to help build these children's self esteem and give them something to call their own.  Folks can purchase a discounted journal at 50% and we will gift it to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence to distribute to a child in need." 

How great is that?   

I hope that as we are all about the charitable giving this time of year, that you might consider this gift of love, therapy and, really, self identity that writing provides.  #Gadanke #journals 



Christmas Journaling - A December Daily

Last year as part of my simplification and savoring, I decided to keep a Christmas journal.  It was part Gandanke journal, part repurposing old Christmas cards and part December Daily.

I used old Christmas card fronts as journaling pages.  They are pretty AND functional.  By recording thoughts, feelings, and activities that brought me closer to the Savior I was able to more fully savor the season.

It is definitely something I am doing again this year, though I am throwing a different twist this year and journaling my answers to the questions posed in Ann Voskamps advent book, the Greatest Gift.

What do you do with old Christmas Cards?

Do you do anything different with your December journaling?

**Originally published on 12/11/2013**

 

'Tis the Season for...

...Beautiful music....Meet the Gardiner Sisters, such beauty and amazing sound!





#ASaviorIsBorn

Spiritually Preparing for a More Simple Christmas

Back in the day...in the year of our Lord 2012, I wrote a post on my desire to have a more minimalistic Christmas.  It was a quest of mine last year, and you know what?  I think I was successful!  It was a goal in the forefront of my mind, and it was mission accomplished.

I shared my secrets recently to a group of women.  I had a fancy presentation with a powerpoint and everything.  Who knew my hidden talent was public speaking, but when you are sharing something you are passionate about, it isn't too hard...I'd like to share a few suggestions on finding the spirit in a more Simple Christmas that I shared with this group of women...

• Have a Christmas Advent Devotional every morning or evening around the Christmas tree leading up to Christmas
• The Book of Luke has exactly 24 chapters.  God's perfect advent...read a chapter a day about Christ's life right up to Christmas Eve.
• Watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
• Attend Church services and/or the Temple to partake of the Spirit

"Nothing you buy will make you a better person. 

 Nothing you give will make someone love you more. 

 Spending won't make you happier."

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• Minimize Christmas gifts.  For example, Santa Brings three gifts to symbolized the three gifts brought by the Wise men.
• Make homemade Christmas gifts

• Make homemade Christmas goodies...keep half for "sampling" and half to your neighbors
• Minimize Christmas decorating.  Only put out the most heartfelt decorations with memories attached.  This helps to cut down on stress, too.

Engage your senses

• Christmas scented candles:  Cinnamon, peppermint, pine
• Play Christmas music during the day
• Watch Christmas movies...ABC Family has a 25 Days of Christmas series for Children.  I also love the Lifetime and Hallmark channel Christmas movies.

• Go out for a yummy hot chocolate...or make a hot chocolate bar in your home with all the sweet fixings
• Attend a Christmas music concert.  School choir and band concerts are usually free.
• Go for a drive and look at Christmas lights
• Create a Christmas journal, sometimes referred to as a December daily.  I made mine from old Christmas Cards.  It was very simple.  Document your thoughts and daily ideas on how you are creating a more simple, spirit filled Christmas.  Focusing on gratitude, too.

Concentrate on keeping your stress levels down. 

 The spirit can't dwell in a stressed out vessel.

• Exercise, exercise, exercise - Now is not the time to stop taking care of your body.  Exercise releases naturally occurring endorphins which make you happy and therefore, less stressed.
• Go for a walk in the snow
• Prepare simple healthy meals

Make Christmas an Experience

I once listened to a talk where the man related how one year they were debating whether to renovate a bathroom or take a family trip.  Years later, their grown kids still talk about that family trip.  He didn't think that gathered around the Thanksgiving table their children would have recounted the stories of a bathroom renovation and that awesome toilet.

Last year we had the opportunity to go on a trip right before Christmas.  I was reluctant, because I am a nester and homebody, especially at Christmas.  But, we decided that this would be our gift for Christmas...an experience.  My kids don't remember the trinket gifts we gave, but they do remember the trip.  I'm not saying you have to go on a trip for Christmas, but try to create an experience that your kids might remember.

• Attend a Christmas craft fair
• call a loved one far away
• Read a Christmas book
• Make some crafty Christmas decorations
• Go to a tree lighting
• Go on a sleigh ride
• Play in the snow
• Attend a Christmas carol sing a long
• Walk around the mall and look at all the decorations and busy shoppers and savor the simplicity of the experience you are creating for yourself and your family.

Try to create family friendly time...nothing is a 'have to'.  

Do not set up unrealistic expectations.  

Quit comparing yourself to everyone else.  

Get lots of rest and remember:  

Christ is the true reason for the season.  

***This is one of my favorite Christmas posts.  It originally posted 12/4/2013***

Learning to Crochet and Snow Balls

A new skill is sometimes hard to develop.  I tend to look at someone who seems to have it all together and then end up not even trying.  I can't decide if I'm a perfectionist or not.  A perfectionist wants to do things perfectly, but do they give up if they can't do it?  I don't know, but I totally wish I knew how to crochet.  Over Christmas, I decided to simplify my decorations, mostly because I couldn't access them and didn't want to, but I started over from scratch with my deco.  One of the things I wanted to do with my tree was a pom pom garland, you know, because all pine trees have snow balls on them.  But anyway, I was inspired by this blogger and her farmhouse perfection at Fairview Farm.

I could handle the basic crochet chain and a hot glue gun.  It's not perfect, in fact it's a bit like a Monet...it looks better from far off.  But it was fun...I'd like to learn more than the basic chain stitch, I found the whole thing of it, yarn and hook, very therapeutic.  I need to give up on my expectations of something needing to be perfect and just do it.  I may very well find a new hobby.

Do you struggle with perfectionism?

What are your hobbies?

Chaos and then the Calm

Peaceful, the time after Christmas...After all the chaos and frenzy that leads up to Christmas, it is nice to sit and reflect and feel His peace, love and reassurance.  It isn't that I don't find Him in the chaos, He is there, oh, He is there in all the messy moments of our lives...in the Christmas moments of forgotten cameras and family arguments and last minute plan changes.  He is in all those grace filled moments filling up every crevice and corner of it, even if we aren't sure He is there.  At the end of it all, He is waiting for us to turn our hearts and minds to Him.  He is cheering us on, calling to us, knocking and waiting for us to open the door.

The days following Christmas are the most peaceful perfect moments for me to find Him.  For me, it is a time for reflecting on my relationship with Him, evaluating where I am and comparing it to where I want to be.  Progress is not perfection and perfection is a myth.  With perfection we wouldn't need Him and how very lonely that would be...I love this printable I found at the redheaded hostess, Focus on Momentum Not perfection.

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I hope as you move ahead into the New Year, that you will focus on your progress not perfection and offer yourself that grace.

#He is The Gift #ShareTheGift

I know I have had struggles, but I am reminded what this season is all about.  I'm so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ...I'm grateful for a time of new beginnings and resolutions and do overs and start agains and the love of family and friends.

May you have the Merriest of Christmas' and be blessed and ever mindful of Him.  He is The Gift.

 

The Year there were NO Stockings Hung With Care

Life is complicated you know?  Here it is December 23rd, and I still haven't gotten all my decorations out.  I mean getting decorations out would have meant cleaning out a closet in order to access the bulk of my decorations and who has energy for that.  Not me, not lately...My kids just realized that the stockings aren't hung from the chimney with care.  Nope, they are not there.

I'm not being grinchy...just overwhelmed.  We put up the tree because it was in the garage and a small box of red balls that I could reach in that blasted closet.  But that was it...I happened upon a Christmas clearance sale and bought some pinecones and woodsy animals all under $20.  Then in my sacred, few and far between sitting down moments, I made that pom pom garland.  Wallah, Christmas decorations, and a nativity, of course, because I love my Savior.

Here it is December 23rd, the day that has traditionally been set aside as the day of baking and Christmas movies with my daughter, but I made 5 visits today to families trying to spread my Christmas cheer...plus a dentist appointment.  Now I sit on the floor surround by gifts to wrap and there are things to bake, and dinner to make and I feel so completely and utterly overwhelmed and am wondering where is my Christmas cheer.  Did I give it all away?    I know I have lost sight of what this here holiday is all about.  I mean my shoulders are only so broad to carry what I carry and do what I do.

We all struggle with this and that, but this year has been a little more difficult for me.  I suppose I have forgotten my own advice from years past and it feels like sucking on lemons.

A Major Award

Back in the year of our Lord 2013, in the month on December on the day of the 16th, I attended a late doctors appointment with KT.  On our way home at 5:45 Ladybug was texting us that she was hungry, and anything I could make wouldn't be ready until at least 7:30.  We decided on that day and in that hour of our hunger needs to stop at McDonalds.  We NEVER eat at McDonald's...well rarely anyway.    I ordered my Big Mac and fries in a moment of weakness.  When we got home we realized there were game tickets to pull.  As I pulled my ticket off my fries, I realized the printing was too small, that I either needed my glasses or to squint.  As I squinted, I made out the words that said I had won and Xbox One and a game.  I couldn't believe it!  People really do win these things!!

I really don't play many games, however when Miguel gets home from his mission he will be thrilled to have it.  It was a Christmas miracle, a Major Award, and that is the end of my story.

Gifts of the Savior and Hush

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In the midst of the busyness...the shopping, the baking, the wrapping, the traveling, the gatherings...I am making an effort to not forget the Savior.

Air Force Man is home to celebrate with us.  We are expecting a call from our dearly missed Missionary Son, Miguel...As we immerse ourselves in family, love and worship of our Savior, we will celebrate the greatest love story ever told and find gratitude for the gifts from our Father in Heaven:  the Gift of Birth, The gift of Peace, the Gift of Love and the Gift of Eternal Life.

For the next two weeks, I will be celebrating and relishing in the quietness for Christ is found in those peaceful moments.   The words of Oh Little Town of Bethlehem come to mind, "How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given, for God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven."   May God bless you with his Peace and love.

Merry Christmas

I will be Hush-ed, Until next year...