Christmas 2011, so far! (pt 2)

Here are a few more pictures.

We were lucky enough to be able to attend "A Walk Through Bethlehem" put on by the Woodmont Christian Church. The line was long and it was crowded once we were inside, but the educational value was immense. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas as Jesus' birth, I would encourage you to take your family to this event, just to learn more about life in Bible times.

Below is a picture of Joseph, Mary, and "baby Jesus."

We enjoyed a "Grinch Day" at school in the lower elementary. Here are some of us with our Grinch shirts!

Mark's birthday is December 13. We bought an ice cream cake for him. John didn't exactly tell Mark what we bought for him, but he did say, "Don't look in the freezer, Dad!"

Once school was out, we had more time for other projects. I bought a pre-assembled gingerbread house at Walmart and the kids decorated it. We even used some leftover Halloween candy on it!

The kids love crafts and they love making presents for others. Here they are hard at work on some things for the grandparents.

Thanks for reading! Merry Christmas!

Melissa

Christmas 2011, so far! (pt 1)

It's been over a year since I posted. I'd like to do better, but we'll see what the new year brings. I don't apologize. My life is full and I spend too much time online as it is. That being said, here are some pictures from our family Christmas activities so far this season.

This is our Christmas countdown "clothesline." It hangs across the double windows in the kitchen. The envelopes are numbered and contain a card suggesting an activity for the day. In November, I spent quite a bit of time checking schedules and planning activities. The envelopes are numbered because the activities are pre-scheduled. I also left the envelopes unsealed, so I could change cards around if necessary. We were able to do almost everything listed on our cards.

Here's Molly in her favorite spot beneath the tree. She claimed it even before we had the tree completely put together! Today there are so many presents under there that she is finding it harder to find her spot.

We went to Breakfast with Santa at The Factory in Franklin. It was a really nice set up and the food was really good! Santa commented on John's Grinch shirt :)

One of our Christmas tasks was to try the pretzel/hershey kiss treats. We made them with peppermint kisses. Yum-o!

Jamie the Elf has made his yearly visit and has been into a bit of mischief. Normally he's pretty good, but this day we found him in the pantry sipping the syrup!

John's Christmas program at school was all about bears!

He was a panda bear and his friend, Josh was a polar bear. The program was super cute!

That's it for now. I'll try to remember to post again later :)

Melissa

Fall Ball

Ellen is playing softball for the first time. She had taken two years of dance previously, but last spring she watched John play T-ball and decided to quit dance and try softball. She is six and normally would have been eligible to play T-ball, but there weren't enough six year olds signed up to play, so she was placed on a team with seven and eight year olds. It is coach pitch, which means that the coach pitches to the batter. She gets five pitches, unless she strikes out first.

Ellen knew next to nothing about softball when she started. She has had to learn all of the basics, plus the rules of the game. She had to learn how to hold the bat, how to throw a ball, how to catch a ball, as well as what to do with it once she has the ball. She has progressed a lot. She was even awarded the game ball at the first game for most improvement.

Her little team has had some politics problems with the coaches, and they haven't won much, but the girls seem to be having a good time. Ellen never talks about the scores, but focuses more on what she did during the game. She always comes out of the dugout with a smile. She loves softball and is already asking to play again in the spring. It looks like I will be toting my lawnchair to many more games!

Inside Out Simplicity

I recently won an advance free copy of an ebook. The only stipulation was that I write a review and post on my blog, which I am happy to do. The book is Inside-Out Simplicity by Joshua Becker of the Becoming Minimalist blog. Here is a description of the book from the blog:

The book, “Inside-Out Simplicity: Life-Changing Keys to your Most Important Relationships” is a 360 degree approach to a simplified lifestyle that goes well beyond the external fixes to our complicated lives and focuses on the heart issues required for a simplified life. It is based on the premise that a truly simplified lifestyle begins in a person’s soul. And it will help the reader find an inside-out simplicity by focusing on the key life-changing principles necessary in their most important relationships.

The book is short (109 pages) and can easily be read in an evening. I love the message this book, but I'm not sure that I would buy it, because most of the material can be found on Becker's website. Actually, purchasing another "thing" goes against the minimalist lifestyle (unless, of course, you can justify the need). Basically Becker points out that things can get in the way of having healthy relationships with friends, family, spouses, children and even God. Before I encountered the spirituality chapter, I remember thinking how much of the book had a religious slant, without actually mentioning religion. The chapter on "Why Our Words Matter" emphasizes kind and gentle words and the importance of being honest. Becker also discusses the problems of gossip and how it can damage relationships. The chapter on "Why Our Sexuality Matters" encourages committed relationships and portrays pornography, soap opera television, and romance novels as potentially damaging to the marriage relationship.

The chapter on "Why Our Spirituality Matters" was a pleasnt surprise. I thought it would focus on mediation, time alone to regroup, journaling one's thoughts and so forth. Instead, it focuses on a search for God.

There is nothing more central to your heart and soul than your view of God. And our view of God influences our daily lives in countless ways.

Becker goes on to say that Jesus led the "ultimate, simplified life." This goes along with some thoughts that I have had recently. I have started a journey to simplify my life and to also grow closer to God. As in all things, Jesus was/is the ultimate example. Becker lists out several reasons why following Jesus' example can lead to a "deeper, more simplified life." This section of the book was so refreshing to me. I had not viewed this work as a religious publication, but as it was, the central concepts are very much in line with the Bible. These thoughts re-enforced some ideas that had been spinning around in my own head.

Becker's book is not a "get organized, get rid of your stuff" book. Don't look for this book to be a "how to" book. It is more of a "why" book. Our reasons behind our actions is what drives them and if we have our reasons built on a firm foundation, our actions will have amazing results. Thank you, Becker for a wonderful, thought provoking work.

If you are interested in ordering the book, you can visit this link.

Mother-Daughter Tea 2010

While teaching at FCS, I learned about a group of moms who had a tea party for their daughters at the end of each school year. I wanted to do the same for Ellen and the girls in her class. At a small school like FCS, these girls will be in the same classes for many years to come. I want my daughter to grow up with good friends who are also good influences. I also want to get to know the mothers of Ellen's friends. After all, when she is a teenager and is hanging out at someone's house, I want to know that the parents have the same values that I do.

I sent an email to the other moms of daughters in kindergarten, checking for interest. The response was overwhelming! Following that first email, we had a meeting and exchanged many other emails planning this special day for our daughters. On June 26, 2010, we met together at West Haven Baptist Church for our tea party. The theme was "God's Princesses" and most of the girls dressed as princesses. Each mom gave their daughter a charm bracelet with a single charm, a cross. We plan to add other charms in the coming years. It was a wonderful get together: a chance for the girls to catch up during the summer and a chance for the moms to chat and "get our infrastructure in place" for later years.

I really encourage other moms to start this tradition with their daughters.

Summer Pictures

I take the kids each summer to get pictures made. I am determined to actually put them in frames this time! The kids and my mom talked me into getting in the pictures with them, so I sat for a few shots. I think they turned out well.

In looking back, every summer the kids have been in blue or blue combination-colored outfits. They also get pictures made around Christmas, so in those pictures, they are always wearing red. I think I need to change it up for next time.

Mom wanted a 16 X 20 canvas print of one of the group shots, but since we didn't purchase any of those in smaller sizes, it doesn't look like we will be able to secure a copyright release. Mom was a little upset and thought we should try to "talk them into it," but I think we should just follow the rules. Her house is already a shrine to Ellen and John. It's not like she needs one more picture, much less a huge one. She could get an enlargement of this one, but she wants a different one.

Happy Independence Day 2010

This photo is of our new flag. I just hung it yesterday. It seems that I have to replace our flag about every year around July 4. I think I am more patriotic today than I have ever been. I don't know if it is as a result of being older and more appreciative or some other reason. Today I want to list some reasons why I love America. At first I had a hard time putting into words exactly why I love my country, so I admit I did a little research on what others had to say before compiling my own list. That's ok. The research gave me some good ideas and helped me to prioritize what was really important to me concerning my country

10 Reasons I Love the USA

1. Freedom of worship: We helped to pioneer this idea, starting with the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving
2. US Constitution: What started out as an experiment in government has evolved into the standard to which other governments are compared.
3. Democracy: Everyone has the right to vote. Most people on this planet still do not have this basic right.
4. Human achievement: Americans have led the way in so many ways, from breaking the sound barrier to building Hoover Dam to landing on the moon.
5. Diversity: Whether diversity of land, cities, or people; everyone can find a niche.
6. Ability to create wealth and drive the world's economy
7. Generosity: Americans individually and as a nation give more to charity than any other country
8. Advances in medicine: Americans have eradicated polio and TB, developed numerous vaccines, and pioneered chemotherapy, among other advances
9. Technology: from the light bulb, telephone, and television to the computer and internet; Amercans have led the way.
10. Entertainment: The world looks to our Hollywood for movies, television shows, and music