Too Much on the List?

I began this day with a pretty good list of things to get accomplished today--complete the laundry, clean the bathroom, restore order to various other rooms throughout the house, restore my dining room back to a dining room (post project), complete dinner (this all while caring for our 5 month old daughter). However as I began the day, I found other things that would be nice to do as well--clean the carpet, begin a scrapbook of Christmas 2011 memories, add some photos from a past zoo trip I found in my scrapbook materials to a photo album, and schedule a doctor's appointment (did complete this one).  Now with so much to do, I'm not sure now what I should do but I do know that now  there is way too much on the to do list for today. So now I am faced with deciding what will get done and what will have to wait until another day. While thinking about this, I realized that our family calendar is slowly but surely looking like my list for today. This week and weekend alone are already crowded with events for several family members. This is only the beginning of a very busy month around here as there are several extended family members' birthdays this month including one in this very house 12 days before Christmas. Her big sister has her first band performance that very night. I'm still thinking of what to do for her birthday and the logistics of before the performance or after. It's funny because we say that this year we will not over commit or wear ourselves thin but we somehow do and from the looks of it heading in that direction again this year. In and of itself one event here and one there does not seem to be much until you add them all up and the only time that is left is the actual holiday, but not even then because you are expected to be somewhere then too:). I love Christmas time but I loathe the pressures that come along with it.

Break's Over

It was nice to slow down for a while during Thanksgiving and spend some time with my husband and girls as well as my mom, sister, and nephews. We even got to enjoy a night at the movies on Saturday. We saw Happy Feet 2. I really enjoyed Happy Feet, so I couldn't wait to see the new one. It was great. It was really funny, but addressed a serious issue--global warming and the effects on the animals that inhabit the polar regions as more of that area is warming up and thus melting. On yesterday, we spent the morning in church worshiping God and thanking him for all his wonderful gifts. The kids participated in the services and it was great. In the afternoon, my husband and I headed out and got some new fabric to re-upholster our dining room chairs, which are in dire need of a make over. He began that project last night and has completed two of them. They look fantastic!

The kids returned to school today. Of course it wasn't a simple back to school day, I would schedule a 7:30 orthodontist appointment for my oldest in the mix. It wasn't too bad. Everyone got to school on time and I almost got the oldest to school on time after the appointment but hit a pothole near the orthodontist's office and she spilled hot chocolate all over her outfit. Luckily, she wasn't burned and the worst to happen was that it was all over her outfit. I joked that she could say she was wearing her cheetah pants, needless to say she did not find it very amusing and we returned home for her to change. Well, gotta get moving, today's  laundry day and I promised someone I'd flat iron her hair this afternoon following homework.

Traditions

Over the years we have created, participated in, and eliminated several Christmas traditions. To kick off the season at our house we engaged in my all time favorite tradition, decorating for the holidays--making the house more festive, shall we say. On yesterday, my husband pulled out the Christmas decorations and began decorating the front yard. Later, we got the girls together and we all decorated the tree while listening to holiday music. It was wonderful to watch my husband and the girls pull out the ornaments and remember past Christmases. It was especially funny to see our 5-yr old place all of her ornaments in the same concentrated area of the tree. Here's our finished product, not fancy, but special to us and done with lots of love.

 Without a doubt, this is my favorite time of year, it always has been for as long as I can remember. I just love the anticipation of Christmas. No, not because of gifts, though I do like giving and receiving gifts, but because I just have this feeling within that something bigger, something extraordinary is on the way. I love being reminded of the story of Jesus' birth and how humbly he entered the world. But then when you think about it, his entire life on earth was just that, humble--beginning, middle, and end. It is amazing how much he loves us.

Happy Thanksgiving!

A family favorite

Like other families across the country, we took time today to reflect upon all that we are thankful for. We have so much to be thankful for, the pie above, is one of those things:) and of course the time that we were able to spend with family on today. I am so thankful to God for His many blessings.

 

Again, Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Gratitude

My trhue gifts

                                                             
As a wife and mom of five girls, ages 14, 11, 7, 5, and 5 months, I am reminded that time is going by so quickly, especially as our oldest has turned 14. Wow, what a new world this has turned out to be. The teenage years are definitely different, but just as precious as the earlier stages, and maybe even more important in that this is where she begins to make decisions on her own. So this blog will be my attempt to capture some of our family's moments and memories through mostly photographs.

As I begin this journey into blogging on the day before Thanksgiving I felt it was a great opportunity to share some of the things for which I am grateful for this year.  I am thankful for the grace showered upon me by God and loved ones this past year. I am thankful for a husband who loves, supports, and encourages me to pursue my dreams. I am thankful for each of our amazing children. I thank God for blessing us with the addition of Ava Claire this summer after a difficult pregnancy. I am also thankful for the much needed support of family and friends, especially as some were going through difficult times of their own and still are. To sum it all up, I am so thankful to be on this journey of life with all of the wonderful people God has placed in my life.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!