Say It Enough, You'll Start to Believe It
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I pray you all had a lovely, wonderful Christmas filled with joy, laughter and maybe even a bit of silliness. Thanks for taking a journey with me this last year. We’ve covered a lot of ground and so many of you have walked us through this season of change. Seriously…thank you.
I bid you all drive forward in your minivans, proudly entering this new year with your heads held high and your back seats clean.
Here’s to another year of crazy!
Make Lemonade, right?
Or in our case, when Target gives you a Gingerbread House that refuses to stay together…
Eat it.
While our annual Gingerbread House construction did not go quite as planned, we did partake in what I can only hope will be a new tradition over the weekend when we attended the boat parade in Clearwater.
The perks to living minutes from the ocean keep adding up.
It was even chilly enough to necessitate the wearing of the coats for the first time! It felt downright Christmasy…
Our friends, Mike and Carol, joined us on the water. One year ago at this time we were all sledding down the hill in their back yard. Now we congregate at the beach, instead. It’s so good to have familiar faces nearby.
So how about you? What traditions, new and old, are you enjoying this holiday season?
The title of this post alone should scare you all. I am welcoming you into my thoughts?
Frightening.
Because the truth is, I can go from thinking of something super brilliant and kinda deep to thinking up alternate lyrics to popular songs in the same breath. “So, Kelli. What ARE your favorite made up alternate lyrics?” I’m so glad you asked!
Sung to the tune of Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson’s “Rock Your Body”
I’m gonna wash your body
Make it clean
Scrub with me
No lie, I sang this to the kids every time I bathed them and they ALL sing it now when they pick up a bar of soap. It. is. awesome.
So yeah…that’s the kind of stuff that floats through my head.
Okaaaaay, then. Let’s bring this crazy train on in to the station, shall we?
I’ve been thinking a lot about Christmas these last few weeks. I’m wrestling through my desire to teach my kids to really, truly embrace the power of this Christmas season without completely turning away from the magic of gift giving and receiving. There have been a lot of really wonderful blog posts written lately on the topic and I’m awed at how many people have given up gifts altogether on Christmas, choosing instead to focus on the true meaning behind why we celebrate this holiday.
I’ll be honest. I’m not there and I’m okay with that.
Because I really love the moment my children walk around the corner and see the twinkling lights and the gifts and the excitement leading up to that magical moment. And I think we can still enjoy that tradition without losing ourselves to the marketing mayhem that Christmas has become.
Truthfully, the last few years we have pulled back significantly on how much “stuff” we give our kids. Because they don’t need all the stuff. Last year we gave fewer gifts and tried to make them more meaningful and useful. And we are pulling back even more drastically this year.
There are other things we plan to do with the kids this year to keep the focus of Christmas outward and not inward. And I may or may not share what those things are. I am trying to keep some things private as a way to preserve the traditions, memories and even acts themselves as sacred between us, our children and the God we serve. It’s a balance.
I can tell you this, though. As the kids and I discussed the way that Christmas would change a bit this year, I mentioned today that we would be spending less on one another and more on others. I was immediately met with disappointed stares and protests and for a brief second, my heart sank. Perhaps we had gone wrong all these years if my children were going to pitch a small fit over receiving fewer toys. Then Tia spoke.
“But Mom,” she said, her eyes big and round. “I really, really wanted to get you a special present this year!”
“Yeah, me too,” Sloan said. “I had a plan for exactly what I wanted to get you.”
*tears* *hugs*
Then I promised them a pony.
I thanked them for thinking of me and not themselves and told them I would be honored to receive gifts from them, but that I wanted them to spend more time, energy and money on gifts for people who are in need than on me.
Our nativity scene usually includes Santa, Luke Skywalker, Moses, a Construction Worker and on occasion C-3PO likes to make an appearance.
I won’t tell my children they can’t buy me a gift. (I think they’re going to buy me Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer – Mercy, I am loved). I will, however, encourage them to think outside the box on how we can give to others. I loved some of the ideas in this post - particularly the suggestion of giving children a sum of money and allowing them to use it however they want, as long as it’s for someone in need.
I am not opposed to giving gifts at Christmas, personally. It’s not something that I feel we need to cut out entirely. I am, however, finding myself more and more drawn to celebrating more simply, with the traditions surrounding the gifts and not the other way around. I don’t have a problem with my kids believing in Santa because we don’t make him the reason for the season. I don’t play the Santa card to encite good behavior (mortifying) and I read the story of the real Saint Nicholas every single year so that they know and understand the historical significance of who he was. Santa gets a bit part in our the Christmas celebrations in our home. And I don’t mind that.
These are things that I, personally, don’t sweat. Because I don’t let them get out of hand. I am, however, pondering and thinking and praying over exactly how Christmas will look for us this year - how we will incorporate gift giving and receiving into our holiday in a way that is meaningful and precious. Rest assured, though, that no matter what, Christmas will still be magical and filled with wonder. How could it not be so?
The Lord is Come.
Magical, indeed.
How do you keep your focus during the holidays? Any plans to help your kids think outside the box this year? I’d love to hear what others are doing!
Comments are now closed. Winners have been chosen and will be notified tomorrow when I can think clearly. Right now I must sleep. Thanks everyone!
So Christmas is around the corner. I’m not sure if you were aware or not. Maybe the Santa Clause standing next to the Grim Reaper tipped you off?
At any rate, this is the time of year when we all begin to prepare for the holidays. Despite the fact that I keep up with most everyone I know online, one of my favorite traditions remains: Christmas Cards.
I love receiving them and I love sending them, despite the hassle of addressing labels. So imagine my delight when Shutterfly contacted me and asked if I would promote their holiday line of Christmas cards. In exchange, I will receive some free cards and I have the great opportunity to offer three of my readers 25 free cards!
I browsed through Shutterfly’s selection of cards and I was more than thrilled with the broad array they have to offer. There are tons of beautiful selections where you can add anywhere from one to six photos plus a customized greeting. In addition to the cards, you can also do a bit of Christmas shopping through Shutterfly. They have some wonderful personalized gifts that would be perfect for the adoring grandparents in your lives!
So, here’s how to enter to win 25 Holiday Cards from Shutterfly:
- Visit the Shutterfly website and browse through their holiday collection. Then leave me a comment and tell me one of your favorite Christmas memories. (Or you could just leave me a comment that says I wanna win! Either way is fine – but I’d love to hear Christmas memories…)
You can earn more entries by doing the following:
- Tweet about this contest and leave me a second comment telling me you tweeted. It could say something like, I’m a Twit who Tweeted! or more simply you could just leave a comment that says Tweet!
- Link to this contest on Facebook and come back and tell me that you did so and earn a potential third entry.
- You can also send me an email saying you would like to be entered if you’re not the commenting type. My email address is kellistuart00 (at) hotmail (dot) com.
I will choose the three winners via random.org on October 30.
Disclaimer: This is a promotion sponsored by Shutterfly. In return I received free holiday cards of my choosing. I was not paid for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.
I’m feeling the need for a bloggy break. I simply can’t think of anything to write about these days. Oh sure, there’s the fact that I’m going on 3 weeks of being sick and I’m pretty sure I’ve got the black lung, but that’s not a blog worthy topic. My house looks like Christmas vomited all over it and I simply don’t have the energy to do much about it, but I’m sure you all feel the same way.
Nope. I simply don’t have a decent blog post in me. I am enjoying this post-holiday break, laying low, coughing up my one remaining lung, playing games with the kids, watching the “plays” they put on each morning for me and watching FRIENDS at night with my equally sick hubby. We got the last four seasons for Christmas and have been laughing down memory lane every night before swigging Nyquil straight from the bottle and falling into bed. Uaully only to be woken by Landon one or four times throughout the night…
So all that to say, I’m sorry but it’s going to be slim pickings here this week. I need my holiday brain to regain a bit of function. I did write up a review this morning at STL Family Life for a Build-a-Bear giveaway. Hop on over and enter to win, if you please. Or just read about the hilarious experience I had in the store making my bear…
Okay, I need to go. There are wails coming from the basement and Tia just walked by, dragging one of the kitchen stools with her to the back of the house. That’s never a good sign.
So in the words of my seven year old who is too cool for school – “Peace out, Yo!”
It was an idyllic Christmas in the Stuart home, complete with a winter wonderland outside. We enjoyed a long, relaxing weekend and are now all refreshed, rejuvinated and…well, the kids are already tired of each other as evidenced by the fact that they’ve been sent to different rooms and it’s only 7:45.
Whatcha gonna do?
By order of the decree of Mom Bloggers United, I am contractually obligated to share a few Christmas photos with you. If I don’t, I could be voted off the island. We wouldn’t want that to happen now, would we? And so, without further ado, I give you Christmas 2010.
Christmas Eve
When did this child turn into a little girl?!
A rare moment
Santa came and left behind a new bike for Sloan (which he declared was tubular!), a CD player for Tia and a Jessie doll for Landon to complete his set of Toy Story toys. Santa ate most of the cookies (they left him a plate-full for cryin’ out loud) and he apparently tripped over the fireplace grate. But all in all, Santa did a magnificent job this year.
Landon's baseball helmet, which has hardly left his head since Christmas morning. He looks like the Jack in the Box kid running around here.
If any of you have school age boys and you don’t have Snap Circuits, I highly recommend them. They’re great! It teaches the kids about energy and electricity while letting them build and create. If the circuits are snapped together correctly they can make a fan blow, a whistle ring or a song play. It’s seriously hours of fun. I’m so glad we invested in these. (Hint: You can get them at Hobby Lobby. Print off their 40% off coupon online and you get them for much cheaper.)
Tia received her first American Girl doll, which is apparently a rite of passage for little girls these days. I’m just old enough to have missed the American Girl phase. When I was a kid it was Cabbage Patch dolls. I gotta say…these dolls are cooler. Tia got Kit and she came with purple glasses and a set of matching pajamas.
I wasn’t sure how my tomboy of a daughter would react. Would she like it? Would she cast it aside?
She loves this doll. It has brought out the girly girl inside her. I kind of love it.
All in all, it was a wonderful day for everyone. We didn’t go overboard on gifts, which means the kids only got things they really wanted. My parents bought us a rockin’ new video camera, which I’m thrilled about because we’ve had our old camera for ten years, which means in video camera years it was, like, 429. It wasn’t even worth it for me to drag it out most of the time.
But the piece de resistance, the creme de la creme, came about mid morning when my parents gave us the most creative gift I believe we’ve ever received.
Do you hear the angels singing?
When we were in Italy, Lee and I passed several Gelateria’s with these huge cans of Nutella in the window. We commented more than once how we wished we could bring one of those home. We never mentioned that to my mom, but somehow she managed to track down a shop in New Jersey that sold these 12 pound jars of heaven.
60,000 calories.
My New Years resolution to lose 10 pounds is going to be a little bit tricky…
While Christmas was easy and happy for us, our sister-in-law, Becke’, and her family had a traumatic and terrifying Christmas. Her younger brother, on his way to her parents house for Christmas morning, hit a patch of ice on a bridge and rolled several times. He ended up with a shattered femur, a broken wrist and some serious head injuries.
They almost lost him.
Thankfully, he will ultimately be okay, but he is in for some grueling months of rehab. This accident came as they near the third anniversary of Becke’s younger sister Kiley’s death. Needless to say, Christmas was not as idyllic for that precious family. Would you join me in praying for them? Particularly her brother Kirby.
Follow Becke’s blog for updates and specific prayer requests. And to be blessed. Becke has a heart for the Lord and a gift with words. You will be blessed by her blog.
There. I have officially fulfilled my Mom Bloggers United obligation. I can keep my member card for one more year. Phew. Merry after Christmas everyone!
From our family to yours – Merry Christmas. What a joy it has been to share our 2010 with you. God Bless and I pray tomorrow is a blessed day for all of you!
And for my Russian and Ukrainian friends:
Zhelayu vam schalivovo Rozhdestvo! c Novim Godom!
For three or four years now I’ve determined that I would throw a Christmas party for the kids. I usually come up with the idea around December 24. Because I’m that awesome.
This year, I determined somewhere around August 25 that I would actually, indeed, for real, throw a Christmas party for the kids. I planned ahead…in my mind. In reality, I sent invitations out somewhere around December 12, a whole thirteen days before Christmas.
I am growing as an organizer. Try not to be jealous…
If I’m being honest (and I am) I would have to tell you that most of the invitations were sent via email. The rest were hand delivered. No stamps. I don’t believe in them.
So with all of my awesome forethought and planning, I wasn’t entirely sure we would have a large turnout. But, to my surprise, we did! And despite the fact that I’ve had a severe bronchial infection (most likely pneumonia – you know…no biggie) I managed to put together a decent enough gathering of children.
Read: M & M’s in a crystal bowl and cake. I mean nothing was handmade or anything. Let’s not get crazy, right?
I did print out the story of the Candy Cane and made a cake. With Betty Crocker’s help. It was the kids that made this party a delight. They played, they laughed, they ran and then? They sat and listened. And this is where the simplicity of the party was key. The totally planned simplicity…
They sat and listened as Papa Lee read of Christ’s birth from the book of Matthew. They raised their hands and answered questions about the manger, the Magi and the wise men. They discussed why we celebrate Christmas and how we can honor Jesus on His birthday.
Lee did a great job. He kept it short and sweet but packed in a beautiful lesson. I was proud of him, and of the kids who managed to sit still and quiet and intent the entire time.
Another reason I was proud? The kids went above and beyond in giving. We asked everyone to bring an unwrapped toy to be donated to charity and these families took that seriously. They purchased wonderful toys, which we will deliver this week. And as we talked of what Jesus did while He was living on this earth, we stressed to the kids how Jesus gave to others who were in need and how we can do the same.
The sweet hearted children that sat in my living room embraced giving and it brings tears to my eyes to think of their tender, moldable little hearts. What they gave will be used to bless others. And it took minimal effort on my part.
An email and a slice of cake. Who says we can’t change the world?
Last week, I attended a monthly Bible study led by Carol Prosser, the woman who runs my kids preschool and my second mom growing up. Her daughter, Lindsey and I were joined at the hip as teenagers so I spent as much time at Carol’s house as I did at my own. Lindsey and I had many adventures together (galavanting through Ukraine, crashing my car, crashing her car, pulling middle of the night pranks, all around acting spastic…) and she remains one of my dearest and sweetest friends.
Outside of my own mother and mother-in-law, I believe Carol has had the greatest impact on me as a young mom. In addition to pouring into my kids, she also pours into me (and all the other moms at the preschool). She offers encouragement and support and is a wealth of knowledge on how to raise and train children who love the Lord. I am truly grateful for her influence in my life.
At last week’s study, Carol encouraged us to find ways to serve others with our kids this holiday season. One nugget she placed in my heart was donating to a worthy cause with the kids. Several wonderful organization were listed as places where you could purchase a well for a needy family, or formula for hungry babies, or goats or chickens for families living in poverty. This got my wheels turning and I began to search for a way for us to donate as a family.
As I looked, I found myself wishing that Compassion International had a place where such donations could be made. Not that the other organization’s listed aren’t fantastic, but I have a heart for Compassion and what they are doing and wanted to be able to donate through them.
And lo and behold, one day later I received an email about Compassion’s Gift Guide offering people the chance to help release a child from poverty/sickness/despair in Jesus’ name. It was an immediate answer to an inner prayer and I was thrilled to jump on board.
We’re making this fun and a little bit unique. I don’t want to give all the details because it will spoil the surprise, but we will be purchasing a goat or two tonight. We’re going to let the kids choose exactly what they would like to purchase. I’ll post an update in a couple of weeks with all the fun details but I can tell you this – when we told the kids we were thinking about buying a goat for Christmas they were stoked. I believe Sloan’s exact words were “Oh my GOSH – that. is. rockin’.”
They were slightly disappointed when we told them the goat wasn’t for us.
But they loved the idea of helping out those who are in need. I’ve already told you about my sweet boy’s tender heart here and here. He truly has a heart for others and I love to see how it manifests itself in his giving. And I’m beginning to notice the seeds of compassion take root in Tia’s heart. In general she is less aware of others than her brother. I think it’s partly the nature of her personality, partly the result of being a second child and partly caused by being constantly overshadowed by her older brother.
But recently there has been a bit of tenderness that has seeped through her rough and tumble little heart. Sloan is so much like his dad – so willing to give, so conscious of others. Tia is more like me – she’s introspective and guarded and she has a tendency to guard her emotions. I love watching her process the plight and need of others. It’s very sweet to see the way she quietly lets all the information soak in. That is when it’s not floating in one ear and out the other, of course…
Gifts!
Giving is very easy to do. Simply click this link to send a gift to a family that needs your…well…compassion. There are several different gifts you can choose – from a mosquito net, which will protect a child from the spread of malaria, to a small business start up, to a water well and so on. Make it fun for everyone!
This is a new holiday tradition that we want to start with the kids each year. And I’m excited to see how it affects the way they view the holidays, especially as they grow older.
So what about you? What do you do during the holidays to make them fun and special and memorable?
- Opening night for The Christmas Post was last night. It went really, really well. I’m not going to lie – I was a little concerned. As of Saturday we had never made it all the way through the play. There was so much work to be done, so many little details to be fine tuned that it seemed we might never get it all pulled together.
But God is good and we did it and it was a lot of fun! There are still tickets available for the rest of the week – please come if you can! We have spent countless hours over the last few weeks pulling this together and we would love to see a packed house every single night.
- Today, mercifully, we have the day off. And I am thankful. The muscles in the left side of my body have decided to have a party and have all bunched up so that turning from side to side, leaning for forward, picking anything up or moving in general has become a bit of a task. I need a day to unwind, go to bed early and be with my family.
- Speaking of my family, my husband rocks. Seriously. He’s doing this parenting thing alone every night this week. That’s a lot of work. But he’s been great about it and I couldn’t appreciate it more.
- While this musical is great fun, it’s also a sacrifice. I’m sacrificing my own time and, while I’m having fun, I’m also working really hard. My husband is serving me and through his service, I am able to serve others along with all of the other members of the cast. Service is hard – even when it’s fun. It requires that we step outside what’s comfortable and easy and we sacrifice – we sacrifice our time, our resources, our sleep and more.
- I’ll be honest. Service has never been really natural for me. I’m very selfish, especially with my time and my gifts. But I don’t think service is ever easy. It really goes against our human nature. I’m grateful for the chance to serve others this week. It’s hard, but it’s fun and it’s rewarding!
- Switching gears…
- Sometimes this blogging thing stresses me out. Particularly in weeks like this one. I’m wiped, both physically and emotionally. I don’t have a lot to offer my readers. Yet I feel pressure to offer something quippy and funny. I have to remind myself that I don’t have to do this. It’s okay to take some time off. The world as we know it won’t cease to revolve if I don’t write a post or two.
Will it?
- I’ve had this little issue with my shoulder for awhile now. Like eight years. Ever since I coached gymnastics a lifetime ago. All that overhand spotting caused all sorts of craziness to take root. And instead of having it looked at, I ignored it. Until a few weeks ago when I realized I was having a hard time pushing elevator buttons without wincing in pain. I headed in to see a physical therapist and since that time I’ve been wondering what took me so long to do something about my shoulder. I have severe tendonitis, perhaps a bit of bursitis and who knows what else.
At some point I may see an orthopedic to get an MRI, but for now I’m sticking with my PT because he rocks and he’s nice and he has a great southern accent that makes me happy.
- Christmas is coming up in a couple of weeks. I’m not sure if you heard. It falls on the 25th this year. Someone I know is not ready…she hasn’t even finished her shopping. I’ll give you one guess as to who that is…
- Okay, this is the part of the post where I wrap it up.
Let’s all breathe a sigh of relief together.
I’ll be back next week with real content. 
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