Paris Chick Unplugged

I think I have mentioned in the past that I believe one of the "duties as assigned" for a mom is to help your kids find their passion. Not my passion, their passion. Reagan had to play an instrument in 6th & 7th grade, she played the viola. The day she could stop was they day she was ready to turn it in for good. I mentioned, "How about the guitar?" When we went to the music store and saw her sit on that stool with a guitar, it was natural. The way she sat, the way she held the instrument, the look on her face. She now takes guitar lessons and seems to really be enjoying it. She took this picture of herself on her iPod. I said it looked like her first album cover. I melts me.

Exercise in character

One of my most favorite ways to exercise is with the fit ball. I have a Pilate's DVD that is so great using the fit ball!!

This is mine, love it. Tennison uses it to play on.

I'm just waiting for the day he pops it.

Here is something I don't use often, but freely admit I own. I'll give you a high five the next time I see you if you can name it in under 5 seconds.

 

Does this help you? 

You got it!! The Thigh Master... even Moka is running from it.

There are other styles of exercise too. Like an exercise in humility. An exercise in gratefulness. An exercise in honesty and generosity. An exercise in just about anything that helps build your character. Today I had an exercise in patience. Here is why...

In this mornings rush it was only 1 egg on the floor.

I had to just keep telling myself... just one of 8 eggs.

Then it was the dough rising in the fridge overnight. It wanted out!

Then it came again. I had to have one of my teeth redone today. I hope you moaned on my behalf. As I was getting situated I asked for the headphones. "Oh, the TV isn't working." Huh? "We can try to get a radio station on the headphones." No can do. Shoot me now. Patience.

My biggest exercise was in forgiveness. As I said mean, mean things in my head about my dentist last week, I realized he is human. He didn't mean to mess up the tooth, he didn't mean for me to come back, he isn't mean... like I thought he was. So in my head I forgave him and decided to let it go. Exercise can be a real pain.

I leave you with a little something from Queen Latifah: "The reality is, I like imperfection. You take away from the world when you're not yourself. Whatever is unique and special about you was designed by God. And when you try to be someone else, we don't get you. Who knows what you would have contributed to the world had you just been yourself, if you just celebrated who you are and just walked boldly?"

Keep exercising in all different ways

 to become the You God wants you to be.

New Years Time Capsule

We started a super fun tradition New Year's Eve 2005 when we hosted a party with a group of families. We gave each family a shirt box to decorate with stickers and markers... their Time Capsule for 2006.

We still use the same box and keep each year's capsule items in it.

We handed out sheets of paper for the kids to work on. The current year was at the top followed by fill-ins to complete about the year. It started with their age, height, & hair color. Then it went on to their favorite food, candy, animal, sport and so on. The questions have evolved over the years, but one thing has never changed, a square for them to draw their self-portrait. We have had more laughs at how the kids drew themselves. Here is a sampling:

Every year Reagan puts a disclaimer by her portrait about her drawing abilities...

and every year she says she wants to be able to fly in the next year.

I'm so glad Whitney let me post this drawing. This picture makes us laugh every year. She'll be the first to admit she looks like a puppy in her drawing.

How cute is that?

Tennison's drawing that same year.

Looks like we have a puppy and an alien.

There is also a sheet to fill out as a family, we call it Family Dreams. These are items we hope to accomplish in the new year. The year before last Tennison's dream was "Fresno". We all cracked up because he was referring to the movie Monsters vs. Aliens when the man said they were moving to Fresno. Surprisingly enough we got close, we went to Los Angeles and did our big Disneyland trip! I put World (Family) Peace... who doesn't want their kids to get along?

We've started to include that year's Christmas picture in an envelope with the year marked on it. That way we can see what we really looked like! I store the time capsule with my Christmas decorations so it comes up from the basement in time for New Years.

Here is what the time capsule sheets included this year:

· I am ________ years old.

· I am ________ tall.

· I have ________ hair.

· My favorite color is

· My favorite food is

· My favorite sport is ____ because

· My favorite teacher this year is ____ and my favorite subject is

· One of my favorite things to do with my sisters & brother is

· The most fun thing about summer was

· In the winter I like to

· My favorite movie is

· My favorite game to play is

· My favorite thing to do outside is

· My best friend is ____, I like to________ with him.

· One thing I remember about my birthday this year

· I like to _______ with my dad.

· I like to _______ with my mom.

· When I am alone I like to

· I wish I could

· Next year I want to learn how to

· My favorite Christmas gift this year was

· My favorite thing to do over Christmas break was

You can always start a time capsule anytime you want, like the beginning of the school year (I started the girls doing them in middle school). They are so fun to look back on and this year we are starting something new. We are going to make a copy of the Family Dreams to keep our sights on some things... like climbing Horsetooth once and for all! World Peace will have to come another year!

Little Drummer Boy

We all have our favorite Christmas song... mine is Drummer Boy. Two years ago I heard Josh Groban sing it and was reduced to a puddle of tears. His voice, the words, the combination. Click the link above, close your eyes, and enjoy. My favorite verse is:

Little Baby
Pa rum pum pum pum
I am a poor boy too,
Pa rum pum pum pum
I have no gift to bring
Pa rum pum pum pum
That's fit to give our King
Pa rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Rum pum pum pum
Shall I play for you!
Pa rum pum pum
On my drum.

I put myself in the boy's shoes. I'd have no gift fit for our King. Speaking of which, I always thought it said the king... not OUR King. That is even cooler!! So the very fact he offers what he has is what melts me. I can offer Him the same thing... what I have. My talents: creativity, my heart to be a stay-at-home-mom, my heart for adoption, the joy I find in making a meal & planning a party... they are all gifts from Him that I can turn around and give to Him. I can pa rum pum pum pum my way through a party and remind myself, He gave this gift to me and I will throw a party like no other to give Him the glory.

So what gift can you give? What thing can you do for Him on your "drum" of choice?

Linus Explains the True Meaning of Christmas...

I have mentioned before that I receive emails from a site called iMom. Today they sent me this video and said some insightful things about Linus in his dialogue: The first is that everyone is literally in the “dark” about the meaning for Christmas until Linus says “lights please” and standing in the light, sheds light on the true meaning by reciting the Word of God. The second is when Linus says “and they (shepherds) were so afraid and the angel of the Lord said unto them ‘fear not’”. The second Linus says “fear not” he drops his security blanket as if no longer afraid.

The birth of Christ is what Christmas is all about. Somehow we have all lost sight of this at one time or another. It isn't hard to do. But Linus has caused me to take that minute again to remember that Jesus' birth is the most important thing about Christmas. Without him coming to earth, putting on skin (as Pastor Dary says) and dying on the cross for each of us, we wouldn't have eternal life with him.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

On The First Day of Christmas Break...

I couldn't sleep. Today was D-day... dentist-day. I had my two front teeth redone. After an hour and a half of grinding, swallowing who-knows-what, sniffing the worst fumes on the planet, and enduring dry mouth like I've never known, they are done. I'm not sure I love them. I miss my old teeth... kind of silly, but I do.

After shoveling 8 inches of snow, Scott and the kids went shopping for my Christmas gifts... hope they got me the Cat Attack poster I've always wanted. Ha.

After lunch Scott and Whitney went to the hospital to be with a friend of Whitney's. Her mom called to ask Scott to come pray with them, her grandmother was suddenly facing death today. She passed away before they got there. It was still special for them to pray together and comfort a friend at a really hard time. Life is fragile.

While those two helped out friends, Reagan and Tennison made no-bake cookies.

After all that hard work it was time to get crazy!!

Not sure what looks yummier, the kids or the cookies!?

I vote the kids!!

Once Whitney and Scott returned we went sledding. We used all kinds of sleds we've accumulated over the years. We even used the one my dad got for Tennison, an old wooden Radio Flyer with metal runners - awesome and fast!!

We came home and guess what? Santa came...

An incredibly generous Santa from Iowa with a nickname of Miss Julie.

Now the kids are just dying!

One day down, 17 to go. Yep, seventeen. It is a doozie of a break. I promise not to give you a blow-by-blow of each day. Just wanted to highlight the first day and note that we've all survived... and even had fun. And to top off the night, I get a break from kitchen duty... we ordered pizza.

Merry Christmas Season Everyone!! Slow down and enjoy!!

I'll take my own advice tomorrow!!





Traditions & Memories

Nothing makes me happier than traditions... old traditions that bring back great memories, and starting something new that you know will become a tradition... like the Christmas breakfast for friends I've done now for 2 years. I hope it lasts and becomes one of those things everyone looks forward to.

Last weekend we did our favorite Christmas tradition, decorating gingerbread houses. Good thing I decided to use kits this year rather than bake them, having cut my thumb earlier in the week might have sent me to buy kits anyway.

Our first attempt with icing in a bag... a little tough!

Just ask Reagan, it launched out the back and all over her foot.

The boys tag teaming their houses.

 The finished house. Love it! Check out Reagan's

Smarties and icing patch... and the Pixie Stick sidewalk!

 Can you tell Tennison worked on this one?

If you look closely you'll see a big ol' fly on the roof of that house.

From gingerbread houses we drove straight over to our friend's house to go caroling. We planned for the Potluckers to carol in a different neighborhood this year. It was so much fun, we were quite the crew...



Deck the Halls, Jingle Bells and We Wish You a Merry Christmas

were our 3 signature songs!

Taking over the 'hood.

The Potluckin' Women...

And their men!

Again, I love traditions and memories! We just added some more memories and love it!