Simple, Intentional & Meaningful Christmas

I always get a little bit overwhelmed with the madness of Christmas.  Not in my home, but it happens to me when I'm out and about.  It feels busy and materialistic.  I still don't know how the Christmas light people stay in business every year.  I mean how many lights could you possibly need for your home? don't they last a few years?  yet there are rows upon rows of just Christmas lights at the store every Christmas!  

People continue to buy more and more decorations each year.  Why? I love Christmas and I love decorating my home but I try to keep the decorations simple.  I want my decorations to become meaningful and traditional.  I can't change my decor each year, I want it to become classic and timeless for my family.  I want my family to one day look back at our quirky Christmas tree with the same old ornaments we have used for the last 13 years of our marriage.  I want the things in my home to be simple and ours.  I don't want to continue adding things and stuff just because. 

Gifts are so much fun to give but people get crazy! Am I alone on this? 30 presents under the tree for each child that you have? seems a bit excessive to me.  I know I sound super "judgy" right now but hear me out.  I love handmade gifts.  One of my favorite things about Christmas is that my mom usually makes us all a handmade gift.  I look forward to it.  It isn't in the store, there aren't 5,000 of those things being sold.  It is meaningful and it's valued more than any store bought item.  

What's even crazier is that people are out AFTER Christmas buying more "STUFF".  Oh my goodness, we a small family of 4 produce so much trash in one day! I don't know what I would do with more extra "STUFF" and things.  More to keep track of and clean up I guess.  

I love the idea of giving 2 gifts to each of my kids.  They end up with more because of family and friends, but really I hate the idea of giving my kids a bunch of presents that will no longer be fun or interesting a month from now.  I certainly have the Charlie Brown syndrome every Christmas. "They've gone commercial!"  I hope I don't sound like a Grinch.  (as much as I love him) 

I do still love Christmas and I try my best to slow it all down, keep it simple, intentional and meaningful at home each year.  After all,it is all about Jesus and knowing that he came to bring us HOPE for our future.  

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?  What are some things that can get you a bit overwhelmed during this season?  How do you keep the focus on Jesus?  I would love to hear from you.  

I will end this very long ramble with this adorable picture of the kids.  

I hope that your Christmas was a fun one! 

 

Spring Break and Snow

When my husband suggested that we visit Sequoia National Park and Yosemite for spring break I wasn't too thrilled.  I was really content spending a few days at our community pool or perhaps visiting one of our local beaches.  The more he talked about taking our family up to the mountains though, the more I began to desire to be around them.  I am so glad we went! This was my favorite place.  I fell in love with Sequoia, the forest seemed to be enchanted. 

The redwoods were covered in moss and it was such a lovely thing to see among the beautiful snow covered ground.  It was a treat for us to enjoy the snow since we didn't get to during the winter.  

My littlest adventure seeker enjoyed every moment.  She sloshed around in her snow gear and I tried to capture it all in my mind but also on my camera.  

 Sam made a football shaped snowball and had a blast throwing it back and fourth with his dad.  

It was such a fun way to begin our visit to Sequoia.  I was not a fan of the altitude and the slight snow storm we drove through to get to the top.  It was worth it though.  

Once we were nice and frozen we headed back down the mountain to find a warm place to eat and to seek out adventure near a small river we spotted on our way up. 

We had lunch and this was the view out of our window.  So lovely!

I kept singing.."We're going down to the river, down to the river, down to the river to pray"  just because I am cheesy that way.  They liked it.  I think.  

There was a suspension bridge to cross one side of the river.  My people were brave and went across, I stayed behind safely behind my camera lens.  

Look! proof that I was there.  I loved that everything was such a different and bright shade of GREEN!  All the rain we have had lately sure did this land good.  

I need Jacaranda tree's in my yard now.  I am in love.  Spring break and snow, I am now a fan! 

* Friday Science *

Today the kids wanted to work on a new science experiment.  We decided to try turning milk into plastic.  We found this science experiment from a pin on Pinterest.  

Supplies needed;  milk, vinegar, measuring cup, measuring spoon, strainer and some paper towels. 

Directions:
1.  Heat milk for 1 1/2 minutes
2.  Stir in 4 table spoons of Vinegar for 1 minute into the milk 
3.  Strain milk
4.  Pat it dry with a paper towel and let it sit out for 24 hours  

Here is Samara pouring the vinegar in to a cup.  

 Sam stirred the vinegar into the milk for one minute.  

This is how the milk looks when you strain it.  The protein and fat from the milk has been separated by the acid in the Vinegar.  

 The last step is to pat the "plastic milk" dry on a paper towel to make sure that there is no liquid left.  

We are curious to see how this will look and feel tomorrow.  You can also add food coloring to it during this step.  I would love to know if you have tried this before or will be trying it out with your kiddos.  Thanks for reading!  

* Sand vs. Snow *

Our family tried going to the snow TWICE this month.  The first time my car stalled right as we got the bottom of the mountain, we didn't even get close!  We decided instead (since my car turned back on) to visit the Rock Maze out in Hemet.  It wasn't as thrilling as playing in the snow but we enjoyed a short walk and looking at the beautiful sky above us.  I took my new camera and got a few good pictures of the kids exploring.  

  

The following weekend, we decided to try and find snow again.  This time we would drive my husband's car to avoid any car trouble.  It didn't rain much and so we were out of luck in finding snow up the hill.  Since we live in California, we did the next best thing!  We headed out to Carlsbad for a day in the sand.  (Gotta love January in California)  The kids enjoyed playing in the sand and getting their feet wet in the freezing cold water.  I loved watching them laugh and play.  

With all the rain we have had lately, we might still make it to see some snow soon.  For now, I am grateful for these small adventures, these treasured memories and God's redirection of our time together.  All the planning in the world does not compare to God's plans for our lives.  His ways are better anyway! 

* White Jeeps *

When I first started driving at age 16, I often found myself driving behind a white Jeep.  It was a very noticeable thing for me.  I would be driving to school or work and either on the road or on the freeway, there I was behind a white Jeep.  At first I thought it was such a peculiar coincidence.  I often joked with my passengers about how funny it was that I always ended up behind a white Jeep in traffic and on the road.  My friends would even point out the white Jeep as it was such a common occurrence.  (never the same person so it wasn't like I drove behind someone that lived in my neighborhood who owned a white Jeep ).  
How common are white Jeeps anyway? I actually looked it up, only 4% of Jeeps are white, 21 % are green/teal and 16% are red.  Not as common as I thought.  

I started to really pay close attention to the times I was often found driving behind a random white Jeep and it occurred to me that some of those times I was alone and asking God to guide me and direct me with something specific in my life.  I started praying and asking God if this whole white Jeep thing was something I should think more on.  Was I crazy for thinking that this white Jeep was somehow a message God was using to communicate to me? I felt silly just even thinking about it but it kept happening for years.  In fact, it still does.  
Yesterday while driving in the rain and taking my kids to school there it was.  The Jeep was directly in front of me in slow moving traffic making a right turn just as I needed to make.  I remembered something.  A few years back, after questioning my sanity, ha!  God placed on my heart the need to look into this further.  I did the typical (look for the definition of Jeep and the word white) and found this;  JEEP= A small, durable, general purpose vehicle with 4-wheel drive.  WHITE=reflecting all the rays of sunlight or a pure light, used to describe snow.  Mind blowing? Not really.  So why was Jesus prompting me to look further into this silly little Jeep thing?  

One day as I was driving in Florida on my way to Church an actual alligator was crossing the Expressway.  (no joke!).  I had to slow down and wait for this massive thing to continue on it's path.  It was early in the morning and I was the only car on the road and I had this highway all to myself.  When the alligator finished crossing, a car drove past me and got into my lane, right in front of me.  Can you guess what type of car it was? It was at that moment that this silly little Jeep coincidence made sense to me.  

The words durable and light stood out to me like never before.  Durable is also another word for lasting and enduring.  God almighty is ever lasting and he's the light of my life!  Without a doubt (you may think I am silly) I knew that this Jeep was God's way of telling me that I was on the right path.  I knew instantly that he was physically showing me that the actual path I was on was the right one at that moment in my life for me.  

When I have questioned big moves like moving to Florida, when I have doubted my school or degree choice, when I wasn't sure about the job I was doing, when I was driving to serve at Church, when I drove my children to school and hoped and prayed I made the right school choice for them.  ALL of those times God was reminding me that I was on the right path.  That he's proud of me and that he is lasting and he is my light.  Even if I stray from his path for my life, he gives me the opportunity to get back on the right road and follow him. I still find myself driving behind white Jeeps often and I always smile and give God thanks for his visual reminder that he approves.    

* Here we go again *

Here we are again!  The start of a brand new year.  January 1st always feels so quiet and peaceful to me.  (Maybe it's because everyone is tired from staying up late on New Years Eve).  It's also the calm after the "Storm" and by storm I mean;  Thanksgiving, Christmas, cookie making, merry making, presents, shopping, cleaning, hosting, gathering and advent activities.  All the stuff that can make us feel so busy crazy yet so joyful at the same time. This is a big year for us.  This is an even year for my babes.  This year Sam will be turning 10 and Samara will be turning 8! I remember thinking when they were 1 and 3 (I can't wait until they are 8 and 10 because things will be so much easier).  In a way, a lot of things are easier.  Sam can pretty much feed himself and his sister, nobody is in diapers, everyone sleeps through the night unless we watch E.T (that's not a fun night).  As I think about how much "easier" it is these days I actually feel it's a lot harder.  Sam is asking tough questions that I don't always have answers to, Samara is stretching and turning into a tiny lady and they see and don't fully understand the world we live in.  Sam is looking more and more like a young man these days.  I know it's inevitable but now more than ever I have to be alert and prayed up.  I feel it, I sense it.  I know that the tough choices I will have to make as a mom will continue to get harder each year, each phase but I want to do it all with wisdom and with God's guidance.  Sometimes I say no to friendships, sometimes I say no to t.v shows or movies but everyday there's a new challenge of letting them grow yet keeping them innocent.  In so many ways they are still little, their hearts are full of love for Jesus, they love their family and they obey their parents.  They trust us, they don't always understand but they trust us.  I can still take them to the park, play board games, do puzzles and watch cartoons with them.  They still enjoy toys and whimsical fun family traditions.  I'm holding on for as long as I can to those things, knowing that before long it will be a new stage.  My sweet gifts, my precious treasures.  I pray the Lord help me to guide them and help them along this path of life and that their hearts remain pure and full of God's goodness.  I want to soak up their joyful smiles and laughter when they play, as I watch them interact and be little for as long as possible.