Monday, December 31, 2007

I'm the big 3-0!!!




Today I am 30....and it doesn't bother me one bit. I am 30 years young.

I awoke today to a very thoughtful gift waiting for me on the kitchen counter (from hubby). Equally thoughtful gifts from my three precious children, along with very funny cards....but the best gift was yet to come.

My wonderful children let me sit, bundled up and read, take an hour long, uninterrupted jacuzzi (mothers everywhere understand the significance of this) and when I came out was met by a home-made birthday cake. Decorated and ready for me.

My oldest daughter, not pictured, made me a perfect cake, put the number 30 on it in toothpicks, and drizzled hot chocolate syrup over it. I told them, meaning it, it was the best cake of my 30 years. My children truly made this a perfect day.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

These children of mine



Footprints in the snow tell a story if you'll hear
Of children playing and laughing, innocence without fear
Angels in the snow have snowball wars without pain
Their purity like the powder is white and flawless without stain
The icicles form their kingdom which they rule, and fill with laughter
Endless running, rolling and merry as hearts pitter-patter
They build each snowy man with love and tender care
Without a thought towards the truth; tomorrow he won't be there
In the end red hands and cheeks run inside for warming hugs
Shaking off with smiles as they reach for cocoa mugs
Later as they sleep I look outside and know
Children grow up and they're gone, like footprints melting with the snow.

This Christmas I have truly been blessed. Surrounded by my wonderful family, relatives and friends. The moments that I enjoyed were also bitter sweet. I realized as I looked at my children how quickly it is going. I truly drank them in as I realized that I will blink, and this time will be over.

Saturday, December 22, 2007

AAAHHHHHH

My children are out of school for 2 weeks. My husband and I are finally spending some much needed snuggle time together. The five of us are breathing in the incredible feel of the Christmas season. We have shopped together, we have wrapped together, we have cooked together, played together, watched tv together. This is the reason I love Christmas. It is like my family enters into this bubble of peace. We all feel a little happier, sleep a little deeper, love a little stronger......

I have a feeling this will be one of the years I look back on as the best.

Merry Christmas everybody....God bless you and yours.

Monday, December 17, 2007

Some things are too true to be funny

My husbands cousin, who has three children, had this forwarded to several people.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Mom's letter to Santa:

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children
on demand, visited the doctor's office more than my doctor and sold sixty-two
cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school
playground. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several
Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on
the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows
when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple,
which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze, but are
strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the
grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of
my last pregnancy. If you're hauling big ticket items this year I'd like fingerprint
resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music, a television that doesn't
broadcast any programs containing talking animals, and a refrigerator with
a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the
phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy"
to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and
three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power
tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the
living room" and "Take your hands off your brother," because my voice
seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the
dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time
to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of
eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a
Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten
the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a
vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if
you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding
payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is calling and my son saw my feet
under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe
trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in and dry
off so you don't catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave
crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always,

MOM...

P.S. One more thing...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my
children young enough to believe in Santa.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Prayer

I have been struggling for a while.... a long, long while, with my prayer life.

Prayer has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. However, in recent years, every time I start to pray a blockage occurs. And I don't mean a momentary inability to focus; I mean a complete shutdown of all mental capacities. The most keen awareness of the presence of the ceiling, and of my unworthiness to try and penetrate it for the purpose of my own supplication. So for years the struggle has raged on, silently. Even as I have continued to say, "I'll pray for you" knowing it might have been a lie.

Yesterday the dam broke. Everywhere I turned, every phone call I made, every person I ran into, every blog I read, every situation in life, screamed PRAY! So finally I did. I just prayed. I laid it all out, I thanked Him, I told Him, I begged Him. And in the process I somehow remembered that He really doesn't care about how I feel when I pray, He just wants to hear from me. And yes, the ceiling is still there and I am still ridiculously unworthy. But I am going to pray anyway.

Isn't it funny how I always return to the basics?

Jesus loves me this I know.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Rock On

Sometimes the outfit makes the girl......


Sometimes the girl makes the outfit!

Rock on girlfriend!!

Monday, December 3, 2007

Christmas Spirit

The trees up, the shopping is started, the kids are excited....what's missing. It could be Christmas spirit, if I let it. Like in many situations I have the power to set the mood for Christmas at my house. Not by having the most beautiful decorations or the most expensive gifts.... but by intentionally enjoying the season with my family. And you can do this whether you work or stay at home or whatever your situation is; by doing some things that tell your kids you love Christmas.

Make hot cocoa and pop in a Christmas movie.

After dinner, jump in the car for a look at the local Christmas lights.

Play Christmas songs on your way to take them to school.

Read Christmas books.

(My sister-in-law wrapped her refrigerator in Christmas wrapping paper!)

A friend of mine recently blogged about finally realizing that it is okay to celebrate... that God is okay and smiles upon times of celebration. Realize that, get the bah humbug out of your butt, and enjoy Christmas. It won't kill you, and it will make the memories soooo much better for your kids.

I'm done, its precarious on this soapbox.