Hello There!

Howdy, strangers! How's life? Well...we moved. We have been buys packing and unpacking and prepping for school, and lots of other things. We only moved about 10 minutes away from our previous place to a different apartment, a less expensive apartment, and it has one extra bedroom, which we will be temporarily using as an office.

I'm hoping to get back into the blogging groove but, we will see. Because of the move, I decided not to start school with the kids until next Monday. Most of my school things are still packed in boxes. Tonight, as a family project, we will be unpacking the boxes and setting up our bookshelf. Once that happens, I will feel much better and a little more prepared.

I was very overwhelmed for a little while because of this move. Even though we didn't move far this time, it was still very stressful. When we moved to this city 2 years ago, my husband had taken 3 weeks off and we were able to just move and unpack and go slow but, when you are already in the midst of life and have many things going on that you have to maintain...and move, it can be quite stressful, at least for me. I like to go at my own pace, which tends to be slow in comparison to others but, life just isn't always like that. We are unpacking and getting settled as much as we can and once we get it all fixed up, I will show you pictures!

Oh, and this new place (I call it an apartment because we rent but, it's really the downstairs of a house laid out like an apartment) has a fenced in backyard and a porch, which I'm very excited about. The kids have been playing in the yard and I can just give a peek out the window to check on them, so I've been able to do some unpacking.

If today was your kids first day of school, hope it was a great one! I'll be updating again soon.

Forgetful Me.

Does forgetting things mean that you are getting old? I sure hope not because, if it does than I am officially old.

I have been forgetting a lot of things lately. Important things. Things like meal planning and grocery shopping. Yep, that's me. Bad wife and mom.

Here's the story...

Without sounding like I am complaining or that my life is busier than anyone else's life, I will just say that our life is busy. My plate is pretty full, and most days I feel like I am on auto-pilot just going through the day, drop into bed and get up and do it again.

This past Saturday, I had errands to run, we were going to a birthday party and expecting an overnight guest that evening so, I was busy preparing for that. At 10:35, I discovered that I had forgotten all about my daughter's ballet class at 10am. The class ends at 10:45 so it was too late to take her at that point. Ugh. I did not tell her we missed it, and thankfully she did not notice. The crazy thing is, I have it scheduled in my phone and to alert me ahead of time. I must have completely missed it.

Then, yesterday was another strange day. Mondays are very weird for me. I am usually completely exhausted on Mondays due to the craziness of our Sundays but, I just went about my day, took the kiddos to the Library and did some cleaning. (Oh, I forgot to mention that we are looking for another apartment. We are not moving out of the area, just looking for another place.) A couple was coming to look at the apartment so, that is why I was cleaning and another reason why things have been a little crazy. Also, I was going to have dinner with a friend at 5:30. I was making dinner for my family before I left, and rushed out the door to meet my friend. I got back, chatted with my husband for awhile and then basically fell into bed.

My husband came into the bedroom this morning, I had apparently slept through my alarm (again), and he asked me if I was going grocery shopping this morning. I usually grocery shop on early Tuesday mornings to beat the rush. (trust me, it's crazy.) I just looked up and said "ummmm, I guess not." I had totally forgotten to plan my meals or write a list, or anything.

That is sort of important. What is up with me? Maybe I need another vacation of something? A new brain, maybe? Maybe I just need to clear a few things off of my plate? Hmmm....

Ok. Make me feel better... have you forgotten about anything important lately?

{Life} A Little Bit of Crazy.

As you can probably tell by my lack of posting this past week, life has taken over. It is generally pretty busy in our neck of the woods with church stuff, schooling, etc... but this Winter has sort of handed us a double dose of crazy. Yesterday was a little example of this.

You may remember "K's " last emergency room episode only 1 month ago and then only two weeks ago, was stricken with the dreaded stomach bug. Poor kid has had a rough go of it in the sickness department this Winter.

One of my goals this year was to be more intentional about finding male friendships for my son. Most of the moms I know have young girls which is perfect for "A" but, not so much for "K". So, when we joined our homeschool Co-op I was happy to find out that there were boys his age and even a little older. Yesterday, we were invited to a birthday party for one of the boys at an ice skating rink in the City, "K" was beside himself with excitement. This was his first party he's been invited to since moving here. I was excited for him.

Long story short, one of my friends came over and hung out with "A" so I could take "K" to the party. This was only his second time ice skating and once he got out there, he seemed to do very well.

It was nearing the end where we were all getting ready to leave to go across the street to McDonald's to have lunch and cake and ice cream, and as we were getting ready to exit the ice...it happened.

I let him let go of my hand and he attempted to skate on his own for only about 5 seconds and..SMACK! He slipped, fell and hit his face on the ice. I'm sure you can guess the rest. I will spare you the details of this already wordy story.

Here he is in the ER wating ever so patiently for them to stitch him up. We arrived at the hospital around 12:30 and we didn't get a room until almost 4:30. Poor kiddo was a trooper. There was some screaming involved but, that was mostly for the cleaning and numbing.

There was a wonderful staff member whose title was Child Life Specialist. Her job was to inform and distract children during tough procedures such as stitching, surgeries, etc. She was wonderful. Her name was Hillary and I'm so thankful she was there. She gave "K" a game boy to play with while they stitched him up, and she walked him through everything.

Because he missed the rest of the party and lunch, on our way home we stopped at Wendy's and got him a burger and frosty. He was a happy guy. At 7pm and 3 stitches later, we arrived home.

Needless to say, he got a great night's sleep and so did I.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I fell as well and have a pretty banged up backside so, I'm kind of hobbling around today.

Here's to hoping Spring comes sooner than later!

It's Thursday.

Sorry for my boring title. I couldn't come up with anything else more creative. I'm a bit crabby today. Why? Well, because I am getting my wisdom teeth pulled this afternoon. Oh joy. I'm probably making a bigger deal out of it than it actually is. I guess it all boils down to the fact that I just do not like going to the dentist...or any doctor for that matter. Yes, I know it is necessary and all of that but, I just do not like it.

Last month I went to the Dentist for my regular check-up and she asked me if I had my kids with me. I told her no and her reply was "Oh, so you get some mommy time!" Oh yes, this is glorious mommy time, sitting for an hour waiting for you to come in and pick at my teeth. Obviously not my idea of mommy time. I just smiled, gave a weak chuckle and said "yes, I guess."

So, then she proceeded to tell me that I needed to get two of my wisdom teeth pulled...looks like I get some more "mom time" today. Needless to say, I am not looking forward to it. In fact, I'm rather terrified and I don't know why.

I think it might be the pain. I have given birth to 2 kids naturally, you would think this would be a cake-walk. I guess I'm more of a wimp than I thought.

I do have plans this weekend, so I hope the recovery is not too bad. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Spinning Plates...and 30 for 30.

Hi there. Seems like I haven't been around for awhile. I've been off doing what I do best, "dropping the ball", spinning plates...you know, the usual. This blog is more of a hobby than a priority but, it seems that I've even been "dropping the ball" with my priorities lately, which is leaving me in a place of self loathing. I do not like myself right now. I'm pretty much focused on the things that I do not do well. But, oh well....I'll get over it.

I digress...I was thinking of doing a 30 for 30 challenge, a 30 posts in 30 days sort of thing. I call it a challenge because that is what it will be for me to do this. I'm not talking about 30 "meaty" posts but, a little of everything. I also thought that I might compartmentalize the blog a little more like, have a "theme" for each day. There are so many things of meaning and substance that I would like to post about but, often time prohibits me from doing that. So, if I divide the week up into segments, I think I can do that. So....

The little schedule of sorts will be as follows:

Mondays: Motherhood/Family

Tuesdays: Food

Wednesdays: Health and Wellness (something I'm passionate about)

Thursdays: ?

Fridays: Free day (write whatever I want)

Saturdays: More Family

Sundays: Our Church Plant

That's what it looks like for now. Some posts might be short and sweet while others will be a little longer. We'll see. I'm open to any suggestions for Thursdays or any other day for that matter. My purpose for this blog was not to become a "self-help" or "how-to" blog because my main goal was to keep a log of my life and family. But, I have been toying around with the idea of maybe doing a "fashion on the cheap" kind of post. What do you think? I'd love to hear your feedback.

Cabin Fever...and a few links to help.

Cabin fever is an idiomatic term for a claustrophobic reaction that takes place when a person or group is isolated and/or shut in, in a small space, with nothing to do, for an extended period (as in a simple country vacation cottage during a long rain or snow). Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, irrational frustration with everyday objects, forgetfulness, laughter, excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark. (via Wikipedia)

Yep. That's about how I feel right now. Except for the distrust thing and an urge to go out in the snow or dark. I'm sure you can relate. We've been on a lovely little spiral of sickness since after Christmas, it's really crazy. It has been mostly flu-like, with the exception of "K's" little episode where he just had a little of everything. I'm ready for it to be over...pretty much by yesterday.

We don't often get sick like this. In fact, last year we just had a couple of colds and that was it. I haven't gone anywhere except for the grocery store, and I'm pretty much going crazy. And to top it all off, my hubby has been gone for the last 3 days.

So, there's one thing that I do when I feel "cooped-up". I scour the internet for ideas!

Frugal Family Fun Blog has 5 Creative Ways To Beat the Winter Blues. I think the indoor snow blizzard looks like fun. I find myself craving comfort foods all winter long and this Baked Potato Soup from Smitten Kitchen looks like it would hit the spot. We read a lot around here but, especially when we can't go anywhere. The kiddos like reading by the fire. Kara from Simple Kids shares what they have been reading lately.

What are your ideas to cure Cabin Fever?

Making God Smile.

There is a wonderful organization in our neighborhood called The Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House. In their own words this is why they exist...

The Mission of the Margaret Fuller House is to strengthen and empower youth, families and community residents. We work to address the economic, social and political inequities that shape the lives and futures of Area IV residents.

Their programs consist of a food pantry that provides over 18,000 pounds of food per month to families in need. Each year about 3,200 people use the pantry. They also have an after school program that provides love and care to 70 children ages 5-12, among a host of other things.

We had the privilege to volunteer on Saturday morning at the Margaret Fuller House. To be honest, I really can't think of anything I would have rather done that day. We filled bags with non-perishable items and then bags with vegetables to be given along with Turkeys as part of Thanksgiving boxes that will be distributed throughout the community to those in need. My kids jumped in as soon as we got there packing carrots, potatoes, onions and celery into sacks. They had smiles on their faces the whole time. I was so blessed and touched to see that.

The main reason I am writing this is to not tell you what my family did because honestly that's really not the important part. My motive in writing this was because this is an issue that has been weighing very heavily on my heart and I wanted to share it with you. The important part is that there are families, just like yours and mine that are going without on a daily basis. There are children that are going to bed hungry every night. Some do not even have beds. In our own neighborhoods. It breaks my heart.

There are so many opportunities to help out with this need if we would only look for them. Especially but, certainly not limited to this holiday season, there are so many places that would more than welcome your help if only for a couple of hours on a weekend.

I talked to the Director of the Margaret Fuller House and asked about other Volunteer opportunities and she handed me a flyer and said "we can use help with everything."

You see, we don't have to come up with something all on our own to reach people, there are people already out there doing it, and doing it well and they would really love to have our help. I know it really challenged me to be there and look into how I could help more.

On the way home on Saturday my daughter said to me, "mom, my heart feels really happy right now." It not only makes us happy, it helps to meet a need and makes God smile. That's what it's all about, right? He smiles when we love others. :)

I'm definitely not saying that I have mastered this, far from in fact. I'm just saying that if we all do a little, I think it can do a lot.

So, get on google and look up some opportunities in your neighborhood. It's about showing love to others who have less, a lot less than we have. Watch and see, it won't only help to change a life of someone else but, it might just change your own.

Thank you for reading this. :)

Evil, I Tell Ya!

My dad recently sent some peanut butter M&M's to the kiddos in a care package, and naturally I ate some too. I mean, he didn't think that I was just going to save them all for the kids and not sample any, right? They were just the little snack size bags so, it was easy to see why I had two bags. I mean, 2 little bags don't even equal a normal size bag.

The other day I was in Target and I saw the big 50% off Halloween Candy sign and I thought "hmm..let me see what they have." Honestly, I am not a big candy eater but, there are some things I make an exception for and I do have a soft spot for M&M's; (especially the peanut butter ones). So, after looking through the various bags of candy, lo and behold I spied a bag of peanut butter M&M's. They were calling my name. Seriously. And at 50% off I mean, I just had to.

Now, I'm sitting here staring at them in a lovely clear class candy dish, saying "just one more" after about 10...or so. This is why I never buy candy. It's the M&M's fault. They made me do it. They are evil...but, oh so good.

Do you have a favorite treat?

Dead Dustbusters.

As a mom, do you ever feel like you've just run out of steam? That's a really stupid question, huh? I have yet to find a mom that doesn't feel like this....present company included. How do you know when you are in need of a little recharge?

I've been walking around lately like a miserable wreck. Completely exausted, no energy, no life left, complaining and ornery. yuck. Who wants to be around that? Not me. I don't want to be around myself.

I've realized (with the help of my husband) that I really don't have an outlet to just "unwind". I used to make jewelry, and do a few other things but, since moving here, our life is really crazy (that's a whole other post) and those things have been put on the back burner. My loving husband has encouraged me to take breaks and find outlets for my creativity and such, and although I would love to, I don't even know what to do to be honest. Sometimes I feel so one dimensional, like there is only one side to me and that is the mothering/wiving side. Please do not misunderstand me, I am so blessed and thankful to be at home with my children and I cherish it with all of my heart but, there are times I feel like, it begins to be my only definition and I just don't think that is true. I can do other things, I just can't remember what those are right now. I would like to rediscover them, though.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Isaiah 40:29-31. Verse 29 says "He gives power to those who are tired and worn out." Ahhh...I love that. Just reading those words encourages me so much. There is strength available to me when I feel this way. Thank You Lord. Sometimes for me, it's just stopping long enough to receive it.

3 more days until I leave to visit my mom. I will be having plenty of time to maybe think of some ways to recharge my batteries so, I can be a better mom and a wife. Because, honestly I can't be all that God has called me to be in my home if I am out of steam. It's like my dustbuster. A lot of times after use, it does not get plugged in. Then, I go to use it and it won't start. It is useless to me...and very frustrating. I don't want to be a dead dustbuster.

But those who wait on The Lord will find new strength.

They will fly high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

So...I know I'm not alone. I'd love to hear from you. What do you do to recharge your batteries? I'd love some ideas.

Home. (It's Complicated)

My mom called me a while ago and told me that she wanted to fly me home to see her. I am very excited about this. Only 3 more weeks to go! I have been missing home. When I say home I'm not talking about a physical house. I'm talking about the feeling of home. The funny thing is, home is a bit complicated for me. You see, to me home is wherever my family is but, my family is all over the place. My hubby and kids are here with me so, this is home. But, my mom is in Western NY so, when I go to see her that's home even though I didn't grow up there. My dad is also in the Western part of NY so that's home, too. I was born in Ohio and my extended family lives there, and that is home when I am there. But, I was raised in a rural area of NY and none of my family lives there anymore so, even though it should technically be home it's not. I have a lot of homes. Have I confused you? I think I've confused myself a little.

They say "home is where the heart is". Well, I guess my heart is a little all over the place, and I'm totally cool with that.

Remembering...

Today is 9/11. Even though it was 9 years ago, I remember where I was like it was yesterday. For years to come, many will be remembering where they were on that day. As much as I would like to forget, it's just not possible, and honestly, I don't think it would be right to forget. The ones who lost loved ones that day cannot forget so, in honoring them and the ones they lost, I will remember.

Kent and I were only married a little over a year. I was working at a coffee shop in a nearby ski town and I was there early. Later on, someone came in and told us what had happened. We had no television but, someone went and got a radio so we could listen to the updates. My husband was out of town and his sister-in-law was living in NYC at that point and she immediately came to my mind. I called Kent and as soon as we possibly could we tried to find out if his sister was safe. We later found out that she was. After arriving home that afternoon, I was able to see some of the coverage on the television. To this day I cannot get those images out of my head.

Days and even weeks went by and it was still in the forefront of my mind, and I'm sure I was not alone. I am still effected by it.

Today, my heart and my prayers go out to those who lost husbands, wives, friends, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, uncles, aunts, grandparents, co-workers, cousins and bosses...

Peace and love.

Me and The City.

Photo of the skyline from Boston Sports Then and Now.

I love the city. The diversity, the sights, sounds, smells...it's all wonderful. But, I've been starting to realize that down in the depths of my heart I am not really a "city-girl." When I was younger I used to dream about living in the city, the tall skyscrapers, the people, the "cutting-edge", always having somewhere to go or something to do.

This morning I was sitting at the dining room table drinking my coffee and I said to my husband "I'm a sit-on-the-porch with a glass of lemonade and no other plans than to just chat, chill and enjoy the day kinda girl." He chuckled because he knows that I do things at my own pace, and by my own pace I mean slower than most. Although, I love the city, the pace of life here is much different than what I am used to. I've also realized that I don't have to set the pace of my home the same as it is outside. Being here is causing me to see things about myself that I haven't seen before, and this is one of them. I'm also discovering how much I love it when I am organized but, how extremely hard I have to work at actually being organized. I guess it's not the city that has brought me to that conclusion, it's the homeschooling. :)

Anyway, this probably sounds like I am a true candidate for life down South but, uh-uh. I'm happy here. This is where God wants us, and that's exactly where I want to be. Besides, where else can you leave your front door and walk a few blocks to the nearest Starbucks?

God is doing amazing things here and in our lives. It has its challenges but, life itself is a challenge, right? Good thing we're not in it alone.

Amor.

I love this picture. I just had to put it up. I did not take it. I found it on google images. :)

So...I am better but, whatever I had has quickly passed down to my children so, you can imagine what it's like around here. Not much time for an in-depth post today but, I did want to acknowledge Valentine's Day and wish everyone a weekend full of LOVE! Whether you have a Valentine or not, know that you are deeply loved...by God (most importantly) and by Me too. :)

On my mind...

Haiti still weighs heavy on my heart. I have not forgotten the images of babies and young children without their parents, of parents without their children, those struggling to survive, those that did not survive. It is all very sad. It is a time that makes us take the focus off of ourselves and shift it to something greater. I struggle with guilt at times, thinking of how blessed I am and how others are struggling to survive. I go back and forth between feeling like I don't deserve what I have or appreciate it enough to complete and utter thankfulness for my many blessings.

I may have more than one person and less than another but, one thing I know for sure is that God doesn't bless me so I can keep it all to myself. He blesses me so that I can be a blessing. When I see the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere suffer this enormous tragedy, all I could think of was, I have much much more than they will probably ever have, what can I do about that? I know many of Americans and many others in different countries felt the same way. I am amazed as I watch the benevolence of others at a time like this. Not only giving from their personal resources but, of their time as well.

I know it is easy to move on with our lives and let the story fade to the background.

I want to keep this in the forefront of my mind to remind me that even when I move on with my life, there are people who need help everywhere. Even in my neighborhood. I want to keep people in need at the forefront of my mind and heart because they are at the forefront of God's heart.

I wanted to highlight a special organization that I believe in with all of my heart. They do amazing things for the poor all over the world. It is called Samaritan's Purse. You may have heard of them or maybe not. Most recently, they delivered 42 Metric tons of rice to Haiti but, that's not the extent of what they have done. They give medical care, food, and clean water just to name a few. They are a faith-based organization and I cannot say enough good about what they do. Check out their website Here . There is more information on their website, along with some video footage of Haiti, and other things they do as well.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Creative Block...

Do you ever have those times in life where you feel as if you have hit a wall creatively. Well, I'm there. I feel like I have lost all sense of creativity when it comes to cooking, keeping my home, schooling, ideas for the kids...pretty much everything. Exasperation abounds, and when creativity is lacking I also feel like I lose a small bit of desire to do those things the "I don't have any new ideas so, I don't feel like doing anything" kind of thing, which is basically a stinky attitude. When that happens, I like to do 2 things:

1. Pray. God has some awesome ideas.

2. Hit the library.

There are probably other ideas too but, that is what I do. :)

My very generous and understanding honey helps me out on Friday afternoons. He takes the afternoon off so he can take part in homeschooling "K" and give him his guitar lesson (which, I think rocks). While he is doing that I am free for a couple of hours. (Hallelujah!) Today, I stopped and got a vanilla rooibos tea and headed to the Library. Our city has a Main Library that is huge and has tons and tons of books. I stayed for an hour and a half and left with 5 books. I love the Library. I also love the internet for research and ideas as well but, there's just something about a book. I love just having something to hold in my hand, pore through the pages, look at pictures, etc...especially cookbooks. I think I am slightly addicted to cookbooks. Most of the books I end up bringing home are cookbooks. So, now I feel like I am armed for creativity with my stack of books. Would you like to know which books I checked out? Sure you would. Don't you love it when people read your mind? :)

The Gluten Free Nutrition Guide by Tricia Thompson

The Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet by Nava Atlas

The Wheat-Free Cook (Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone) by Jacqueline Mallorca

The Vegetarian Family Cookbook by Nava Atlas

Prescription for Natural Cures by James F. Balch

Not to mention 5 others I got last week when I was there...those are children's activity books.

About the Vegetarian books. No, we are not vegetarian exclusively but, we do eat several meatless meals a week. I don't intend on reading all of these books cover to cover but, I do intend on finding some great recipes and ideas.

Do you ever have a creative block? If so, what do you do about it? I'd love to know!

Life as I know it...

I've decided to write a post on my life right now. My real life. I often struggle at times as to how much is too much to share on a blog. Most times I try to keep it light. I look at blogging as a way to express myself and have fun. But, honestly I don't have any light and fun ideas in my head right now. The title of my blog is This Girl's Pilgrimage but, I don't think I've been really sharing much of the journey. I find myself sitting at the computer, having all of these things to say but no idea how to say them. Will anyone get it? Will it be worth reading? I'm now convinced that it really doesn't matter. I started this blog to keep friends and family in the loop of my life and I've now decided I need to do that. While I won't be sharing deeply personal issues because, I'm just not comfortable with that, I will be sharing more of my journey, or pilgrimage in this life, a life that is drasticallly different than it was just a year ago.

My husband put it well in his blog...

As you can imagine, planting a church in one of the most unchurched cities and regions in the country (Cambridge/Boston) near the #1 University in America (Harvard) isn't a cake walk. It's been a joy but very difficult. We have changed every part of our lives from our housing, type of environment, ministry role, friends, etc, etc, etc...

I couldn't have put it any better. I am a minister's wife, I have been for the past 10 years. There are joys and struggles and all kinds of wonderful and hard things about that life, and maybe by posting more about that part of my life, I can be helpful to others in the same boat. So yes, we have started a church from scratch. It has been the most amazing yet, difficult time in my life. The Lord has been as faithful as always as we have uprooted our lives and moved here. We are slowly developing our team and now have 2 people as well as one currently preparing to move here soon. We have been having amazing prayer meetings and meeting incredible people.

One of the most frequently asked questions we get is "How do you plant a church from scratch?" and the answer to that is "we're working on finding that out." There is no exact method to it but, we feel that we have heard a strategy from the Lord that we are following. It is one thing to move and pastor an already existing church but, to start one from nothing is another ballgame. Walking with God in this has been an incredible adventure, there are some days when I wake up and feel like I could just do anything and others when I want to throw in the towel. I am reminded of this one thing...I cannot be anywhere outside of the will of The Lord. We know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where the Lord has us and I would not have that any other way. I want to be where He is. It has been incredible to see the many ways that The Lord is working and I look forward to sharing more of that with you.

Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them for you.

It's GOOD News!

*Disregard the date on this post, not sure why it says it's Sunday. :)

All you have to do is walk into a shopping mall to figure out that we have it all wrong during the Holidays. That statement was not meant as a judgement but, more as an observation. Friday afternoon I went to the mall to run a few errands and was bombarded by crowds of unhappy people and kiosk workers trying to sell me ridiculously expensive body products, hair extensions, and various other things I do not need. A sadness came over me. These people really don't know what this is all about. How would they, really? This is how America celebrates Christmas. We run ourselves ragged trying to buy the "latest something" for "Jimmy" or the cashmere cardigan for "Sue." We're too busy to even smile at anyone or say "excuse me" when you run into someone in a cramped store aisle. We're too focused on ourselves to help the elderly woman who just knocked over a store display with her walker or even help her with her packages. Why are we so timid when it comes to kindness? We want others to be kind to us, right? Now, don't get me wrong, in years past I have been an example of the very thing I am talking about and am not proud of it. I have been wrapped up in all the "to do" of Christmas and have forgotten about what it really is all about. Why do we give gifts? Why do we decorate our homes, have parties and sing Christmas carols? Well, I can't tell you why you do it because I am not you but, I can tell you why I do it.

Over the last couple of years the Lord has done something different in my heart regarding Christmas. I was always concerned about "the perfect gift" making tons of cookies and throwing the best party. Honestly, it totally stressed me out, and who wants that? I decided I needed a heart change, and the only one in the business of changing hearts is Jesus. You see, Christmas marks the occasion when GOD SENT JESUS IN THE FORM OF A BABY TO BE THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD! He came to save the world! He saved the world by dying on the cross for our sins, all of the horrible things we have done, and he did it for us out of obedience to God and great love for us. If he wasn't born, how could he have died, then where would we be? For me, that changes everything. Here is what the Angels said to the Shepherds the night that Jesus was born...

"Don't be Afraid! I bring you good news of great joy for everyone! The Savior-yes, The Messiah, the Lord- has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize Him: you will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth!" Suddenly the angel was joined by a vast host of others- the armies of heaven- praising God;

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to all whom God favors."

-Luke 2:10-14

So, when I think about what the angel said to the shepherds "I bring you good news!" I think, "good news shouldn't stress you out." I'm not saying that we shouldn't buy gifts or have parties, or make cookies, or those types of things, those are all a fun and wonderful part of Christmas. What I am saying is that for me personally when I focus on those things alone and not on Jesus, my focus becomes blurred. I want to make the reason I do all of those things because I am celebrating Jesus and wanting to give because I was given to...the greatest gift, the gift of Life in Jesus Christ. It should be an exciting time of love and togetherness celebrating this gift of love given to us. The only way the world will know is if we tell them! So, I have an idea...lets think of some ways where we personally can show Jesus to someone this Christmas. It doesn't have to be a gift that costs money, maybe it's smiling at someone, letting someone have a really good parking spot that you wanted, helping a young mom with her hands full of grocery bags, there are a lot of things we could do. If you have any ideas, please leave a comment...and have a blessed and restful Holiday season.

P.S. If you're interested, Simple mom has some great tips on reducing extended-family stress during the Holidays...Check it out!

Times with friends...

Yesterday was a special day. A day of tradition with extra special people mixed in. Friends from New York came to visit over the Holiday and we had an exceptional time. Yesterday we ventured out to Marlborough Massachusetts to do our annual tree hunting. It was great to have them along. We found a small, simple farm with lovely trees. It was not raining or snowing, but boy was it windy. We trampled through the forest of trees to find the "perfect one." not too big, not too small, not too fat. Perfect for the corner near the fireplace. Alas, we found it. After much discussion and going back and forth, we had decided on one. Kent and the kids helped cut the tree down and loaded it onto a pull sled. Hot chocolate and candy canes satisfied our chills, and our sweet tooth. For a split second, I felt as though we were back in New York. In our small town, picking out our tree like always. I quickly remembered where we were as we arrived back in the city. We all decorated our tree while listening to Christmas carols and sipping hot spiced cider. I wouldn't have changed a thing. It was the perfect ending to a great week. Now, Kent is heading back to NY for a meeting and the kids and I are very tired from the weeks festivities and a little crabby I might add. (Me, mostly). I would love a nap. We'll see. Our table will be graced with leftovers once again and our hearts will be full of memories with special friends. I am now listening to banging and screaming from the upstairs bedroom...needless to say, time for me to close. :)

Pictures to come.

A Time To Give Thanks...

If I were to make a list of absolutely everything I am thankful for...the list would go on forever and you would get bored of reading so, I will make it simple:

Today I am Thankful For...

My family, of which every member is an absolute gift in my life.

My healthy, active, and vibrant children.

A place to call home.

A Husband who loves me- and I love him back.

Full bellies for me and my family.

A warm bed.

Warm coats for the cold weather.

My loving parents.

Friends.

A God who provides for all of my needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ Jesus...

Yeah. That's what I'm Thankful for today. How about you?

I'm back with some late night randomness...

I miss blogging. I used to blog a lot, and I really liked it. I've been looking through some of my older blog posts and thinking of how many memories and special moments I've captured on here. It really is very special, like a virtual scrapbook. It's obviously been a long time since I've blogged regularly, and I'm a little sad about it actually. My life is a bit different now than it used to be. Not better or worse, just different. But, thinking back on all of the wonderful moments that I have captured here, it seems a shame to stop now. There are so many more moments to freeze in time. So, I am saying all of that to say, I want to be a regular blogger again. I want to have weekly recipe posts and fun pictures of the kids, and polls, and all of the other fun stuff I used to do. I feel like I need it. Funny, but true. If there are still any readers out there, I know there is at least one of you; please continue reading because I don't plan on going anywhere. :)

So...City living. I have spent most of my life in small towns but, always dreaming of what it would be like to live in a big city. In my early twenties I would think about city life and being where all of the action is but, thought I could never raise a family in the city, it just wouldn't be practical. I enjoyed visits to New York City but, enjoyed my small town life, where everybody knows your name....and they're always glad you came. (sorry, I had to throw that one in there.) I think people who grew up in the city must have daydreams of living in the country. The peace, quiet...and cows. Now, I am living proof that you can have a family and live in the city. Easy? Not always. Fun? Yes. Backyard? No. My son said the other day, I miss our yard but, I really like going to the playground. The playground and every other park in the city is our backyard, and there are some great ones. To be honest, I have no complaints. This is where The Lord has called us, and he is moving greatly here. I will say that it does get a bit lonely at times being away from family and friends. Attempting to form new relationships is not easy, but I know in time it will happen. One of my favorite things about the city is the diversity and every imaginable culture at your fingertips, it's really amazing. There are hundreds of ethnic restaurants right up the street from us, and we live across the street from a building where bands play at all hours of the night, could it get any better than that? Just kidding. The bands aren't that bad. :)

Anyway, city life is great and there are 1000's of people here that need to know God and his tremendous love for them and I'm so excited that he chose us to carry His light to this city.

Hey, I have an idea! If anyone is interested in asking any questions, like why we moved, what we're doing here, etc...feel free to comment, and maybe I'll make a blog post out of it or something.