Light The World- Helping Kids Learn to Serve

As a parent I want my kids to have the world, but I never want them to expect to have it.  I want them to understand the importance of hard work, of showing appreciation and especially of giving back and contributing to the world.

One of the best ways I have found to do this is by finding opportunities for our family to serve.  When we work together to help others, not only are we spending time together as a family but we are leading by example for giving back and showing kindness.

It starts in the home with small simple things like helping your sibling with a chore, or taking the time to truly compliment or say something nice about someone.  For me, it all comes down to trying to live as the Savior Jesus Christ did.

Before Thanksgiving, my family put together a Thanksgiving Basket to donate to a local shelter.  We used the opportunity to talk with our kids about being grateful and that many would not be able to have a nice dinner without help.   I put together a video documenting our experience.

We loved the experience and are so excited to look for more ways to serve.

This December there is an amazing opportunity to get into the true spirit of Christmas by remembering how the Savior Jesus Christ lived and trying to live as He did as part of the Light The World initiative.

This December join me, in 25 Ways over 25 Days.   This is a month of ideas with ways to serve each day, helping you get in the true Christmas spirit.   By trying to live as Jesus Christ did, by serving, by giving, by living as He did, we will not only help others but can transform our own lives.

Download your own FREE copy of the calendar here

If you head to Mormon.org, not only will you see this calendar, but every day there will be a new video and ideas of how you can serve that day.  Even if you just choose one or two things to do, I truly believe it will help your holiday season be a little less stressful, a little more peaceful and will definitely help you remember the real meaning for this time of year.

As a gift to you, I would love to give you something that means everything to me, something that has brought me peace, hope, and a true understanding of who I am and what this life is all about.   It is the Book of Mormon.  If you would like one,  I would be happy to send you a free copy, just leave a comment saying you would like one and with an e-mail address that I can reach you at.  

I truly hope you join me in this wonderful way to help bring some peace and joy at this time of year and really make the world a better place.

A Christmas Day Poem

A Christmas Day Poem

Christmas Eve night the kids went to bed,
Mom and Dad began wrapping, something they dread.
Counting the presents and wrapping with care,
When to their dismay, they realized there wasn't enough there!

One child's presents were missing, just not quiet enough
So off to the store, they drove with a huff.
The store was a mess, toys and presents on the floor,
But they found what they wanted and were soon out the door.

Back to wrapping, this time with all the presents in tow.
Would they ever get done? They just didn't know.
Finally it was finished, and time to hit the sack,
when it seemed only minutes and they were attacked!

Two happy children saying, 'wake up it's morning',
One child was still sleeping, happily snoring.
Soon all three children climbed onto our bed,
begging us to get up and move our sleepy heads.

We walked down the stairs, got everything ready,
Lights and cameras- make sure to hold it steady.
Then the children came down, carefully taking each stair,
their squeals and the laughter filling the air.


Presents were opened, thanks and hugs all around,
Wrapping paper and boxes all on the ground.
While the parents sat there with a happy grin,
This was a moment that felt like a win.


As we sat there and watched the kids having fun,
We couldn't help but remember the most important One.
For Christmas is much more than presents and bags,
Christmas means Christ, who was born wrapped in rags.

That Christmas morning as we celebrate His birth,
the life of the only perfect one to live on the earth.
The one who suffered and died for each of us,
This is why we celebrate Christmas, please remember, we must.

Christmas Eve Recap 2016

Are you recovered from Christmas yet?  Some of my friends have already put away their Christmas things, I don't know how they do it!  We usually leave ours up until New Years Day, I do love my Christmas decor.

We had our usual fun Christmas Eve traditions, which we were lucky enough to have my parents with us here again this year.

(See past Christmas Eve posts here 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008)

This year we were a bit behind on our cookie making, so we finished our Sugar cookies Christmas Eve morning.

Lucas had to make his traditional "Yellow Snowman" of course.  I think we spent most of our Christmas break in pajamas, but is there any better way to go?

This picture below, really recaps our day pretty well-- there with Grandma and Grandpa, working together having fun and Eric with longingly gazing out the window.

He wasn't trying to escape, he just couldn't keep his eyes off the brisket he was smoking. He woke up really early to get it started, low and slow all day long it cooked.  He was like a kid at Christmas, so excited for that brisket- and it was so worth it, so so yummy!

Later it was more decorating, this time our Gingerbread houses.  This year I found some kits at Costco, and let's just say I will be looking for those kits every year!  The houses were already assembled, just had to put on the door and chimney, and it came with good candy!  I usually sample some candy, but the amount of candy I sampled might have been a little greater than usual.

There may have been a few tears and a few squabbles along the way, but in the end there were a lot of adorable houses.

My parents did have a slightly different kit, as originally they were going to be at my sister's on Christmas Eve, and the kits were gone from Costco by the time we rearranged our plans.  We ended the evening with our Christmas Eve pajamas.  I thought about getting all matching again this year, but couldn't find any I really loved, so the adults matched, but kids were just random.   And of course the kids had to do their traditional "booty picture" We took time to reflect on the real reason for the season.  Eric read from Luke 2, while the kids and my parents acted it out.  "Jospeh" might have been a bit silly this year.
It was a wonderful Christmas Eve!
I will be sharing our Christmas Day pictures tomorrow! 

The Bike I Didn't Get for Christmas

As a child, Christmas is just magical.  Growing up we would always draw a name for which sibling we were going to buy a present, when there is 6 kids you really almost have to do it that way.  It was always so exciting wondering who's name we would get that year, wondering who had your own name.  

I remember one year I really wanted a bike.  This was not a sibling gift, but my main present, probably one of the few presents I got that year.  

My old bike had been a hand me down from my brothers- green and black and definitely showing it's age. One night when I didn't put it away, leaving it in the front yard, which I had probably done many times before, it got stollen- that old green and black boys bike was never seen again.  I can't say I was totally sad about that.

I wanted a real bike, a girls bike.  

It was the one thing I asked for, so I had a feeling I would get it.

Christmas morning came.  I woke up early, as I always did, having to then try and patiently wait for the rest of my family to wake up.  My oldest brother was the worst, we employed all kinds of trick over the years to try to get him out of bed on Christmas morning.

Finally, it was time for presents.  I ran into the family room, where our tree was that year and looked around, disappointed that I didn't see a bike, even stating such outlaid to my family.

My family all began to laugh.

"What is funny?" I asked.

"You didn't get a bike?" they asked, "are you sure?"

Me 1980 something with my new bike on Christmas morning

As you see, right in front of the tree, covered in a sheet was a very big present, a very obvious bike.  

I have no idea how I missed it as it was literally right in front of the tree.

This is one of those memories I will never forget of past Christmases. One of those things I will always remember, kind of the like the "Best bother" sign I made my for my brother, spelling never was my strong suite.  

Did you have a present you really wanted as a child?

Why I Have Three Christmas Trees

We have three Christmas trees.

In a world of consumerism and wanting more and more, this might seem a little crazy, but in this case there really is a little bit more to it. 

I met my husband my sophomore year of college.  We quickly began dating, fell in love and were married less than a year later.

Those first few years of marriage were fun and busy yet so simple.  We were both going to school full time and working part time.  Eric had a great job installing composite, okay the so the job was actually literally crappy, but it paid $15 a hour.  Between my part-time job, his job and partial and full scholarships we felt like we were doing pretty good for ourselves.  

We drove two old junky cars, my husband's was a $500 dollar special, one in which the engine literally dropped out, which we wired back up with a coat hanger.  I remember saving up all our rewards points on the one credit card we had, so we could have a fancy meal at Red Lobster on Valentines day.  But we were happy.

Our first few Christmas as newlyweds, were spent at our parents houses and even though we weren't usually home Christmas morning, I really wanted a Christmas tree.

Growing up, we would always go and chop down a live tree, always ending up with one way too fat as they seem so much smaller out in the woods surrounded by other trees.  I didn't have to have a live one, in fact I wanted a fake one so we could leave it up all month long; but even with how "rich" we felt, money for a tree was just not in the budget.

One year, around my birthday, Eric took me to Michaels and told me to pick out a tree. I was ecstatic!  The trees were on sale and I picked out a beautiful tree, definitely not the biggest of fattest one there, but one we could just barely afford at about $60.  

I loved that tree!  My mom gave me some ornaments that I had made growing up and my Mother-in-law for part of my birthday present bought me a tub of red and green ornaments.  It was perfect.  

Eric and I by our First Christmas tree

I loved that tree for years.. but then some of the branches began breaking and falling off, leaving a few bald spots, and we had a little more money now.  I saved up my money and ordered a tree on-line, something new that we could not have done when we were first married, and bought a tree.  

When it arrived it was just as tall as I thought, but it didn't seem nearly as fat and wide as the picture on-line.  Eric suggested we decorate both trees.  One tree we filled with home-made ornaments, some of which our kids were now contributing to with the things they made at church and school and the other had some of those original ornaments my mother-in-law had bought for me.

I loved my trees, but I still really wanted a big fat tree, kind of like the ones I had grown up with.  This time I went to the store and made sure to see the tree with my own eyes before purchasing and got my tree.  I assumed we would get rid of one of the trees, the obvious choice was our first tree as it was the most worn-out, but we just couldn't do it... there was too many memories, to much sentiment and so we kept all three.

Now I have my winter tree, or BYU tree, our first original tree that we adorn with our homemade and mismatched ornaments and our tree with the ornaments (and some additional we have bought over the years) my mother-in-law gave me.
Now every year, when we decorate for Christmas we pull out bin after bin with our three tress and ornaments and we pull out years of memories and love. 

My Kids Don't Believe in Santa

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I guess technically the title is only 2/3 true, two of my three children no longer believe in Santa.  I knew it would happen, I am often surprised it didn't happen sooner or I am beginning to realize, maybe it did.

I usually don't discuss or do Christmas before Thanksgiving, poor neglected Thanksgiving, but my mama heart is kind of in shock and mourning a bit.

Yesterday Alex and I were doing a puzzle, I love puzzles especially the Eric Dowdle puzzles, I have a closet full of them.   We picked out a Christmas one.  While we were doing the puzzle I began singing 'Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer',  of all the Christmas songs I had to pick that one.   "Is that true?" Alex asked.

"No of course not, it's just a silly song." I replied.

Then it came, the dreaded question, the question most parents half hope will never be asked.

"Is Santa Real?"

All three of my kids were in the room, including my youngest only 6-years-old; I didn't want the magic to be ruined for him, not yet.  Just yesterday he believed his sister was really able to teleport things in a "machine" powered by him running around the house.   I wanted that innocence to remain just a little longer.

"What do you believe?" I replied, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"Santa is real." My 12-year-old interjected..... followed by a big wink towards his sister.

He knows, and now so does she.

Back when Santa came to Alex's preschool and she did believe 

I figured my 12-year-old must know, I figured he has probably known for a few years, but he has never asked.  My daughter was always the more suspicious one, asking a few times.  He never even once seemed to express any doubt, always playing along.  But he knows, and now my daughter knows for sure too.

Only my 6-year-old still fully believes.

This has been a transition year for me, my oldest starting middle school and leaving Primary and going into the teenage youth program at church, my youngest now being in school all day.  While I truly am happy with life right now, there are definitely little moments that make me mourn for some of the little moments of the past.

Now I am unsure what to do.  Do I take her aside and talk with her about it, talk with my oldest find out when he stopped believing?  Or do I just let it go, knowing they are allowing their brother to believe just a little longer.  I think my mama heart doesn't really want to know and accept that they no longer believe.

Can't I just live in denial?

Do your kids still believe?  When or how did you talk with them about it if they don't?

Christmas Day 2015

I shared about Christmas Eve, but have yet to share Christmas day.

About 5:45 my eyes popped open, Eric lay next to me awake also.  We knew the kids would soon be running into our room, the rule was 6:00 AM and no sooner, yet there we both lay awake, excited too.

I hear the toilet flush, then little footsteps.  Lucas and Alex are now whispering quietly to each other, I am sure with their eyes glued the clock.  Eric and I try to hold back our laughter.

6:00 AM hits and Lucas and Alex breeze into our room, we pretend to be asleep but they know better.  A minute later Ryder comes in, the excitement obviously waking him up.  We pretend like we want to sleep more then reluctantly get out of bed.

 Eric and I head down first, turning the lights on, getting the cameras ready.  My parents who are here with us this year, come downstairs too.

Then it is time.
The excitement, the chaos, the piles and piles of presents.

The quilts my kids made for my parents (with the help of their other Grandma)

But moments like this makes it all worth it.


And here for your enjoyment is our Christmas morning in action.


Later that afternoon we went to my sister's to open more presents and spend time with the cousins, even my brother's family who came into town.


It was truly a wonderful and magical day.

A Christmas Eve Recap 2015

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays, and as much fun as Christmas morning is, our Christmas Eve traditions make it almost just as special.

Decorations were up and ready.

Cookies were made (with my mom's help this year as they joined us for Christmas)

Gingerbread houses were assembled.  (there may have been a few tears during this process)

And of course some candy was consumed. (Notice Alex's mouth)

My parents shared a kit and they definitely the won the award for neatest and most sound construction.

Eric's house, My house, my parents house

Lucas' house, Alex's house, Ryder's house

We opened our Christmas Eve pajamas, even surprising my parents with some pajamas of their own.  Let me just say, it was such a nightmare actually finding matching pajamas for everyone. I always start shopping for them too late in the season every year.

In the evening we acted out the nativity.

This year my Dad made his debut as the Inn Keeper where he told Joseph and Mary to "Go Away",  which got laughter from all.

Ryder, the shepherd created his own sheep with a frisbee with a ball taped to it for it's head, his idea, and my mom played the angel.

My Dad also played a wiseman and was much more reverent for this role.

We finished the night with some egg nog and putting out cookies and milk for Santa, which I forgot to get a picture of this year.

It was a wonderful Christmas Eve!

What Christmas Eve traditions do you have?