Archive for the Category »Holidays «

Feb

If the sun shines on Groundhog Day;

Half the fuel and half the hay.

I happen to be a humongous fan of Punxsutawney Phil. Maybe it has something to do with the movie, Groundhog Day, which I thoroughly enjoy – and maybe it has something to do with the fact that since I’ve been married I’ve developed a great fondness for groundhogs in general.

Why you ask?

Well, I’ll tell ya. Before our girls came along, Roy & I were on a drive to my parents house. We were traveling on the turnpike and having a very intense discussion (at this point, we can’t even remember what the discussion was about) – but it was growing somewhat heated, and out of the corner of my eye I spotted a flash of brown ahead along the side of the road. It was different from the other brown of the weeds, and I stared at it as we drove closer. I could not figure out what it was.

In the midst of a passionate discourse from my husband, I uttered the word “Groundhog”, stopping Roy in his tracks. We both kinda sat there silent for a moment, and Roy says, “I’m in the middle of telling you something really important and all you have to say is ‘Groundhog’?” And with that, we both started laughing and ever since, I’ve LOVED groundhogs…

I know…

Anyway – did you know you too can enjoy the festivities at Gobbler’s Knob? Or that Punxsutawney Phil will gladly text his spring forecast to your cell phone? Or that you can celebrate the day by baking Groundhog Cookies? How about Chocolate Groundhog Cookies?

If you’re looking for something to keep your kids busy today, why not offer this coloring page (or the host of others available), study some history of Groundhog Day, or visit the official Groundhog site?

While some people are willing to (gag) eat groundhog, I’d much prefer to watch them waddling across the grassy hillside along the roadways and celebrate the day with cookies!

Category: Family, Holidays Tags: Groundhog Day Leave a Comment

Dec

Singin’ At Home with Michael Buble

queenmommy

Whew – the preparation for Christmas has NOTHING on the aftermath of Christmas!

This is the pile of boxes remaining from our Christmas extravaganza!

My dad always had a “system” for opening gifts on Christmas morning. After one of us kids was selected to play Santa, one gift was passed out at a time and opened individually so that everybody enjoyed each other’s Christmas gifts. As each gift was open the wrapping paper, boxes, and other packaging materials were collected IMMEDIATELY into a garbage bag, or broken down as needed. The only aftermath I ever saw was a stuffed-to-the-brim garbage bag.

We all used to laugh about it – but truthfully, he made sense! It wasn’t just because he’d been a drill instructor in the Marine Corps! It was logical and neat and there was NO PILE of boxes needing to be moved to the garage with the other trash.

So – to make my home sing – I’m going to get the remnants of our Christmas Extravaganza OUT of our house. It makes me crazy to see it sitting there – especially in my KITCHEN of all places. If I could fashion it into some sort of new countertop work space I’d do it – but it’s not feasible, so the boxes will be broken down and removed and new toys will be put into their place. Old cookies are going to be thrown out, wrapping paper will be stored for next year, and I will be able to walk from one room to another without stubbing my toe on something!

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Granted, each of us dealt with a bout of the stomach flu through the week – Roy’s and mine peaking Saturday and Sunday – so the aftermath lasted much longer than it might have otherwise. And maybe next year, we’ll implement a “system” for unwrapping gifts and taking care of the wrap & packaging as we go…

For today – it’s on to laundry and straightening and trash removal – and back to the semi-chaos that is the normal everyday life here! And while I’m at it, I’ll just sing along to Michael Bublé’s CD “Crazy Love” – which I recently won on Blogher.com!!! It’s much easier to ba-ba-ba-Broom my way through the kitchen with a smooth crooner like Bublé!

This post is linked up to:

Category: Cleaning, Holidays, Home, Life Tags: Christmas aftermath, Making Home Sing meme, Making Your Home Sing, Michael Buble 2 Comments

Dec

Unwrapping Christmas

queenmommy

As Christians, we often find ourselves fighting to keep our focus on the REAL meaning of Christmas. Many people focus on family time and how blessed we are to have one another. Some people focus on Jesus birth and the baby lying in a manger. It’s easy to think of Jesus – innocent and vulnerable – lying there in a manger amongst the cattle and other animals.

But ultimately, Christmas is about something much bigger. Much larger. Much harder for us to fully comprehend.

Christmas is not simply about Jesus’ birth. It is about Jesus’ death. Of course, he had to come to earth – take on human form – live in human flesh among us.

God with us.

But His story – OUR story does not end there. If it did, Jesus’ life would not matter. If he grew up and died for all mankind it would not have been enough.

Christmas – as much as Easter – is about Christ’s victory over death. It is about the war – that eternal battle that wages on – already won by our Lord and Saviour – born of a virgin – crucified upon a cross -

Lord-&-Saviour

Risen Again and seated at the Right Hand of God.

THAT is the ultimate gift of Christmas. No other gift that can compare.

Jesus Christ fulfilled more than 300 Messianic prophecies in order to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for humankind. His death sealed the fate of our enemy – the defeated one – and offers life to all who believe.

When you think of the real meaning of Christmas – don’t just leave baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. Don’t stop in amazement at the wonder of an angelic chorus revealing the Messiah’s birth to shepherds in a field. Don’t just focus on the gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh brought to Him and how we need to give to others.

Focus on our Redeemer and King – the VICTOR – holding the keys to death and Hades.

And the Ever-living One [I am living in the eternity of the eternities]. I died, but see, I am alive forevermore; and I possess the keys of death and Hades (the realm of the dead). Revelation 1:8 ~Amplified

For without His birth – His death – and His resurrection – there would be no Christmas.

christmas04

Category: Faith, Holidays, Home, Uncategorized Tags: Christmas Leave a Comment

Dec

Christmas Traditions of my Adolescence

queenmommy

Yesterday I wrote about the childhood Christmas traditions I celebrated with my family. Today I’m writing about my Christmas remembrances as a teenager…

As we got older, of course my mom was able to incorporate us into some of the holiday preparations – and this is when Christmas REALLY got fun for me.

Through the years, my mom had collected BOXES and boxes (and boxes) of Christmas decorations and collectibles that always came out as we began decorating for Christmas. The disorder and chaos (and our intense enthusiasm) often drove my dad out of the house! We would begin opening boxes and talk about the candles that mom got from “so and so” that I didn’t remember seeing before because she received them just last year. Or finding the ornaments and decorations my brothers and I made as a child and how special they still were to my mom and how they would find a place of honor among the decorations.

The years that mom let my brothers and I have free reign with the Christmas decorations were so much fun. On some levels it gave her more time to spend in the kitchen – but I’m sure it was still crazy-busy for her because we’d be trying to do 3 things at once!

We ALWAYS put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving. That was the beginning of the Christmas season for us.

My brother Dan was so talented, and the year he painted a huge Christmas display on our front window was so awesome. I got to put out all the candles and knick knacks and collectibles as I packed away our everyday things. One box at a time – each new box revealing treasures and trinkets that added to our Christmas festivity!

Getting to help make the Buckeyes, English toffee, Monster cookies, Haystacks, decorated Sugar cookies, Chocolate-Dipped Ritz & Pnut butter cracker sandwiches, White bark pretzels, Fudge, Church window candy, Graham cracker cookies, Date cookies, and more – oh was THAT great!!! My mom kept cooking and baking and pulling out more recipes – and our freezer was PACKED full of sweet, sugary, chocolatey goodness. Sometimes we’d plate them up immediately and take them in boxes to church to pass out to our friends. We’d have plates of goodies for neighbors, too – and of course, we’d sneak a few goodies every chance we got! Being part of the baking & cooking was great fun for us and I really learned to love baking during these times!

When we had the chance to visit my grandparents – who lived in New Mexico at the time – we had even MORE special memories. We didn’t often have Christmas with family because my dad was in the Air Force and we were stationed miles away from them. But during high school – while we lived in Washington state, my grandparents lived in New Mexico.

My grandmother was a preacher’s wife. She was always giving away stuff to people in need – she was always so generous and loving. And she ALWAYS had a pot of coffee on…

She & my grandpa drank coffee all day long – and when we’d hug or kiss – I’d get that whiff of coffee on their breath – and I think that’s when my love affair with coffee really began! My grandma’s soft cheek mingling with the smell of fresh coffee – now THERE’S comfort!!!

My grandma’s house was often decorated in lots of beautiful and sweet and whimsical Christmas items, too – many of them gifts from friends and family (including the 3 of us kids). She made Hard Candy, fudge, church window candy, date ball cookies, and we could eat our fill. Like many grandmothers – she’d sneak us an “extra” of whatever it was we wanted – and grinned while she did it.

I can remember the last Christmas dinner we had with her. She used her special china and let me set the table for everyone. It was SOOOOO incredibly beautiful. I was in awe of the lovely plates and dishes and she let me have my way making the table pretty. We had these Christmas goblets and mugs that she collected from McDonalds (do you remember those?) and when we got to drink eggnog out of the goblets, it was BIG stuff!!!

There was more food than we could possibly eat, and again – even if we didn’t clean our plates, she was handing us sweets as we’d walk past her. What a woman!

When I think about Christmas as a teenager – this Christmas with her was really very special to me.

Do you have any special Christmas memories as a teenager? Was your celebration any different than that of your childhood?

Category: Family, Food, Holidays, Home Tags: Adolescence, Christmas, Christmas traditions Leave a Comment

Dec

Christmas Traditions of my Childhood

queenmommy

Oh how I loved Christmas!

My earliest memory of Christmas was when my family lived in Long Beach, California. I can remember walking outside with my mom and looking up at the sky seeing red flashing lights and just KNOWING it was Rudolph leading the sleigh as Santa was coming!!!

We had real Christmas trees for a few years – with those great big bulbs that (if I remember correctly) clipped onto the branches of the trees. They were HUGE and had fuses (think “A Christmas Story”) and I loved all the multicolored lights on the tree – with the brightly colored tinsel – and the growing collection of hand made ornaments my brother Dan and I brought home from school.

We always had stockings – stuffed to the brim on Christmas morning – and it became tradition that we were allowed free reign to empty our stockings before my parents got up and before we could open any other presents. We’d always have nuts in the shell, an orange or apple, a candy cane, some chocolate, a new toothbrush, and sometimes small wrapped gifts hidden within our stockings.

After Dave came along, we figured out that we could get HIM to ask my parents to get out of bed and get them downstairs and NOBODY would get into trouble. lol…

We opened gifts from one another on Christmas eve, and opened all of our “Santa” gifts on Christmas morning.

BUT my favorite Christmas tradition of ALL TIME – was when my dad started reading Luke 2: 1-18 to tell us the REAL Christmas story – and every time he would read it I would get choked up.

Can you IMAGINE seeing the host of angels in the sky proclaiming God’s promise born to man?

But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ (the Messiah) the Lord! And this will be a sign for you [by which you will recognize Him]: you will find [after searching] a Baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. [I Sam. 2:34; II Kings 19:29; Isa. 7:14.] Then suddenly there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood), praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor]. (Luke 2:10-14 ~Amp)

Can you imagine being Mary, his mother, and receiving the host of visitors who not only honored but worshipped the child you’d just brought into the world? Oh my goodness – I would just get goosebumps thinking about it.

And then we’d sing, “Happy Birthday” to Jesus – which would again fill my eyes with tears and we’d celebrate Christ’s birth.

Dad would select one of us kids to play Santa by handing out presents – and in a very neat and orderly fashion (think Marine Corps Drill Instructor!) we’d each open a gift while the others watched and pack our wrapping paper into the trash bag as we went. =) It was all good fun and now I understand that at least one of my brothers continues this tradition!

We’d usually spend the day together as a family – being away from my parents’ families, we often found reason to spend time together – we’d go sledding or build snowmen – or eat the vast array of goodies mom had spent making or we’d spent decorating. We’d watch movies together and try out our new gifts. We’d talk on the phone to our grandparents and maybe some aunts & uncles – and it was always a really special time together.

I often remember my childhood Christmases with the misty fondness that is sweetly portrayed in one of my – now favorite – Christmas movies: A Christmas story. The innocence and sweetness of those Christmases past are precious to me.

How did you celebrate Christmas as a child?

Category: Family, Holidays, Home Tags: Christmas, Christmas traditions Leave a Comment

Dec

Singing Out Loud

queenmommy

Not surprising to some of you, I have been known to be a tad, er, “Dramatic” at times. For those of you who have known me long enough, you may remember back to my younger days when I sang in front of church and participated in church dramas – whether as part of the children’s choir or the larger Christmas programs at church.

I always loved it. I loved how telling some story could always point back to telling about the story of Jesus.

I loved the challenge of memorizing lines and learning new songs and rehearsals and hours of preparation. I did. I couldn’t wait for it all to come together. Even if I did forget my lines and made up a whole paragraph worth of words as the lead at the end of our Christmas program.

While watching Curly at her PreK program last week, I was so delighted to see her apparent affinity for drama. Okay – I already knew about the emotional drama – but to watch her just SHINE out of her little body those gifts and talents God has blessed her with – it made my heart sing for her.

Oh how I am praying for her to relish her talents and God-given abilities. Not for my sake – but for hers. For God’s.

After a rather dramatic “crash-and-burn” with algebra on Sunday, where it is apparent that for now I may not pass the class and will likely have to retake the class (hopefully at a local college/university), I emailed my professor and told her that I just felt BROKEN.

Broken.

Over math. Over not understanding. Not “getting” the square roots of 32a-cubed divided by 4ab-squared.

While I may excel at some things – and RELISH and ENJOY those things – I do not feel that way about Math. It is a challenge and it has chipped away at much of my self-confidence.

And then I saw that word “broken” in my email and God softly spoke to my heart. Immediately.

Isn’t He cool?

Immediately He reminded me its not the end of the world – despite my tears and frustration and vast efforts to understand and do well – because I have other gifts He can use in spite of my lack of Math skills. And on the bigger scale of things – of life – of eternity – this is just a grain of sand in my shoe.

A piece of grit in my shell.

And someday it will be a pearl.

So while it is excruciating and difficult now, and while I will cry and have moments of despair, I am going to stand up and sing OUT LOUD because I will keep on going and I will enjoy the moments with my family.

The moments that WILL last forever in our memories – of family time together, singing Christmas songs, preparing to remember Jesus at Christmas.

The tree is going up – and I’m digging out my Nativity set for the girls to see. And Math will happen when it happens.

In the mean time, I’m making my Home Sing!!! We’re gonna bake cookies and finish decoration and sing Christmas songs together.

In a rather dramatic fashion, of course.

Category: Faith, Family, Holidays, Home, Life, Management Tags: Christmas, Life, Making Home Sing meme, making memories, Making Your Home Sing 6 Comments

Dec

Freezin’ Our Tails Off

queenmommy

Oh company girls, please let me fix a cup of coffee for you this morning! And I think I still have some Cream Cheese Coffee Cake to share with you, too. So pull up a chair and bundle up – cuz Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Indeed, winter HAS arrived in my neck of the woods. Cold, snowy, FREEZING winter. I love the snow – I love it when it snows like it did yesterday.

What I DON’T like about winter is the cold that bites through layers of clothing and cups of coffee… That cold wind that literally steals your breath when it hits your face. Brrrrrrr! That’s the part of winter that I just don’t enjoy. Whether I’m living in Alaska or Northcentral Ohio!

But it’s here, and the gloves and mittens and boots are coming out in full force. I get to bundle up my girls like Ralphie’s little brother, Randy!

Speaking of which – I have to confess that despite my extreme love of Christmas, I cannot get into the “spirit” this year. I’m coming to the end of my Algebra class and I’m struggling to get the work DONE, let alone PASS… Makes me question everything I’ve been doing. Everything I’ve invested in my attempt to complete my bachelor’s degree. We’re talking SERIOUS brain meltdown with Algebra, and the trials and struggles I’ve faced this particular semester and the loss of our pregnancy – it’s enough to make me want to say – FORGET THIS!

School usually comes easy to me. Even if I don’t fully grasp a subject, I can bluff my way through major papers and essays to score a decent grade. A’s and B’s are my typical outcome for classes.

Except for Math.

There’s no bluffing. You either “Get it” or you don’t – and I fall into the category of “DON’T.”

It’s not for lack of effort – although I must admit, at times Algebra is the very last thing I wanted to look at – let alone study. But I have spent more time in this class – looking for help online, buying extra books in an attempt to find a reasonable explanation for factoring a cubed polynomial – so I can master the subject.

And it sucks. Literally. It sucks the joy from my life. The fun from my holiday spirit. I can’t even bring myself to get our Christmas tree out because I have to think about Algebra.

And yet I can’t get to the computer to accomplish the work. Not from lack of desire or want – but because I’m a wife & mom. And I have girls who won’t take naps when I schedule homework time. When I plan to focus on this thing called “Math” that only engineers or scientists end up needing to use. And I’m still very tired and have had a lot of physical “stuff” going on that has kept me from it.

So I question its purpose. Which does not justify a failing grade by any means. Or even the thoughts of quitting – which haunt me at 3:30 a.m. some mornings.

I have even been looking for a spiritual lesson here. But all I can come up with is this: Algebra makes me appreciate my family. Makes me want to spend time with them and enjoy them. Helps me understand the purpose for laundry and dishes and vacuuming with a good attitude.

If nothing else, I appreciate all the other parts of my life – but with one week to go – I have little time to spare to enjoy any of those other parts.

So, it’s off to the races – with tons of prayer for understanding and wisdom to comprehend – and my last-ditch efforts to pass a class on my way to obtain a piece of paper that says “Bachelor of Science.”

All the while questioning my purpose for doing so.

I’m not complaining, really. I’m pondering and I’m at a crossroads and I’m praying.

The one sparkling, ray of hope in this endless tunnel is the beautiful evening we spent together as a family, while Curly participated in her VERY FIRST school program! It was her PreK Christmas program and it was one of the most delightful experiences so far I’ve had as a mother.

Watching my 4 year old singing and doing motions to Christmas songs with her school friends and teachers. What a blessing it was. She is a spirited, animated girl who LOVES to sing and it showed. How awesome it was to see her humongous personality coming out right there on those little risers. Singing about Jesus and how He loves us and being thankful for Christmas. I had tears in my eyes through most of it, when I wasn’t laughing in sheer delight at her full-body participation. I think the best way to describe it was “animated diva” as my friend, Carol, described it. (Her grandson, Cooper, is one of Curly’s buddies at school.) Whew! What a blessing.

It did remind me of the sheer joy I had when I was in kid’s choir at church. But last night was about Curly and her joy for singing and praising God. It was enough to make me think – “Algebra is NOTHING” in this journey of life. I can do my best, and that’s all I can do – but moments like last night are what makes life so worthwhile!!!