I no longer wish to buy my children Christmas presents.

I no longer wish to buy my children Christmas presents...and here's why. Society has totally perverted the true meaning of Christmas.  Yes, I know Jesus wasn't born during the winter and December 25th is probably not even close to His real birthday. However, that's the day marked on our calendar that we celebrate it. If you chose to celebrate your birthday on some other day every single year, it would still be just as special as your actual birthday. Every year parents ( or at least we do) feel the pressure of buying gifts for their children for Christmas. There are big ticket items on their lists as well as small ones, but having three children it adds up really quickly. Then the true meaning behind the celebration is long forgotten midst the hustle and bustle of the season, crazy black Friday shoppers, and frustration of everything online being sold out. I had an idea this year that I am certain we may implement in the near future. Why not give them the gifts you were going to buy them throughout the year and save the celebration of Jesus just for Christmas? We have reason to celebrate it everyday of the year but especially hold sacred His birth. This would keep from spending all at once, give them things during the year and keep Christ in Christmas. Just enjoy celebrating Jesus and being with family during this time would mean so much more to me than anything put under a tree or inside a stocking. Don't get me wrong, I love seeing my children happy and excited about the season. But, I would be happier seeing them happy about Jesus and family. Their big items on the list would be reserved for Birthdays and the smaller gifts given during the year as rewards for good grades, good behavior, etc. I am not suggesting everyone should do this, I am saying that I feel the need to do it for my family. I realize everyone has their own way of celebrating and I hope it does include honoring our Savior. So much mercy and grace was involved in His birth because it was designed to lead to his death, for us. Everyone. Not just some but anyone who chooses to trust in Him. What a great gift, it's free, not earned, not deserved, but FREE. I don't know of a better reason to celebrate. Not much else in the world is free, or at least not anything worth having. 

May you have a very blessed Christmas and Joy throughout the coming year!!

The couple that DIY's together

We are currently in the midst of a deck remodel. It's been a long time coming. 8 years to be exact. It needed doing when we moved here but it was one of those things that got put on the back burner. A couple hap-hazard slung coats of paint here and there have just not cut it anymore, so time for major over haul. Anyway, it all got me to thinking.

I was doing all the sanding...hubster has asthma and the dust really gets to him. It made me realize that every project in this house whether it's been painting a room, cutting a new door way to join the kitchen and dining room, or just building a bench seating frame, it's all been done together. Every blood drop, tear drop and sweat drop ( and there have been several of each) have all been from a joint team effort. There is nothing I love more. While I was working with the sander, I couldn't see him but I knew he was there underneath working on the structure. Much as he's the structure of the family, the strong hold. While he added new support beams and repaired existing ones I worked above. Each complimenting the other with the work. I can't climb the ladders and do the repair work. Well, I could but I'd 1. fall and break something and 2. the repairs I made would probably end with the deck actually crashing down and us all breaking something. And of course the whole asthma and sanding thing don't exactly mesh well either. So, we each have tasks that get accomplished separate yet together working simultaneously like a well oiled machine. We've been doing these things together long enough we should know each other's quirks by now ;) Married 14 years, together 18.

I love that we can look back years from now at all the changes we've made here and associate memories with the projects. Usually at some point during the activities there's at least one fiasco, like today it was a run in with a guinea wasp nest. Of course that wasn't very funny to the one getting stung but it sounded like a herd of wildebeast fighting them off under there. Don't worry I helped him and ran for the Benadryl and some killing spray- for the wasp not the husband.

All these things just make my soul smile. I love him and I love our boys.