What happened to January?

I seem to have a trend with my postings lately - lots of lamenting about how quickly time flies. So here we go again!

Hubby helped friends repair their balcony, then they headed here and we were able to repaint the living room. Aaaaahhhhh. Seriously, I cannot properly convey how happy this change makes me. By lightening the color and adding overhead lighting this room just feels so much more welcoming (rather than a depressing cave). We've taken our time reloading the room, and I know I'll be making small tweaks for awhile yet. I figured I should take advantage of the fresh start provided by emptying the room, and seriously evaluate what I have in there and how it works for our family. It feels great to know that I've cleaned out so much over the past year, and am working hard to continue to move forward.

Other happenings: A completed her first book at AWANA, turned 7, and took part in the open house for the Gifted & Talented program (informal presentations about the different cycles they've been studying - she talked about the plant cycle and how we eat different parts of plants). D made a cool solar system diorama for school, has been excitedly helping out with home stuff (use of a power tool = a happy boy); he is also trying to convince us to purchase scaffolding to leave set up in our backyard, as it is so much fun to climb around on. We had some friends over to make some valentines, have been enjoying the beautiful weather and playing outside quite a bit, and just generally staying busy. I also managed to give haircuts to everyone this week (the kids didn't think it was fair that I didn't have mine cut - both offered to trim it up for me. Um, no thanks). Hubby has been incredibly busy at work; the sale of the company did not go through as planned, so now there's even more craziness afoot. Both kids had some sort of bug and were running fevers: D has been hit much harder, and is still laying on the couch quietly. Definitely not normal.

And on a total random note, as I was cooking up tortillas this morning, this one totally made me laugh. Hmmm, maybe I shoulda tried to sell it for big bucks with promises of happiness & prosperity to the owner rather than just stuffing it with egg, cheese & bacon and wolfing it down...

Here we go again!!

Whooeeeee!! A new year, and fresh resolve to be practically perfect... Uh, sure.

But 2012 HAS arrived, and we're kicking it off by saying buh-bye to urine sample walls. I know, I'd said we were holding off for awhile, but some friends have to rent scaffolding for another project, and the opportunity to save money by going halfsies on that meant we decided to go ahead and paint and update lighting fixtures.

The 2 samples at the top were my first 2 picks, but both looked terrible, so I went back to Home Depot & got three more samples in exactly the same color (hubby's reaction when I showed him the color swatches). I'm going to make my final decision tomorrow, but at this moment am leaning toward Sand Fossil. I ordered ceiling fans and a new pendant light from overstock - God seriously had those items waiting for us, as we scored some amazing deals (ever tried to find a light with at least 10 foot of wire that isn't approximately $3G?)

Kids are back in school and I'm thrilled to be returning to a somewhat constant rhythm. I still have a ton I hope to accomplish in the months ahead, and I've realized that I really have to be more disciplined with my time if I'm actually going to see any of those things come to fruition... those people that complain constantly - and when you happen to run into them 2 years later and they're still complaining about the same bloomin' issues - drive me nuts and I don't want to be counted in their ranks.

I need to continue in my quest to pare down and streamline - being surrounded by piles drains me, and our entire family functions better when there is more open space in our home. January will be all about our living room, and in Feb I'm going to attack the craft area (which is also an office of sorts).

I've even decided to be all hip & trendy and have a word of the year:

enough

It's not about stuff, family, food, church, or any of those other things I can chase after - it's about Christ and how He alone satisfies my soul.


Why is everyone hungry for more?
"More, more," they say. "More, more."
I have God's more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day than they get in all their shopping sprees.
At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep, for you, God, have put my life back together.
Psalm 4:6-8, The Message

Sweets for the sweet - and family members, too

I took charge of goodie production when we arrived in Arizona. I decided to try something different, and announced we'd be having a ball, courtesy of a variety of truffle recipes. (Basically I spent 10 minutes finding ideas on allrecipes.com that didn't involve baking). Just in case you haven't eaten enough, here are a few more options:

Easy Truffles

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
3 cups powdered sugar
14 oz vanilla candy melts

Beat cream cheese until smooth, then gradually beat in powdered sugar. Stir in melted vanilla candy and beat until no streaks remain. Divide dough as desired, and flavor with mint, almond, vanilla or other extract. Refrigerate for approx 1 hour, and then roll into small balls. Roll in additional powdered sugar, candy sprinkles, nuts, or dip into chocolate coating. Store in covered container in refrigerator.


Fudgy Truffles

½ c evaporated milk
¼ c sugar
1 pkg bittersweet chocolate chips
¼ c raspberry or black cherry all fruit/preserves

Combine milk & sugar in heavy saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in remaining ingredients. Chill for an hour, then roll into balls. Coat with chopped nuts or a mixture of powdered sugar & cocoa powder. Store in covered container in refrigerator.


Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

½ c butter, softened
¾ c packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¼ c flour
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
½ c mini chocolate chips

Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in vanilla, then beat in half the flour and sweetened condensed milk, then add remaining flour and milk and beat until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, then refrigerate dough for about an hour. Roll into small balls, and then dip in melted chocolate candy coating (may also top with toffee bits or nuts if desired) and allow to set. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Christmas Recap

We've had a busy December. Hubby's 94 YO grandmother fell and broke her hip earlier this month, so we ended up driving out to AZ to see her and lend moral support to the rest of the family. Things were a bit crazy at times, but I'm so glad that we could spend those days together. Grandma has had her hip replaced and is currently in a rehabilitation facility; still not sure what the future will hold for her and we'd appreciate your prayers as we know there are more difficult days ahead.

In other news:

Made it through our first children's Christmas Program at church. Not perfect, but still better than what we'd done in the past (nothing!!)

Christmas letter? Um, you're reading it. For an alternative (and more complete) version, head over to facebook.

I have eaten way too much. I feel lousy, yet I continue to shovel garbage in. Bad choice - duh! Will be getting back to using sparkpeople to seriously track food once the kids are back in school. That's January 3 just in case anyone wants to hold me accountable.

I love seeing the kids' faces light up when they open gifts. So thankful that we were able to give gifts, as I know many families are really struggling.

Our son is still very much into Legos and K'nex, and we've now added beyblades to the mix. I must admit those tops are pretty cool!

Our daughter got another American Girl type doll, plus dress-up clothes (she's outgrown most of her other stuff and I've been picking up costumey type stuff at the Thrift Shop for a couple months), books and a Barbie microphone that connects to an MP3 player so she can sing along to any song. Yes, we bought that in a moment of insanity, and I'll probably be regretting it for the next 3 years, but she loooooves it.

Uncle R taught our kids a special new Christmas carol. It goes like this: "Joy to the world! Barney's dead! We barbecued his head. Don't worry about his body, we flushed it down the potty. And round and round it goes, and round and round it goes, and round and round and round it goes." Funny (particularly since I can't stand the big purple guy) but a teensy bit annoying after hearing it for the 318th time. Oh, and let me mention what a precious moment it was when the kids wanted to sing a song for Great Grandma (thankfully she was singing along with them and didn't notice they were shouting a slightly different version)

Another funny song story: the kids heard me tell someone that I really hate the song "Christmas Shoes." They don't know it (hmmm, could it be because I change the radio station as soon as I hear it?!) but decided to follow me around singing "O Christmas Shoes" rather than "O Christmas Tree." They were both really disappointed that I didn't get more annoyed.

Very cool to be able to go to church on Christmas morning and worship with extended family. There were 11 of us in the row!

We headed back to TX on December 26, and did see patches of snow along the road in Eastern AZ and NM. Fun to see, but glad I don't have to shovel any of it.

As we were driving back, this was the first time I was actually thinking, "We're headed home!" and not just, "We're headed to where our stuff is." Yes, another milestone for this girl who doesn't particularly like change.

I know there's more I wanted to share, but I'm struggling to keep my eyes open, so that's just going to have to do for now.

Christmas Ponderings

In case you've missed my previous 47 discussions about Santa, we don't "do" the jolly red guy at our house. I know a lot of families incorporate him into their family traditions and that's fine - but I must admit that it bugs me when I see him in a church setting, as it feels like that's crossing the line from a cultural celebration and definitely detracting from Jesus.

Anyhoo, here are two realloy great posts about the Santa issue, both very thought-provoking for different reasons.

The Christmas Conundrum
Of Santa and Jesus

Hmmm... definitely not going to be giving up the Christmas tree ;) But a good reminder not to be driving people away with my legalistic attitude.

It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and destroy your freedom. Rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love; that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom. If you bite and ravage each other, watch out—in no time at all you will be annihilating each other, and where will your precious freedom be then?

My counsel is this: Live freely, animated and motivated by God's Spirit. Then you won't feed the compulsions of selfishness. For there is a root of sinful self-interest in us that is at odds with a free spirit, just as the free spirit is incompatible with selfishness. These two ways of life are antithetical, so that you cannot live at times one way and at times another way according to how you feel on any given day. Why don't you choose to be led by the Spirit and so escape the erratic compulsions of a law-dominated existence?

It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.

This isn't the first time I have warned you, you know. If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.

But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.

Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original. Galations 5:13-26, Message

Friday Funny

More Christmas craziness - although I have to admit I'm actually pretty impressed with the writing on this one!

Christmas Lists

So does anyone do these with their kids? It's not something we actively promote (we're definitely not writing letters to Santa!) but the kids have heard about "the list" from friends and have latched onto it as any good little consumer should (snort). They even got creative a few weeks ago and cut pictures from the Sunday ads and glued them to construction paper. It really is funny to see how they're transitioning from big to little (insert tearful mama here) - our son wants Legos, video games, a fancy scooter and drums; daughter still loves Polly Pockets but has also requested a slide guitar and a TV remote.... and glittery makeup. Oh, and both kids now want their own Kindle Fire, too (which I received as an early Birthday/Christmas gift - I'm diggin' it but have to fight the rest of the family for use of it) I love seeing the people they're becoming, but a part of me misses shopping for cute little toys for ages 3 and under.

On another note, what on earth is up with the recommended gift lists floating around online?! We're in the midst of a recession, right? MSN and Yahoo are constantly running stories about cutting expenses, better budgeting and the like - and now they're rolling out lists of what to buy everyone... from the "neighbor with a collection of lawn gnomes" or "cousin you haven't seen in 13 years" I guarantee you can find some bizarre suggestion of how to part with your money. I like to read these as I find them amusing, and occasionally have stumbled onto a neat idea. This year, though, they seem downright stupid: gold flake coasters, surfboards, $800 sunglasses and such. Another article announced you can't go wrong buying a Nissan Leaf for your significant other. Uh, yes you can! Hubby would probably have a stroke if I took him outside to see his brand new vehicle, considering we spent two months researching models before we took the plunge on buying a $100 blu-ray player.

Rant complete. Oh, and in case you were wondering, I'd like cash this year ;)