Shopping with Purpose

It saddens me that I become overly anxious and stressed out during what should be the most joyous and fulfilling time of year.

My heart breaks at the thought of my children learning to associate Christmas with the accumulation of stuff.

But that just reveals to me how selfish my mind and heart are, for there are so many opportunities to share the Good News of Christ's birth through the acts of giving and receiving. After all, didn't our Heavenly Father give us His most treasured, cherished, and beloved gift?

I must admit that I love the idea of giving gifts at Christmas time. I do not, however, love the notion that Christmas will be a bust if that 'perfect gift' isn't attained, and I've fallen into that trap one too many times. How am I teaching my children the right message if I'm falling prey to wrong messages?

How do I reconcile lavishing gifts upon my own children while keeping in mind the millions of children without food, water, shelter, or families?

I don't have answers, only complicated thoughts and convictions, but I do know that there are so many wonderful opportunities to give well, to give with purpose, as a direct result of buying with purpose.

I'm thrilled that our church is joining with others in the nation to support fair trade consumerism! The numbers are overwhelming, but then so is the chance for hope, freedom, and life-changing opportunities for families in poverty who seek to support themselves and their families with their handiwork and craft.

1,000,000 families would be lifted out of poverty for an entire year if every church-goer in the US were to purchase JUST ONE product from this Christian fair trade organization! One million families! If you've never been to a third world country, or simply don't realize what life is really like there, I want to assure you that people aren't in poverty in these nations because of personal poor choices or even circumstances; they are quite literally stuck, having been born into poverty and unable to rise above it. But we can change that! Click here for more information about how you can be the just one to change a family's future.

I want to be a just one...how about you?

Happy

BIRTHDAY(S)!!!

Welcome to our first-ever dual birthday celebration, in honor of Isabelle Kate and Caleb Andrew! I thought (wrong) that it might be easier to have family come over to celebrate together (wasn't) and then do their individual parties "on our own." I think no matter what, there is still much stress.

What a whirlwind! You parents of twins have my respect, let me tell you!



Now I do like myself a festive table, but with a boy and a girl in mind...again, you Mamas of boy/girl twins, well, I empathize! Ha!

All of this may seem a bit sophisticated for kiddos, but the truth is, I wasn't about to go all out for the family party and THEN for the party with pals, too. Don't judge me, I'm only human. Well, judge if you want, but I still won't care! :) I decorated with things that I already had on hand, and I love how it turned out!

Handsome almost-7-year-old Caleb

Does a Mama's heart sooooo good!

Brother buds Caleb and Jonah

Isabelle Katie's Angel Girl Cake

I knew I was going to buy Caleb's snowman cake, but I had planned on making Isabelle's, mainly because I'm cheap and too proud...but $4.99 later, I gladly brought home this adorable cake!

Isabelle looked rather annoyed after we sang Happy Birthday to her and placed the cake in front of her- she was wondering why we took away her "snooman" plate, ha! After several minutes of staring the poor thing down, big brother Ethan stepped in and helped her blow out the candles.

She's wondering what in the world do I do now?

Caleb, on the other hand...

I think he's got the whole routine down!

This pic is a fake. Because there were, err-hmm, lots of people around, I couldn't get a clear shot of my birthday boy blowing out his candles. So, so sad. But I asked him to act it out for me, so I suppose we're good.

Oh, this boy!

He is even more delicious in person!

I think these photos speak for themselves...

I posted a quick pic on Facebook and some of my friends commented on the matching bow, frosting, and cupcakes...I'm just that good I guess! Nah, just worked out that way.

She's so happy here because she has her "snooman napky" back

And onto the gifts!
I was very pleased with how well they both did taking turns and sharing the spotlight. Still not sure if I'll attempt their birthday parties this way again, but...





And a fantastic surprise for our big party day...

S N O W ! ! !

Everyone was itching to get outside and play so we got all bundled up and headed out after the party. It was so much fun!


Every pic I tried to take of Ethan and Jonah was too blurry and fuzzy to come out- they were too busy running and jumping and tossing snowballs so stop and pose for me, imagine that!


Now let the festivities begin!!

Oh Christmas Tree

Merry Christmas Everybody!

This year I let the kiddos take over the decorating

All by themselves

I just sat back and watched

I feel I must tell you that we invested in this super skinny tree a few years back as an extra-it fits into nearly any corner, which is great for decorating other rooms! We usually get a really big, live tree for our family room, but I guess I'm feeling overwhelmed this year, so we're streamlining. Okay, pride restored, partially. :)

These are some of the ornaments that make my heart swoon, made by, or for, my children, which makes our rather ordinary Christmas tree very special.

My Mom knitted these mittens for the boys when they were babies...I think they are the cutest ornaments ever! We've also made "felt" hands, too, labeled with the name and year, which also remind me how tiny their precious little hands were!

And though things weren't done exactly as I would do them...
And though they chose the tree topper that screams Las Vegas (on a very small scale) or My Name Is Earl to me, but was a heartfelt gift from Ethan a few years ago...

I think they did a wonderful job and our tree looks beautiful!!

Head on over to Kelly's Korner for more Christmas trees! I've already got some great ideas by reading a few posts!

Helllloooooo

I've noticed that I've been getting quite a few direct hits out there, and many in my own home town....who are you? C'mon, fess up and say hello! It isn't weird, I promise...just makes the world a little smaller, which I think is nice. Besides, there's nothing better for a writer's heart than an audience willing to read her thoughts and ramblings. :)

Look Out Santa!

Here's before, on our way to church for our Mom to Mom group, and I had just told Isabelle that we'd be saying hello to Santa afterwards...
And, here is after...It wasn't a total wash-out - Santa gave her a coloring book for "trying." HA

(In case you can't tell, she was throwing herself to the floor, screaming and kicking about. Not seconds before she was babbling and calling out to him from All The Way Down The Aisle at the mall! ! !)

Here are just some pics I'm sharing because they're too cute not to!

Now I have got to seriously get my act together and finish up the plans for my birthday babies!! I'm outta here!!

Show Us Your Life- Christmas Traditions

The month of December is a very full, busy, excitable month for us because...

Not only do we celebrate Christmas festivities...we celebrate these 2 cuties!!

Happy Birthday, Caleb!!

And...

Happy Birthday Isabelle Katie!!

-------------------------------------------

I didn't really realize that we had sooooo many Christmas traditions until I began going through the photos for this post. Our festivities begin right after Thanksgiving- the pic below was taken on our annual Holiday Hike, getting all geared up for the spirit of the season.

Woo Hoo Boys!
Now with our little angel girl!

A few years ago my mother gave me our family's beautiful advent calendar that she made when I was a little girl, and oh how I heart it! Such wonderful memories!
But because we had 3 little boys, and putting the ornament on the calendar can only be done by one little boy each night, I wanted to create something special so that all three could participate in something wondrous and special throughout the season...

Thus was born the tradition of the December Prayer Basket...

We fill the basket with 24 slips of paper, each filled out with a person's name (or groups of persons, like orphans, neighbors, schools, widows, etc.), and each night we gather in the Family Room beside the tree to say a sentence prayer for whoever appears on the piece of paper drawn that night.

It always amazes me how something so seemingly simple can be so deeply moving and inspiring. As a parent, my heart swells with joy watching my children open their hearts to the people around them with their sweet prayers.

Lastly, someone gets to take a chain off the Christmas Chain, our 3rd activity, which we make on Thanksgiving Day with the parade blaring in the background...

...and request which Christmas song we sing that night.

In case you're wondering if we've added a 4th thing because we now have 4 children, no ~ it actually worked out beautifully last year, as Isabelle's loving brothers consistently took turns letting her do one of their activities for the night. Awwwww, so sweet!

This may sound like an awful lot of stuff to keep track of, but honestly, once we're gathered together, it all happens rather quickly. There is something so magical, uplifting and wondrous about sitting together beside the shimmering tree, praying and singing to the Lord. Of course, with busy schedules, there are times when we have to play catch-up, but our hearts are sincere (and the boys keep us on track because they LOVE it all so much!). I find that these three Christmas traditions have helped us to be a stronger and closer family. Year after year, our children tell us that this is their absolute favorite part of Christmas, and that's a very special gift to this mother.

Throughout the month of December we also...

Get together with extended family for an afternoon of baking and decorating cookies

I forgot how green my dining room walls were- ha!
This must have been at least 5 years ago!

Now that the kiddos are older we've begun to make crafts as well

We usually always take an after-dinner walk around our neighborhood with cocoa and flashlights in hand once or twice throughout the month, too. Isabelle is now the only one who rides in the wagon, but there were a few years that all three boys did -wow! Such wonderful memories!

Every year on Caleb's birthday, 13 days before Christmas!, we gather everyone up in the car with "Special" cups (those coffee cups with the plastic lids- it really is the little things, I guess, ha!) of Hot Cocoa and drive all around to see the beautiful lights set out for Christmas.

As for the tree...

Sometimes we walk down the road to a neighbor's tree farm and haul our tree back in the kid's wagon- last year was the first time we had all 4 of our precious kiddos with us, sigh. It felt so good to have Isabelle Kate finally home last Christmas season! And then we always put on the Andy Williams music I grew up listening to and trim the tree together.

Look how little and adorable Caleb is in the next pic! Awww!

When each child was born we purchased a special pewter ornament and had their name and the year engraved on it. These are the first ornaments to get hung on the tree, and each child gets to hang their own ~ here Caleb is carefully hanging up HIS ornament...again..and again... (they are very protective of their special ornaments!)

I think he must be inspecting his hard work!

We had a hard time deciding which year to put on Isabelle's ornament because she was born in 2006, and it says "Baby's First Christmas" but we weren't together until 2008...so 2008 it is, Baby's First Christmas HOME.

We also love the generous spirit of of St. Nick

We're sure to leave out coffee, cookies, now a protein bar, thank you, boys!, and carrots and apples for Rudolph and his buddies...I love their excited little faces in the morning when they discover the empty plate with crumbs, a wrapper, and cup!

When I was a little girl, one day the doorbell rang and my Mom asked me to go see who it was...but nobody was there. Apparently I didn't look down, either, because she coaxed me out to the door again. This time I saw a beautiful gift on the doorstep, just for me! My heart pounded with delight and I will never forget the feeling of opening that little Fisher Price blender, which really worked, by the way! So Bill and I have also incorporated the tradition of Santa's early delivery on the doorstep (which does require a bit of effort on Mom and Dad's part, kind of a divide and conquer thing- ha!), and it's so exciting and magical! Even though the older boys really know Santa is fictional, they still get caught up in the commotion and adore the traditions involving him.

...And the special shopping trips we take with each child to purchase one very special gift for a sibling ~
Ethan was Caleb's "secret shopper" last year, and he was SO excited watching his little brother open up HIS special gift...

Makes my heart just melt!

But before we open gifts, we sing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blow out the candles on a special cake or coffeecake that we make the day before.

We don't break the bank with gifts under the tree, either; instead, we create a list of things we want to do as a family, like ice-skating and having hot cocoa, going to a nearby hotel to swim for an hour or so, a day at the slopes- things that hold significance for our family and help us create wonderful memories together. I hope our children will look back on this one day with a great appreciation for what we've tried to do, but we do live in a fallen world, and there is sometimes grumbling and whining over coveted toys and hyped-up trends.

Now I adore my very new tradition of making Isabelle's Christmas dress for church...

(and you're looking at the smiling reason there are no ornaments on the lower half of the tree- HA!)

But we know what really matters at Christmas, and that's recognizing, honoring and celebrating the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, born into the world because of the Father's great love for us, to show us how to love compassionately and wholly, and to share this love with the world.

Blessings to all as we prepare for the wonderful celebrations ahead of us!
For more Christmas traditions go to Kelly's Korner Blog!

Hello Bloggy...

...changes! ! !

How does it look? ? ?

My Boys' Parade Debut

This Saturday was our annual Christmas, or rather Holiday, Parade. The streets and sidewalks were lined up with all kinds of people, young and old, waiting for the festivities to begin. We were especially excited this year because we were waiting on some cute little scouts to make their marching debut.

Isabelle Kate has never been to a parade before, but instinctively, she just knows!

Smarty cake!

(Of course, this was before any of the
music or noise even started-
she must have figured it out!)

With a much better view atop Grampy (my Dad)

She really liked the animals...
...And the marching bands...

This was sweet- I marched in those uniforms quite a few years ago!
Still waiting for the Cub Scouts...
And here they come!!

Even Isabelle got to march! :)

Attention-loving Caleb was a pro handing out the candy...Jonah, well, completely NOT his thing, ha!

Me and my Mr

Me and my little misters- so handsome!
Oh how the girls are going to be after these boys!!

They just have to get past me first! :)

Poor Baby

My poor little guy.

Caleb's fever spiked yet again last week, resulting in a call from the school nurse for me to come and get him. That was Thursday.

The fever broke Saturday night, he felt better on Sunday and went to school on Monday.

Monday night...fever is back and rising. The coughing fits are getting a bit scarier sounding, and he can't catch his breath often times for a few moments afterward. And of course now there's the added bonus of vomit.

My poor sweet baby boy.

Caleb has been a trooper throughout all this, but yesterday was his breaking point. It broke my heart to watch his little eyes fill with tears as he asked when he was going to get better. It humbled me to remember that this is a way of life for some parents and their children, and that their outcomes are far from good. How I will be mindful to pray for these families this week.

Though I did finally get some pants on the boy for his appointment, I couldn't manage to get his tee shirt on, so I whisked him off in his pajama top. He began to vomit on the way out the door. I ran back to grab the 'pukey bowl' and we were off.

(Bill was wonderful and came home early so I wouldn't have to wake Isabelle and expose her to the waiting room germs.)

Just as I'd suspected, the doctor confirmed pneumonia and wrote out a prescription. I had made up my mind that we were not leaving the office without one, no matter what they found- or didn't find- because after 6+ weeks of this back and forth illness, it's time to exhaust all possibilities. Believe me, I don't over medicate, and therefore I had no concern about giving him antibiotics even if they ended up doing nothing...because they just might end up making him well.

He had his first dose last night but still felt lousy.

I couldn't find the manlier orange 'sicky' cup
so I knew he was really bad off when
he accepted the girly pink one!

And another just totally awesome, great, fantastic thing that happened yesterday?

My sewing machine died. Or choked. Or something!

Well, my sewing machine of 13ish years has been dying for a long time- it can barely perform basic stitches now, and then not even with length or width consistency. Those are kind of important...so my loving husband bought me a new (gently used) better machine, which I just cannot make work! I am the type of person that dislikes change because once I get used to something I hate to have to relearn, even when the thing I'm familiar with no longer works well. What does that say about me???

So, on my mercy run to the store for Caleb's meds, I went next door to the mall and bought myself a brand new machine (because I'm just that selfless I guess), not a very expensive one with bells and whistles, but it does have some features that make a bit, well, giddy! hee hee I'm going to hook it up today and actually try it instead of staring it down for a week or so like the one Bill brought home.

So there you have it, whether you wanted it or not! ;)

I hear coughing, and wow- I've got to get lunches made! Stay healthy everybody!! ~B

Let The Fun...

BEGIN!

Adventure

We've had some pretty mild days here in the Northeast this week. Weather-wise, mind you, but I digress...

Since the boys had no school today, and the air wasn't too chilly, I thought it would be the perfect day to get one last trip to beach in before the long, frigid winter sets in. Ethan was not with us- he slept over at my parents last night and was going up to some sports/hunting (?) store in Maine, along with my Uncle Carl. Ethan is such a guy's guy...he had happy visions of the men sitting around whittling and carving things, because, well, that is a man thing to do I guess. So funny!

Caleb slept over at Bill's parents but was home early this morning, so we all loaded up the car and headed out.

Jonah and Caleb thought going to McDonald's was the big activity of the day, woo hoo Mom! This one has a huge play area, which truth be known makes me vomit a bit at the thought of nasty germs and such on all the climbing apparatus...yet another digression...There were other little boys there so my guys had a great time running around and chasing, and yelling- oh my! Boys are L.O.U.D!

Little Missy with her french fries. This was the first time she sat in the booth with us, and not in the high chair, which shames me a little, as that might imply that we frequent fast food joints. We do not.

Anyhoo.

So here is what 2 happy little boys do when their feet hit the beach a couple of months after summer's passing...
Yee Haw

And here is what Isabelle Kate does...
She's just thrilled, can't you tell?
Sand?
Really, Mama?

I think this is my favorite of the day!!
The bond of brothers

Jonah found 5 starfish today!
(He had one in his hand in the pic above, with his arm around Caleb)

I thought Isabelle might warm up a bit to the beach, after I'd been holding her for a
very
long
time
Yeah.
She looks super happy!

This Mama did get a few smiles for these pics (and it only took about 30 tries!)

In her defense, the wind really picked up
I loved her snuggles on my shoulder

Since I had coaxed some laughs, I thought I could finally put Isabelle down after clog-drawing our name in the sand

Nope.
She had other things in mind.
After many more tears and fits, I asked if she wanted to sit in her stroller with "pinkie," so here we are. Then she was happy as a clam, hee hee hee!

Caleb and Jonah searched for sea treasure for another 45 minutes, so at least I got some exercise in walking back and forth, back and fortth, and all I could think was, "I am so in love with my children!"

Remembering and honoring our brave and selfless Veterans today.

Poor Darlin' Girl

Doesn't she look so sick?

Don't let that grin fool you- she has been running a temp for several days now, poor thing, has been sleeping horribly at night ( and yes, this was the baby that absolutely hands-down SPOILED me with her fantastic sleeping habits), and would not stop crying yesterday morning until...she spied the "munny rabbit" shirt in the box of winter clothes (that I had no intention of emptying and sorting) and flat out demanded that she wear that shirt.

Normally, toddler tactics don't really work on me- I'm way too headstrong (and I like things my way- talk about toddlerhood, right?); today, however, was the rare exception. I did finally manage to make her ask nicely at least.

So the bunny brought smiles and more energy than I'd seen in days. So much energy that naptime was essentially nonexistent. Must I face all my battles in one short day? Really?


Oh, did I forget to mention that she found the ears in her closet to complete the ensemble?

My daughter is one smart little cookie!

She is pointing out the bunny on her shirt. So sweet.

On a different note, it is time to begin planning this little girl's big girl birthday party. I'm going to make her dress for portraits, or for her party, and it will be either butterflies or ponies (why settle on holiday themes just because your birthday falls right near Christmas?), so yes, I have totally thought it all out! Ha Ha!

And I'm always open to suggestions, too! :)

Jonah's Night Out

I'm sure I've posted about this before, but for those who may not know, for the past several years we make it a point to take one child out for a special date night during the holidays and throughout the looooooong winter. No siblings. Just that child and Mom and Dad. And of course, something really fun!

Last night was the first date of the season. Jonah had asked and asked about going to see the Granite State Symphony Orchestra (we took him to their Holiday Pops concert last December). Honestly, I love that he is so interested in chamber music and such- I mean, really, how cool is that?- however, I didn't want him spending his date night doing something, well, not terribly exciting. Just as I'd anticipated, he yawned, wriggled in his seat, fidgeted, yawned some more. The show began at 8, which is bedtime for him, so I cannot blame him at all for being tired. Of course I would never admit that Bill looked over to see my eyes closed and head to the side more than once. Nope.

We lasted just over an hour and a half, which is pretty good I think. There were probably only 20 or so minutes remaining, and although Jonah reassured us that he had a great time and was happy to go, I can only anticipate how this memory will look to him in a few weeks, after hearing about his brothers' trips to go bowling, to make something at the pottery place, to go to the movies, or to eat out somewhere. That's not the greatest feeling. To honor your child's wishes only to then be accused of never doing anything fun or of favoring the siblings...I'm sure that's a completely normal part of the growing up process and I shouldn't take it to heart so much, but that kind of thinking rarely benefits anybody, and it continues year after year after year, which is part of the problem we are now facing with Jonah. Perhaps it's time to tip the scales in our favor and make a few suggestions of our own, gently coaxing him towards something he may find a bit more, well, fun!

What would you do?

Here is our handsome little man
ready for the symphony

Oh how I pray this night helped to reassure
him of how treasured and loved he is

Thanksgiving Traditions

It's time for another week of fun hosted by Kelly's Korner. Click here to read about Thanksgiving traditions and recipes!

Fall is such a great time of year! There is such nostalgia in the air when I smell fresh bread baking in the oven and cider warming on the stove; there is such hope when we recount the year's blessings and express gratitude for all that we have; there is a collective desire to do things for others, to be generous, to help out, to make someone's world a little bit brighter, if even for a day.

Truth be told, I'm finding it hard to balance practicality, generosity and specialness with my own growing family, as I adore a beautiful table and unique decorations all the while remembering that there are families without homes, without meals, without warm clothing. Without. I suppose this just further emphasizes the importance of thankfulness and generosity in the midst of all our celebrations.

We have had a fun tradition for a couple of years- family and friends come to our home later in the afternoon for dessert. Oh my gosh is it fantastic! You can hardly see the table through all the pies, cheesecakes and other yummy desserts! Awesome!

Here is a recipe (from my Nestle cookbook) that offers a fantastic twist on the traditional pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Pecan Pie
(affectionately known here now as Mama's Thanksgiving Pie)

PUMPKIN LAYER

1 unbaked 9" deep-dish pie crust
1 egg
1 cup Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

PECAN LAYER
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp butter or margarine, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pecan halves
**aboslutely delish with good ol' Hood vanilla
ice-cream or whipped cream**

For Pumpkin Layer:
Combine egg, pumpkin, sugar and pump. pie spice in medium bowl. Spread over bottom of pie shell.

For Pecan Layer:
Combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in medium bowl; stir in pecans. Spoon over pumpkin layer.

Bake in preheated 350F oven for 50 minutes or until filling is set. (If using metal or foil pan, bake on preheated heavy-duty baking sheet.) Cool on wire rack.

Oh, and did I mention my super helpers in the kitchen?

It's a good thing this adorable little girl has had some fun lately...







...because here she is today.

Poor baby.



I really am quite grateful- this is the first fever/sickness that Isabelle Katie has had since we've been together, June 2008. Amazing!

So today I will be extra sweet, extra tender, extra patient because my poor baby needs me.