Decking the Halls

I love Christmas....more importantly, I love the warmth, the joy and the family traditions that come along with it.

As I get older (I'm certainly not getting an younger) I find that I spend more time in reflection, savoring moments that may never come again.

One of my favorite times is when we decorate the tree. We get out the hot cocoa and eggnog, then my husband and I sit back to watch the large production of adorning our 9 foot tree. Our children know how it works (we've done it the same ways for years).

When my children were much smaller, I wanted them to be able to enjoy decorating the tree, as well as satisfy my "OCD" ways. ;). Sooo, I bought boxes and boxes of colorful Christmas balls...we have so many balls that they can put them wherever they want with no worries that someone will rearrange them because they are too close. Our tree is LOADED with these simple little balls.

After the hundreds (seriously, hundreds) of balls are on, then we bring out the special ornaments. Everyone gets to place their special ornaments which turns out to be quite a treat for them.

Once the tree is loaded, everyone steps back commenting how beautiful it turned out with the usual, "I love our tree" comments. :)

I love being a mom. I love the privilege that I have to impact and raise these special children that I have been blessed with. My heart overflows with joy!

Traditions of Purpose

 

 There are just some things that we have to do.

 

Yes, I know the old line " death and taxes".

 

But for me, I feel the need for more...

                                              like family traditions.

Do you have any?

You should- at least that is this writer's humble opinion.

What do "traditions" really mean to your family?

I don't really care what they are but I think that they give a sense of belonging, security and love. You see, your traditions are unique to your family and the things that you do include those that you're close to.

It may be certain foods you cook for a particular occasion, the way you celebrate special days, the way you decorate, games you play, people you visit...the list can go on and on. Whatever they are, they serve a very special purpose.

For my family, we have ALOT of traditions...

I decorate the house for EVERY season. There are certain decorations that have their special place each year. My girls could put everything out with their eyes closed- they've watched me do it for so long. If I tried to do it any different, the house would be in an uproar! ;)

When it comes time for a birthday, we don't really do parties but celebrate with going out for a breakfast date with mom and dad. That evening, we celebrate as a family with a favorite meal- a special request.

 

 

At Thanksgiving, dinner is always very special. The table is decorated beautifully. We get out the silver, cloth napkins and special dishes. Each child finds a festively wrapped ornament at their place.

These special ornaments will be placed on the tree the next day when all of the Fall decorations are put away and the loads of Christmas decorations are brought out.

 

 

When my children are ready to marry and start families of their own, they will have special ornaments from their childhood as a start for their family collection

A few years ago, when our oldest was in college, we went to visit her for Thanksgiving and packed the china, silver and fall decorations. We cooked the entire meal in the hotel room with crockpots and a microwave.

 

We spread out the tablecloth, decorated the table, lit the candles, placed the ornaments on each child's plate and enjoyed our family Thanksgiving in the hotel room.

 

 

  My kids loved it!

  

 

 

 

These are the kind of things that they will probably repeat with their own families and the traditions will live on.

This is all part of living purposefully.

We should not just stumble through life, trying to make it from day to day living, being subject to whatever comes our way.

 

Living a life of purpose is much more than that! I don't do all of these things just for me- I do them for my children. I believe it's important. I want my children to feel loved, to be secure and confident in their place in this world...and traditions are tools to accomplish just that. :)

 

Cream of Wheat and Silly Songs

Ever wonder what your kids will remember from their childhood?

I don't mean things like brush your teeth after every meal, close the door when you go to the bathroom (mother's of boys...Heaven help us) and don't talk with food in your mouth.

I mean memories.

Sure they will remember the big stuff, like moving into a new house, the death of a family pet and a family vacation.

But what about the little stuff? What kind of things are going to stand out in their minds, so much so that they reminisce and tell their children or grandchildren about it? What about their life gives them security, makes them feel loved or even makes them laugh when no one else is around?

I can look back and remember the way my dad smelled when he walked in from work every evening. He worked at the Post Office and chewed Trident Gum (the blue kind). You may not realize this but the Post Office has a distinct smell..maybe it's the glue on the stamps ;) -I don't know but whatever it is, my dad smelled like it. Whenever I go in to mail a package, I think of my dad. It warms my heart and makes me miss him all at the same time. He died when I was only 17 and I still miss him just as much as I ever did. (It amazes me how you can miss someone so much even after 20 years of them being gone)

I remember holding my moms hot, black coffee every morning on the way to the babysitter (my great-aunt who had lots of dogs and fed me tuna sandwiches with carrot sticks EVERY day). I remember having horrible ear infections and my mom snuggling with me on her lap to try to ease my pain.

I remember spending the night at my grandparents' and all the little things that made me feel special and so very loved...like spending the day with them, grocery shopping at Kroger and grandma saying, "If you see something you want, just get it, Doll." I remember how my grandma would put about an inch of water in the tub (seriously one inch) and help me scrub up and then let me wear her pajamas. After my bath, we'd sit on their carport watching the cars go by, playing with their little dog and just talking until dark. In the morning, we'd eat Cream of Wheat and drink ice cold Tang out of her colorful frosted glasses.

 

 

I can close my eyes and remember my papa getting out his guitar and singing for me. He would sing silly songs and his eyes would get really big which made me laugh. Grandma would smile and just shake her head.

I wonder... What kind of memories MY kids will have.

What will stick out in their mind?

Will they remember their Mama's silliness...

Their daddy singing funny songs...

I wonder if I am giving them good memories, godly examples and something to pass on to their children.

"Momma-Made Goodness"

For years I have wondered about canning more than just the veggies that abound from our garden. I mean, if Campbell's can process soups and put them into convenient cans for consumers, then why can't I take the vegetables and meats that I get on sale and can them myself.  My soups would be free from preservatives, lacking the tons of un-needful sodium and perfected to the taste of my very own family.  Mine could be tenderly made with love and could be proudly displayed on a shelf in my kitchen as a reminder that I, indeed attempt to "look well to the ways of my household".  :)

On a stressful or busy day, I could go to the shelf, pull off a jar of homemade goodness and serve it to my family without a shadow of guilt.

And so... I began to research my options.  I found that meat can indeed be canned and

should be processed in a pressure canner for 90 mins at 10 pounds of pressure (if using quart jars). 

 I also found out that if you mix ingredients in canning, you should always process

with the longest recommended time for your ingredients.  So, putting two and two together, if I want to can, say a Vegetable Beef Soup, all I need to do is put everything into my jars and process for 90 mins. 

After spending a week with my family battling a bad cold, I made some homemade chicken noodle soup and boy does it work to make one feel better.  I decided that Chicken Soup would be my first experiment. 

I didn't add any noodles (knowing that they would turn to mush).  It turned out beautifully!  Now, if we need some homemade cold remedy, it's on the shelf.  We just add a hand full of dry noodles to the boiling soup for about 10mins before we're ready to serve....and we have Yummy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup that didn't have to cook on a stove all day but packed with lots of nutrition (without the additives that store bought would have).

Each week, I have been making a batch of "something" to put up for my family.  I've been watching for meats to go on sale and have been able to really extend my overall savings by planning around what I find.  To help in the prep work, I've used frozen veggies (also found on sale). In the longterm, this is really going to help our family.  If we have a week that money is tight or we want to put a little extra in savings for something special, we won't have to rely on "beans and rice" because we already have a storehouse of a variety of nutritious meals.  

 Since that first attempt, I have canned Chicken Soup, Vegetable-Beef Soup, Chicken Gumbo, Spaghetti Sauce with Meat and Seasoned Pinto Beans. Yes! Beans, too!  I had planned on making a pot for dinner and I simply made it the way I always do, but used a 3pd bag this time and canned it right along with my seasonings.  Now, I have 7quarts on the shelf, ready to eat without the time and fuss.

The plan for now is to spend the time I have waiting for our garden to overflow with vegetables in filling my "meals in minutes" jars.  What a great way to make use of those cold winter months...then when I want to spend the warm Spring and Summer days in the yard and garden (instead of in the kitchen) I already have dinner done! :)