find joy in the journey

getting into the spirit

Christmas season is upon us!  Our Christmas lights are up.  Yes, you heard me right.  There are lights on the exterior of our house.  (This post will fill you in on the past debate).  And, might I add, there are 4 additional strands of lights up there this year.  Scott is earning big points.  Decorations have been placed throughout the house.  All we have left to do is unpack the tree.  Maybe that will happen tonight.

I know that every year I strive to find a balance at Christmas time.  A balance between the everyday things that have to be done and all the extra exciting things I think I have to do to bring the holiday spirit into our home.  I've realized that the big events, the huge outings, while they sound like a lot of fun . . . usually end up being too time-consuming, stressful, and never quite meet expectations.

It's the little things at Christmas time that mean the most, that will be the most memorable to me and the kids years from now.

"When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness."  -Bob Hope

"The most vivid memories of Christmases past are usually not of gifts given or received, but of the spirit of love, the special warmth of Christmas worship, the cherished little habits of the home. "  -Lois Rand

Last year I came across a list of "Holiday Spirit Prompts" that can inspire you to remain in the moment, to savor the season, and to do it with simplicity.  I love that these prompts are easy, they are things you can do in your home & community, things that you might be doing already . . . but when done with purpose & thought can add that extra sparkle to your day. 

I thought I would share those prompts here with you (with the addition of some new ideas I found this year) to help us all get into the Christmas spirit all month long.

Christmas Spirit Prompts

write letters to Santa

read from your favorite Christmas story

have a late night cooke & milk break

make candy cane milkshakes

sing Christmas songs before bed

watch a Christmas movie with popcorn

cuddle under a blanket

go out somewhere special for dinner

bake and take gifts to neighbors

 

give experiences instead of material gifts

play board games

make cards for teachers

have breakfast for dinner and eat in your pajamas

memorize a poem to recite at the dinner table

buy a new Christmas storybook and read it before bed

make your own wrapping paper

offer to help someone who needs it at the grocery store

sleep under the Christmas tree

 
 gaze at the winter stars

celebrate the longest night of the year (Dec 21) by lighting extra candles or have dinner by candlelight

address your Christmas cards

visit Christmas decorations in town

warm yourself by a roaring fire

cut out paper snowflakes

adopt a new tradition

take a long winter's nap

enjoy a cup of hot chocolate with a friend

 

 host a holiday dance party

draw and send postcards to cousins

slip a note of holiday love into a backpack, laptop case, or set on a pillow

make a popcorn string

volunteer

write Christmas cards to 5 friends or relatives you have lost touch with

get some blank pages & crayons and let your kids write and illustrate their own Christmas story

take a car ride to look at Christmas lights and decorations

go caroling in your neighborhood or at a local nursing home

 

dress up for a special Christmas dinner at your own house

make microwave s'mores

donate gifts to a needy family

have a holiday sing-a-long

watch the snow fall

write a list of 100 things you are grateful for

pray for peace

spend 30 minutes of silent reflection on the meaning of the Christmas season in your life

call 5 people you love and tell them why you love them

invite someone new to dinner

make homemade soup

donate mittens & other winter items to a shelter

attend a Christmas concert

make simple homemade ornaments

share the story of the best present you ever received

{To print the pdf file:  Download Christmas spirit prompts}

the kids: fall '09

 

Conner

earned his wolf badge in Cub Scouts

reading "Percy Jackson & The Olympians:  The Lightning Thief"

interested in machines & gears and wants to know how they work

his Christmas list:  drum set, electric guitar, computer, and a puppy.  Dream on, kiddo!

still loves Phineas and Ferb and was thrilled to get the soundtrack CD for his birthday.  He knows all the words.

Payton

is missing 4 of his front teeth!  Oh my heavens!

in the last month he has read all 26 Magic Tree house books that we own.  

got a glowing report from his teacher at parent-teacher conferences.  She says she can always count on him to be the one sitting straight up in his chair, looking straight ahead, paying attention.

he loves to receive praise and will find little things he can do to get it.  He doesn't make a big fan-fare, but he's rather stealth about it.  You'll know, though, by the look he gives you with his eyes -- like this, "hey, look at me, I'm doing something really good".  And his reaction when you do praise him -- an adorable grin, subtle nod of his head, and sheepish mannerisms -- just makes you want to shower him with more!

loves basketball and is giving his best effort at it.  He's great at running up and down the court as fast as he can, trying to steal the ball, and he's always more than happy to pass the ball when he does get it.  A team player. :)

 

Anna

is taking ballet and I hope that she listens to her teacher.  These pictures are from her ballet Halloween party.  (L to R:  plie, "show your foot to the queen" - I don't know the real term, and a curtsy)

regularly draws pictures to bring to her sunbeam teacher and preschool teachers.  I also have quite a stack on the top of my bookshelf.

loves to sing.  Songs from primary, songs from pre-school, songs from Phineas and Ferb.

for lunch she asks for "a peanut butter and honey sandwich, cheese, apples, and that's it!"

give thanks

First off, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  The day ran perfectly smoothly, the food tasted great, and we enjoyed a sense of un-rushed calmness as we bounced through the days' activities.  Just delightful.

It all began with the 6 am alarm to make rolls and get the turkey prepped & in the oven.

Then off to the park for our ward's Turkey Bowl.  The boys (Scott & Conner) played football in the rain while the rest of us enjoyed the covering of the gazebo, hot chocolate, muffins, and a roaring fire.  Although we did venture out to walk the trails, a.k.a. The Mashed Potato Mile. :)  It was just so much fun and a great way to start the day.

Back home for showers & setting the table.

Dinner was served at 1pm and it was delicious.

We all sat around on the couch to watch Meet The Robinsons while I squeezed in a 20 minute nap.

And finally, we joined some friends to enjoy a Thanksgiving dessert buffet.

Like I said, just a delightful day.

On the drive over to the park I asked Anna what she was thankful for.  She said: "I'm thankful for puddles to jump in and to get my belly all wet."  I told her that I was thankful for her.  To which she said, "Nooo, you can't be thankful for people!" with her trademark laugh.

Yes, I can be thankful for people and I am thankful for so very much more.

I'm thankful for Payton with his glowing smiles, surprise hugs from behind, and to watch his excitement & dancing over a fire.

I'm thankful for little girls who remind me to be thankful for the little things, like puddles.

 

I'm thankful for a healthy body.  The ability to walk, run, see, hear, taste, speak, listen . . . and the opportunities this affords me to get around & function in the world, to fulfill my role as a mother, and to savor all of Heavenly Father's creations.

 

I'm thankful for healthy children.  Who can walk, run, see, hear, taste, speak, listen . . . . and learn and grow without limits.

I'm thankful for the gospel.  The knowledge, peace, and guidance that it gives me.

 

I'm thankful for Conner's unconditional love, drive to succeed, and the chance to see his relationship with his dad grow.

I'm thankful for boys who just learned how to peel potatoes!

 

I'm thankful for Anna's girlishness, her eagerness to help me make things pretty, and the smorgasbord of kisses she insists on giving me everyday.

I'm thankful for a warm home to live in, clothes to wear, cars to drive, nice things to surround us, food in my cupboards . . . . the list could go on forever.

 

I'm thankful for friendships and what a lift they can be.  I often think of "she just had this way of brightening the day."

I'm thankful for family . . . my parents, brothers, and all the many in-laws . . . and though we've managed to spread ourselves out over 8 different states, we can always come together and be "at home" again.

 

I'm thankful for Scott and what a team we become on Thanksgiving Day in the kitchen.  I'm thankful for the time he takes to play with, teach, and entertain the kids.  I'm thankful that he works hard to support our family.  And I'm thankful that after 10 years of marriage, even though we test each other and keep each other on our toes, we can find compromise and at the heart of it just want each other to be happy.

Happy Thanksgiving.

random 7

 

1. While inspecting the fridge this morning Payton said:  "Are we having wine for Thanksgiving?"  No, son.  That would be Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider.

2. We will also be drinking our first egg nog of the season.

3. I tried to order Jan Brett's "'Twas The Night Before Christmas" last night only to find it was out of stock on Amazon.  I was so disappointed.  Today I stopped in a bookstore -- no luck.  Then, while picking up the pie at Costco and hurriedly running out of the store I paused for a moment at the book table and what should I find . . . the exact book!  And is it really sappy to admit that it brought tears to my eyes?  Not sure why, but the trigger is pretty loose today.  (Oh, and go figure.  The book is back in stock today.)

4.  Visiting the GYN next door to the hospital where I had all my babies and then sitting in an exam room where the walls are plastered with baby photos also manages to pull on the heart strings.

5. The tablecloth and napkins are ironed.  The china is set out.  All essential Thanksgiving ingredients are stocked in my kitchen.  It's go time.

6.  Right now there are 3 turkeys displayed on my fridge.  

7. I picked up a red/orange photo album at Target to make this:  Thankful.  I'm hoping to print out the cards tonight and assemble the album tomorrow in between cooking, eating, and Wii.  It's going to be really cute. :)

It's been a busy month and I haven't embraced the "thankful" mindset all month as I would've hoped.  But I'm excited for this week and the opportunity to focus on family, good food, time together, and remember all the many ways that I have been blessed! 

 

7, 8, 9

Do you have certain ages, years of your childrens' lives that are your favorite?  I love age 3.  They're just so darn cute and finally able to understand & communicate back and forth.  In Conner's case (and I'm assuming it will also be true with Payton), age 7 was absolutely delightful.  He was happy.  He was so helpful.  And did I mention happy?

8 was a little more rough.  Learning about impulse control seemed to be a big one.  Making good choices & asking forgiveness when it was necessary.  And a new, unfamiliar grumpiness also set in.  I talked to a friend about this once and I liked her take on it.  She thought that when these children turn 8, and they have just been baptized and have received the gift of the Holy Ghost, the adversary seems to have more pull on them.  As soon as she said this it was like a light bulb went on . . . yes!  It felt good to see that there might be a reason for all this.

In the last few months, though, as he has approached 9 . . . I see happiness, more smiles, more willingness to accommodate and go with the flow (sometimes), more helpfulness.  If this is any indicator of what age 9 will be like I think I might be adding "9" to my list of favorites.  :)

Remember my "plan" for getting my kids' portraits?  Well, last year when Conner turned 8 it didn't quite happen.  So, last month after getting some great ideas from Anna's photo session, I took Conner on a little walk around town and captured some great personality shots.  Here they are to share:

 

 

Happy 9th Birthday, Conner!  We love you a ton and I'm looking forward to a great year with you!  Kiss, hug, spank!

the wolf's out of the bag

I can't let this week pass without some reference to New Moon . . . .

Didn't you love it?!  I loved:  

• the new feel & look.  A new warmness & richness to everything.
• the Volturi . . . Aro was just perfectly creepy and menacing.  The scene in Italy is one of my favorites in the book and so it was really fun to see it brought to life 
• the soundtrack . . . now that I've seen the movie I love it even more
• the wolves . . . impressive CGI and I loved the way they just made the ground shake
• how they remained true to the book

and even after prolonged exposure to Jacob's abs, I'm still 100% Team Edward. :)

Definitely a fun weekend.  I got to see it once with friends and again with Scott.  I've got my New Moon fix, for sure.

With the movie out it's fun to think back to the weeks they filmed Twilight here:  the actor sightings & photos, the late nights spent watching production in the cold, and my exclusive (fully-permissible) walk through of Charlie's house.  At the time, I only showed you a few pictures from that visit.  But I thought that now, in honor of the New Moon movie weekend, I'd provide a link to the full photo album for fun.  Not that it's anything we haven't seen already in the movie . . .  But like I said, just for fun.

up, up, up and away!

The theme for our Primary Leadership meeting last night was taken from a recent General Conference talk titled "Teaching Helps Save Lives."  Then we took the idea of "saving lives" and threw in a fun Superhero twist.  Just look at these adorable thank-you handouts that my counselor, Tamera, made for all the teachers.

 

SO CUTE!  It shouldn't surprise me though, because she is the queen of cuteness.

Additionally, we titled our meeting "30 Minutes and a Treat".  We thought that if we let the teachers know it was only going to last 30 minutes, no longer, then that would draw more people out.  And we made it within the time limit (almost).  35 minutes isn't too bad?  

Tamera also presented some of the business (reminders to teachers about finding subs, being prepared for your lessons, etc. etc.) and did it in the cutest way to keep it positive and upbeat.  She said it was time to "clean the bat cave" and shared things that can add an extra Zap! to Primary, and other things that can be Kryptonite to Primary.  I know, so cute.

I taught a lesson on the conference talk I mentioned above.  And Jodi led a brainstorming/buzz session where the teachers could share ideas, what works for them, etc.  It was great and could have gone much longer, but . . . . we had a schedule & our word to uphold!

The treat?  Feast your eyes on this . . . .

  {photo from Skip To My Lou}

Devil's Food cake, chocolate pudding, cool whip, Heath Bars and that's it.  Get the recipe here.

Everything turned out great.  We had a good turnout and I think people were appreciative of the 30 minutes time limit.  It's times like these that make me feel so glad about the opportunities I have to serve in the church, the wonderful people I get to rub shoulders with, and the way we all work together towards a common goal.  

A piece of sunshine on an otherwise rainy day.

[no title]

In the last 2 1/2 weeks I:

• decorated the book fair at the boys' school
• taught 3 sharing time lessons in Primary
• attended 4 training/leadership/planning meetings that fall under my Primary calling.  5 if you count tonight.
• spoke at the Activity Day Girls Recognition program
• spoke at Primary Leadership Meeting (tonight) and made an awesome dessert
• threw a birthday party for Conner

In the last two and a half weeks . . . really?  Where was my personal secretary?  No Christmas bonus for her this year.

{sigh}

With all that behind me, my calendar is opening up a bit and it's time to take a breather and look forward to some fun in the next few weeks.  Like,

• New Moon opening on Friday!!!!  This was my favorite book in the series and I'm so excited to see it on the big screen.
• Conner's birthday - 9, really?
• Thanksgiving
• Continuing traditions with Spaghetti Already
• Some reflecting with Holidays in Hand at Jessica Sprague

and I just might get around to some of those projects on my list. :)

blurrrr

The last 2 months have been . . . . ah, what's a good word for it . . . crazy.  It seems like ever since we got back from Hawaii at the end of September it has been go, go, go.  

There's the kids' activities - soccer, ballet, piano, cub scouts, basketball, school.  There's my responsibilities as primary president, volunteering at the kids' schools, and also the social activities I add to my calendar to keep me sane and connected to my friends.  Scott is busy with work, his calling as YM president, and other future endeavors.

Most of it is essential.  Some of it, I admit, could be edited out if we really wanted.  (Piano & cub scouts are non-negotiable, though.)

Then I look at how we spend our time when we are home.  Often we're just looking for any opportunity to check out from the rest of the world.  An opportunity to de-compress.  Bejeweled comes in pretty handy for this. :) 

Then I think of the holidays approaching and what I envision for that time.  I want more meaningful family time.  More reading stories.  More playing games.  Less tv.  Less computer time.  More cuddling.  More working together.  More conversations.  More peace.  I also have a list of meaningful projects that I want to get to, but I'm schlepping my time doing other things that are simply . . . . meaningless.

Basically I've been thinking a lot about my values and goals for the Christmas season.  There are some things I want to change.  Things I want to come back to and re-emphasize in our daily life.  I'm mulling over in my head some ideas related to unplugging.  Basically looking for moderation.  Trying to pull it all together and figure out what I need and what my family needs.

Is this on anyone else's mind?  What are your ideas/plans?  I'm just curious.

polyvinyl alcohol and such

Back when my kids were not babies (like last year) I decided that I would throw them "friend" birthday parties at age 5 or 6, nine, 12 or 13, and 16.  I'm all about coming up with a plan and sticking to it.  So far so good.  Conner had a birthday party at age 6 with an astronaut theme.  It was pretty cool.  This month he turns 9 and so his long desired wish of having another birthday party came true.  

I chose a Mad Scientist theme after seeing the cute ideas on Living Locurto's blog earlier this year. (You should check out her other party ideas.  She has a superhero party that sooo makes me wish Conner or Payton were turning 5 or 6 again).  Back to the party theme . . . If Conner had his way (and he expressed his plan to me many times) the party would consist of a nerf gun battle that lasted 2 hours, only pausing for cake and presents.

Here's how the non-nerf party went.

Invitations

I downloaded and printed the invites from Amy's blog.  Cute, easy, perfect!

Decor

I thought it would be appropriate to have a real scientist greet everyone at the door.

 

(Download Madscientist_door)

I decorated a few of the cupcakes and left the rest for the party attendees to finish off later.

 

I had fun with the rest of the table decor . . . a rack of test tubes, jar of eyeball candies, randomly placed miniature body parts (including a really icky, sticky tongue), skulls, and molecular models built by the kids.  Hang up some streamers and the two poseable skeletons we saved from Halloween and it all came together pretty well.

 

Party Starter

I've found that having an artsy/creative type activity is a great way to start things out.  And it gives the kids something to do immediately, while we wait for everyone to arrive.  

I set out gum drops and toothpicks and just let them go for it.  It was perfect!  Some of the boys got really creative and a couple of them brought their towers home with them.

 

The Experiments

Steve Spangler Science practically created this party for me.  I purchased everything from this website and used their science experiment index to get lots more ideas.  Here's what we did:

Tornado Tube

Lava Lamp in a test tube

Instant Snow

Atomic Slime - This is a great kit.  It comes with everything you need to make 24 batches of slime, including the take-home shaker cups.  

After a break for presents, decorating cupcakes, and eating ice cream we all put our jackets and shoes on and headed into the backyard for a little experiment involving Diet Coke and Mentos.

 

Goodie bags

Everybody went home with their lava lamp test tube, atomic slime, and instant snow.  Also some nerds, chocolate eyeballs, a test tube with peanut M&M's, and a rubbery body part.

 

Filler time

While waiting for parents to arrive the boys played Operation and busted out Conner's brand new Bakugan toys.

Conclusion

9 year old boys are noisy.  :)

I think the party was a success.  We did some cool things and the boys went home with a lot of fun stuff. Although, I'm looking forward to a few years from now when these sort of parties don't have to be sooo structured every single minute.  I spent my whole time setting out, cleaning up, setting out, cleaning up . . . go, go, go.  

Conner is already making plans for his next party a few years from now.  The theme?  A Nerf gun battle. 

mad scientists welcome here

Getting ready to welcome a gaggle of 9 year old boys into my house.  There will be slime, and test tubes, and body parts to garnish the cupcakes.  Trying to prep myself for 2 hours of mad scientist fun.  I still need to pull down my "Shannon" bin from the garage to get a hold of my chemistry goggles from college.  I knew there was a reason I held onto those.  That reminds me . . . I think I have a molecular model set in there too.  Score.

Off to practice my mad scientist laugh.

capturing 4

Back when my kids were babies I came up with a plan.  I decided that I would get nice, professional pictures of each of them at age 4, 8, 12, and 16.  Just as a way to capture them in that space in time.  I knew that at each of those ages they would have a different look, maybe a different level of self-confidence, and different quirks that, when put together as a whole would create a pretty comprehensive portrait of their childhood.

Last month it was Anna's turn.  I hired a photographer to come to our little town and follow us around main street.  Ducking into nooks and crannies, using the old buildings as a backdrop, Anna was a ham for the camera.  I decided this would also be a great opportunity for me to jump into a few shots and get some great mother-daughter pics.  Plus, I just turned 30 (a pretty big milestone) so I deserve some good pictures too!

Here are some of my favorites.  Set to a favorite song of my dad's.

Anna, age 4 from Shannon on Vimeo.

all hallows eve

the cast of characters

Harry Potter in his quidditch robe

Conner didn't think he should smile in his pictures because Harry Potter does not smile very much.  Ok.  I managed to get a little something out of him when I asked him to perform a spell on me.  And don't you love how he personalized his broom?

a Jedi.  No one specific.  Just a Jedi.  As long as you get to carry around a light saber who cares which Jedi you are.

Payton was still a bit puffy around the eyes from his sickies, but managed to do just fine on Halloween.

And our beautiful flower fairy.

When I told her that I was going to put just a little blush on her cheeks, you should have seen her eyes light up.  One of those, "I'm so excited and I can hardly believe it" looks.  She also got a light dusting of pink eye shadow and lip stick.

You've already seen my costume.  

But, wait until you see this.  The kids like to call him Taco.

 

He only speaks one word of spanish "si" and those burritos come in handy for bonking kids on the head when they forget to say thank you.

We got a fabulous family picture of us all in costume at the trunk-or-treat.  But I hesitate to share it here because, considering our busy schedule and the fact that it is the ONLY family picture we have of us this year, it might just make it's debut in our Christmas cards next month.  Plus, I'd be partially fulfilling Scott's dream of sending out cards that say "Feliz Navidad" and us all dressed in ponchos.  We will see.

halloween lunch

On the menu

• Mummies
• Skeleton fingers
• Spider Eggs
• Witches Brew with worm garnish and just a touch of blood
• and spooky carved apple heads

costume pictures coming soon . . . .