Our Christmas

I know it's the second week of January and everyone has already long forgotten all about Christmas and they're on to carrying out New Year's resolutions, but for memory's sake I'm playing catch up.

On the morning of December 25th Orion asked, "Is it Christmas now?"

I know. All around the United States (world even?) children were anticipating that day. Eager to wake up and find special things just for them. Families go to great expense to be together. There is a spirit of joy (maybe stress too) and specialness. For many people December 25th is a distinct day and kids don't usually have to ask if it's Christmas. 

In our home it was a day just like any other. I tried to do some kind of countdown, but it just wasn’t all that meaningful. Count down to what? There was no “finale” so it didn’t make much sense. We don't have a tree, not because we "don't believe in Christmas" or anything (well, not the Santa stuff, but we do appreciate the focus on Christ's birth) but just because it doesn't really "do" anything for us. We just bought a truck too, so that was the extent that our gifts could go. 

I went to sleep on Christmas Eve feeling like a horrible mom for not making Christmas feel more special. Theodore Roosevelt once said, "Comparison is the thief of joy" and with facebook, pinterest and blogs it's hard as a mother not to compare yourself with other moms who do MUCH more for their children during the holidays.  I felt a sense of failure at my own performance as a mother to make my children's childhood full of memories and joyfulness. I want my kids to "rise up and call me blessed" but will they when they realize I didn't go that extra mile to infuse their holidays with anticipation and fulfillment?

In my self-pity that my home lacked a festive atmosphere I read this quote which articulated how I felt:

Home must not lack sunshine. The home feeling should be kept alive in the hearts of the children, that they may look back upon the home of their childhood as a place of peace and happiness next to heaven. Then as they come to maturity, they should in their turn try to be a comfort and blessing to their parents.  

The home should be to the children the most attractive place in the world, and the mother's presence should be its greatest attraction. Children have sensitive, loving natures. They are easily pleased, and easily made unhappy. By gentle discipline, in loving words and acts, mothers may bind their children to their hearts.  {Adventist Home, 21}  

Then it led me to study some more about how to develop the home's atmosphere to become a place of peace and happiness next to heaven. What I found is that it start is in the gentle discipline, loving words and acts. It comes through pleasant voices, gentle manners, and sincere affection that finds expression in all the actions, together with industry, neatness, and economy. These elements make even a hovel the happiest of homes. My home can become fragrant with tender thoughtfulness. 
 

I felt better after confirming that the atmosphere of the home begins, not with making holidays a big deal or doing a bunch of arts and crafts every day, but through cultivating the attributes of Christ. 

I think it’s easier to believe that doing more will make home more happy. It’s harder to surrender my attitude to God when I feel like nursing my irritations. It’s harder to let go of pride and selfishness when something doesn’t go my way. It’s harder to stay calm and recognize the sovereignty of God when something is my fault and I feel like beating myself up and snapping at those around me. It’d be easier to just go to the dollar store and buy some cheap decorations and imagine that you’re making home a great place.

So although I still want to do some more festive things next year, I felt content that our Christmas this year turned out very simple and included the most essential elements; Gratefulness, family togetherness and peace.  
Despite the simplicity, it was still a wonderful day.

They had one package they were looking forward to opening from "Neena". When Orion asked me if it was Christmas, I said, "Yep. It's Christmas. You can open it now." They were delighted to find what they call "slip" pajamas. (aka: one-sie's or footed pajamas) They call it slip pajamas because they like slipping around the house on the wood floors.

 

I really don't mind them only getting one gift on Christmas. They are SO grateful and treasure that one gift. In fact, for the last couple of weeks they've practically lived in those pajamas. They really don't like taking them off because they are so cozy and new. 

There have been other Christmas's where they've received much more and their measure of happiness is about the same. Their measure of gratefulness was usually much less though. They also got some little glow in the dark animals, a Scripture CD, hair ties and their first candy cane.

After eating a scrambled tofu breakfast and then letting them eat the candy cane, we decided to watch a u-tube on how candy-cane's are made. They LOVE watching the Discovery channel featuring "How it's Made". After that we watched how chips are made, popcorn, honey, and I forget what else. They're like 5 minutes each. Super interesting. 

When we had had enough lounging around we headed to the farm to do a project together. David's position at the farm has changed a bit. In addition to being the manager of outside crops he is now the Farm Box delivery guy. Three days a week he drives around and drops off people's boxes at the drop locations. If you've never heard of a CSA program (Community Supported Agriculture) you should see if there is anything like that in your area. Basically people can order produce on the farm's web store and then pick up their box at a certain location in their town. Talk about fresh! From the farm straight to YOU!

So here is their new delivery van. We had to put together the "bulkhead".

If you don't know what a "bulkhead" is, it's a barrier that protects the driver from having boxes slam into his head if he hits the breaks too hard. I don't know why the van didn't just come with that feature, so we had to install it.

 Meanwhile the kids had a great time doing a number of things.

 I took Omega for a ride on the...not sure what it's called. And they played a little on the equipment. What kid doesn't like big machinery?

                     

I can literally see the "man" coming out in Orion when he gets to pretend he's a "worker".  

 After we finished with that project, we went home and got ready for a special dinner at our neighbor's house. I had to promise the kids that if they got dressed to go to the farm, they could put their pajamas back on when we went to supper a the S's.

We had biscuits and gravy, sweet potatoes, and salad followed by home-made ice cream and apple pie!

After a delicious meal Aimee and Janice had a special activity for the kids. A treasure hunt! It began with a note inside an envelope that told them to go look under the fridge. Then they found another one that said to look somewhere else...etc

Yes, they actually put an envelope on top of the ceiling fan!

 You should have seen the twinkles in their eyes each time they scampered to look for the next clue.
 

  The last clue told them to put their shoes on, get the flashlight and look in the trunk of the Honda Fit.

 They brought the box inside and unwrapped their gift.

They loved their lion pillows

I'm thankful our for a simple Christmas. That's one good thing about living out in the country. The kids don't know any different. They have nothing to compare their Christmas to so they didn't expect anything really. But, I think it would be fun to do a little more next year. This is what I have in mind to add a little more "festivity" to the season.

 - Do an Advent calendar including these on some of the days:

1.  Read Christmas related stories
2. Make glitter play-dough
3. Make prettier snowflakes (follow a tutorial)
4. Bake cookies to give away
5. Make Christmas cards
6. Have a tea party with cider and cookies
7. Pick from a goodie bag
8. Make an edible gift for birds (pine-cone with peanut butter and seeds)
9. Go to the snow (if there’s snow somewhere within driving distance)
10. Sew something to give to someone (maybe some felt ornaments?)
11. Make a big bed in the living room and we all sleep there.
12. Give Daddy a massage

      - Pick names out of a hat and each person can spend 20 dollars on the person they picked

- Buy or make something for someone else's children.
- Create a manger scene with a star above instead of a tree. We’ll put the gifts around the manger with words on the manger that say, “Whatever you do to others, you have done to me”
- Listen to Christmas music (maybe make a mixed CD from selected songs from i-tunes)
- Sing Christmas songs during worship 
- Invite a family over to share Christmas lunch/supper with (if we're not visiting family)