”I really should have had the kids make a card... I should have written a card! Just a simple mug, really, that’s all I’m giving my mom and mother-in-law for Mother’s Day? I’m just being selfish wanting to have a quiet day at home to celebrate with my own Littles!”
Those thoughts rushed through my mind as I put two gift bags into my passenger seat and headed to church. But, thankfully, on Mother’s Day, my Heavenly Father also whispered, “It’s enough.” Can I change the acronym of this title... just a tad? Instead of Keep It Simple, Stupid (which sounds so harsh and demanding) to Keep It Simple, Sister (which sounds so sweet and encouraging). I want to send a high five out to each mother that sat down and played with their children today. A great big hug to those who bowed their heads in fervent prayer for their families and children. A shout-out to each mother who disciplined and then pointed their child to The Answer to the need we each have. Those things won’t be on your Facebook feed or Instagram story - but those moments make up the best of life. My Mother’s Day was perfect. A dance party as we finished The Greatest Showman. A trip to Donut Man where we sat inside and had the place to ourselves. A day to be full of thankfullness that God has allowed me to be a Mother. I need the reminder myself to “lower the bar” in regards to activities and outings. To enjoy the unplanned moments. To take the opportunities God brings and embrace them. To live a more simple life.
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The struggle is real. You’re pregnant for nine months. Your doctor’s advice for nausea is frequent small meals... so pretty much 20 mini-meals a day. Impact sports are discouraged... which takes away all my favorite forms of exercise : tennis, volleyball, soccer (yes, those become impact sports for me). Sleeping comfortably is impossible... between a bowling ball for a belly and bladder control of 2 hours it’s a wonder we just don’t call it quits and spend the night binge watching The Crown.
Then you have a new baby who relies on you literally day and night. Making time for exercise, besides a walk pushing a stroller, is almost impossible. Prepping healthy food includes opening a jar of carrots for your 8-month old. Because, honestly, doing more seems like a selfish use of time. And, maybe even more honest, the hour when the house is quiet is much easier spent playing a round (or two or three...) of Candy Crush than doing burpees or cutting up carrot sticks.
So here I am with the two glorious (and exhausting) children God has blessed us with. I have let go any dreams of fitting back into pre-pregnancy clothes, but I also want to be an example to my family of healthy eating and living choices. A few months back, when faced with a trial (more on that soon), I made a conscious choice to turn to God instead of food. And I want to continue that choice daily. Not a crash diet, or even “dieting”, but a different way of thinking about what we eat and what our bodies need (instead of crave and desire).
The trouble with healthy eating is... I enjoy good, flavorful food. And googling for healthy dinner looks like this:
I don’t know about you... but none of those make me want to spend two hours in the kitchen dicing and sautéing (except the top shrimp recipe... I could make that one).
So I am on the search for recipes that are flavorful, worth the time, and family approved (I’ll go for 3 of 4 on that one... myself, Lilli, and one of the boys). I know they will never be as easy as the Hamburger Helper of my newly-wed days, but...
To start, this week I made two “keepers”. My family loves lasagna, so I made a healthy version... Zucchini Lasagna! It was surprisingly delicious, even the next day left-overs were enjoyable - so double win there! Compared to my normal lasagna (which is amazingly delicious) this came much closer than anticipated. My husband asked for seconds, Lilli devoured everything I gave her, and Josiah... well, remember I’m going for 3 out of 4. Here’s the link t o the recipe:
http://ifoodreal.com/zucchini-lasagna/
The only change I made was I used ground beef instead of turkey (we just haven’t reached that level of commitment yet!). And don’t skimp on the quinoa, it definitely helps whisk up some of the moisture.
Next up, a healthy snack. These are great for an afternoon energy boost. I used fresh blueberries, so mine didn’t make the nice balls. Instead, I placed them in mini-containers. It was worth it for the juicy burst of flavor the fresh blueberries added.
https://www.theseasonedmom.com/no-bake-blueberry-almond-energy-snacks/
What are some of your favorite, flavorful dishes? Did you try one that I shared? What did you think?
Our dishwasher broke, and while we’ve debated what color to buy and researched the best bang for our buck... we’ve been without a dishwasher. And since everything else ALSO decided to break-down in the last couple of weeks (car = new battery, SUV = break pads, both phones = battery issues), it has been placed on the back-burner. Which is okay, I spent my first 25 years without one, so I see it as a luxury not a necessity (though a very nice luxury). The kids and I have spent time doing the dishes together. I wash, Josiah rinses, and Lilli... well, she stays *out of the way* (which for a 1-year-old is quite an accomplishment). It brought back childhood memories of helping in the kitchen, rinsing the dishes, peeling potatoes, and licking the beaters. Look at my red dress with water all down the front, but a smile on my face. I’m thankful that my mom included me in this chore, an almost-two-year-old, and allowed me to do the job without stepping in to “perfect” it. Without knowing it, she taught me there is joy in working together. That work can simply be a job or a task to be conquered. Mary Poppins had it right: That is a lesson I desire to pass on to my children, too. Work, even hard work, is not a bad thing. Persevere, press on... and find what fun can be had in the completing.
A shower! That was my one request of my husband before he headed to work. Watch the kids so I could take a hot, relaxing shower - without baby girl playing under my feet like the last three times (at least she enjoys the “water time”).
So on my way to enjoy this 15 minutes of bliss I... 1. Wipes down the table from breakfast 2. Switched the clothes in the laundry (so the cycle could continue while I was in said shower) 3. Made sure big brother had finished his chores 4. Made big brother’s bed (I was in the room anyways) 5. Picked up two toys that were laying on the floor 6. Changed baby girl’s stinky diaper 7. Looked at the flower big brother had given me yesterday at Walt Disney, and reminded myself that I needed to press it 8. Started JoJo’s timer on the iPad (his “reward” for completing his chores quickly) 9. And THEN it was time to enjoy my shower! Don’t you love when a project does double-duty? This was just what I needed to get back in the groove after Christmas. Homeschool moms - hats off! I struggled getting motivated... and my son is in K-3 (which means we simply have one day a week where I prepare a project and sometimes a worksheet). This week we reached the letter “R”, and in Cubbies JoJo was learning that “God keeps His promises” through the story of Noah. The take home activity was about rainbows. So, we put the two together and - abra-ka-zam - we had our R is for Rainbow project!
Do you make New Year resolutions? Personally, I love them! Maybe growing up in a family that analyzed pretty much everything (at one point my dad had a point system for new recipes which included points for taste, cost, and ease of preparation), it must be in my DNA to look for areas of improvement. When I taught 2nd grade, I had two constant lists: the first a never-ending list of to-dos, the second a list of improvements to tackle during the summer. My husband rolls his eyes, because on anniversaries I want to talk about what we have done well and areas that we could make stronger in our family life and marriage (on anniversary dinner #2 I dropped the bombshell that “I’m ready to have kids soon.” We took dessert back to our hotel room that night). So, yes, I see value as one year comes to a close to take the opportunity to reflect and evaluate our lives and pray about what changes we should make. I like to aim for the attainable, so I have 3 areas that I focused on and 2 “resolutions” for each (so 6 “resolutions” total). Family: 1) Weekly date with my husband. We spend so much energy and time with our children, that it is easy to put our marriage on the back burner. This summer, we began taking turns planning and arranging child care for weekly dates. One week Austin would plan a trip to Disney, the next I would plan a tennis match. It didn’t have to be elaborate, but something focused on just the two of us. These dates fizzled away during the holidays, so my resolution: Get back Date Day! 2) Day of Rest. I may talk more about this later, but for now let’s just say I want to start a habit of putting away the cell phones and being connected to God and family each Sunday. This should be easy to implement now, as it is just us two adults with access to technology. Also, limiting our tv to a family movie or video game that we can all enjoy together. Taking away our phones and tv shows will allow for more interaction with each other and time for our Bibles and prayer. My resolution: Make Sunday a Day of Rest. Spiritually: 1) Prayer. I keep a prayer journal - mostly to keep my thoughts focused and my mind engaged, though looking back and seeing how God has worked and answered (when I find the time) is uplifting, too. However, like other good things, this has been neglected of late. To be completely honest, my last four enteries were in July, September, and October (where I had two). Of course I still prayed! But I was lacking some fervent prayer that my life (and my family) need. My resolution: Stop in the middle of caring for things and spend time with the One who cares for all! 2) Bible study. This year with a 3-year-old and nursing baby, life was busy... busy... busy. For that season, I used the First 5 devotional app that corresponded with reading a chapter a day. For the last month, I have been craving more! Just this week I finished reading though Genesis and picked up Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 1 Timothy. Today I kept it open on the counter (my Bible and Be Faithful) all morning to read a bit more when opportunities arose. My resolution: Dive deeper into Scripture and meditate on sections each day. Personally: 1) Exercise. I went to the gym with Austin twice before Christmas. Can I just say, pregnancy did a number on any abs I thought I once had. Any pride of my abilities went out the window as I struggled through each station. However, the next day my body was sore and refreshed. Practically, I’m not going to the gym every day (two young children in the house remember), but I can pop in a work-out dvd, utilize workout sheets I have saved, and maybe even try a Zumba course. The point is, not looking for our trips to the mailbox and running around the backyard to be “good enough” (especially as I do have some baby weight I wouldn’t mind losing). My resolution: Stop being comfortable and exercise! 2) Read. After a full day of diaper changing, meal prepping, face washing, spill cleaning... all I have wanted to do this year was veg on the couch with a bowl of chips and a game of Candy Crush with the tv on in the background. So healthy, I know. But it was trying to enjoy everything while I could - and therefore not fully enjoying any of it. This year I want to savor a good book, an occasional tv show, and completely a 1,000 piece puzzle (I haven’t done one of those in years). My resolution: Enjoy the comforts of a well-written story. There you have it, my manageable list of “resolutions”, or as I would rather say, life changes. I would love to hear some of yours and be inspired for next year. Have a very happy New Year!
"Wow! Christmas lights! Look everyone, Christmas lights! CHRISTMAS LIGHTS! Wow!!!" This memory of our young nephew comes back every year as we take a detour to slowly look at a neighbor's beautifully lite yard. This year it was our youngest pointing out the window and squealing at each new house. The simple joys of Christmas. My childhood is full of simple Christmas joys, memories, and traditions. Traditions galore! My parents embraced them because we, the children, clung to them. We listened to the same Amy Grant Christmas album each year as we decorated our tree. We played the same "Puzzle Wars" each Christmas Eve. We called to check that our clocks were 100% accurate, and then counted down the seconds until Christmas. We then would stay up until 2 or 3 in the morning opening presents. This week I was looking on Facebook for fun Christmas and winter activities for the kids. (One downside of Florida living, you have to "make" seasons instead of having them simply "happen" around you.) Snowfall at the mall's Christmas tree. Pictures with Santa. Live nativity scene. Gingerbread house making. Water Christmas parade. So many choices! Which made me stop and think - do I really want to make this season a time of busyness and hustle and bustle? Or end up as the llama in a book I read to Josiah, who falls to the ground proclaiming "llama, llama, holi-drama"? Looking back and thinking forward, I have thought of two balances to use in weighing our family's activity choices. Two thoughts to keep in mind before adding on "one more thing" to this month. The first, Christ. It's an overused phrase "keep Christ in Christmas", but maybe us Christians should take it more seriously. And make it purposeful. What decorations are filling our homes? What books are we reading to our children? What music are we playing? What are we doing this season to keep Jesus in our hearts and minds? One thing we started December 1st was reading part of the Christmas story (from our Bibles) each night and adding one piece of the nativity. I made a simple nativity set so our "special" set could stay out of reach - and because we wanted a whole nativity set visible all year long. The second balance, building family memories and traditions. Time spent together building a strong family unit that our children know they are a vital part of. Our family is still young, so our traditions are just being made. I'm excited to see in 5 years what we have purposed to do every year and has become one of our traditions. I AM looking forward to using my grandma's cookie recipe and decorating cookies, to singing Christmas carols at the nursing home with our youth group, to building a gingerbread houses, to more drives down streets to see all the Christmas decorations, to our church's Christmas Eve candlelight service. To end these Christmas thoughts, I go back to the start - O come let us adore Him! Let the manger be our focus, the greatest gift we could ever receive! Let us be like the shepherds who, after seeing Jesus, "returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen...” (Luke 2:20) Or like the wise men who "saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts..." (Matthew 2:11) Praising God, worshipping, and offering our gifts. That is the outcome I desire from the season. Would there be a better way to end 2017 and begin a New Year? Merry Christmas, from my family to yours!End Note: If you would like to use the Christmas story reading plan, you can find all the information here: www.facebook.com/StoryofThisAndersonLife/posts/1482766891840796
Or if you’d like to make your own nativity set, that free download can be found at: www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCraftsChristmasNativity#.WifcUmBOmEd Santa Clause... the Elf on the Shelf... presents... Frosty... Rudolph... more presents... These are the thoughts swirling around my head as we decorate for this magical time of the year, and our now 4-year-old son is asking how Santa will get into our house and bring him presents. Because, let's face it, the one thing my 4-year-old really cares about is his presents. Rewind a few years, to Austin and my first Christmas together, and that's when this debate began. It's the age old difference of family traditions. His family had presents from Santa whereas I was the one who told my friend "Santa isn't real"... and my mom received a phone call later that day. Oops. That first Christmas together we realized the polar opposite sides we held - but since it was just the two of us and we weren't planning on sitting in Santa's lap, it really wasn't a dilemma to hash out. And that has led us to today. Last year our just-turned-three-year-old really had no interest in Santa. When Daddy wore his Santa outfit on Christmas Day, he called him Daddy. But today, "Mommy how will Santa get into our house?" "Can we make cookies for Santa?" "What's Christmas magic?" "How can an elf fly?"... made me realize I can not simply deflect by saying, "go ask your dad." We need to be in agreement. So what is Christmas all about? Today I wrote on our chalkboard "Oh come let us adore Him". That's what I want this season to instill in my heart, my husband's heart, and my children. I want to be taken back to the angels proclaiming, "glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill to men." I want to be like Mary who pondered these things in her heart. I want my children to begin to understand the gift we have been given, that's far greater than anything that could be wrapped and placed under our tree - and the joy that comes from giving out of love for others. I want to go back to the start of this entry and write words like Jesus... Immanuel... GOD WITH US... peace to men... fall down and worship...
I'm not answering the question of what we decided about the "extras" that have been brought to Christmas. Partly because we haven't figured it all out and partly because that's a family-to-family decision. But hopefully you can be encouraged to think again about what traditions are adding to the heart of the season and which traditions are taking away from celebrating Jesus. |
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