2012 Songs of the Season: Silent Night, Holy Night

I got up this morning, made a pot of coffee, like usual, and then opened our sliding glass door to check the weather.  Had it been April, it would have been the perfect day.  But it's not.  It's December.  It's Florida.  So, to no one's surprise, it felt like Spring more than Winter.  That changed quickly. 

By early afternoon, the clouds started to roll in, and by the two o'clock hour it looked like evening.  There was lightning, thunder, and pouring rain.  Miss G was terrified of the thunder ... to the point she got to take a nap in mommy and daddy's big bed. 

With both of my girls sleeping, I listened to the peacefulness of the down pour.  I sat in my make shift office, also known as the dining room table -- lap top open, brain swirling with ideas, and basking in the glow of the Christmas tree.  I looked at the ornaments on my tree for inspiration on which Christmas song to write about today. 

I spent twenty minutes or longer snapping pics of snowmen, santas, and glittery pretties hung on my tree.  I had nothing.  Looking out the front window, I saw the candles in the window sill.  So peaceful.  So silent.  So pretty.  Such a beautiful display of light and hope against the backdrop of the rain falling from the gloomy, December sky.  My mind instantly went to that first Christmas night - when the Light of the World was born in a manger.  A silent night.  A holy night.  Perfect. 

Merry Christmas!

2012 Songs of the Season: I'll Be Home for Christmas

As cliche as it may sound, Christmas really is all about family.  At least in my household it is.  Growing up, holidays were always a big deal for us.  Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Easter, Mothers' & Fathers' Day ... even birthdays were big celebrations.  Since my siblings and I have been adults, and they have both moved to other parts of the country, holidays just aren't the same.  If my brother makes it home, my sister can't, and vice versa.  As disappointing as it is, it's just life.  Thankfully, we've never missed a Christmas together in all the years that we've been a family of five.

A couple of years ago, my brother wasn't going to make it home for Christmas.  The job he was working at the time sucked, and he was scheduled to work December 23 and December 26.  Driving 15 hours round trip just didn't seem worth it only to be home for a few hours more than that.  Not to mention, his little Honda Civic probably wouldn't have made the drive.  My sister had flown in a few days before Christmas.  We picked her up at the Jacksonville airport and she stayed with us until Christmas Eve, when we all piled into our little car and drove out to my parents' house.

We got there early afternoon, unpacked and got busy helping Mom put the final touches on Christmas.  Then Miles, their little puggle dog, started barking.  And he barked some more.  And he barked some more.  My mom said, "I think somebody's here."  I went to the front door and saw my sister's car.  It took me a minute to process, but there he was ... my little brother, all packed up in my sister's Yaris, standing in mom and dad's front yard.  I remember becoming completely overwhelmed with emotion when I saw him.  Throwing my arms around his neck, I choked back the tears.  And in good little brother fashion, he made fun of me.  Boys ... they never grow up. 

As a kid, I'll Be Home for Christmas was just another song.  It didn't have much meaning to me ... nothing more than a pretty tune.  As an adult, it's become very personal.  This year we will all be together, as we've always been.  There's nothing more special then waking up Christmas morning to a house full of people, lights twinkling on the tree, and the smell of turkey cooking in the oven.  I can't wait.

Merry Christmas! 

2012 Songs of The Season: The Little Drummer Boy

My little brother is a drummer.  Every time I hear today's song of the season, I think about him. When I hear this song, I imagine him with a snare and two sticks in his hands.  I don't picture the almost 25 year old man  he has grown into with gauged ears and tattooed skin.  I picture him as the little boy that I grew up with ... curly blonde hair and as bashful as they come.  Quiet.  Polite.  Humble.  He's still all those things. 

The Little Drummer Boy isn't a traditional Christmas hymn, but it's a classic.  I love the child like depiction it paints of that first Christmas night.  What an honor it would be to play music for the King of all kings.  Or to have the baby Jesus smile at you with a big, toothless, newborn grin.  Precious.  I hope that as you listen, you will envision that holy scene through the eyes of a child.

Merry Christmas!

2012 Songs of The Season: O Little Town of Bethlehem

If I'm being honest, O Little Town of Bethlehem has never been one of my favorites.  A classic?  Yes.  One we sing every year at Christmas Eve service?  Yes.  But it's never been a Christmas carol to really excite me.  Until this year. 

This picture you see, is an ornament on my mom and dad's tree.  When I look at it, I see peace, rest, tranquility, stillness.  When I think of the town of Bethlehem the night that Christ was born, the same adjectives come to mind - peace, rest, tranquility, stillness.  While child birth is anything but those things, I can only imagine that on that very first Christmas night, there was a hush over that humble little town.  A hush that can still be heard in the glow of a lit up tree.  Or in the peacefulness of a new blanket of snow. 

This time of year is chaotic for most of us with shopping, family, church functions, Christmas parades, baking, etc. all begging for our attention.  I hope that as you fulfill all the obligations that are demanded of you over the next three weeks, that you will take time to listen for that hush.

Merry Christmas!

2012 Songs of The Season: Away In A Manger.

You may remember my series from last year - Songs of the Season.  Well, it's December and that means it's back!

Yes, I realize I'm a couple of days behind, but life happened.  I spent the weekend at my parents' house helping them paint and organize.  After inhaling fumes, climbing up and down a ladder, and entertaining a two year old in between rolling and brushing, by the time Saturday night rolled around I was completely exhausted and blogging was not happening.  Kicking off December 1 with this year's Songs of the Season series was the plan.  But as anyone in the blog world will tell you, plans are made to be canceled. 

I did a Songs of the Season series last year.  It was straight forward -- a blurp, a picture, a song all on a daily basis.  This year will be a tad different.  Not only will I post a different song every day -- hopefully -- but I will use a picture of an ornament from my tree (or my parents' tree) that represents each Christmasy tune. I hope you will join me every day from here until the end of the year for a musical slice of seasonal cheer.  And yes, I do realize how cheesy that last sentence was. 

Away In A Manger is a classic.  Growing up, I sang in the choir at church.  Every year, alongside two of my good friends, I would join in singing a trio of this Christmas hymn.  We normally sang all three verses in unison, except for that one year.  That year, we decided to each take a verse of our own.  In theory, it sounded like a fabulous idea.  In reality ... not so much.  I froze.  I was in the front of the church, robed in proper choir attire, mic in front of my face, and the words would just not come out.  Silence.  I vowed, at that moment, to never volunteer my vocal abilities (or lack thereof) for a solo again.  All that being said, thank God there are people on the planet who can sing Away In A Manger by themselves ... people like Anne Murray.  And in my book, her rendition is one of the best.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving: The Little Things.

Today is Thanksgiving Eve.  It's been a beautiful November day here in Florida ... sunny, mid-70's and breezy.  Both my little ladies are napping, Food Network is on in the background and there's a fat orange cat sitting behind my head on the sofa.  It's been a quiet day, but a busy week. 

Last night, once the babies were in bed, I pulled out my laptop and started thinking about this place ... this place as in my blog.  Since this is my first November post (pathetic, I know) and the day before Thanksgiving, I wanted something good to write about.  Instead of coming here, I ended up where most good internet fanatics do -- Facebook.  I scrolled my home page looking for something interesting to read.  Not much there other than gossip and talk of turkey.  I logged out ... closed the lap top ... and just sat staring at the Christmas tree.  Appropriately, I started thinking about my blessings - the big ones like family, health, faith, good friends, and so on.  And I thought why, at Thanksgiving, do we only talk about our thankfulness for family and friends?  We should be doing that every day.  Yes, I know, most of you are thankful and you probably even thank the Lord for your family at some point on a daily basis, but we seem to always talk about the same thing(s) every year.  I sound heartless ... I'm aware of that ... and I'm not making light of family because I have the best family there is.  But, instead of talking about the BIG things, I've decided I want to talk about the LITTLE things that make day to day life enjoyable.  It's a small list (no pun intended), and I hope it inspires you to think about all the little things you're thankful for this year. 

• Coffee.  Whether I'm up at 6:00 A.M. or my children let me sleep past 9:30, Folgers makes my mornings a little more enjoyable.
• Christmas Lights. 
• Lotion.  Weird, I know.  But have your hands ever felt super dried out and craving moisture, yet you don't have any lotion on you?  Once you finally have some in your grasp, don't you feel about thirty times better?  You know what I'm talking about ... don't act like you don't.  
• Ceiling Fans.  
• Light Bulbs. 
• Chap Stick.  This ties in to what I said about lotion ... but for your lips. 
• Netflix. 
• Toilet Paper. 
• Mascara.  Those of us who are natural blondes with blonde eyelashes are extra thankful for this.
• Chocolate. 
• Forks.  Imagine everyone at your table tomorrow trying to eat cranberry sauce with their fingers.  Did you picture it?  Not pretty, huh?  Aren't you thankful for forks?
• Clorox Wipes.  
• Dishwashers. 
• Tooth Paste. 
• Baby Monitors.  I honestly don't know how my generations' parents survived without these things.  If I didn't have one, I'd never get any sleep at night due to sitting up worrying about my children.  
• And finally, Hot Showers at the end of a tiring day ... so relaxing.

There are dozens and dozens of things that I'm thankful for ... not just at Thanksgiving, but every day of the year.  And I hope that tomorrow, when you're sitting around with Granny and Gramps listening to stories that you've heard forty-two times ... or having to suffer through awkward conversations with your Uncle Larry ... or entertaining your cousins who get on your nerves, that you will remember all the things you are thankful for - BIG and SMALL.

Count your blessings, and have a safe & very happy Thanksgiving!  

Motherhood x2.

On August 30, I gave birth to a beautiful seven pound, two ounce little girl - making me a mother for the second time.  She weighed exactly the same amount as her big sister, had short little chubby legs, and a receding line of dark, straight hair.  With a slightly stronger favor to Mr. M's side of the family, she was still a perfect blend of the two of us.  She's got her momma's long piano-playing fingers and her daddy's temper when she's hungry.  Like her big sister, she's beautiful. 

Miss Em.

Having an almost three year old in the house, I've gotten used to a world full of sippy cups, dress up, and toddler rebellion.  Now, out of what seems like nowhere, my world has been saturated with bottles, early morning feedings, and teeny tiny poopy diapers -- on top of the sippy cups, dress up, and toddler rebellion.  I've forgotten what it's like to have a newborn around.  It's amazing how tired one eight-pound human can make you.  Although, Miss Em is a good eater and a pretty good sleeper, the kid still wears me out.  Between her and Miss G, I can't seem to synchronize a napping schedule, an awake time schedule, a feeding schedule, or any other kind of schedule for that matter -- hence the reason this is the first time I've posted in nearly two months.

I sit here now, in the dark, with just the glow of the TV, my laptop, and my thoughts.  It's quiet, other than the hum of the fan and the occasional mumble of the nearly muted television.  Miss Em is sleeping peacefully in her bassinet, while I can see Miss G on the baby monitor snuggled and snoozing away in her big girl bed.

Having another little human in our midst has been an adjustment.  Trying to balance house hold chores with one child was difficult enough ... but now, it takes double the effort.  I'm lucky to get basic things like dishes, trash, laundry, and dinner taken care of on most days.  I've also learned that things like brushing your teeth, washing your face, and applying deodorant quickly become luxuries rather than a part of daily personal hygiene.  But, you deal with it ... even if your deodorant doesn't go on until 2:00pm and your face doesn't get washed at all that day.

My little ladies.

I was also quickly made aware of the fact that there is no such thing as being in a rush when you have two children.  You can try to rush all you want, but chances are it will do you little to no good.  Between making sure everyone is fed, fussing over what the two-year-old will wear, packing a diaper bag, and dressing ourselves, it takes me and Mr. M a full two hours to get completely ready to go anywhere.  Thankfully, we've been no where that had a set appointment time very often other than church, and miraculously, we've made it there on time every Sunday.

Becoming a mommy this time was different than the first time around for sure.  The new mommy fears aren't there like they are with your first child.  You recognize what cry means what much sooner.  Breast feeding is easier.  You can change a diaper in your sleep if need be.  And you learn to take multitasking to an entirely different level ... I'm talking a baby in your arms, a toddler at your feet, the phone being held by your shoulder, and dinner being cooked -- all of this done with poise and grace, of course.  Ha! 

It's been a crazy eight weeks, but we're all settling in to our new life together quite nicely.  Sometimes I still can't believe I have one child, let alone two.  It feels surreal on some days.  Other days it just feels tiring.  But without a doubt, every day with my little ladies is a day I wouldn't trade for the world. 

Resolutions.

In my first post of this year, I mentioned new year resolutions in passing.  I said I'd come back to them, and here I am.  Obviously, I've dropped the ball on that whole stop procrastinating thing.  Oh well. 

I try to avoid harping on resolutions and goals for the upcoming year - if they happen, they happen.  If not, there is always next year, right?  Wrong attitude to have, I know.  But in my defense, I've found, that once you announce to the world that you are striving toward a particular goal, you've pretty much death-sentenced yourself.  Everyone is watching with bated breath, waiting for you to fail only so that you can start over again six-months later.  It tends to be human nature to set huge, unaccomplishable (no, I don't think that's a real word either) goals for ourselves.  Although I do believe that any goal can be achieved with dedication and hard work, most times we expect to reach success in a very short time frame -- and that's how we usually get ourselves into trouble.  Even if we're on the path to success, once we have failed to meet our time frame and our resources run dry we tend to dive into the pool of discouragement, which ultimately leaves us to drown in self-defeat.  A vicious cycle.

That being said, I decided to look at my resolutions as improvements in my overall well-being for the year -- spiritually, financially, emotionally and physically. 

Spiritually.  I'd like to be more adamant about doing a devotional every day - quiet time set aside to really chew on and digest the Scriptures like I should.  It's shameful for me to admit that I'm thirty years old and have yet to read the Bible cover-to-cover.  Granted, I have probably read about eighty percent of it, but never straight through from front to back.   I have the desire, but lack the dedication.  I'm a jerk.  Also, having a more serious prayer time would be great, as opposed to my twenty minutes of rambling to God about my problems during my drive to work every morning. 

Financially.  Coupons and budgeting are going to be my new best friends.  I've always done budgeting, but once again it's dedication that we lack.  I say we, because while I solely hold the family accountant responsibilities, it's up to both Mr. M and I to stick to the budget that's put into place.  Coupons are also a great way to improve your financial situation.  I caught a marathon of TLC's Extreme Couponing over my Christmas break, and it was pretty amazing.  I doubt, I'll ever pay $4.84 for over $857 worth of groceries, but if I can save a few bucks here and there, it's worth it. 

Emotionally.  I used to journal a lot.  I have journal entries that date back to when Mr. M and I were still dating.  It's always so funny to rewind five years and see what was going on in life.  Because I've dealt with anxiety off and on since I was nineteen, it's important to me to have an emotional release of some sort.  In the past, the piano has been an incredible help, along with gardening, sewing ... pretty  much anything that will distract my mind.  Having a good cry helps, but if it's a rough day at work, I can't sit at my office with a box of kleenex while I work through reports.  Not very effective.

Physically.  I think every woman vows to lose x-amount of pounds, every January of every year without fail.  I did Weight Watchers a few years back.  It works for me when I'm dedicated.  Geez, it's sounding like I should be writing a post about dedication rather than resolutions - dedication is obviously my problem, or lack thereof.  Good grief!  This past year, I managed to lose about twenty pounds, plateaued, gained back half of it, but still rang in the New Year ten pounds lighter than last year.  So, I'll take it. 

Overall, I don't think my improvement list is too unrealistic.  With a little help from the hubs, a lot of dedication, and a lot more prayer, I believe 2012 will be a good year. 

Please feel free to share with me some of your goals for the new year.