When we go to Orlando, which seems to be every other year, we do all things Disney. We heard Universal was for older kids and since our kids were young, we passed on Universal. Now that my two oldest are 13 and 11, we thought it was time for Universal and since we had done Disney LAST year (really wasn’t planning on coming back so soon…) we thought everyone would had fun.

So we checked the weather, we packed the rain ponchos, and headed out with my dad and brother (16.) We started at Islands of Adventure since it was supposed to rain in the afternoon and most of Universal is inside. I went with my dad and Grace to Dr. Seuss Land while my hubby, popping Dramamine, took the boys on the rollercoasters. Thanks to fairly short lines, we did Dr. Seuss Land in an hour. Unfortunately, there were only four rides. The carosell, One Fish, Two Fish ride strangely familiar to Dumbo in the Magic Kindgom, an over head train trolley (which had the longest line and we passed on,) and the Cat and the Hat ride.

When we were done, we met the boys at the Sinbad show. It was a little loud and scary for Grace, but she huddled close to her daddy. The boys told us about the Deuling Dragons and how Timmy was too small to ride. I really wanted to ride, but knew we would be back another day and everyone was hungry.

We ate pizza at the Fantastic Four Cafe and shared our refill cup between us. By then my dad had gone home and we headed to Universal as the rain started to fall.

We pulled out our rain ponchos and made our way to Shrek 4-D. It was something the entire family could do. Then Grace and I went to Jimmy Neutron and the boys went to The Mummy. Waiting for the boys, Grace spied a rock climbing brick wall and begged me to let her climb. For $5 she got to climb three times (it was only supposed to be two, but she later told me she asked the lady if she could climb again) and I got one happy little girl. The boys found us and tried their spiderman skills as well.

Next was Jaws. It wasn’t too scary for the kids! Then off to Fievel’s play ground and water slide and Woody Woodpecker’s rollercoaster. It was pretty fun for a kiddie rollercoaster. We somehow made it out of the park without buying a souvenir. Probably because I told them we could look on the last day.

By the time we left the park, half of us had sore feet, and all of us were exhausted. But we had fun and got to scope out the good rides for when we’d return the next day.

I woke at the crack of dawn, showered, dressed and started waking everyone up only to hear the familiar groans of kiddos complaining about being too tired and wanting to stay home! I almost didn’t believe my ears. Kids NOT wanting to go to an amusement park and me, mom, begging, for them to go so I could ride the rollercoasters. But in the end the majority ruled and we decided to go back our last day.

I was a little leery of the plan. What if something came up? And it did! My husband woke and informed me he wouldn’t be able to go with me. He had spent the entire night battling vertigo. I would have to take my four kids, two cousins and one brother to the park. By. My. Self.

But I’ll save that story for another day!

Share This

“Chawcherries!”

That’s what Grace called strawberries when she was two. She loved strawberries soooo much I decided her birthday theme would be “Strawberry Shortcake.” Aside from the fun Strawberry Shortcake decorations and cake, we made giant papermache strawberries (which I still have up in the attic) and went on a hunt for strawberries! And of course there was tons of chocolate dipped strawberries!

One year we even tried to grow our own strawberries! While the vines flourished across our garden almost taking it over, it produced very little strawberries…in size and quantity and well, they just didn’t taste as good as store bought.

So I decided to leave it up to the experts! The California Strawberry Commission is all about sharing, educating, and filling you up with strawberries. I visited their site and learned some interesting facts about strawberries. I also visited Strawberryville a fun, interactive site for  kids and teachers which includes downloads, screesavers and recipes. The Strawberry Breakfast Pizza sounds YUMMY! And there’s lots more recipes on their site like strawberry salad! So check them out.

Did you know:

Fun Strawberry Facts

Better Start Eating Strawberries
Respondents to a recent national survey labeled strawberry lovers as “health conscious, fun loving, intelligent and happy.” Non-strawberry lovers, on the other hand, were described as “weird, boring, stuffy–picky, fussy eaters who avoid healthy foods.”

Strawberry Lore and Legend
In provincial France, strawberries were regarded as an aphrodisiac of the highest quality. Newlyweds traditionally were served a soup of thinned sour cream, strawberries, borage (a European herb whose flavor is reminiscent of cucumber) and powdered sugar.
The second wife of Henry VIII, Queen Anne Boleyn (1507-36), had a strawberry-shaped birthmark on her neck. Unfortunately, some claimed this fact proved she was a witch.

The strawberry is recognized as representing absolute perfection in the Victorian language of flowers.

Medieval stonemasons carved strawberry designs on altars and around the tops of pillars in churches and cathedrals, symbolizing perfection and righteousness. During the same time period, strawberries were served at important state occasions and festivals to ensure peace and prosperity.

Ever eaten a double strawberry? Legend holds that if you break it in half and share it with a member of the opposite sex, you will soon fall in love with each other.

Strawberries in Literature
Sacred to the both Goddess of Love and the Virgin Mary, strawberries boast a long, dramatic history.

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” –William Butler

“The strawberry grows underneath the Nettle, And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best Neighbour’d by fruit of lesser quality.” — William Shakespeare, Henry V

“My lord of Ely, when I was last in Holborn, I saw good strawberries in your garden there.”
– William Shakespeare, Richard III

When as the rye reach to the chin,
And chopcherry, chopcherry ripe within,
Strawberries swimming in the cream,
And schoolboys playing in the stream,
Then O, then O , then O, my true love said,
Till that time come again,
She could not live a maid.
– George Peele, The Old Wives Tale

Um, after all this strawberry talk, I need to run out and get me some! Does anyone have strawberry recipes to share?

Share This

Tell us a little about your family and your call to write.

I knew at the age of 12 I was called to be a writer. God kept giving me ideas for characters and full stories that I played with and developed but never had the ambition or knowledge of how to publish. When I was in high school I constantly had girls and boys coming up to me and asking me to write stories about them. We’d sit in typing class where I would read the short stories that I had come up with. It seemed to entertain them.

Growing up, I don’t think my family understood me. I know they thought I was strange because I preferred to read a book or write a story than do anything else. My husband, of 18 years, also says that he thought I was strange when we first met. After we got married he would get so angry with me for not doing dishes or laundry and instead reading and writing all day. He also thought it was weird when I would jump out of bed in the middle of the night or early morning and run for my journals, but he patiently endured all my strange ways. Now that I have finally done something with my stories, he is very proud of me. He likes to tell his friends that he’s married to a woman who has four or five worlds living in her head. I tell him it’s more like ten. Our two sons are also an inspiration in giving me ideas and helping me with scenarios when I get stuck.

How did you get your first “writing break?”

After years of poor health, I finally got a kidney transplant in 1999. We moved from southern Georgia to Northern Illinois, and I got a job as a newspaper editor. It was the first time that I had a platform for to really work with my words. After five years, I began to feel trapped and wanted to express myself more creatively as I had when I was a child. I moved on to a full time job with hospice care and less than six months later wrote my first full book, Seed of Seerling. I was blessed to find a publisher that summer and am currently working hard on my second book as well as two children’s books that have been floating around in my head.

What do you write and why this genre?

I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t write down what God gave me. I feel that I would unfaithful with the gift He has given me if I kept everything bottled up for myself as I used to do. I chose the genre of Christian Fantasy for my first published book because as a teen I delved heavily in fantasy stories. Unfortunately, the only things around were secular and very bad for my spiritual well being. It is my prayer that God will use my writing to bring adults and teens to a deeper relationship with their heavenly Father as well as good, clean entertainment.

Do you have any recent contracts and up coming releases?

My book Seed of Seerling is scheduled for release July 1, 2008. (Come back on Friday for more specific questions about this book.)

What do you hope to accomplish through your novels?

I am an avid reader and have recently been disappointed with the amount of Christian books that are being produced purely for enjoyment. I believe that God has called writers to a higher mission, and we should all use our platform to teach His word. I believe a fiction book can also be a book where the reader is taught something solid and walks away changed forever for God. That’s the type of book I like to read.

And now for the tough questions…

How do you balance being a mom, wife, writer, and working?

I have to admit that it isn’t as easy as I would hope at times. When I sat down to write the first book, my family did take a back seat for about a month. Something they did not like. Now, I’m learning to write in my spare time or when my family is busy elsewhere.

I am blessed to have two children who communicate even though they are boys. I love to ask them questions and hear about their lives. We take time almost every day to just sit and gab. I also stop everything I’m doing when they walk in from school or when they sit next to me and start talking. Those are the best times.

My children are teenagers now, and my husband and I have more time alone, which really helps our marriage. We take time to go out on special lunch and breakfast dates when they are in school, and we go for long walks in the evenings. It also helps that we both like sports, especially volleyball. We’re on adult leagues together. This helps build our relationship, relationships with our friends and keeps us both in shape.

I have the best full time job in the world. My boss is understanding about my writing and supportive. When I need time off, I get it. It’s the best of both worlds.

Do you think it’s possible to give yourself fully to raising children, writing, working, and keeping in shape? If not, which one for you has to take a back seat?

Yes, I do believe that you can be a great mom, get the stuff you need to get done and also meet your own goals. However, I feel everything needs to be kept in perspective in order of importance. My most important goal outside of my own relationship with God is my family. God gave them to me, and it’s my responsibility to make sure they get my best. I find that when I honor the Lord with my life, He makes it possible for me to have the rest. Keeping in shape does take a back seat, but only because we live in a very cold state, and most of the things I like to do require good weather.

When do you find the time to write, and do you ever feel like you’re neglecting your children when you write?

I did feel as though I neglected my family when I sat down to write my first book. It was hard to find a balance between my family, writing and working full time. Praise the Lord that with the second book, I’m finding a better balance even though it means that this book is taking me twice as long to write.

How do you handle interruptions in your writing life?

I may be strange, but interruptions really don’t bother me much. My stories live in my head. All I have to do is write them down. If I have to stop and do something else, it’s okay because I’m carrying the story with me. If I forget an inspiration, I just chock it up to God must not of wanted that there anyway. He always gives me what I need when I need it.

How do you get back into the flow of writing after you’ve been interrupted?

See above for answer.

What do you do to encourage yourself during those stormy days every writing mom has?

My biggest storms come in the form of self-doubt. That’s where my husband comes in. He always reminds me why I’m writing and keeps me grounded in reality by reminding me that it’s okay if someone doesn’t like my stories. My children are also huge supporters. They give me ideas for stories all the time and even help me come up with characters at times.

How do you position yourself to HEAR God’s voice when all the noises of life are swirling around you?

I’m an observer and always have been. Traveling in a car, sitting in a café, watching people in a mall…these are all ways that I stop, listen for God’s voice and observe what is going on in life. Inspiration also comes when I’m reading my bible or worshiping. The best inspiration for my stories has come when I’m actually sleeping.

If you do feel your priorities slipping, what do you do to get back on track?

I believe that everyone needs to be in a home church where they can minister and be ministered to. Helping people gets me out of my head and back into the reality of what God wants from me.

Has there ever been a time God told you to set aside your writing to focus on other areas of your life? If so, how did you handle that?

Yes, I had four and a half years of illness where I did dialysis. My health was very bad, and I had a few times where my doctors didn’t think I would survive. With my health so poor and trying to mother two small boys, I felt as though God had taken away my creativity. I went most of that time without writing anything. I felt as though a piece of me was missing, but I couldn’t figure out how to get it back again. It was difficult for my spirit to give that up, but I look back and understand how vital it was that I concentrate on my family and health. I just didn’t have the energy or ability to do more than that during that time period.

Did you ever feel like you’ve “missed” God in regards to writing, that maybe you should be doing something else?

No! This is what I’m called to do right now, and I want to do it all for God’s glory. I’ve been through a time in my life where I thought my gift had been taken away. Now that it is back, I’m going to do it all for Him. If He decides to point me in a different direction one day, then I pray I will be listening to follow His path.

What advice would you give to writing moms who are have their hearts set on publication?

Don’t give up! No matter what is going on in your life, keep writing and put the effort into trying to find a publisher. Writing always came easy for me, sharing it with others was hard. I was afraid of rejection, but my husband constantly reminds me that rejection is a part of life. Not everyone is going to like, read or want my work, but someone may. Keep at it!

Share This

Here’s some great blog posts on Jesus, his death and resurrection!

Who is God? What is Easter?

Isaiah 53

• 1Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

• 2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

• 3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

• 4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

• 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

• 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

• 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.

• 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. And who can speak of his descendants? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was stricken.

• 9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

• 10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.

• 11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light [of life] and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.

• 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Share This

Tonight I’m going to my church’s first ever Good Friday service. My pastor believes Christians focus too much on the resurrection and rush over the part about Christ sacrificing for our sins in a most brutal and painful way. His goal is to take us through the events of Good Friday and make us so utterly depressed and devistated that the glory and miracle of Easter will be rebirthed on Sunday morning.

I’m looking forward to this because too many times I rush through Easter and never take time to really reflect on what happened on calvary. I’m looking forward to focusing on Jesus’ sacrifice and not making Spring Baskets, or finishing school projects, or deciding when we will have our Easter Seder.

I’m looking forward to experiencing Christ’s sacrifice!

UPDATE:

We went to Good Friday services and though I would have liked it to be a super spiritual experience, my five year old next to me prevented me from totally entering in. Grace sat really still most of the time, playing with her Mariposa pixies, interjecting questions about the pictures of Jesus up on the screen. At one point she saw Gibson’s Jesus with the crown and blood and said “that looks painful. I wouldn’t want to be Jesus.” Finally, when it was almost all over, I let her climb up on my lap and loved on her as I listened to the final words of Jesus and how he loved on me!

My five year old gets what Good Friday is all about and though it lacked the spiritual experience I had hoped for, it drove home the point. What Jesus did was painful, and I’m so glad he did it for me!

Share This

Easter has come way too early this year. But luckily I have a plan already written out! If you need some Easter ideas check these out!

Easter Resources

Easter Seder Part 1

Easter Seder Part 2

Easter Seder Part 3

Jelly Bean Poem and Prayer

Easter Story Cookies

Resurrection Eggs

Share This

I don’t think I really started to think about St. Patrick, the man until I got married to an Irish/German/American, and had kids. Growing up, St. Patrick’s Day was all about wearing green and drinking beer. Yet, if St. Patrick was alive today, I think he’d be heartbroken over what his name has come to mean.

To set the record straight (as straight as I know it) St. Patrick’s Day has NOTHING to do with beer and partying in bars. It has everything to do with honoring a man who committed his life to brining the good news of God’s love and savior, Jesus Christ, to the people of Ireland.

When I first read Patrick: Patron Saint of Ireland by Tomie DePaola, I was overcome with the beauty and humbleness of the patron Saint of Ireland and you don’t have to be Catholic to appreciate Patrick’s life and devotion especially in adversity. You can say his was a modern day story of Joseph and the dream coat. Here’s just a sampling from the book.

Did you know Patrick was stolen from his native home of Britain and sold as a slave, spent years tending sheep in the fields praying night and day, and finally with God’s help found his way home only to hear from God that he needed to return to the people of Ireland and share the good news of God’s love. While there he was met with adversity, but God protected his life.

Did you know Patrick used the three leaf clover to explain the trinity? His is an amazing story of love , forgiveness, miracles and devotion to a people. If you’ve never heard the story or St. Patrick, make sure you do this year. You’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Last year I made this Grilled Reuben Sandwich recipe. The kids liked everything but the sauerkraut. But if you’d like to save some time, just run by Arby’s for their Reuben sandwich. I had the wrap and it was yummy! (I’m receiving now kick back for endorsing their sandwiches!)

2 slices of Rye Bread
1 Tbs Thousand Island Dressing
2 slices of swiss cheese
1/4 cup of sauerkraut, drained
2 slices of corned beef
1 Tbs of Miracle Whip

For dinner tomorrow night, we’ll have our traditional cornbeef and cabbage meal, and Irish Soda bread. For more great recipes go to Kraft Foods.

So what fun things do you have planned for St. Patrick’s Day?

Share This

I’m taking a little time out from the normal blog routine to par-tay with the mommas as 5 Minutes for Mom and you’re all invited!

If you’re here for the first time, WELCOME! Here’s a little bit…

About me:

I’m a 39 year-old (once and soon to be again homeschooling) mom to four high-spirited and creative kids…
Chris, 13; Joey, 10; Timmy, 7; and Grace, 5

I’ve been writing ever since I can remember, but started blogging officially a year ago after I quit writing!

About that time I started looking for a community of like minded/career minded others, and found wonderful fellow ship in 5 Minutes for Mom and CWO, yet neither of the two communities met my unique needs as a writing mom. Moms whose writing careers are interrupted. So I started my own webring which grew into a blog/writing ezine and now a community. So if you have any inkling to write or consider yourself a writer, you’re welcome to visit. Each place is unique but both are full of encouragement and practical writing advice and how tos!

About my blog:

Portrait of a Writer…Interrupted chronicles my parenting, homeschooling, writing and faith journey. Sometimes it’s fun, often times it’s real, but most of all it’s honest. I host lots of give-a-ways, mostly books. If you want to enter my contest for the Ultimate blog party (I’m giving away…what else…books) or any other contest please read my contest guidelines. I promise they’re easy and pain free!

To qualify for this giveaway you need to leave a comment and then hop over to 5 Minutes for Mom and let them know my contest is one of your top choices #143! I’ve listed the books I’m giving away at the end of this post. There’s a possibility I could add to this list!

I’ve also created my sidebar easy to navigate so my readers (and myself) can find what they’re looking for! So check it out! I’ve spend a lot of time updating links and adding great blogs, though it’s always a work in progress!

So there you have it! Anything else you need to know is probably already in my archives! Except for my favorite, quick and easy party munchies! Enjoy!

Party Dip good enough to eat WITHOUT a chip!

1 8oz. bar of Cream Cheese. You can even use FAT FREE and this will taste great!

Cooked breakfast or Italian sausage, depending on your taste.

One jar of salsa or can of Rotel.

Mix cooked sausage with cream cheese and salsa in a crock pot or microwave until warm. Grab a chip and dip!

EASY Cake Cookie Recipe

1 box of cake mix, any kind!

2 eggs

1/3 cup of oil

Add whatever goodies you want to the mix.
For a chocolate cake I usually add coconut, white chocolate chips, or caramel chips.

For white or yellow cake I add chocolate chips, nuts, marshmallows, etc.

Preheat the oven and bake at 375 degrees until done! But be careful they don’t burn!

Ice Creamed Coffee Drink

Okay, I don’t have the exact recipe, but it goes something like this.

Milk or half and half

Chocolate chunk Coffee Ice Cream

Combine and drink! But don’t count the calories!

Come back this week for:

Monday: An interview with writing/working Mom Cecilia Dowdy and learn how she does it all!

Tuesday: Our adventure with Gifvtventure and learn how you can get 10% off your own giftventure.

Wednesday: Wordful Wednesday where I’ll be sharing what I’ve been learning from my Bible study, Experiencing Christ within.

Thursday: Family and photos fun!

Friday: Guest blogger, author and freelance editor Camy Tang share the Top Ten Mistakes in Manuscripts

Book Giveaway

Abandoned Identity by Tamara Tilley
“A Corporate clash. A complicated romance. A Shocking secret. A Dangerous Journey”

Love Comes Shortly by Janette Oke “A compelling story set in the ‘Little House on the Praire’ Era.”

The Restitution by ML Tyndall “A scorned woman looking for wealth, position and the return of her son…An obsessed pirate craving the love of the lady he once ravished…A twisted nobleman seeking to capture a spurned woman’s heart…And the intricate plot of vengeance that weaves their lives together.”

Share This

I grew up observing the season of Lent, often giving up candy or chocolate. One year I remember giving up bread! The idea was to give up something I loved…for Jesus.

Even after I left the church of my youth I carried on the tradition. For one thing, it was a way I could curb the things that had gotten out of control in my life, and I always seemed to be more successful when I did it for Jesus.

Yet, giving up something for Jesus was always a struggle, a form of denying my flesh and suffering like Jesus suffered. And when it was all over I dove right back in to whatever I had sacrificed. But is that what Lent is all about?

My church is observing the season of Lent. From extra services to giving up things, there is a variety of ways we can observe Lent this year, but my pastor made it absolutely clear that Lent should not lead to legalism. It should be about drawing closer to Jesus.

If I deny myself something, then I should fill that space up with Jesus. That’s what Lent is all about. In fact he said, if you need to stay home to meet with Jesus, then do it.

So I’ll be participating in Lent again this year with a renewed focus not because I feel pressured into giving up something, but because I desperately need to reconnect with my Lord. I’m not sure yet what I will sacrifice, but whatever it is, I’ll need to keep in mind that the emptiness needs to be filled with Jesus.

Are you giving up something this Lent? If so, why? If it’s because everyone else is doing it, or it’s expected of you, then I challenge you to reconsider. If it’s to fill that void with Jesus, then full speed ahead.

Share This

What kid doesn’t love Fruit Roll Ups? And what mom would rather give her kids candy than this sweet yummy fruit leather?

I don’t know of many! That’s why I was so excited to be chosen for this Fruit Roll Up Blog Tour just in time for Valentines Day! And I will be giving away a CUSTOM pack to THREE lucky winners. So don’t forget to comment away after you finish reading!

What’s got me so excited about Fruit Roll Ups? You can customize a picture (from selected clip art) and message just in time for Valentine’s Day! I’ve already ordered mine, so you’re going to want to enter this giveaway so you can order your own. I customized Fruit Roll Ups for my kids, but I could see moms buying these Fruit Roll Ups for class gifts or even their dear ol’ hubby as a fun, unexpected surprise!

It’s fun and fairly easy to do, though it took me three times before I was happy with my message. There are four fonts to choose from and lots of designs for all the holidays, not just Valentines. So when Valentine’s is over, don’t forget to order for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, summer, etc. If you’re like me, you buy stuff for these holidays anyway, so why not feel good about what you put in their Easter basket and surprise them with a nice message just for them!

Don’t forget to visit the website and order ASAP if you want your Fruit Roll Ups for Valentine’s Day! And leave a message for a chance to win! I’ll announce the winner on Saturday!

Share This

Share This

This afternoon I decided to test out the new dehydrator I got for Christmas. Chris (13) really loves beef jerky so I thought I’d try it out. I mixed 2 lbs. of ground beef, squeezed it out through the handy little tube and plugged it in. It said to check it every hour, soaking up the grease and turning. So I set the timer. An hour later I went down stairs and looked at the dehydrator.  It wasn’t on. I knew when I plugged it in I heard it turn on and felt the heat, but no heat, no motor churning.

So I changed plugs thinking maybe the outlet wasn’t working and looked through all the information which said to switch it on. But there was no switch. I called the company. They were off for the holiday and the website was no help. With no where else to turn and 2 lbs of raw meet waiting, I called a dehydrating friend. But she’s never made beef jerky and has one of those $200 dollar machines. Not the Nesco $40 Walmart brand I bought. But she said I could put it in the oven at 120 degrees. Mine would only let me set it as low as 170.

I transfered all the strips to the oven pans and everything looks great. I’ve been turning them and patting them every hour, and I’m hoping they’ll be ready before midnight.

Has anyone else had experience with dehydrating beef jerky in the oven. Did I do it right and is it safe to eat? I sure don’t want my family waking up sick on New Years Day because I made some bad jerky!

Share This

It’s hard to believe it’s over. It really didn’t feel like it began. Except for the Christmas caroling Christmas Eve and the shrimp I deveined, it didn’t feel like Christmas this year. We spent Christmas alone as usually and had our fun candle light family dinner playing the Minister’s cat afterward. Then we brought gifts to our 80 year old neighbors (our favorite neighbors) and did “What God Wants for Christmas.” A new interactive manger set.

We really don’t do up Santa Claus, we never did but Grace (5) still believes. When I probed her further about what she believes she said “I believe in Santa. He’s in Heaven with Jesus.” She knows the true story of St. Nick.

Then she went on to say, “The real Santa choked and died.”

I asked her who dropped all the gifts down the chimney. (I know, not helping the kid with her confused beliefs.)

She said, “Jesus does!”

And there you have it!

Christmas morning we did our traditional retelling of Jesus’ birth, then like the wise men looking for Jesus, we had the kids find their gifts. Thankfully Chris (13) helped us hide all the gifts. I’d like to say all the kids were perfectly happy and grateful for all their gifts, but Grace (5) hardly smiled as she opened one after the other. She later told hubby “I didn’t get anything on my list.” Who knew she had a list. Everything she saw on TV she said she wanted so I went with my gut. Of course, later she enjoyed her toys. Especailly the one she did pick out. A Princess Ps2 game. She’s been playing it non-stop all day, except for when her brothers wanted to play their game!

Back to it never really feeling like Christmas. Since I’ve grown and given my life to Christ, every day I try to focus on Jesus so it rarely feels like Christmas anymore, especially without the family gatherings, dressing up and hoopla. We usually spend Christmas alone. Which isn’t bad, it’s just not festive. So far this year, we haven’t watched White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street (B&W version) or It’s a Wonderful Life yet. (Maybe that’s the trouble.) But I think the real reason is as a parent, I try hard and work my tail off to trying to make it Christmasy. I never get to sit down and rest because I’m trying too hard to make it Christmas, I just never let it be Christmas.

Maybe one day I’ll learn!

How was your Christmas?

Share This

(c) Gina Conroy
October 25, 1990

I wrote this Christmas song over 15 years ago. Though you won’t be able to hear the tune over the internet, may the words reach down deep into your soul!

A Gift From Above

Little eyes full of compassion
Little hands that would grow strong
Little heart full of love and tenderness
that would right all of man’s wrong.

Who would have guessed such a little baby
could be a great gift from above.
How generous was the giver?
How great was His love?

What was it like to leave your mighty throne?
To come down to a desolate land and walk alone?
What were you thinking, how great was your love?
To leave your Heavenly home above?

Eyes full of forgiveness.
Hands stretched upon the cross.
A heart carrying all our sin
and paying the final cost.

Who would have guessed that the Lord
would give his life for me.
And what greater gift was there to give
then his blood upon that tree.

What was it like to leave your mighty throne?
To come down to a desolate land and walk alone?
What were you thinking, how great was your love?
I’m glad you left your home above!

May the true spirit of Christmas reign in your heart today and always!

Share This

In my efforts to steer materialism away from December the 25th, and create new family traditions, I thought a great idea would be to give gifts on St. Nicholas Day. Only problem is, it always sneaks up on us and we miss it. I’m planning on a remembrance of St. Nicholas and his “spirit of giving” some day soon. Here’s some thoughts on what I have planned.

Read: Santa and the Christ Child by Nicholas Bakewell

For years, we’ve known the true story of St. Nicholas and how he loved Jesus and gave his money and possessions to the less fortunate. In fact, my favorite Christmas decoration is a ceramic sculpture of Santa Claus kneeling down worshiping the baby Jesus.

Watch: Nicholas, The Boy Who Became Santa

This is a wonderful cartoon video about Nicholas. Here’s the box summary. Nicholas was still a young child when he discovered a very special secret that changed his life. It was the gift of giving, by which he brought happiness to many people; but in sharing this great gift Nicholas had to face many dangers.

Here is a fascinating story of the boy whose love and care for others make him one of the most popular figures of all times. Today, more than sixteen centuries later, the entire world celebrates the kindness and generosity of the man we call Santa Claus.

Discuss: Nicholas’ life and contrast it with today’s version of Santa Claus. We can also talk about ways we can give to others throughout the year.

Do: Every year we write a letter to Jesus and put it in our stockings. We never wrote the letters on the same day, but writing it on this day seems like a way to remember St. Nicholas’ love for Jesus. Then on Christmas Day we can read all the letters we wrote from previous years.

Exchange: Gifts to one another in honor of St. Nicholas.

Does anyone else incorporate the real story of St. Nicholas into their holiday traditions? I’d love to hear what you do!

Reposted from December 2006

Grace remembers last year being “Santa Claus” and has already purchased gifts to give to her brothers this year!

Share This

Welcome to our humble home where Jesus is the reason, and not just for the season. We’ve had the boxes of decorations out since Thanksgiving weekend, but due to the boys’ play, we haven’t been home long enough to put it all up. We finished last weekend!  So grab yourself a warm drink and make yourself at home.

There are traces of Christmas in rooms throughout our home, but our formal living room holds the bulk of our Christmas cheer.

Here’s my favorite Christmas decoration!
But my kids prefer the dancing Santa that sings Jingle Bell Rock and shakes his booty!

Their second favorite decoration is this set(s) of tic tac toe.

Here’s how we countdown to Christmas along with my kids nativity made from Pringles cans! Snowman and Santa are really trying to get into the Word!

We collect Christmas books each year, but they’re usually piled on the end table in our living room. Then I got the idea to display them around our end table. What do you think?

My mother made me a stocking when I was a little girl, and I continued the tradition by making most of the stockings. Can you tell which two I didn’t make, but hope to embellish one day?

A couple of years ago I found four matching pajamas, and I had a photographer come out to my house to capture Christmas morning. We got a great photo, though it was after Christmas and I had to wrap empty boxes, Grace kept swiping Santa’s cookies, the one photo I really wanted of them sleeping by the fireplace didn’t turn out well, and we all felt like the Grinch by the time it was over.

I grew up with a real tree dripping with eclectic ornaments my mom gave us every year, tinsel and charm, but several years ago we made the switch to an artificial tree. We kept the ornament tradition and lost the tinsel (had to appease hubby) Curious as to why I caved in to getting a fake tree? That’s another story!

FYI, or ICYC (in case you care) my kids have a really teeny tiny mini Christmas tree in each of their rooms with a baby Jesus underneath. It’s only fitting, since He’s the best gift we can receive at Christmas.

Here’s the nativity my boys played with when they were younger. I just found it mostly intact (the manger is missing) and now it’s in Grace’s room.

On top of our borrowed piano (a true answer to prayer) sits the children’s first Christmas photos. Chris and Joey with a very Veggie Manger…

And Timmy and Gracie.
Last year I finally figured out a theme for my kitchen. Snowmen!

Grace made this cute little snowman with her foot print while in preschool a couple of years ago. That’s where I got the snowman theme idea! I’ll spare you the rest of the snowman bathroom dollar store decor.

If you’ve made it this far, thanks for stopping by! And Santa Paws is really happy he can get out of his costume now! And if you’re still in touring spirit, visit the rest of the participants.

Share This

As a child of about ten years old, one of my favorite things about Christmas was going Christmas Caroling on Christmas Eve. Along with the neighbors, we’d bundle up in our winter coats and take our candles with tinfoil holders, caroling music sometimes tucked under our arms. Then the five or six us us would trek out while it was still light and start knocking.

When the door opened we burst into an off key tune, singing our Christmas hearts out in hopes of blessing others and getting a little monetary blessing ourselves.

I remember one year standing out in the cold and singing, only to be asked inside to sing to a huge table full of Christmas celebrators. Though extremely nervous, we belted out our song and basked in the glow of applause.

As we went house to house, year after year, we had our fair share of thrills. One year one of our tinfoil candle holder caught on fire! What a finale to our Christmas carols that was, and we still ended up getting a little money for our efforts.

I’m sure getting money was part of the motivation to go door to door, but so was bringing joy to others. In fact, one year all of us donated our money (or at least half of it…my memory is fading in this area) to the church.

Over the years I’ve often wanted to go caroling with my children in our neighborhood, but I’m not sure if we’d be accepted. Have times changed that much? Maybe I have changed and have lost my gene for adventure. Though my kids are almost old enough to start out on their own. I hope one day the idea will catch on and they will pick up the tradition I started almost 30 years ago.

And next time you hear the off key melody of Silent Night pounding through your front door, please open it with a smile and invite the carolers in. Oh, and don’t forget to slip them a five and Merry Christmas on the way out!

Reposted from December 2006

UPDATE: Last year(2006) I sent my husband and children out caroling. I was busy catching up on last minute baking. The kids had an amazing time and brought several people to tears. One lady made them promise to come back next year. And they will, but this time I’ll make sure my baking is all done by then!

Share This

Share This

In the past I had just wrapped my four kids’ presents and put the name tags on them, then I’d separate them into piles for each child. It made opening presents with four kids less chaotic on Christmas morning.

Then a couple of years ago I started selecting different wrapping paper for each child. No pesky name tags, and I can just throw the presents underneath the tree. The different wrapping paper is easy to find. Of course, it’s important to remember which paper goes with which kid so I just keep a sample with their names on it hidden until Christmas morning.

This year I’m trying something different with Christmas morning since we really don’t emphasize Santa. I’ll be putting the presents under the tree BEFORE Christmas and on Christmas Eve I’m going to hide them all over the room. So we’ll start off with the Christmas story and emphasize how the wise men sought after Christ, the greatest gift of all. Then I’ll give them their little scrap of wrapping paper and let them go find their presents.

Reposted December 2006 

We actually did this last year and the kids seemed to have fun hunting for their gifts. I think we’ll try it again this year! 

Share This

During the month of December I’m going to be reflecting on Christmas past, our past!

January 8, 2005

Timmy, Grace and I were home alone tonight while the big boys went to see the Harlem Globtrotters. So Timmy wouldn’t feel left out, I told him we could watch a movie after I put Grace to bed. He picked It Was the Year without a Santa Claus, one of my childhood favorites. After the movie was over he got all sad and serious. He had seen how all the children had SEEN Santa and he wanted to know why he didn’t see or hear him.

Now how do you explain to a three year old why he didn’t see Santa when he insists it’s still Christmas? At our home we don’t really play up Santa Claus. I know, I know how could I not tell my kids there’s a Santa Claus. Well, we struggled with the Santa issue nine years ago with our oldest. There are a couple of reason for our decision. As Christians we didn’t want Santa to over shadow Jesus at Christmas, so instead of telling our kids Santa comes on Christmas Eve, we said nothing. And they were still excited at all the presents under the tree. To tell you the truth they could care less who they came from.

Also one of my most vivid and painful childhood memories was when I was 6 years old and found out there was no Santa. I can remember exactly where I was in the livingroom. I was devistated at the news, it was like my whole world came tumbling down and I sobbed uncontrollably (I was a sensitive child. I always cried watching Frosty the Snowman melt!) So when it came to the Santa issue, I didn’t want my kids to feel like I did. Sure it was exciting as a kid while it lasted, but the pain I felt was horrible.

In our home Santa isn’t taboo. We watch Santa videos and have dancing Santa dolls and my favorite, the kneeling Santa praying to baby Jesus statue. We read books and videos about the real Santa Claus, but it seems around 3 years old my kids choose to believe or not believe on their own. I think with our first son we always told him Santa was pretend. And we tried to tell Joey, but he chose to believe in Santa anyway.

Anyway getting back to Timmy. When he started talking about not hearing Santa, I didn’t have the heart to tell him Santa wasn’t real. (He wouldn’t have believed me anyway.) So I tried to answer his questions about the chimney and that he’s not supposed to hear Santa. This did not appease him. We had visited Santa at the mall, so I tried to at least comfort him with the fact he had SEEN Santa.

No luck either.

I don’t know how I got him to calm down, I think I changed the subject. But he still insists it’s still Christmas and he still wants to hear Santa. So I might decide to make a little noise tonight and leave a present for him at the foot of his bed.

Timmy believes in Santa no matter what anyone else tells him. And if anyone knows three year olds, there’s no winning and argument. Not matter how hard you try.

Share This