Popcorn and the Prophet

You are probably wondering what these two things have in common.  Well, today as I contemplated sitting together as a family for the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) the memories came flooding back of complaining or disruptive children as we've tried listening to the same fireside in years past.  Then I thought, hey, we could start a new Christmas tradition!  Why don't we string popcorn for our "Mr. Krueger's" tree while we listen.  

I quickly popped four batches of popcorn in my WhirleyPop and we got down to business!  "Did it work?" you ask.  Yes, it did!  We all got to listen to the messages without a single complaint.  (Oh, and I must let you in on a discovery...my six-year-old [in pink] was the most dedicated to the project.)   

 All of us stringing popcorn

Benji and Ally getting into the festivities

Here is our finished Mr. Krueger's tree

(The candy canes have to be out of Hyrum's reach.)

I couldn't end this entry without telling you about our tree.  For several years now we have cut down a tree from our backyard "tree farm" (that was planted from seedlings by the previous owners).  This year's tree is sparse in quite a few places (note the popcorn swags).  I didn't feel like whipping out all the usual ornaments with no place to put them.  Over the next few days I contemplated what to do.  Our good friend walked into our home not long after and noted how simple and quaint our tree looked with only one strand of lights (we could only find one strand working).  "It's the 'in' thing this year," she explained.  Well, okay, if you say so, I thought.  Without much further ado, we left it with one strand of lights and, just today, put our few candy canes and strands of popcorn on it.  

It reminded me of Mr. Krueger's tree in it's simple splendor.  I believe that it will also be a poignant reminder of our new priorities this year--make it meaningful, make it about family,  make it about the Savior and finding room for Him in our hearts.

As the First Presidency so eloquently expressed, Christmas isn't about the material things or even the decorations, lights and parties.  It's about our Savior and His eternal gift.  It's about showing others His love.

I Survived the Holidays, Surviving Life...not so easy

I kept my holiday expectations on the back burner and just tried to enjoy things.  This year I didn't hand out the usual plates of goodies.  It just wasn't in me.  If stress takes over, the "meaning for the season" walks right out the door.  Simplifying to the basics is sometimes essential to keeping the true Christmas spirit alive.  

I did find time to organize and clean up a few things while the kids were out of school. (Thanks to a husband and kids who are really good at sharing the load. A little too good, because now I'm going through withdrawals.) Ally FINALLY joined Benji in the basement.  She is very content with having her own room--princess domain--whichever you'd like to call it.  Since Kayla's room had a vacancy, Sammie is now Kayla's roommate.  At first it seemed that it wasn't fair if Ally got to move, but then when Kayla got personal reign over the armoire, things got better.  If it's possible to feel "bigger" moving things around then everyone is feeling SO BIG.  Our house even seemed to get bigger.  The basement is no longer Benji's and the monsters' zone...Ally has made it more comfortable to be down there.  I guess she doesn't count as a monster.

The last week or so I've felt a back log of stresses revealing themselves and all of sudden I'm overwhelmed.  I'm trying to get back into the swing of things and it becomes apparent that trying to take care of myself AND everyone else is a full-time, and sometimes, overtime job.  Part-time I could live with, but this "normal" life stuff isn't turning out quite so normal.  It's been said that "if Mommy isn't happy, nobody is happy."    

So why am I babbling so?  Isn't talking to yourself a sort of therapy?  No really, it is good for me to "blog" it out. 

One last thing that came to me this morning...I've been thinking about how I tend to go into "me" mode when I'm stressed in order to cope with life better.  But I realized that taking better care of myself doesn't mean I have to become selfish.  Maybe I just need to respect my personal limits more, while still trying to be the best me.  Becoming selfish leads to pride, service and thinking outside yourself leads to humility.