Stepping Back....

This has been a difficult time for our family. I have been running around with a pit in my stomach worrying about Hazie who is having breathing difficulties today, trying to get things done for an event tonight, choking back tears...being a total stress ball. I decided to just stop and go and listen to our Christmas broadcast from Salt Lake City and this is a talk I want to share with you. I am done running for today. I am stepping back and feeling better already.

A Simple Woman's Daybook~December 13, 2010

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So, For Today...Monday, December 13, 2010

Outside my window...it is cold and completely dark. It seems to be very still out, not even a tiny breeze is blowing. It looks like only a couple of days of sun this week, today is not supposed to be one of them :-(. But it will get up to 65 degrees so that is awesome.

I am thinking...about how we always want everything to be perfect at Christmas time and sometimes it just isn't. My heart goes out to so many this year. Close friends that are very ill, a friend who lost a much wanted baby at the third month of her pregnancy this week, learning that a recently married couple is struggling in their relationship, little children like, Hazie, that suffer with devastating illnesses. My heart aches for those that are so lonely, are estranged from their families, have lost loved ones. I am thinking of the elderly that miss their families and are struggling to go it alone, after the death of a spouse. I had a sweet friend apologize for still including a photo of herself and her diseased husband in her Christmas card. Is she kidding me? I loved that. I told her she should do it every year! So many things that just arouse my feelings of love and compassion and lift my heart in prayer for us all!

I am thankful for...The Savior of the World that brings comfort in times when the aforementioned seem to press heavily upon us all. We all get a turn to be refined and strengthened through our adversity. I am thankful that we know what the rewards will be if we endure these things well. I am thankful that we can rest assured that someone does understand, has been there, can feel our pain. I am thankful that we celebrate His birth at this time.

From the learning room..As both Jim and I have suffered with bouts of pain this past few months that we have been comforted by remembering the things just discussed. I am grateful for priesthood blessings, prayer and the improved health we are both feeling now and the great progress that Hazie has made since last month. It is wonderful to be filled with hope even when things aren't so rosy. I am remembering what my grandmother use to tell me, "Sunshine all the time produces only a desert." How very true that is!

I am reading...Mark Twain's autobiography that was just published. It is a huge book, I'll be on it awhile. Very interesting so far. Also I have been reading some Christmas books and watching all the Christmas movies in our collection. I love doing that, it is so fun and uplifting.

I am wondering...when I am going to get it all done??? We are leaving next week and there are still so many loose ends to tie up before we head out for another white Christmas. Like the tortoise I am pacing myself~slow and steady as she goes.

I am hearing...Song Bird by Kenny G. I have a playlist of just Christmas Instrumental music on my computer and this seems best when it still feels like the middle of the night outside.

Today if I could change one thing...that everyone would have a truly happy, merry, miraculous and loved-filled Christmas.

I am quoting...“People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Elisabeth Keebler-Ross

I am going...to have a great week and enjoy our home, family and friends even if I don't get it all done. Real life has to take precedence over to do lists.

I am missing...our Christmas in Italy last year. What an amazing experience and Jim and I have enjoyed rereading the blog about it, and reliving some incredible moments and memories. http://pregopregoprego.blogspot.com

One of my guilty pleasures...buying myself a few little presents at Christmas time.

Pet Peeves..that property taxes are due in December. Seriously is this necessary, when there are 11 other months that would be better?

One of my favorite things...saving for Christmas all year so it doesn't become a financial nightmare.

An enjoyable movie I have watched lately...The Christmas Shoes.

I am curious about...people who cannot call a spade a spade or a Christmas tree a Christmas tree. It is not a Holiday tree! People who cannot say, "Merry Christmas" because it seems to not be politically correct or it might thwart their retail business or offend a non-believer.

A few plans for the rest of the week...participating in a progressive dinner and mini-Christmas home tour tonight with our Family Home Evening group, shopping for the family Christmas dinner on the 18th, visiting teaching on Wednesday night, cooking with Jim on Tuesday, finishing my electronic Christmas card, wrapping the stuff I didn't do last week, blogging about a fun day trip we did last week, getting two more gifts. I am at that point where everything is almost done, but nothing is completely done. You know it, right?

Here are some random photos I am sharing with you...Just Gearing Up! Burr!

Jen and Lowell's slip and slide ride to the street.
{{shudder}}

One gorgeous tree!

Breathtaking
screen saver

I love how the snow clings to the branches
and everything but the road!

Our guys, snow shoeing

Popsicle Picnic, anyone?

Burr, I'll not be sitting on this bench any time soon!

screen saver*
*The rest from our real life

Can I Just Say One Thing?

13 Days Until Christmas? Really?
How come I am not ready?

The Silent Monks

Hazie Is Not Too Jolly Right Now!

It is nearly 11:30 am in Utah right now and Jen has got Hazel at the doctor. She has been having such a difficult several weeks and now they think she might have viral pneumonia. She has been having asthma attacks and vomiting and they are just tying to sort it all out right now. We are hoping it is just asthma and not pneumonia.

I had just written to several of you saying she was better. It has been a roller coaster ride for sure. She did go back to preschool yesterday for the first time. Now back to needing a diagnosis again. We are praying over here and going to the temple tonight. I am thankful to be able to go to such a wonderful, peaceful place to regain some perspective. I will be doing my share of praying over here, as is Grampa.

The above photo is from the summer and a happier time. She looks like she is enjoying the glow stick flower very much. And check out those fancy shoes!

PS. 12:05 pm...They have just decided it is not pneumonia. Thank Heavens!! Going home with a bunch of new meds and instructions. Poor Jen! She has got to be emotionally and physically exhausted.

Their Helping Hands

I know we are in the Christmas Season now but I just need to do a little flashback to last month...Sometimes as a parent your heart is just bursting to share something special that your kids have done. This post was on Laura's blog on Thanksgiving and I just wanted to share it. That's what I love about blogging~you can do whatever you want to and this is one of those times I need to tell you about something wonderful our Laura and her family did.

She writes:

"We decided to spend Thanksgiving this year serving Thanksgiving Dinner to the community through the local Methodist church. It was awesome!

They asked us to show up at 11 am and when we did they put us right to work. Spencer and I worked in the kitchen making casseroles while Ross and Robert worked in the main room preparing tables and gift bags. We worked steadily until 1 pm when the doors were opened and people started to arrive. Spencer and I served food from the main serving line and Robert and Ross served desserts. As the afternoon rolled on and things began to wind down, I joined Robert at the dessert table. And,we all had a chance to do LOTS of dishes (as the food was all served on glass dishes and eaten with real silverware). All in all it was a great experience- one I hope we can continue to do in the future.

Our time serving today reminded me of some truths that I hope to teach my kids not just on the special days in life but in the way we live each day of our life. Here are some of the things I learned and relearned today.

1) In giving to others, we receive. In lifting others, we are lifted up. I don't know how or why this is true. I just know that it is. When I give to others I always feel better- ALWAYS!

2) When people work together toward a common goal they can accomplish great things. There were times today when I felt bad because I didn't feel like I was doing much. But today, I was a part of something bigger than myself and that is a great feeling. We did something remarkable, we gave food and companionship and joy to 100 people that would have otherwise spent the day alone. I could not have done that alone, none of us could have but together we did. Opportunities like these are humbling and empowering at the same time.

3) When we serve others our love for God grows. I just don't think it is possible to show love for, give service to, or truly lift another persons heart without feeling a closeness to God. It is a testimony to me that we are His hands here on earth and that He is a real part of the service we give.

4) Having a job to do (a real job with real significance) builds confidence and brings joy. I have been trying to teach my kids to love work for as long as I can remember and to be perfectly honest, it just hasn't been working. But I learned something today that I hope will help as I try to teach them in the future. Working with purpose, working on something significant, working for something with real value is what makes working worthwhile and joyful. I saw my kids enjoy work today for the first time because they knew that what they were doing was important. They were given real jobs with real significant and they found joy in it! Wow, what a discovery!

5) We have been so blessed. Living in Naples was a very eye-opening, very humbling experience for me. I promised myself, as I watch the people I grew to love there struggle, that I would never forget the blessings I have been given. We have made significant changes in our life style this year as a result of the things that we saw and the experiences we had in Italy all with the hope of remembering our blessings and living in thanksgiving daily. I felt very humbled today as I watched how something as simple as a warm meal brought joy to the lives of others. A warm meal- that was all it took to brighten someones day. I eat three warm meals a day and never think twice about it. It made me wonder what other blessings have I been given that fail to recognize regularly? President Monson said, an attitude of gratitude must be cultivated. I love that word and hope that with significant, conscious effort on my part my attitude of gratitude will grow!"

The kids ate their own Thanksgiving Turkey
{that turned out to be a chicken}
on Friday
but that is a story for another day!

Anyway, I just love that they did this and I truly am so proud of their loving service to those in need. Talk about cultivating an attitude of gratitude and living in Thanksgiving daily!

Easy Peasy Treats!

If you want to make a quick and yummy treat for your family or friends here is one that couldn't be any easier. This is such an easy recipe in fact, even kids can make it and I am planning to post it for the grandkids on my Gramma And You Blog today also. {If you try to think of creative ways to keep in touch with your grandkids try making a blog for them. They seem to enjoy it and it makes you feel like you are making an effort that goes beyond phoning. They can also enjoy keeping up with what their cousins are doing on a blog like this. As a Gramma I really think that is important.}

Ingredients:
48 Rolo Candies (Unwrapped)
48 Little round Pretzels
48 Pecan halves

• No need to grease the cookie sheet – just lay the pretzel rings out on it, and place a Rolo candy on top of each ring.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes (no more or you will have a melted mess!)
• Remove pan from oven and immediately place a whole pecan on each Rolo and gently push it down just a bit.
• Allow the candies to cool on the cookie sheet, letting the chocolate harden back up again before removing them to a storage container.

That is it. I think we are going to make these for our home and visiting teaching families for church and maybe a few close neighbors just for fun. This is definitely my kind of treat recipe! You can hardly call it cooking or baking it is really a craft, just rearranging some good ingredients by hot gluing them together! The hardest part is pealing the foil off the Rolos AND not eating too many!