MAKING WONDERFUL HOLIDAY MEMORIES WITH YOUR FAMILY

MAKING WONDERFUL HOLIDAY MEMORIES WITH YOUR FAMILY

Here’s some thoughts and ideas that will help you make it through with lots of traditions and memories that will last a lifetime.

WATCH MEMORABLE MOVIES WITH THE HOLIDAY THEME:

            Charlie Brown Christmas

            Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

            Frosty The Snowman

            How The Grinch Stole Christmas

            Polar Express

             The Christmas Story

            It’s A Wonderful Life

 ABC Family is doing 25 days of special shows.   Record and save them to view together. 

            OR

READ A HOLIDAY STORY EVERY NIGHT  FOR THE WEEK BEFORE CHRISTMAS:

            The New Testament (Luke, Matthew)

            T’was  The Night Before Christmas

            A Christmas Carol (Movie too)

HAVE A TREE TRIMMING PARTY:       

            Serve hot chocolate and cookies and make it a family affair or open it up for friends or neighbors.

 

MARINES TOYS FORTOTS

            Think of the children who won’t have a Christmas.  Many stores have a box at their store.  Have your child choose a gift and help wrap it and take it to one of the stores.

FIND A MISSION THAT SPONSORS FAMILIES FOR CHRISTMAS

            A mission near our house takes food for Christmas baskets and also adopts out families for people to buy gifts for the children and parents.  It’s something so very special and will give the children something to look forward to share.

BUY OR MAKE A MEMORABLE ORNAMENT EACH YEAR:

            I started when our children were young and when they left home to be on their own or marry, they had a nice selection of memorable ornaments to take with them.  I do this now for our grandchildren.  They have reasonable kits to make them out of fun foam with pictures to insert.    You only have to spend a $1 at the Dollar Store..  Not much to pay for a memory.  (binky)

                            

                             

ADVENT CALENDAR:

            Most families  make their own advent calendar or buy one to count off the days leading up to Christmas. 

            Here’s one I just found out how to do which is really cute.

Supplies:

   Long wide strip of either burlap or red or green felt

   Decorate with holly and berries, bows or little pointsettias

   Red and green foil Hershey kisses

Glue gun

Decorate as you wish and line up the kisses alternating green and red all the way down the middle  (25 of them).

Everyday, alternate your children allowing them their turn to choose a kiss which they can then, of course, eat. 

REMEMBRANCE CANDLE:

            Make it a tradition to remember family members who have either passed away or just can’t make it home for the holidays.  Their lights will shine the whole evening allowing them not to be forgotten.    Use special candle holders and decorate with bows or other colorful Christmas  items.

 (Example:  Samaritan's Purse)

SEND OFF A HOLIDAY BOX:

            Maybe there’s a missionary or friends who have moved away.  Remember them with a special holiday box filled with ornaments, cookie cutters, cookie mixes and sprinkles, candies and little stocking stuffers.  Things that they’re not able to get in a foreign country.

OPERATION SHOEBOX

       DON’T FORGET OUR TROOPS!!!

            Give plenty of time for it to arrival on time for the holidays.

There’s Operation Shoebox  --  Operation Home Front ----

SURPRISE A PUBLIC SERVANT:

            Our police and firemen work the holidays in order that we can be safe.  Maybe a platter of cookies, fudge, microwave popcorn,  hot chocolate and packages of flavored coffees and teas can be taken to the fire station or police station early Christmas Eve Day.

            Don’t forget your mailman.  Especially on those cold winter days.

THE SPECIAL CHRISTMAS MORNING ENTRANCE:

            Take a long roll of Christmas wrapping paper and you know how the football teams run out on the field before the game??  Make it a long banner---count to 3  and yell “HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS”  and let them run through the paper to see what surprises are under the tree.

CHRISTMAS CAROLING:

            Take your children around the neighborhood Christmas Eve and sing carols to your neighbors.  Go to the local nursing homes and do the same the week before Christmas.  They love children and are often so lonely and don’t get visitors.  Then take them for a ride to find the best Christmas decorations.  Nothing like seeing Christmas lights.  I still like to do this when I can round up some grandchildren.

SHARING STORIES OF YOUR MEMORIES:

            Nothing like sitting around the tree with a cup of hot chocolate to prepare the kids for stories about your Christmases growing up.   Do it while you bake your cookies too.  Included in this is:

BRINGING  OUT CHERISHED OLD FAMILY DECORATIONS:

            Nothing more special than all those old family ornaments that have a story behind it.   We have so many on our tree.   I call it a family memory tree.  

SURPRISE YOUR NEIGHBORS WITH TREATS/12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS:

            Keep your identity a secret and begin with 1 item for the first neighbor and build it up to 12 items on the 12^th day.   Write notes and reveal your identity the day after Christmas.    It will open up many quiet neighborhoods.   Wouldn’t that be fun?  Especially if there’s a Scrooge in your neighbor that really needs loved and befriended.

SAY “MERRY CHRISTMAS”

     In this day of politically correctness..  happy holidays..  just doesn’t cut it with me..    I saw MERRY CHRISTMAS all the time..   If they don’t like it they can just ignore you … but generally you’ll get a Merry Christmas back and even a smile..   This is what it is..  CHRISTMAS!!!    

CAMP OUT UNDER THE TREE: 

            One night before Christmas, sleeping bags and all.  Shut off all the lights and only keep the tree lights on.. as much as you can do it, try to get at least the heads under the tree and listen to soft Christmas music all night long.   They always remember that special night under the lights. 

 Above all, remember to tell them what Christmas is all about, because 

Easter Basket and Easter Egg Hunt Ideas

Well, it's that wonderful time of the year again.   Easter, the Lord's Resurrection, the promise of hope forever.   Isn't it great??   And part of the joy of this marvelous celebration is sharing with our families.   Those of us who have passed the time when our  children have grown, now concentrate our efforts on our grandchildren and even our great grandchildren.  

In our home when our seven children were growing up, Easter was taught and shared for what it was.   Sharing the Gospel, the "Good News".   That Jesus died on the cross for our sins, was buried and rose again on the third day. 

 With my Ukrainian traditions and upbringing, the pysanky (Ukrainian Easter Eggs) were taught to those who wanted to learn and some still do when we can get together.

 But,  we still made it a fun and very special time for them.   I had to use a lot of imagination and ingenuity when planning the Easter baskets.   I usually bought some very cheap ones and saved them from year to year because with 7 kids, it got a little expensive (especially when there wasn't a lot of money).   But no matter what they received, the fun was in finding where I hid their baskets.  (Trying doing that in a 12 x 60  trailer with five children).   But, you know it really didn't matter.   It could be right in front of them, and if it had their name on it, that's what made it unique and fun.  

What to put the goodies in??

You can always, of course, use the traditional straw woven baskets, but don't just limit yourself to them alone.  Think outside the box.  

One year for some of the younger kids, I did something a little different.  I used a paper grocery bag and did some special art work that pertained just for that kid.   It was a little rough around the edges and sort of 'cartoonish', but it was uniquely theirs.

* How about buckets with a shovel for the upcoming summer beach trips?   

*Then there's always different kinds of hats.  

*For little girls the traditional Easter hats

* Little purses.

*For boys, cowboy hats or fireman helmets

   * Baseball caps or helmets.  

*Backpacks with their favorite character on it. 

Use your imagination, the ideas are endless.

Now---what kind of  'non candy' goodies to put into your special container??

First of all, you should definitely make your things age appropriate.   Go to your local dollar store.  My very favorite is the "Dollar Tree".    Don't wait to the last minute because there will be a lot of things you won't be able to get.  In fact, they sometimes start stocking after Valentine's Day.   

Baby/Toddler - little stuffed toys, soft sided Easter theme books, blocks

Preschool - puzzles, sidewalk chalk, bubbles (3 for $1 at Dollar Tree), coloring books, crayons, Play Doh (they come in Easter eggs)

Primary Aged - Some of the same above might be good for them as well as:

Stickers and sticker books

Jump rope

Small toys (boy or girl)

Cheap CD or DVD (they have these at Dollar Tree as well)

Pre-Teen -  Girls always love nail polish, things for their hair, art supplies, a new cover for their cell phone, bubble bath or shower gels and sprays. 

Boys will love new baseball caps, maybe even some sort of sports ball (baseball, basketball, football), video games, get something that they're really interested in.

Teens - Gift cards (they always work) You can get $5 increments for McDonald's, Starbucks.  They don't have to cost an arm and a leg.

Alot of these can incorporated into the plastic Easter Eggs you'll be using on your Easter Egg hunt.   And lots of loose change is also a very good filler for the basket and eggs..  Money makes good in lots of ways. 

When I've spoken at MOPS groups in the past, I've shared some other things that as Christians we can share with our children as well as use in the ministry of Sunday School or Junior Church. 

One of which is the "Jelly Bean Prayer".  Each color is shared along with an explanation of what that color represents.

Here's how it reads:

 Red is for the blood He gave.

Green is for the grass He made.

Yellow is for the sun so bright.

Orange is for the edge of night.

Black is for the sins we made. 

White is for the grace He gave.

Purple is for His hour of sorrow.

Pink is for a new tomorrow.

And handful of jelly beans,

Colorful and sweet,

Is a prayer, a promise,

A loved one’s treat!

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

Here's a link to not only get this prayer but beautifully decorated printable cards for you to share and other ideas.  

Mama Jenn's Jelly Bean Prayer

Also, there's the Resurrection Eggs.  A wonderful way to share the story of Jesus crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection using plastic eggs.   Very easy instructions and you have time to do it even before this Sunday.   

Resurrection Eggs/Do It Yourself

And, then finally the Resurrection Cookies.  An old web friend, Annie, has a wonderful page of instructions and recipe along with the explanation of each step.  I think this a marvelous way to share the message of Christ and His Resurrection to little children.  

Annie's"Resurrection Cookies" Page

Christ, the Lord, is risen today, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth, reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Lo! the Sun’s eclipse is over, Alleluia!
Lo! He sets in blood no more, Alleluia!

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Once He died our souls to save, Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ hath led, Alleluia!
Following our exalted Head, Alleluia!
Made like Him, like Him we rise, Alleluia!
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

HALLELUJAH!!  WHAT A SAVIOR!!  HAVE A BLESSED EASTER.   CHRIST IS RISEN!!  HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!

Memorial Day 2018

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY.

THANK  YOU FOR YOUR ULTIMATE SACRIFICE AND SERVICE!!

“A Day In The Life... ( A Mother’s Memory) ” A Chapter From Georgia's Book

                                       

(Artwork by son, Mark)            

(Taken around the time I wrote this)

           

             "6:57 a.m.  It’s Monday morning and the countdown begins…10

...9...8...cereal bowls, spoons, and milk ready...7...6...oh no, Timmy's socks

 are still in the dryer...runfast...5...4...lunches packed and ready…3...2..

excuses written, permission slips signed…1...zero...BLAST OFF!!!!!!      7:00....

time to get the three boys up and two of them ready to go to school."

              Sound familiar?  Actually, two older sisters already are up and have been since 6:00 a.m.  They have to have curling irons hot and ready, make-up  on  "just  so" and on and on and on.

             This begins most school day mornings, some less chaotic and confusing than others,  but basically the same. Of course, Jonathan's bowl of cereal has more than Timmy's and Mark notices it immediately, (ages 5, 7, and 9 respectively).

            "But, Mom, where's my other blue sock?" hollers 14-year-old Wendy from her basement bedroom. "I don't know," I said, "where did you put it?" "Never mind, I remember now."  Another one cries, "Mom, yesterday Wendy wore the brown shoes and today it's my turn." That's 12-year-old Lisa making a last desperate attempt at the age-old battle of sharing with a sibling.

            Then, last  but not least I hear,  "Mommy, Mommy!!"   "Oh no, they woke up 19-month-old Becky." "Hi, Honey, come  to Mama."

            It's amazing that the time between 7 a.m. and 7:40 a.m. can be so short, yet so productive. Some days I wonder whether Timmy will ever get his shirt tucked in or his shoes tied  properly. Then there's Mark, a wonder in himself. It always amazes me how he can play Star Wars, get changed, fix his bed (maybe), look at all his football and baseball cards, eat his breakfast (two bowls of cereal), watch cartoons, tease both brothers simultaneously, and still be ready when daddy beeps the horn.  There are days that I think Wendy's hand is really attached to the curling iron. Would you believe 45 minutes worth of curling before it's ready and then it NEVER looks right?

            Lisa is ALWAYS ready to go with everything early, and can squeeze a quick game of "Frogger"  and always makes it to the ninth or tenth board. "I'll never make it to 4,000", she sighs.

            Then there's Mom.  Me! I think that if I would turn on a tape recorder and keep repeating, "Hurry! Change your clothes! Eat your breakfast! Brush your teeth! Brush your hair! Fix your bed!  Is your homework all done???  Tuck your shirt in and DON'T FORGET YOUR LUNCHES!"  I don’t think anybody would ever notice or care if I was there at all.

            But, YES I am needed. Appreciated?  Well, maybe sometimes. But I definitely am needed. Ever feel that way?

            Well, finally it’s at that time when I pop my coffee mug into the microwave to reheat my coffee for the third time, get the dishes in order, and then sit down to prepare for the rest of my eventful day.     You might wonder how a mother of six (at the time this was originally written)  beautiful, healthy, children can  cope with all the hassle, preparation and YES, even blessings of a "normal" day?

            Well, I try desperately  to open my eyes permanently no later than 6:45 a.m. I LOVE to sleep and relish every time I can push the snooze button in for an additional ten minutes, but we do have to face reality,  don't we? As soon as my mind can register what lies ahead in the next hour or so, I look up to my Father and ask Him to help me be what He wants me to be.  And so it begins.

            But it's really not until I take coffee out of the microwave and sit down that I begin my day's schedule. First and foremost is a 'talk' with my dearest and most faithful Friend. I must talk with Him and listen to Him everyday in order for me to be the Mommy I should be. He's my Savior,  Jesus Christ and what I listen to is His Word, the Bible. Let me tell you, if I didn't take this time each day, I wouldn't be able to cope at all. Now, did I say I was perfect and that everyday was "Heaven On Earth"?  No way!  Far from it!  There are many days when I wonder, "Why was I given this awesome responsibility to raise and train up this brood?"

            Then I remember Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord and the fruit of the womb is His reward." What a reward! Verse 4 and 5 read, "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of thy youth. Happy or blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them..." I read where a quiver contained 7 to 12 arrows...(p.s. I didn't know when I wrote this, that my quiver would be fuller four years later). I think, then, how blessed I really am. What a privilege I have been given.            

            Let me tell you, it wasn’t always so easy to have “quiet time.”  Where could you really get quiet with five, six, or seven children running around most of the day and night?   I remember one day when I had just about had it.   No place to go in a 12 x 60 trailer.   Every inch was taken up it seemed.   I had started babysitting to make a few extra dollars.  (Boy, was I crazy or  what)?    I thought I could help not only our family financially, but help another married student who couldn’t afford to pay a lot. So, why not?    At the time of the meltdown, I looked everywhere.   Where could I go to be alone for just a few minutes  with Jesus?    Voila!   No one is in the bathroom.  I’ll go there.    Little did I know that four-year-old Mark was looking for Mommy.   There I

was on the tiny bathroom floor prostrate before the Lord on my knees and head on the floor  when all of a sudden the bathroom door burst open.    Up jumped Mark onto my back and said, “Giddy up, horsie.”  So much for that!

            I had just read the story of the life of John Wesley  who had come from a family of  19 children.   Their mother, Susannah, was an extraordinary woman.  She would home school her children six hours a day. It was written that in order for her to have quiet time with the Lord,  she could be found  in the kitchen with her apron drawn up around her head as she prayed.   This gave me new insight into Matthew 6:6, KJV, which reads, “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”   Hmmm…the closet!    So guess where I went?   I went to

the back bedroom of the trailer, where Tom would regularly study,  and closed myself up in the closet.  Ahhh…peace at last.   Now, came the time to pray.    In the distance, way down the hall of that 60 foot trailer,  I heard, “Mommy, where are you?”   No answer.   Again,  I heard,  “Mommy,  are you in here?”   No answer.    I hear it once more only closer,   “Mommy, WHERE ARE YOU?”     Then, the closet door opened and  they said,  ”There you are.   Were you playing “hide and go seek” with us?”   Not really.

            Maybe you’ve been in this same situation.     I would be in my bedroom

having my devotions and I decided this time to tell the children,  “Mommy is having her devotions with the Lord.  Do NOT bother me or knock at the door until I’m done, okay?”     “Okay, Mommy.”      Then,  not more than five minutes later, two-year-old Timmy would knock on the door.   “Mommy,  you done with your ‘boshuns’?    Are you done with your ‘boshuns’”?   Poor baby didn’t even know what ‘boshuns’ were. He just wanted to know if I was done with them.     Believe it or not, I DID survive those years.    I did have my devotions but I became very creative about where, how, and when.

            I really am a pretty disorganized person to begin with. That's why lists and notes have become very important to me in making my week run a little less hectic. My husband, Tom, is a pastor in a local church, which keeps our days and nights sometimes unpredictable. You never quite know when someone will need to have him counsel them or visit with them in the hospital. So with that, I've learned to make room for these times. I have learned and continue to learn that interruptions are always opportunities that come our way for a purpose. So I must roll with the waves or I can easily sink!

            Fridays are pretty special  because Daddy's evenings are usually busy at

church with different meetings and classes or visiting, so we ALWAYS have "Family Night" on Friday.  

     

            Dad always goes to the local dairy store to buy the special ice cream and some soda and other treats or snacks. Then Daddy wrestles the boys (or the boys wrestle Dad), you never can tell because they're getting bigger and stronger. That's the night there is no limit on bedtime and afghans and sleeping bags and pillows are brought out to the living room floor to see who will last the longest to watch the "late-night local spooky show."   (Mom NEVER makes it!)

            Saturday mornings are the same with all the assorted cartoons and children's shows available. That's when Mommy and Daddy "try " to squeeze in every minute of extra sleep they can get.  Remember, I LOVE to sleep!  The remainder of Saturday leaves me to my laundry, house cleaning and assorted other things to keep me busy.

            It’s amazing how baths can be taken all week long without any complication. But,  the Saturday night bath is something else. I go through approximately ten to twelve towels and that's on a good day (not counting flooded bathtubs or swimming relay races which leave the floor looking like a swamp). Sometimes, even the sheets are needed with the rescue.

            But when late Saturday evening comes (somewhere around 10:30 p.m), I can again sit down and  breathe a sigh  of thanks to the Lord for "PEACE".

            Sundays are very busy here and always a blessing.  Supper is practically ready before we leave for Sunday School at 9:13 (oh I forgot to tell you, I do that before I go to bed, usually around 1 - 2 a.m.). It's a good thing the church is around the corner because the afternoons are  so restful.  That’s when all the neighborhood kids come in.

            Then before you know it, it's time to get ready for the evening service. "Georgia, don't forget we have to leave by 6:30,"   I hear my husband say as I remove my last hot curler from my hair.

            Well, time flies when you're having fun.   OH NO!  It's 6:57 a.m.  Monday

morning  AGAIN!   Here’s goes the countdown…10...9...8...yes, Lord, thank

you..."This is the day that the Lord has made...we WILL REJOICE and be glad in it." 7—6—5—4—3—2—1-------zero…   BLAST OFF!!!!!!