It's the Little Things

I have been absent lately from the blog. Maybe you noticed maybe not. The end of 2013 has had a lot of ups and downs for our family. In September, we welcomed home Baby B, the little honey. Definitely one of the ups.But then, I lost my dad in October. That one moment in time changed everything.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were tough this year. Normally my favorite time of the year, this year my goal was to get to that finish line of New Years. We are almost there. My constant stress headache has started to lift. The grief is still there, but God has gotten me through these 'firsts'.

I've spent a lot of time in the last few weeks thinking about life in general. Remembering my childhood. What things meant the most to me? The little things. The times Mom would polka with us in the living room. When Dad told silly jokes. Playing flashlight tag in the summertime. Cross country skiing in the woods as a family.

Our time here on earth is short. My children won't be little for long. One day they will be grown and I will be gone. I would like to think that I will make some sort of small difference in the world before I leave. However, it's even more important that I make a difference in the lives of my kids.

What am I teaching them? How will they remember me?

If I look at the big picture, I am overwhelmed. It sometimes feels like I am pushing so hard from the time I wake up to the moment that I go to bed, that I don't allow room in my day to just enjoy life.

Am I focusing on the important things, or just pushing my way through each day? What are the important things? What things just don't matter?

What am I teaching my children? 

This coming year I have decided to focus on just a few little things.I'll let you know soon what those little things are.

 There will be no major New Years resolutions here.

 I have this theory that if I focus on the small stuff, it might just make a big difference.



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Just B...

Giving

Today I am tired. Really tired. It was my first full week back at work. Baby B has been having some sleep issues-stuffy head from a cold, bad dreams, not able to fall asleep at night, waking up super early.  And I still miss my dad.

This time of year can be wonderful. It can also be hard. Really hard. Christmas will be difficult with my dad gone this year. I have been struggling to maintain a good attitude as life keeps moving forward, without him. Daily tasks are tough some days. But I know that some people are having a much tougher go of it than I am.

I've always believed that the best way to get out of a funk is to help someone else. So,that's what I'm going to do. I am on a mission to make Christmas better for some people that I know and don't know. I have a couple plans already in place. I'm getting excited in fact.

What am I going to do? I'm not going to tell you. But I am going to offer you a challenge. Let's make Christmas special. Do one random kind act for someone. No strings attached. No fanfare. No publicizing for personal pats on the back.

A true Christmas gift.

We give not for praise, but for God.
 Matthew 6:1-4



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Freebie Friday

This song is always in my head during this time of year.

 ( I love the Burl Ives version of the song the best and yes, I know it's actually Saturday. ☺)

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Brown Paper Packages Tied Up With String

One of my favorite songs from the movie The Sound of Music is "My Favorite Things" and lately, it has been especially fitting for my life. (If you know the song, you'll know why...I've added a clip and words at the bottom in case you've never seen or heard the song it.)

Life being the way it's been lately, I decided to start a list of some of my favorite things... 

~ Old movies (They people in them always dressed so classy.)

~ Books

~ Daydreaming/planning my dream garden.

~ Soup, on a cold rainy day.

~ Interesting sounding words (onomatopoeia, deoxyribonucleic acid...)

~ Baby animals (the furry variety) ☺

~ Making things.

~ Christmas music, crafts, baking...

~ Walking/hiking/skiing in the woods.

~ Chocolate

My Favorite Things
Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple streudels
Doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember my favorite things
And then I don't feel so bad

[Repeat all verses]
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Mind Your Own...

I'm not sure exactly when, but somewhere along the line I have adopted the phrase "Mind your own..." (as in 'mind your own business')  into my daily vernacular. While it may not be grammatically correct, it is to the point and stops many issues in their tracks in the classroom. Now that I have two kids, I have found myself using the phrase at home as well.

He's humming! She's staring at me! He's touching me! They're passing notes! She budged in line!

It's funny how even children can try to micromanage the lives of those around them. Sometimes I find myself acting the same way (but over much more 'grown up issues' I'm sure...ahem.)

Kind of like Aunt Voula in  the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" I suppose. ( I think she has the best lines in the movie.)

There are things life that I feel very strongly about, that really do matter. 

Important. Big. Things. 

Then there are others that really just don't.  Meat or no meat. Long hair or short hair. Courtship or dating. You know what, I don't really care. Whatever works for you. I soooo done debating the trivial. 

Years ago, I attended a concert by Morgan Cryar where he sang a song with a chorus that really stuck with me. It said "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing."  

Let's do that, shall we?

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy-meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

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