Merry Christmas!

From our family to yours.... we wish you a Merry Christmas! 

  It’s been a busy couple of weeks. We’ve driven all the way back up the Baja Peninsula and are spending Christmas back in Oregon with our families and friends. The cool, wet weather has been a bit of a shock to our sun spoiled bodies, but we’re tucked snugly into our trailer, warm and dry, and only feeling slightly claustrophobic. (This tiny space, in this climate, with this many people is just not quite big enough. Not complaining, just saying!) We arrived back in town just a few days ago and were instantly caught up in the whirlwind of busy days, happy reunions, and Christmas preparations. 

    

    It’s late on Christmas Eve. All the children are sleeping soundly, Erik is washing dishes (God bless him!), and I’m snuggled under a down blanket with a hot flax bag on my feet. Lights twinkle on our little living Spruce tree and there is a modest pile of presents waiting more patiently than the children whose names they bear. At Christmas time I always spend a lot of time thinking about beauty and pain and sadness and love, all mingled together, inescapable on this earth. I think about hope, and peace, and joy, and what those really mean, and a Baby born so long ago. My heart seems to alternately burst with joy and feel deeply the brokenness of this world, the brokenness in my own heart. I come back to being thankful, humbled, blessed, knowing that I cannot change the world but I can let Light shine in the dark places of my own soul. Tonight I’m grateful for so many things, too many to list, but here are a few that I can’t keep to myself. 

• Remember Ian, from my last post? They just got news today that he can go home for Christmas! I was so happy to hear this news. Though they are by no means out of the woods, they are being given this wonderful gift of being all together as a family, in their own home, for Christmas. What joy! 
• I love watching the kids get into the spirt of giving. When Peregrine turned ten almost two months ago he was given two of the same Lego set, and we finally had a chance today to return one of them. He’s been planning for weeks what he wanted to get, but today he chose to spend over half the exchange money on a gift for his cousin. He was extra excited when the item he wanted to purchase was on a buy one get one free sale, so he got to give him two! He was bursting with excitement all day over this, and was sure God put that on sale just for him. He also wrapped up a couple of his own Lego sets as gifts for another cousin and friend. It’s brought me much joy to watch him experience the blessing of giving. 
• On a similar note, both of the younger children’s godparents recently gave them a small gift. Peregrine’s and Poppy’s godparents decided that since we are living in such a small space and don’t need more stuff that they would donate money to a charity that helps combat hunger. When I told Peregrine and Poppy, both of them lit up and seemed absolutely pleased about it! I was so blessed to see their reaction. 
• It's wonderful to be "home" with family. Both of my brothers are here or coming soon, so excited to see them and their families. We had a nice quiet Christmas Eve dinner at one of my sisters' houses, and are staying very close to another one. My Grandma is still here, so we have four generations celebrating together. We're looking forward to catching up with more family and friends as well.

    Our future plans seem to be unfolding as we go, so we move forward, enjoying this time and looking forward to seeing what God has for us in the new year. We send our greetings for a blessed Christmas! 

    

    

Christmas Giving

Wee Felt Wisemen Ornaments, made with love.
Tutorial from Wee Folk Art.

   There have been years where I've tried to get all my Christmas shopping done prior to Thanksgiving so I can more fully enter into the joy of the season. This year, I'd like to just skip the shopping as much as possible. Christmas, of course, isn't about the gifts, but we do enjoy both giving and receiving them. We are celebrating the greatest gift of all, and it seems an appropriate time to give. But I've been considering where these gifts come from, how they're produced, whether they're even really needed or wanted. We're trying to get rid of stuff, not collect more, so we're thinking more carefully about gift giving this year.

    I come from a big family, and all of my siblings are now married with children of their own. Add in Erik's family, close friends, and our own children, and there's a whole lot of gift giving (and spending) potential. The last few years my family has agreed to give to a favorite charity instead of buying gifts for each other, and that's been great. (Our gift has gone to The Apparent Project in Haiti, a non-profit that employs people, allowing them to rise out of poverty.) I've loved doing this. My family has also, since I was a child, supported an orphanage in Mexico, and has given alternative"gifts" that help impoverished children. One year, Erik's dad and his wife bought a goat in our honor, and another year a flock of chicks for a needy family. (I believe those were given through World Vision. We've also given through Heifer International.) As much as I love to receive gifts, some of my favorites have been ones that have gone to someone else in my honor.

    What about the kids? We will give them a few gifts, or course! (Can I just say how thankful I am that there hasn't been any real talk of "what I want for Christmas" yet!) Two of them are getting backpacks, something they need anyway. Peregrine and Poppy are each getting a new box of pencil crayons and I'm planning to make a pencil roll for each of them. I'm going to get Raphael the Busytown Airport book, and Pearl really is too small to care about presents, although she's getting a tiny backpack of her own. I will probably sew a dress or skirt for Poppy with fabric I already have. We will also give the older three a certificate they can cash in for a special outing with the parent of their choice; they love getting to do this. I bought a Groupon a while back for the local ice skating rink, so we will do that as well. We open stockings on St. Nicholas Day, which is December 6th, and our stocking items are usually somewhat practical, although still fun. (A pair of cute socks, a new pair of pajamas, a box of silly bandages, some chocolate coins, an orange, etc.) We'll spend lots of time as a family creating handmade gifts for each other, our family and our friends. (You can see some of our handmade gift ideas here.) Most importantly, we'll make a point, throughout this season of preparation, to look out for the needs of others and actively seek to help the poor. This may be as simple as keeping some granola bars in the van to hand to a homeless person or by eating more simply so we can share our extra grocery money with orphans in India or needy families in Haiti.

    As we enter into this "most wonderful time of the year" we want to keep our focus on what is most important. It's not about amassing stuff, but about sharing love and celebrating the birth of Christ. We will enjoy both the giving and the receiving of gifts, but more than that we'll find joy in being together, loving one another, and sharing with others.


    This post is part of a writing project of Families on the Move, a group of families who live a nomadic lifestyle or are preparing for long term travel. Read how other families celebrate Christmas "on the move".


A King's Life: Forget the Gifts, Give an Experience this Christmas
Pearce on Earth: A Different Kind of Christmas
Family Trek: What's for Christmas?
The Nomadic Family: Poverty for Christmas
New Life on the Road: Dear Mr. Santa Claus, What's for Christmas? 
With 2 Kids in Tow: Dear Santa, for This Christmas we Wish...
Living Outside the Box: The Best Christmas Presents
Discover. Share. Inspire. Christmas is Coming- What do we Give on the Road? 
Bohemian Travelers: Gift Giving While Living a Simpler Life
Little Aussie Travelers: Presence vs. Presents
Family Travel Bucket List: Feliz Navidad Without all the Stuff
Livin' on the Road- Susan: Christmas Traveling
Livin' on the Road- Peter: Christmas
A Minor Diversion: Reinventing Christmas
The Edventure Project: On Christmas: A Reflection on the Real Gifts

A Handmade Christmas

   

A Christmas Fairy inspired by my friend Chelsea and Wee Felt Folk.
(This makes me excited to unpack the one Chelsea made me and hang her on my tree!)

    As we've moved slowly toward a simpler lifestyle, I've been thinking about what to give for Christmas this year. I've always enjoyed being creative and making things, and although I seem to have less time than ever to do so, am not going to let that stop me! I will still order a few gifts online and shop at our local handmade Holiday Market, but I'm trying not to buy many commercially produced goods. Much of our "school" this coming month will consist of making gifts and getting ready for Christmas. I sat down earlier and wrote out a little list of things we've given in the past or are planning to make this year. Most of these are fairly simple and all can be made for less than you'd buy them. They have the bonus of being handmade with love, and though they may be small are always appreciated. The kids can also help with many of them, and to me, this is so much more rewarding and fun than taking them to the store to shop. Last year Peregrine spent weeks crafting presents for people, and I have no doubt this year will be the same. Several of these are items that friends or family members have made for us one year and I've turned around and made the next year. (You can't underestimate the gift of inspiration either!)

• Spiced Nuts A nice alternative to all the sweets at this time of year. 
• Granola  This is is a great recipe. I like to use dried cranberries instead of raisins. 
• Coffee Liqueur Similar to Kahlua. Using decent quality vodka and coffee makes a nicer finished product. 
• Limoncello When we visited Italy years ago a friend pulled a bottle of this out of the freezer after dinner. I made a batch last year. It's a bit labor intensive but great for lemon lovers.
• Vanilla Extract  This is super easy, just soak vanilla beans in vodka or rum. I've ordered vanilla beans from Arizona Vanilla Company. I keep a half gallon jar of vanilla brewing all the time. As I pour it out I just throw in some more beans and top it up. It's so yummy! 
• Rolled Beeswax Candles These are a fun, simple project that the kids can help with or do themselves. I buy beeswax sheets and wicking from GloryBee. You can make them very simple or decorate them a little. Who doesn't love candles? 
• Christmas Ornaments Endless options here, from simple ones the kids can make themselves to more detailed ones. I've enjoyed making some felt ornaments for the kids' stockings. A google search will turn up a wealth of ideas and tutorials for them. 
• Lotion Bars The woman who makes and sells Made On Hard Lotion is kind enough to share recipes and tips for making your own lotion bars. I love this stuff. She also sells a DIY kit that's a good deal. I've bought ingredients for making hard lotion from Mountain Rose Herbs. 
• Lip Balm So simple and inexpensive to make. Several good recipes here, as well as ingredients, lip balm tubes and containers.
• Candle Lanterns My sister did these with the kids one year and they're so pretty. We made them with leaves for fall, and I think we'll do some more with snowflakes to brighten the dark days of winter. 
• Photo Gifts Framed pictures, photo calendars, and greeting cards made with pictures from our travels are all gifts we've enjoyed giving. Sites like Shutterfly and Mixbook offer great deals at this time of year. You could also get the kids' art printed on a shirt, tote bag, mug, etc. 

We Three Kings

Like many of you, we've been busy preparing for Christmas. There's so much to love about this time of year. One of the things I'm enjoying is the extra motivation to do some crafting, and after a busy day it's a nice way for me to relax in the evening. I usually buy the kids a Christmas ornament for their stocking when they're on clearance the year before. This year, I realized I didn't have any, so thought it would be fun to make some. Using this gnome pattern from weefolkart, I made them each a little wise man to hang on the tree. I just love the way these guys turned out, and can't wait to make some more.

I will likely not be back for a while, but want to take a moment to wish you all a blessed Christmas filled with the peace, joy, and love of Christ!

Mid-December

It's been a month since I last posted. No, I didn't drop off the face of the earth. This season is always a busy one, and this year I'm making a real effort to keep things simple and try to focus on Jesus and the wonderful reason we celebrate. I've often thought of things to write, but have been occupying myself with all sorts of other things. Here, in no particular order, are a few photos of some of what's been going on around here.

Erik making muffins with the kids. 

We have snow! A rare treat in our neck of the woods, the kids are really enjoying this. Peregrine was trying to convince me that I wouldn't believe how deep it was. I guess he's probably never seen more than this, about 5 or 6 inches. Do you think he believes my stories (which are true) of the snow drifts of my childhood in Alberta, drifts high enough to build tunnels in? 

This is one of the more candid shots that Erik took of the kids for our Christmas card. I'm so blessed by these three.

This one really captures the kids' personalities. Peregrine, precariously perched, pushing things as far as he can, and Poppy, looking on in safety!

I've long wanted to do our stockings on St. Nicholas Day, December 6, and this year I actually got it together in time. We had fun learning about St. Nicholas, whose life was characterized by his love for God and generosity to the poor. We filled the stockings with little things that were symbolic of stories from his life. I think the focus on him, early in the Christmas season, is timely, as he teaches us that is is better to give than to receive, and helps us to remember to care for the poor. 

Alethea, a happy little baker, helping make gingerbread muffins for St. Nicholas Day.

Raphael is eight months old. No longer a little baby, he is sweet, happy and on the move! 

My heart is so full! Five stockings this year. We are blessed. As we sat around the breakfast table on St. Nicholas Day my eyes filled with tears of joy and gratitude for this sweet family God has given to us. 

A few creations, a wee felt angel, and a little St. Nicholas below. I've been enjoying making some small gifts this year for the kids and others. I love crafting, and need to make more time for it. 

A few thoughts, since I'm here.... I went out grocery shopping the Sunday after Thanksgiving and was really struck with the craziness and stress in the air. It was a good motivator and reminder to me that it is not what I want to characterize this time! I want our preparation for and celebration of Christ's birth to be full of joy and peace, and honoring to Him. It takes a real effort not to get caught up in all the madness, the greed, the commercialism, that can easily eclipse the true meaning of Christmas, and I don't always succeed. 

A few tangible things we're doing this year to try to keep things less stressful are planning simpler meals and trying to eat a lot of meals from the freezer. Also, among my extended family we decided that instead of buying gifts for each other we will send money to some friends who work among the poorest of the poor in Haiti. As much as I love buying gifts, I'm really enjoying having fewer things to think about, and the joy of knowing that a family will eat for another month, or a child will go to school or an orphan will be cared for is truly more satisfying than more stuff. 

When we went to get our Christmas tree this year Erik and I talked about how it's fun that we've been a family long enough to have established some of our own traditions. I know this whole process is just that, a process, but I'm excited about finding new ways of rediscovering the joy and meaning in celebrating the incarnation of our Lord. Next year I want to get it together in time to do a Jesse Tree with the kids, and would also like to participate more in alternative giving, as well as more handmade and practical gifts. 

Well, I think that about wraps up my rambling thoughts for the day. I hope you are all having much joy and peace as you prepare your hearts and homes for Christ's birth! 

...and a Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe that 2008 is upon us. I hope that everyone had a joyous celebration of our Lord's birth! We certainly did; we spent Christmas Eve with Erik's parents and then Christmas Day with my family. We are so very thankful to live near so many of our family members! I feel like life is settling down after a very busy fall, our Mexico trip, and then Christmas. We've been enjoying more stay-at-home days, working on projects and reading lots of books together. I'm also feeling motivated to get some of my bigger projects done before our little fellow makes his appearance toward the end of March. I hope to be posting a little more regularly, but realistically I might not! For now, here are some pictures from our Christmas celebration.

The kids enjoyed decorating- and eating- gingerbread cookies!

Grandma "cooking" with Poppy, who was very happy to get some of her own kitchen things and a new apron that fits.

For as long as I can remember, my Dad reads or tells the Christmas story, while the kids act it out using our old, well-loved nativity set.

When Poppy opened her new rolling pin from Grandma and Papa she squealed "Now I can work with Mama!"

My sister Gloria and I- both becoming "great with child"! 

Gloria painted this beautiful picture and gave it to me!

May this year be full of love, joy, and peace in the Lord Jesus Christ!

That Glorious Song of Old

As children on the frozen prairies of Alberta we weren't often exposed to secular Christmas holiday songs. We sang the hymns/carols at church, often every verse of them. (I remember my excitement when the song leader would announce that we would only sing stanzas 1, 2, and 5! We went to a little country church with a little purple-haired lady who played the organ. Slowly.) My Mom loved O Holy night and I could never figure out why- it was the one that an older man always sang as a "special number" and it was a bit too operatic and long in my little mind. It was Silent Night that moved my Dad to tears.

Over the years I've grown to love these songs and the joy and hope they proclaim so eloquently. I especially love the ones that don't just focus on the birth of Christ, but on His mission to rescue fallen humanity. "Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His Wings" gives me goosebumps. I spent Christmas of 2000 in Varanasi, India. Christmas Eve we joined a group of resident missionaries for a potluck and time of singing and celebration. When we sang Silent Night I cried, thinking of my family across the world, singing those same familiar words about our Holy Savior. I was in a culture that openly worships idols, living among a people who desperately needs to to see the Light and Life of Jesus. Too often I have sat through Christmas services with the tears rolling down my face. Why are we still so broken when One came to make us whole? Where is the peace on earth? The joy and hope that came to us in a tiny Baby stir up the longing that He will someday return.

As the Christmas season comes to an end I find the words of It Came Upon A Midnight Clear still floating through my mind. I love how it moves from the Holy Birth so long ago to the present time and then looks forward to the fulfillment of all things, to the new heaven and the new earth. Through it all we are reminded of the angels who worship the King Eternal and the hope we have of heaven. This verse in particular seems to draw me:

O ye beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow;
Look now, for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing;
Oh rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

How often I feel like one of those whose form in bending low, who is toiling along in this life's journey. It is not that I've been given an unusually difficult path to walk. The joys have been many and the trials few, but there is a weight to this life. And I think I'm beginning to recognize it as something given by God, not to burden me, but to to make me long for heaven, something to remind me that all I know here is not really what I've been created for. As comfortable and happy as I seek to be here, and generally am, I will never be fully satisfied. I love the image of resting beside the weary road and listening to the angels sing. When I hear it I'm reminded that it's exactly what I need to do; sit, rest, listen, allow myself to be lifted above the cares of this life. And that brings me naturally back to a place of hope:

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophets seen of old,
When with the ever-circling years
Shall come the time foretold,
When the new heaven and earth shall own
The Prince of Peace, their King,
And the whole world send back the song
Which now the angels sing.

Even so, come Lord Jesus!