Annual Christmas Letter

Greetings Friends & Family!

I feel there must be a way to scientifically prove the phenomenon that time seems to fly faster the older one gets, and of course even faster towards the end of the year.This year has been chock-full of events both big and small that will leave their mark and memories on the pages of our lives.

First of all, how did I get to be THIRTY?!  In October, Dan and I celebrated this milestone birthday by livin’ it up at a local farm – stuffing our faces with good potluck grub, going on a hayride, feeding the donkeys, traipsing around the fields, and amusing ourselves in various ways.What a great time with friends and family, just kicking back, having fun and celebrating life.

Phil grew up going to Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire, a tradition he had yet to share with me… until this year.  His parents gave us one of their slide-in campers, which he jury-rigged to the back of his flat bed truck.  We camped on the fairgrounds for the weekend, and had such a great time with our little family seeing the fun sights of the fair.  Gwen’s favorites were the kiddy roller coaster and host of yummy offerings, the pinnacle of which would have to be the humble yet decadent ice cream cone.  My favorites were all the animals, especially the babies… and watching the delightful gleam in my children’s eyes as they Took It All In.  Just spending three whole days with my family felt like a guilty pleasure, as we are often so busy we don’t get the chance to chill.

Using the slide-in camper for a couple weekends, we realized that – while we love this camping thing – we would like to pursue our dream of purchasing a fifth wheel camper.  We didn’t want to make any hasty, irresponsible decisions, but were fortunate enough to find an immaculate secondhand camper that was too good to pass up.  We are now the proud owners of a fifth wheel!We’re dreaming of all the good times our family will have in this little home-away-from-home, and it occurred to me, “Great, now I have two houses to clean!”

While some of the things on our life checklist seem to get checked with apparent ease, other things remain stagnant despite expended effort and prayer.  Both Phil and I have been pining for a change in vocation – he trying to get on a paid fire department, and I trying to work from home.  There have been a number of promising opportunities, but nothing has panned out.  We are trusting in God’s provision and perfect timing; He never fails us, despite the disappointment we feel when open doors slam shut.

Tucked in-between the humdrum day-to-day activities and pockets of disbelief and disappointment are the much-needed moments of refueling.  Among many other special moments, here are some of the highlights: Daddy builds us a tire swing (this is a big deal!), I attend MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) for a while and meet a great group of women, Daddy buys a Jeep – the Ultimate Toy, Josiah gets his first taste of Del’s, we go canoeing on Wood River with Dan and Jenn, Mom and I trek to Confreda Farms for herbs, Jenn and I go peach- and apple-picking at Narrow Lane Orchards and concoct yummy goodies with the spoils, we score a dollhouse for Gwen on the side of the road, the kiddos and I take our first trip to North Kingstown Beach with one of my best friends Nikki and her son Elijah, Phil and I celebrate nine years of marriage and spend the day together in Mystic, and last-but-not-least I made a conscious effort to change my eating habits and lost about thirty pounds.  Phew! 

Sometimes the miraculous can be seen in the every day busyness, and being home with Gwendolyn and Josiah has afforded many of these moments.  I love seeing things through their eyes, watching as they study something, figure it out, and learn something new.  From the blossoming of Gwendolyn’s vocabulary and understanding of concepts, to her capacity to pretend play and make up silly stories on her own.  From the studied expression on Josiah’s face when in deep concentration and the huge grin that appears when he masters putting an object in a container or climbing the whole staircase, to the barrage of giggles that assail us when we tickle his tummy or help him down the slide.  Their birthdays are two days apart, and I can’t believe I’ll have to get used to my big little girl being three whole years while at the same time accept that my baby boy is officially one year and no longer a baby.  While at times they can be challenging, maddening, induce hair-pulling and general hysteria – I can honestly say that I love them with all of my heart and am so glad God placed them into my arms.

Change is always bittersweet for me.I know change can be good, but sometimes I just want security and comfort in the familiar.  The same weekend that we celebrated the kids’ birthdays, my Grandma Edna went to be with Jesus.  She had been failing for a while, and just this year diagnosed with lung cancer.  It was only a matter of time, and we were praying that she would go peacefully in her sleep… but you’re never really prepared for the end.

These things have a way of making you want to grab hold of them, of the Good Stuff, relishing them and treasuring them while you can, knowing that time is slipping through your hands and will be gone before you know it.  Praying that you will take hold of that which is most dear to you this Christmas season, and thank God for the Treasure of his Son Jesus, whom He graciously bestowed upon us all.

Karla, Phil, Gwendolyn, & Josiah

Vision

A couple years ago I watched The Secret.  Whereas I disagreed with the basic concept of attracting health, wealth, and success merely through the “law of attraction,” it did get me thinking about making some sort of vision board.

I’ve done similar things in the past – basically cutting out pictures, quotes, ideas; things I aspire to, want to create, become, focus on.  Hopes, wishes, dreams.  I didn’t get around to putting these things up on my bulletin board this time around, as it’s already chock-full of coupons, recipes, pictures, library reminders, local ads, and so forth.  But last night I was going through my binder, and I came across the envelope where these aspirations were enclosed.

I smiled as I went through them.  First, I came across my Gratitude list:
I am so grateful for…
… Philip – my loving accepting husband
… Gwendolyn – my precious baby girl
… Nikki – my kindred spirit
… family – for all their faults they are there through thick and thin
… Jesus – all the He has done for me and continues to do despite me
… my material blessings – which nurture us and enable us to nurture others
… other friends – knowing someone is just a phone call or e-mail away and has my best interests at heart (Jenn, Kim, Jen, Kat)
… my job – flexible, able to take Gwen with me, nice boss, only employee, contributes to finances
… my abilities – though I may not know what my “Gift” is, I have many pursuits and interests that come in handy and allow me to create
… nature – its beauty and revelation of God

Second, my Asking for & believing will come list:
-to eventually open my own business
-to be a stay-at-home mommy before the Summer
-to fine a niche in which I can make money from home
-to have at least $150,000 to pay off our mortgage (I know, HA!)
-to gain a faster metabolism, burn off these pounds, and reach at least 130
-to get bigger breasts (I can hope, right?)
-to eat healthily and become more active
-to be healed inside of any chemical/hormonal imbalances, restore the proper cycle, and have clear skin-to get pregnant this year and have another baby – a boy this time!
-to spend more time with Phil and grow in love and understanding
-to get a new bedroom set
-to get 2 new vehicles
-to go away at least once a year
-to get a Sleep Number mattress
-to homeschool Gwen

Along with these lists I have a bunch of words, phrases, and pictures that I cut out of magazines.

 
*smile* CHECK.

I’m definitely not where I want to be, but I’ve made so much progress in this area. *exhale* CHECK.  Ironically, as I was going through these pictures last night, I noticed I was wearing orange pants with white stripes down the sides (see pic).  HA!

I so want to be a good Mommy to my children, but when I cut out this picture I only had Gwendolyn.  Now, she’s a beautiful, bright 3-year-old, and we haven’t killed each other yet.  That’s progress in my book!  Hesitant CHECK. *grin*

Phil is my favorite person, the love of my life, and I always yearn for a better relationship with him (even when things are good). We’ve been through rough times, like every married couple, but we have made such progress in how we communicate and relate.  I can honestly say things are better and our relationship is deeper then when we first got married.  CHECK.

Of course, there are things I’m still waiting for…
 

 

 

Do you have a Vision?

Pineapple-Sweet Potato Bread

Yes… I love food. And it’s easier to share a recipe than share from the depths of my soul when I have two kiddos running around and piles of dishes and laundry to deal with.  But I get this amazing satisfaction from tweaking a recipe, making it healthier, and finding that it tastes really good!

Phil doesn’t eat breakfast, but he’ll often take an extra snack for “coffee break” at work.  We used to buy granola bars, and then I figured I could make them better.  So for a few weeks I made homemade granola bars, then I made a couple different recipes for apple cake, and there’s always banana bread (with chocolate chips, of course).  Recently I found this recipe for Pineapple-Pumpkin Muffins; the ingredients looked fresh and yummy, and I’ve been meaning to try it for a while now.  I got a few cans of pineapple when they were on sale - the kids like ‘em for dessert, and then I remembered I had this recipe lying around. 

You can compare it to the original version, but here’s mine:

Pineapple-Sweet Potato Bread
1/4 c olive oil
1/3c brown sugar
2t ground cinnamon
1c wheat flour
3/4c flour
1-2T flaxseed (approximate)
2t baking powder
1/4t salt  
2/3c unsweetened coconut milk
1 egg
8oz sweet potato puree
2t vanilla extract
8oz pineapple tidbits, drained

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Whisk together the flours, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl and set aside. 

Whisk the coconut milk, olive oil, egg, sweet potato puree, and vanilla in another bowl.  Stir in the pineapple. 

Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture all at once and stir just till blended.  Spread in a square pan.  Bake for about 20 minutes or till tester comes out clean.  NOTE: The original recipe uses a muffin tin, and I didn’t watch the clock so the time may vary for a square baking pan.  I’m sure this would taste fabulous with the pumpkin, too, but I just happened to have sweet potatoes on hand.

Homemade Hot Chocolate & Marshmallows

This year I’m doing an advent calendar with Gwendolyn, and yesterday’s activity was to make homemade marshmallows.  I’ve made peppermint ones before to give with Christmas cookie trays, and it’s a simple enough process – although I am always slightly wary of any recipe in which a candy thermometer is utilized.  Gwendolyn’s job was to mix the cocoa with water (then set aside to mix in at the end of the recipe); pour water, vanilla, and gelatin into another bowl; add water, sugar, and corn syrup to a pan on the stove; and let’s not forget the most important task: licking the beaters.  Before it sets into chewy marshmallow, it’s like marshmallow fluff.  Heavenly. 

The recipe I used this time around is a chocolate swirl variation of the Basic Vanilla Marshmallows from Brownie Points Blog.  I am not a huge fan of plain marshmallows, but love putting them in hot cocoa, s’mores, and other recipes.  I am dying to try some of the other varieties, like strawberry, or substituting brown sugar for white to give it a caramel flavor.  Some of the readers suggested toasted coconut, which sounds divine.  *sigh*  Why did I give up sugar? 

Anyhoo, today’s advent calendar activity is “Drink hot chocolate,” and I decided to make homemade hot chocolate to go along with the homemade marshmallows.  I opened up my trusty Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and made a variation of their simple recipe for hot chocolate.  I halved the ingredients since I didn’t want to end up drinking all the leftovers myself. 

Hot Chocolate
1/3c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3c sugar
4c milk (I used mainly unsweetended coconut milk)
 
In a medium saucepan combine chocolate chips, sugar, and 1/2 cup of the milk.  Cook and stir over medium heat till mixture just comes to boiling.

Stir in remaining milk; heat through.  Do not boil.  Remove from heat.  I didn’t do this, but you can also beat the mixture with a rotary beater till frothy.  Other variations include Hot Mocha in which you add 1T instant coffee crystals to the chocholate mixture, Spiced Hot Chocolate in which you add 1/2t ground cinnamon and 1/4t ground nutmeg to the chocolate mixture, and Low-Fat Hot Cocoa in which you substitute 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder for the chocolate and use skim milk.

The hot chocolate was a big hit with the kiddos.  And of course we saved some for Daddy.

Traditions

I love traditions. It may be something simple – like having a carrot cake muffin the morning of my anniversary, since that’s what I ate on the way to get married – but it has a way of breathing life and meaning into what might be Just Another Day. Traditions help us keep the memory of loved ones alive, allow us to impart a family legacy, imbue a treasured constant in a forever-changing world.

When I think of family movie night, I automatically envision big bowls of buttered popcorn and cups of root beer, a fond memory from my childhood (and a mandatory “intermission” for bedtime, followed by much protest). My love of reading probably stems somewhat from family story time, when the kids would pile on Mom and Dad’s bed and Dad would read from a book that was probably above our heads (he had a way of trailing off into silence, and we would all chime in with “read, read!” if he was quiet for too long). When I think of Thanksgiving, I chuckle at the thought that I used to groan at my parents’ insistence that we go around the table and say what we’re thankful for – gimme dessert already! – but now I can’t wait to voice all the blessings God has bestowed. Christmas Eve was always spent at my grandparents’ house, and we got to open their presents to us that night, instead of waiting for Christmas day.

Christmas is my favorite holiday. Thanksgiving is a close second – we have so much to be thankful for, and my children are both Thanksgiving babies – but Christmas is a time to celebrate Jesus. What can be more important than that? Since having children, raising a family, I’ve become more aware of the traditions we want to start or continue, values we hope to instill in their hearts.

I remember many Christmases with wrapped packages overflowing under the tree and around the perimeter of the room. We were fortunate to have been able to afford more than some, and those times do hold special memories. However, getting older and having kids has a way of shifting your priorities. Phil and I have a desire to downplay presents, and focus on charity. Christmas has become so commercialized; even with good intentions, I find myself so easily caught up in the holiday pressure of finding The Perfect Gift, having everything Just So, focusing on how many check marks I’ve made on my to-do list. Why not funnel some of that energy into doing good for others and being a witness for Jesus? After all, it’s His birthday. Trying to live economically and be good stewards of our time and money has also contributed to this shift in perspective.

Each year our church coordinates a variety of charity drives. For Thanksgiving we put together dinner baskets for needy families. For Christmas we do Operation Christmas Child and a toy drive with the Arctic Mission. It has been so much fun involving Gwendolyn in picking out toys and items for children who can’t afford these things. Last year she kept talking about “toys for kids, toys for kids!” and was so excited about it. I want to impassion my children with a desire for helping others while they’re still young so it will become second-nature to them, their lifestyle.

Somewhere along the line family members agreed we would just do gifts for the kids, or organize a Secret Santa so we weren’t going crazy with the presents. Our own little family will do Christmas stockings with small treats for the kiddos. When Phil was a little boy, his parents got him a small Lego set each Christmas, so one of these years we’ll start doing that for Gwen and Josiah. This is mainly for her birthday, but every year I’m adding a new charm for a bracelet, and I’ll pass it on when she’s perhaps sixteen or eighteen.  Josiah will get a Matchbox car each year.  I plan to keep these collections a secret. Nichole gave me Your Birthday Book: A Keepsake Journal which I started for Gwen, and this year I got one for Josiah. These types of traditions just make me feel warm and fuzzy and emotional and my how time flies! I can just imagine waking up one day soon, filling out the last page in the sixteen-year book, buying the last charm for Gwen’s bracelet, wrapping them up for that special day… remembering how it all started. *sigh*

I am a firm believer in taking one holiday at a time, sucking the marrow out of each occasion before moving to the next. Therefore… no Christmas music until after Thanksgiving! Now that it’s December and turkey leftovers are all gone, I have Christmas music playing ‘round the clock and the Christmas lights on all day. I get so excited about taking decorations out of storage, uncovering and unwrapping each item like it’s a newfound treasure. I particularly enjoy taking out all the tree ornaments; each one has a story, and I’ve had some since I was a little girl.

My siblings and I each had our own shoebox filled with ornaments, aside from the family collection. I still have many of those ornaments, and now I’ve started shoeboxes for Gwendolyn and Josiah. Since they were born around the holidays, it’s a good excuse to add to their collection. They each have “Baby’s 1^st Christmas” ornaments, pink and blue booties, hand-print impressions, and this year I will add a piece from Grandma Edna’s collection. We’ve already hung Grandpa Norman’s glass train on our tree this year.

My in-laws gave us the Little People Nativity Advent Calendar this year. Rather last-minute I came up with a list of 25 activities and treats for each day. It has been so much fun to watch as Gwen gets excited about what each new day brings. Not only does it give me a chance to be creative in what I plan each day, but it affords some special time for all of us and helps us focus on what’s important.

The first activity in the advent calendar was to set up the Little People nativity scene, which was Gwen’s present from the grandparents last year. We have designated it a Christmas toy, so we’re only going to have it around December-January. We also break out a couple other Christmas-only books and toys, and so far these have been a hit with the kiddos.

I’m half Danish, and my family had a tradition of eating ableskiver at Christmas.  I forget if we had it for Christmas or New Year’s, but I’ve decided that will be our Christmas morning breakfast, followed by the opening of the stockings.  I’m not sure if this is Danish, or just my crazy family, but we always went to my father’s parents’ for Christmas Eve, and at the end of the evening we would all hold hands around the Christmas tree, and circle it singing favorite Christmas songs and carols, ending with a Danish song.  We would make fun of this tradition every now and then, but I just love it now and am so glad we do it.

I am excitedly counting down the days to Christmas each morning with Gwendolyn, relishing these special times and the traditions we’re passing along and making together.

What are some of your family traditions?