summer 2011

summer 2011

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012

Paul and I, all 16 kids and Ashley, Benjamin's wife...Christmas 2012
family

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

blissfully unaware....

I am operating under the pretense that Christmas is still a ways off. It's nicer that way, but what a surprise I am going to be in for come next week, when I fully realize that it's actually already Christmas, and I am not done shopping yet. I haven't written my Christmas cards, and there are gifts I still have to mail. I want to buy something online, which I had better hurry and get to, or one of my kids will be getting their gift for Valentine's Day. The kids keep mentioning how many days 'til Christmas, as they hang little ornaments on their advent calendar tree, and as they exclaim about the chocolate calendar's daily surprise. I tune it out. I have absolutely no idea, at this very moment, off the top of my head, how many days there are until Christmas.

I do know that Samuel is coming home next week. So I know I have to bake lots of cookies. I know we are having everyone here on Christmas Eve, and I will have to buy lots of food. What are we having? I don't know yet. We have had Mexican food a few times and that was fantastic, so maybe we'll do that again. I should get some opinions, write a list, and see who wants to bring what.

My Christmas list...oh dear. Will they know I love them anyway? I am not a good keeper-tracker, but I have tried to write everything for everyone down on this piece of paper I keep folded up in my wallet. I have not lost this list yet this year, so yay me. I wrapped a few things yesterday afternoon, and checked them off the list...and noticed a few gaping holes next to a few names, dang it. I would feel better if I bought them all a few more things each, but that ain't happening.

Finances...I don't like to write on here about money. We aren't hurting, we have much to be thankful for. I read a quote recently that I will botch completely, but it went along these lines: When you're thankful for everything, you have more than enough, but when you're unthankful, there's never enough. I have often thought that if you are lacking, give more, and God will bless you, because that is just a law of the universe, that when you give you will receive. God wants us to trust in Him, so it is not the end of the world to be in situations where ends don't quite meet.

Worry and worry and fretting and anxiety, sleepless nights...just place your life into His keeping, and fight the good fight of faith. It rains on the just and the unjust, we all have our trials...but when we have the attitude, that know-for-certain-faith, that all things are weighed and measured just for me, that God knows just what's best for me...from waiting in long lines, to being talked back to, being ignored, forgotten, underesteemed, whatever it is...it is for my best. Why? Because I can see my pride, I can see how I would rather be respected. I can see that I am worried, and don't trust Him enough. When I can see these things, I am humble. I am can be molded, worked with, I am not stubborn and obstinate.

Here I sit, solving all the problems of the universe, yet I have to get out the door in half an hour. I have swept and cleaned up, showered, brushed out my nice clean hair, and made a fresh pot of coffee. Now I need to get the girls up and ready, I am dropping Kathryn and Jonathan off at my brother's house for a few hours to babysit for two of his grandchildren for a bit, and going out and about with Char and Cam...picking up my sister-in-law Kim, and her daughter Danielle.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

so agree on your paragraph about the finances. i too try to keep Christmas 'equal' for the littles, at least they get the same number of gifts to open even tho they may vary widely in cost. we downscaled this year and i am good with that. it's time to refocus, anyway.

sure love to start my day reading about your family!

terre from zoomama speaks...

Lisa said...

I must be accomplishing something because my lists are getting shorter, but I still have lists....

Everything will get done and no one will be horribly disappointed in the end - that's what I keep telling myself anyway. I have lots of big things I'd still like to get certain kids, but it just isn't happening this year, and I have 2 kids with January bdays so I will be searching carefully for gifts for them as soon as the Christmas clearance sales hit so I don't think I will have much down time. I used to Christmas shop all year when they were little, it's much harder to do that now, if not impossible so I do everything I can and make sure everyone gets fed well and we watch all of our Christmas movies. We usually go sledding on Christmas Eve, but that only works if we have a good snowfall, and that isn't happening this year. It all works out and in just over a week you'll be sitting in your comfy chair watching everyone delight in all the little things you've done to make this the best Christmas EVER (I love that little kid enthusiasm don't you?).