Hope for those going through infertility & infant loss, faith HopeInTheWaiting: Christmas

A Time to Rest

I had to take another glance at the date of my last post. Has it really been 17 days? This is the longest break I have ever taken. Even when we lost Jonathan, I still blogged. I guess it's the busyness of the season and I haven't been feeling well. I still don't know what is wrong, but I've been having really bad lower back pain and pelvic pain. I've had ultrasounds on everything imaginable and all looks fine. I went to a new chiropractor who took an x-ray and he said my L4 and L5 are degenerating. Fabulous. Has anyone else ever experienced this? I still don't know if that's the cause, but for now, we'll go with that diagnosis.

The dizziness is still really bad, so we've decided to fly to Tampa next month to see a specialist. I'm hopeful that they will be able to help me. I'm also excited because we decided to take the girls and make a Disney World trip out of it. They have no idea. We are going to tell them the morning we leave. I can't wait. I will be sure to get it all on video.

I'm just about ready for Christmas. I just got done wrapping all the presents while the girls and Brian are fast asleep. On the girls wish list this year was a Fijit and a Perfect Petzzz. I can't wait to see their little faces light up. We have plans to go to church with my family tomorrow and then enjoy the festivities at my sister Stacy's house.

If you are still reading my blog, thank you. Thanks for hanging with me this long. I am really going to try harder to keep it updated.

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! May you remember the true meaning of the holiday. A babe who came to save the world. He is the reason for the season!

Xmas

Does the title of my post today bother you? It bothers me. I don't like when I see Christmas abbreviated like this. Some would say that I am being too sensitive. That it's no big deal, but to me, it is. As we get ready to celebrate Christmas, I am reminded all too much how "commercialized" this holiday has become. I faced it head on this week when Brooklyn came home with this form for me to fill out.

Do you see anything missing? I saw it right away and so did Brooklyn. Where is the manger scene? Yes, I realize the Christmas tree and Santa represent Christmas, but it's not my Christmas. It's not what Christmas was founded on. Let me say right away, that I do not fault my daughter's teacher. She is fabulous. I know teachers have a ton of work and they go above and beyond for our children. I do not know who made up the form, but it makes me sad that Christ was left off. (If you are looking at the picture next to Santa and wondering what it is, don't worry, so did I. Brian looked it up. It's a Scandinavian holiday called St. Lucia Day).

I was not offended with the fact that the paper was sent home. I don't have a problem with that. If I was a teacher I would want to know more about my kids and what they believe and celebrate. What I do have a problem with is that if we are going to have other faiths represented, I believe that the Christian faith should be represented as well. Yes, I am well aware that my child attends a public school. It just seems to me that everyone wants us to be tolerant of other peoples religions and beliefs, but when it comes to being "tolerant" of Christianity, people get upset.

Personally, I am tired of it. It's time to take a stand for what I believe even if it makes people upset or uncomfortable. I will never apologize for loving the Lord with every ounce of my being. I won't apologize for raising my children to become all they can in Christ and for raising them to stand up for their beliefs. When I asked Brooklyn if she saw something missing in the picture she said, "Mommy, where's the manger?" She got upset and said, "mommy, you need to tell my teacher". I told her that I wrote on the paper that we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Maybe you are reading this and agree with me 100%. Maybe you totally disagree with me and think I am over reacting and being too sensitive. That's ok. Let's agree to disagree. That's what I love about this country. We have the freedom to worship whatever God we choose to worship. However, that freedom has come at a cost, and today, on Veterans Day, I want to say Thank You. Thank you to the men and women who have served this country proudly and to the families that have lost a loved one, THANK YOU for the ultimate sacrifice.

God Bless America!!!

A Christmas of Firsts

This Christmas was incredibly hard. I think our most difficult ever to be honest. It was a Christmas of firsts.

First Christmas without PeePaw, Brian's dad.
First Christmas without our son Jonathan. I would have been 8 months pregnant.
First Christmas without my grandma. She passed away just a few short weeks ago.

I wasn't looking forward to this day, but I didn't really have a choice. The girls insisted the holidays go on and that's just what we did. For them we celebrated.

Christmas Morning

Waiting to come downstairs......

After opening up our presents, we headed up to Indiana.......

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow.....

Praying for an awesome 2011!

Christmas Eve

The girls are so excited for Christmas they can't stand it. They are tucked away in their beds sleeping and waiting for Santa to bring them a bunch of goodies.

We went to our Christmas Eve service at our church at 4:00 and then headed on over to Carrabba's Italian Grill to have dinner with the whole Darin clan. We decided to have Italian food for Christmas to honor my Grandmother who went to be with Jesus on December 9th. The food was delicious, as always, and better yet no one had to clean any dishes.

We then headed on over to my sister Stacy's house to open presents and eat dessert. My family does a $10 gift exchange every year instead of exchanging presents. It's more fun that way and is less expensive. We just enjoy being together and that's what matters most to us.

Of course the little ones all get presents from Nana & Papa and the Aunties & Uncles. Brooklyn got a Lalaloopsy doll from Nana & Papa and Sydney got a Little Mommy Doll.

We recorded a video of the girls singing that was just hilarious. You can see for yourself. (I messed up and held Brian's iPhone the wrong way so the screen is narrow. Sorry. Also, the girls decided to play dress up before they sang.)

Last, but not least, I want to say a Happy Birthday to my Father-in-law, Steve, who would have turned 61 today. He passed away suddenly in January of this yearand it's been a huge loss to our family. We love you and miss you so much PeePaw.

(We just got back from Indiana late last night and this is the first time I've been on the computer since last Saturday so that's why this post is late. We didn't have Internet access while we were there. So I will be posting a bunch over the next few days.)

Tuesday's Tip-The gift that gives

I know it's Wednesday, but I still wanted to post my Tuesday's Tip because it's such an important one. What I'm going to tell you about today can help thousands of people around the world that desperately need our help. We do this every year as a family and it's always a highlight for us and the girls.

As you know, I love World Vision. When my sisters and I were in Christian Music, we used to be World Vision Artists. At our concerts, we would give an appeal to those that came, to sponsor a child. Brian and I sponsor 2 children, a girl in Mexico, a boy in Ghana, and a mom and son in Romania.

World Vision also offers a gift catalog for Christmas. This is so much fun. It's such a great way to show your kids the importance of giving. My girls love picking out the gifts they want to give. In the past we have given goats, chickens, medicine for babies, clean water, and the list goes on. It will be neat to see what the girls will pick this year.

So this is how it works. We have the catalog at home, but if you don't have one, you can go online and see the catalog there. We make a list of all the people we want to give a gift to in their name. This year we will also give in memory of 4 special loved ones. Here's what we picked out so far:

PeePaw-Goat (Brian's dad used to have a goat on his farm)
My Grandma-2 Bibles
Zoe-Rabbit (Brooklyn picked this out for her sister)
Jonathan-2 Chicks (Sydney picked this out for her baby brother)

You get the picture. World Vision will give your loved one a card for Christmas with the donation in their name. (Order must be placed by December 19th). You can also choose to have an email card sent or print one out on your computer to hand deliver.

Don't think it has to be a huge donation either. They have gifts for under $20. Here are some things you can provide to a needy family all under $20. Of course, if you could give more, that would be great. Your donation is tax-deductible.
Seeds for 1 Family for $17 Give seeds. Your gift offers life-changing help for farmers struggling to raise enough food for their hungry children: fast-growing hybrid or drought-resistant seeds for an agricultural bounty of crops.

You can help prevent famine before hunger takes hold. Your donation will help provide seeds for crops like maize, rice, cassava, carrots, cabbage, green beans, peas, potatoes, and onions. Surplus crops can be sold to bring in much-needed family income that can pay for life-saving medicine or help send a child to school.

1 Rabbit for $16 Rabbits multiply and multiply their blessings! God created rabbits to be among the most prolific animals on earth, making them a terrific gift for an impoverished family. With a gestation period of just 31 days, a pair of rabbits can easily become 50 rabbits within a single year. These offspring can provide food or be sold at market, producing a steady source of extra income.
3 ducks for $18 Give three ducks to a hungry family today and they'll benefit from hundreds of large, protein-rich eggs throughout the year. Extra eggs and hatched ducklings can be sold to buy medicine or help pay for children’s school tuition.

For those of you who are so inclined, you can actually do even more. Some years ago, we decided to get the whole family together, saved up for a whole year, and funded half a health clinic. Now we did have several households saving together and clinics were a bit cheaper then, but I will have to say it was one of the most rewarding things our family has ever done. We really felt like we were able to make a difference in that community, and that lives will be changed forever because of it.

How can you give to a needy child or family this Christmas?

I'm all a Shutter!

It's that time of year again. Yes, it's Christmas and that means it is time to order Christmas cards. Does anyone else stress about getting their Christmas cards done and mailed? I do. My biggest stress is what picture to use. Well this year I got lucky and got some great shots of the girls so it made it easy for me to decide.

Something else that made it easier for me this year was Shutterfly. If you have not checked out their site yet for Christmas cards, you are missing out. In my opinion, they have the best selection out there. The hard part is narrowing it down to the one you like best. Here is what I came up with. What do ya think?

Dotty Holiday Monogram Christmas Card

Make unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Their website makes it so easy to upload your photos and edit your card how you would like it.
They have so much more than just cards too. It's really a one stop shop. They have everything from photobooks to calendars. I also found some great gifts for the grandparents that I am going to order. I can't post them though because it would ruin the surprise. :)

Right now they are offering free shipping over $50 (code SHIP50) and they are offering 20% off selected gifts. It really is so easy. I even did it with the girls climbing all over me. I would love to hear your experience if you have used Shutterfly in the past.

Now, I just have to address all the envelopes. Joy!

(Disclaimer: Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards to bloggers that blog about their awesome products. I am one of those lucky bloggers. This is the first time I have ever been offered something for my opinion. I would never endorse something that I personally did not love. )

Snow Angels

Christmas afternoon we drove to Indiana to celebrate with Brian's family. The girls did fabulous on the 6 hour drive. I couldn't believe it. They didn't have a nap either. The snow had melted by the time we arrived which the girls were bummed by. Have no fear however because snow was in the forecast for the next 3 days while we were there. It really came down on Sunday and Monday. The girls were thrilled. Sunday morning we went to church where Brian grew up going.

I love this picture of the girls with their Grandma Sara (Brian's mom). Brooklyn ran out of church and plopped herself down in the snow and made a snow angel. She could care less that she was in her pretty dress.

The girls knew as long as it wasn't yellow snow than it was ok to eat. Can I dress my kids for snow or what? Seriously, what was I thinking? No hat, gloves or boots. Remember y'all I am from Southern California, I'm not used to cold weather.

I took some video of the girls playing in the snow. I was too cold to go outside so I shot it from inside Brian's grandmother's house. She lives on a farm and I have to say it was the most beautiful thing to see the snow falling and to look out the windows and just see white across the corn fields. The ending is a little shaky. I was trying to take video and pictures at the same time. ( video coming in the morning. Too tired to wait for it to download)