Remember that month called December

 I know, it is only 4 months away, but let's reminisce:

 For Christmas this past year I asked my Mom to meet me in Arizona. We met at my Grandma and Grandpa Pollards and spent the first week of December with them. I had such a great time! We went shopping like nobody's business, but it was so fun! (That would make a great present again this year Mom...hint hint...)

We went to the Mesa Temple and walked around it was so Beautiful and Yes even a little chilly, but I couldn't get over all the lemon and grapefruit trees. I almost picked a few, but they just weren't ripe yet.

I think it was are first or second, maybe even our third year of marriage when Jon's advice started to really sink in, "if you want to have a fun time on your Birthday, throw your own Birthday Party".  This year I thought my party was a hit. I had so much fun. we had about 4 families, 8 adults and about 15 kids. (I will admit, it was a little caiotic hence why I am standing on the table, and yes that was a basket filled with bells for each kid. I am not sure my hearing has recovered.)

Each family was to pick out 2 people they wanted to go caroling to and then bring something to put in each goodie basket to give the people we caroled to. I wish I had a picture of the gift boxes. They were AWESOME. 

 

We had to practice a couple of songs before we left and then we split up and delivered baskets. The kids and I had so much fun singing and giving the boxes. I think I will for sure do this next year, although maybe just as a party and not my birthday...

 We came back, enjoyed cake and ice cream and then the adults got presents. I love giving presents so I gave them to the gals in the group. I wish I had a picture. I will have to remember for this year.

My Mom does the 12 days of Christmas each year for the girls and one of the days was read a book and enjoy some hot chocolate. to say that Marcella loves hot chocolate is an understatement.

Best picture of the girls in their Christmas Dresses.

We had also put Claire in Gymnastics at the place Cella goes. However, it may look fine and dandy, but she would take off running across the gym and then you would see me running after her. it was a little too much for her to sit and wait her turn, so I basically sat behind her the whole time. I am thinking this year she might be a little better at following directions but we will have to see.

Uncle Greg came and Celebrated Christmas with us this year. We were so glad to have him. Jon and Greg were able to meet Spencer up in Michigan and go to a Lyons game. When they got back we decorated cookies.

We started to let the girls open the presents they give to each other on Christmas Eve. Cella gave Claire a Strawberry Shortcake Book and boy was she happy. She wouldn't put it down forever.

 Little Claire gave Marcella a bunch of American Girl doll shoes. She was sooo excited. 

For the past 3 years Santa has called Marcella on Christmas Eve to make sure she has been a good girl. She can not believe that Santa has called her!

Christmas Morning. The rest are pictures of our Day. I love Christmas. I love spending the day with our family. We had such a great time. Little Claire ended up getting Croup and so we had to stay in and spend New Year's Eve alone, but we had a fun time together. Enjoy the pictures.

Today

I have a million ideas running through my head and I just want to do something creative. I want to recreate something beautiful to hang on my oh so bare wall, or create a beautiful pantry on a "I found everything in my house" kind of budget. I want to sit and sew a Beautiful flowing dress for little Marcella made to look like something from My Fair Lady era...Yet instead I sit.

What is holding me back? No really what is it? Yesterday I was sitting at Gymnastics watching Cella and overhead a gal talking about how life has been so different since they moved here. She said, "it has been such an adjustment from working full-time to being a full-time stay at home mom. That's it I just stay at home, we never go anywhere." 

It made me think oh, I hear you. Why is just staying home so hard? I thought about the few things I missed about working. 1. Talking to adults. People who would inspire me and say the things I needed to hear. 2. Compliments. Oh how nice it was to have someone almost daily say how grateful they were that I was able to help them, or teach them something they didn't know, or help them solve a problem. Working at a Credit Union you get all sorts of people from the wealthiest to those just barely making it and yet they all had something to give. I would get the nicest compliments from those who I least expected to give them. 3. Accomplishment and schedule. It is easy to evaluate how well you are doing at your job. You have reviews and goal setting and meetings on how to improve or how good you are doing etc. You also know exactly what is expected of you and when. 4. I got to handle Lots and Lots and Lots of cash. Do you know how fun it is to count money? Or to hold 10s of thousands of dollars in your hands? oh I miss that.

As I was thinking about the things that I missed about working I also thought about the things I don't miss, and that list started getting long so we will by pass that and go into how can I take the things I loved about working full-time and bring them back into my home? Why can't my Stay at home 24-7 job have those same things that I miss from my old job. So here goes lets take number 1.

I have an Obsession with Anne of Green Gables and no not just the first book but with ALL 8 of them. I think that some of my friends know and would say yes those are her favorites and yes she always jokes about being obsessed, but I don't think they realize just how obsessed I really am. Not to the point of crazy/stalker/nothing else occupies my mind kind of obsessed, but yea... I think most problems in life can be compared to and solved in the books.

 One thing I love about the Anne books is that it is back in the day of horse and buggy. 90-95% of Women were stay at home moms and as far as the books go they lived happy productive lives. 
So what has changed? The key? Visiting. I am not just talking about what we do now, the email, the text or heaven forbid the phone call that we make and says something like, "Hey so I was thinking we should get together sometime. I think I might have time next week, maybe Thursday and (oh ya I guess we should do something) so how about we pack up some lunches and have a picnic, or go to the mall, or hey do you want to go to the movies?" While all of this is great and fun, it leaves me lacking for the day of visiting. You never knew who was going to show up at your door, so you did your work faithfully and with an air of satisfaction and accomplishment.  They interacted! They had adult conversation, they made it apart of their life. When did we become so busy that we stopped making time for this? Yet it is the one thing I want more than anything. Does everything in life have to be planned? What is wrong with just being together and working together? Do you feel like you will be imposing? What stops you from doing it? Can you think about how fast you could get things done if there were two of you helping, encouraging, working together?


That is one reason I long to be back in Anne's time. I long to have someone just come over. As soon as the weather warms up and I have means of trasportation daily either by car, bike or walking you better watch out I may just come visit you when you least expect it. Until then please come I would love company while I make dinner, you may even walk away with dinner for you. Plus you would be my inspiration to do something creative.

Kanien

Oh what do you do in the Winter time when all the world (should be) white?

Do you swing on the swings?

 

 Or mow your back lawn?

Or draw with Chalk til the sun goes down? Is that what you do? So do we!