2011 Favorites

It's that time of year again. The time to give a virtual high five to my favorites of 2011. Granted, not all of the following books came out in 2011, but it's the year I had the pleasure of experiencing the talents of these amazing writers, so it's the year I shall share :) To keep things simple, I won't include story summaries, just the why and what that made these reads so irresistible.

Books:

Fiction

Indivisible by Kristen Heitzmann. Anybody who knows me knows I'm a total scardy cat. I jump at YouTube previews and scream when a shadow crosses the front window (later to discover it's just the UPS man) But I digress. Indivisible was just the right blend of chilling, on the edge-of-my-seat romance. Kristen's gift at storytelling sold me at page one. I became an instant fan.

Plain Jayne by Hillary Manton Lodge. I must admit, I'm not a big reader of Amish fiction but Hillary's debut novel was impossible to put down. Her characters were so likable and real and Hillary's voice is hilarious. It's one of the few books I've ever read that made me guffaw and snort all in the same paragraph.

Fresh Start Summer by Beverly Nault. I'm a huge fan of Beverly's style of writing. Casual, funny and always inspirational. She writes the kind of characters you want to be friends with. If you like cozy fiction and a writer with a sense of humor, snatch this one up!

Katia by Bruce Judisch. A dramatic and witty recount straight from Berlin during the time of the wall. Bruce's novel drew me in from the start and didn't let go until I read The End. This is the type of book that challenges. It made me want to be a better person.


Non-Fiction

A Love That Multiplies by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. Whether you have one child or a bus load, this peek into the Duggars lives is truly inspiring. Any couple that encourages parents to strive for greatness and Godliness when it comes to raising children are heroes in my book.

We Are Not Alone by Kristen Lamb. Easy to read, stuffed with important how-to's, and the ever helpful what-not-to-do's, this book is a gem of information on social media. And Kristen is a total riot. Not to mention, her way of using her own blunders to help others is pretty darn cool.


Movies:

I guess I should say movie, because I haven't gotten out much this year =)

But I can't think of a movie more worth mentioning than Courageous. My husband and I had a date night for our anniversary and this was the perfect movie. Encouraging, uplifting and even life changing, this is a film that all families should see. Plus, I cried within the first two minutes. This movie had me at hello.

So there's the nutshell. I'm curious. What great reads and films did you discover this year?

The Moment I Forgot About Christmas

It's been more than forty-eight hours now since my husband came home from work early in excruciating pain. More than forty-eight hours since I called his mom to see if she could rush him to the ER. I watched in near tears as our neighbor, who is a nurse, brought him a face mask to put on because if her fears were correct, he could have been so contagious that our whole family would be at risk.

I didn't know anything. I simply knew that he was so weak he could hardly stand. And watching him leave with no color in his face and tears in his eyes for fear the baby or the kids would get whatever it was that he had, simply broke my heart.

Watching them drive away was almost too much to bear. I wanted so desperately to go with them. But we all knew that taking a four week old into the ER was not a good idea. So I stayed home and waited.

There were a few things I knew. I knew he was having headaches so severe they were making him throw up, an alarming amount of pain in his neck and back, and after speaking to the nurse, I knew it could be spinal meningitis and that after signing a waver because of the possibility of paralysis, he would be getting a spinal tap to reach a diagnosis.

I could not hold his hand. I could not tell him how much I loved him. He was over an hour away in a tiny quarantined room.

That's when I vaguely remember hearing that there were only five days until Christmas. And suddenly it was like I was waking up from a coma. Like all I could see were bright lights. Everything else washed away.

All except my husband. And my children. And my King.

There was no more tinsel and no more lights. I didn't care whether the cookies needed slivered almonds or chopped pecans. Or that the last row of lights on the tree had burnt out. All I cared about was whether or not my phone was going to ring and what was going to be on the other end.

All I wanted was for my husband to be OK. And I had no idea if he was actually going to be OK.

As the hours and days have worn on, with presents still unwrapped and many left to buy, it was natural to wonder if Christmas was going to be normal. But maybe--just maybe its not supposed to be.

Because Christmas was never about us. It was about the Savior who came to this earth as a baby to be born in a cold stable among donkey and sheep. And just like the drummer boy--we have no gifts fit for a King.

Except to get down on our knees and thank him for our family.

And thank him for the night he came into this world beneath a midnight sky. Although there was no room in the inn, and although the world He came to save would betray him, He still came.

To bring us tidings of comfort and joy.

* * *

I have since learned that our prayers have been answered and Noah was not contagious. Test results have begun coming in and the worst illnesses are slowly being ruled out. Which meant that I was able to visit him! Holding his hand and seeing the color in his cheeks and the smile on his face was all the Christmas present I needed.

We are so thankful for all the prayers and all the love that has poured in from friends and family. It's going to be a very merry Christmas this year, despite the fact that the thanksgiving decorations are still up and we don't have a stocking for Caleb :)

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a joyous time celebrating the birth of our Lord!
From my family to yours.

A Homemade Christmas

With the economy not what it used to be and many families looking to save money this Christmas season, it's no wonder more and more people are choosing to make homemade presents for their loved ones.

Despite the sparkle and glitz of flashy holiday commercials, some folks are still choosing to slow things down a bit. Embrace the beautiful simplicity of a handmade gift. From aunty's chocolate dipped pretzels to grandpa's rustic bird feeder, to the handcrafted shopping bag angel on top of the tree with old manuscript pages for wings (oh, wait that's just us.) Homemade gifts are special. They say "I took the time to make this for you."

So in embracing the pioneer spirit this year, I've conjured up homemade gifts, including the infamous apple pie soap, crochet scarves and a crochet rag rug ( oh yeah, took it up a notch on this one.) And lastly, I bought one of my favorite teas, creamy pumpkin pie, and I'm planning on putting together little glass jars packaged with a ribbon and tea ball.

Homemade projects are all about heart. Some projects are easy and fun while others challenge us making one want to set fire to the green sweater we've knitted that we thought was "hunter" but in the sunlight, just so happened to be "chartreuse." (I'm not venting, I'm not, I'm not)

Despite the glitches and imperfections, I hope these homemade gifts will bring a little cheer.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are you making any presents this year for your Christmas gift giving? What special homemade gifts have you received?

An Advent of Giving: Our Family's Twist

What is advent?

It's a beginning.
An arrival.
An anticipation.

All for the celebration of Christ's birth.

And we celebrate it by pulling tootsie rolls and sticks of gum out of numbered felt squares.

Really? That's the best we can do?

Imagine anticipating the homecoming of a loved one from the war overseas and celebrating that anticipation by shoe shopping on day 1, getting a pedicure on day 2, and so on. All to express your love and unbridled joy at greeting your dear one.

Well when you put it that way... My point exactly!

So it was as my husband and I were discussing ways we could increase Christ and decrease Santa ( sorry chubbo) that we came up with the idea of doing an advent calendar in reverse.

Yep. Instead of getting shiny chocolate kisses for each day we draw closer to our Savior's birth, we as a family, come up with one way of blessing someone else that day.

Now granted our lives are a little hectic right now with three small kids including a 2-week old, so while we hope to do more in the years to come, we're keeping the ideas extra simple and surprisingly enough...it doesn't take all that much to make a persons day.

Here are some of the things we have marked on our homemade advent calendar:

Day 1: Levi drew a picture for our elderly neighbor who has just lost her husband to cancer, he carried it over and took a few moments to chat with her.

Day 2: Mabry helped me bake banana bread--she's is the worlds greatest masher--for another neighbor.

Day 3: On Sunday, Noah handed the baby to a lovely woman in our church. With everyone itching to hold a newborn and mommy and daddy wanting to keep him close, it was a real treat for her. Her ear to ear grin the entire time nearly brought tears to my eyes.

Days 4 & 5: Lastly, while out with his grandma at a taco joint, Levi asked an older gentleman if he could throw his trash away for him. Imagine finishing your meal only to have a five-year-old offer to whisk away your trash. (I love that he had this idea all on his own!) And the following day, he filled the wood box next to the stove, then swept the dirt he had tracked in and even offered to mop! All to bless his mommy. My heart melted when Noah came home and secretly told me that I was the recipient of the advent blessing that day.

I love that our children are learning at a young age to serve others, and they're doing it so joyfully. I'm excited to see what ideas we continue to come up with this advent season. And even more excited when I hear him say "Jesus is the reason for the season," each time he finds a way to bless someone.

So tell me, what are some of your favorite holiday traditions?


Photo credit: The Nativity Story, 2006