Have Been Thinking........

The last couple of days have had me thinking about how very lucky I am.  I have a very loving, kind family and many friends who care about me (us).  My oldest son is saying that he doesn't really need anything for Christmas and I'm wondering if it's because he's realizing how much things cost and how much he really has already.  He is saving for his own laptop, along with his sister.  They put half of their allowance each week into savings and the other half they keep adding to their stash for their laptop.  What dedication at he ages of 10 and 8!  I wish I had been taught a little more about money when I was younger.  I'm definitely going to be paying attention to my kids cues and teaching them as necessary about money and how important saving and working with what you have is.  Many things that we own can be repurposed for many things or used in place of other things.  In this day and age of being mindful to the environment and our wallets, this is a very good thing to keep in mind. 

During this holiday season, I'm going to try my best to keep it about family and friends and not all of the commercialism.  Yes, I will still decorate my house and go all out, but if some of it doesn't get done because something more important comes up, I'll be okay with it.....................

A Day of Remembrance

Today is a day to remember our veterans and those who are currently serving in our military.  They do so much on a daily basis to keep our country safe and make sure that we can continue living the life we live.  They can be away from their families for months at a time and they never complain.  They see this as a duty of theirs and make so many sacrifices.  Many of us couldn't imagine being away from our families for a day or a week, let alone months or a year. 

I have had family members killed in a war, family members survive a war and many friends serve in the military.  I hear stories of survivors and non survivors on a daily basis and it makes me happy/sad/proud, depending on the circumstance.

We should be remembering these people on a daily basis, instead of just a couple of days a year.  They should be in our hearts and our prayers, right along with everything else we are thinking of, at all times. 

To all of our military members and your families -----  THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO!  Your service is appreciated!!

Monday After A Time Change

What a weekend we had!  It was the weekend of the time change and of course, being fall, that meant we were supposed to gain an hour of sleep.  Of course, no one told my kids about this, as they have done what they have since they were little, and got up at the usual time, even though it was an hour earlier!  Hopefully the next couple of weeks will straighten them out.........

I guess I shouldn't complain, because there are so many things that I am thankful for.  My family, friends, my scout troops, the kids at school, who light up whenever I am in the building!  I am even thankful for the person who was at the springs last Friday morning, when I went to fill my water jugs.  She was there with her husband and they were waiting for their BIG jug to fill and she decided since she wasn't doing anything, she would help me carry my jugs to the car.  It was nice to be reminded that there are very nice people out there, who will go out of their way to help other people.  Sometimes people can be so caught up in their everyday lives, that they forget about everything else. 

I know that I want to continue to make a conscious effort to continue to treat people the way that I would like to be treated.  A lot of people are surprised when I see them behind me when I'm leaving a building and I wait at the door after I open it, so I can keep it open for them!  To me, it is just a sense of using your manners and treating people with respect.  It is something that I am hopefully passing along to my kids and hoping that they will learn how to treat people properly.

This is a very busy time of the year and I know that I will be trying to help other people out as much as I can.  I will offer to help out friends with dinner or watching their kids, if they need to go out to do some shopping or just need some "ME" time.  Within the last couple of years, it hasn't seemed to matter to me if everything is perfect for the holidays.  I get what I can done and I just enjoy the time with my family and friends. It seems like the perfect solution to me and I hope that you all will follow along with it. 

I will be trying to pace myself as I make muffins, breads, cookies and other baked goods.  I will also be trying to make some meals ahead and work on some of my foods for the holiday itself.  I will be making lists of what I will be serving on these important days, so I'm not trying to remember at the last minute what I need to do.  I will do my wrapping of gifts in a semi-orderly fashion and get them stacked in piles, so I know which pile I need to grab as we're running out the door to someone's house.  I will work on the decorating slowly and get everything up when I can.  That can be a feat in itself, because I decorate quite a bit for Christmas.  I will have to try to get pictures up for you all to see.

Now, I'm off to start on those lists and finish off some Christmas gifts I'm working on.  I have quite a few gifts to make and I'm hoping I'll be organized enough to get it all done.