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An Important Family Outing Part I

We did something very special this weekend, something that I did not think we would do this early. After receiving a flyer in the mail to remind us of the important outing that needed to take place, I knew that we needed to go as soon as possible. Without hesitation we made plans to find and tag our Christmas tree at a local Christmas Tree Farm! We went to this same tree farm last year but we went a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Most of the tree were already tagged by the time we went. While we found a decent … Continue reading →

Tagging Our Christmas Tree

Last week I spent a good bit of time researching Christmas trees. I discovered that there are lots of different varieties some of which are not available in our region of the country. I found a website the outlined the different types of trees and where they grew and then looked them up to see which kind would work best for us. I narrowed it down to three varieties: Fraser Fir, Balsam Fir, and Blue Spruce. I then contacted several local tree farms to see what varieties of Christmas trees they carried. As it turns out there are two farms … Continue reading →

The Magic of Storytelling

Once upon a time, before Mario Party, Zelda, and World of Warcraft, before Nintendo DS Lights, Wii, Sony Playstations, and video I-pods, and even before television and radio, there lived storytellers. Now, storytellers were an interesting breed of human beings, who looked pretty much like everybody else, except for a certain mysterious sparkle in their eyes. People, especially children, would eagerly gather around to hear their tales of enchantment, misfortune, romance, adventure, and luck. The storyteller was animated. The storyteller was passionate. She made her voice dance with magic and her face glow with expression. She took every listener along … Continue reading →

The Best Marriage Article of December

The best marriage article of December focused on a series that Sherry and I wrote detailing the traditions couples develop surround the holiday. In Why You and Your Spouse Should Create Your Own Traditions we talked about the holidays and what traditions my husband and I used to celebrate our first few Christmases before we had our daughter. Later, our traditions changed, but that is a natural event as families grow and develop. The birth of children will have a great deal of influence on the traditions you and your spouse celebrate and honor. For families with older children, don’t … Continue reading →

Holiday Plans with the Ex-Spouse

You may have been married before and you may share children with that former spouse that you and your current spouse spend time with over the holidays. Navigating the holidays with your former spouse for your child’s sake can be difficult, but it’s important that both of you do your best – if for no one other than your child. With this in mind, here are a few key things to keep in mind where your ex-spouse is concerned: Plan ahead – if your ex-spouse has your child for Christmas Day and you have them on the day after, make … Continue reading →

10 Days Until Christmas …

Today is my daughter’s last day of school until 2007. You remember that feeling – the release and the relief of the break. You didn’t have to worry about getting up early every morning. You didn’t have to go out into the cold. There were no tests and no quizzes. No math classes, no history classes or no class that you may have dreaded. All that you had to look forward to for the next two weeks was two weeks of relaxation and joy. I spent the last week preparing items for her holiday party and you forget the simple … Continue reading →

Holidays with the Family

We had our first holiday get together this past weekend. And Oh My, it was a mad house. With 21 people including 3 children, it got very hectic and crazy. Poor Mia had people calling her name non-stop, and she had no idea which way to go. Mia, as you know, is visually impaired and uses her hearing and other senses to get around and find people. With 5 people at a time yelling, “Mia come here.” She got very confused and very frazzled. I think people just forgot that, although she looks and acts like a normal 3-year-old toddler, … Continue reading →

The Twelve Ornaments of Christmas

There is a beautiful tradition that I read about recently that comes from a Bavarian custom called the Bride’s Tree. You might want to incorporate this tradition into your Christmas decorating or into your holiday wedding planning or in some other way. Maybe you’ll just read this and appreciate the beauty of the custom. Either way, I think this Bavarian custom really does hold some of the secrets to making a good and happy marriage. So what goes into decorating a Bride’s Tree? According to customs, you want 12 molded glass ornaments that are made and given to the soon … Continue reading →

Christmas Cards – Don’t Forget the Beauty of Them

We send Christmas cards to friends and family around the country and the world to show them how much we care – but I think sometimes that we take Christmas cards for granted and we pick out the one with the pretty picture and we rush through them signing our names and sticking them in an envelope and we forget how truly personal we can make a Christmas card and that the real meaning of the card is an I Love You and I am thinking of you – and isn’t that the real meaning of Christmas? Choose Your Cards … Continue reading →

Getting Away from it All This Holiday Season?

About a year ago, my husband and I talked about going to Disney World for Christmas and while it’s not a financial option this year, we are saving up for the possibility of going next year. Spending the holidays away from family and friends may not seem like the holidays unless you are so stressed by the holiday season and time spent with family that it’s the best way for you and your spouse and your children to savor time with each other. Family Gatherings Can Breed Tension That gathering the extended family together can breed an atmosphere of tension … Continue reading →